Current physical location: Aspen, CO. Current mental location: Left Field.
I’ve been staring at the MacBook for a solid 10 minutes trying to figure out how to intro this week’s 5FD, but I’m coming up shorter than Simone Biles next to Shaq.
I’ve got nothing but… hey look one of my favorite shades from 2015 is baaaack!
This Week’s Favorites
From top, L-R:
- Lululemon Never Still Tank ($58) – high necks are a win in my book, mesh in back is fun, not weird.
- Lululemon Cool Racerback II ($48) in electric coral – this color is amazing and all sorts of neon fun in real life.
- Athleta Shanti Long Line Tank ($54) – One day I will have the confidence to rock this thing while training for my next half marathon. Speaking of which, I should probably choose my next half marathon.
- Athleta Excursion Hybrid Tight ($89) in black – Is it possible to wear Athleta hiking tights to 100% of the things one needs to leave the house for? Asking for a friend.
- The North Face Osito Sport Hybrid 1/4 Zip ($98.95) – it’s damn cold outside in most of the US and you probably wish you had this custom tailored snuggie thing.
The Dud
SELF DOUBT.
Something awesome happened today, though. Over the last couple of weeks on business in Aspen, the advanced rookie / weenie of an intermediate snowboarder in me was fortunate enough to get 45 minutes almost daily for a quick up/down the mountain during lunch. Even though I picked up snowboarding 9 years ago, I am far from a natural.
I’ve always been a bit of a loner on the slopes, mainly because I like to snowboard more for the scenery than the speed. To me it feels like so many people who make skiing and boarding a regular habit are double black thrill-seeking crazies. Meanwhile, my main MO is that if I fall, I don’t wreck so fast and hard that I need ski patrol to pick me up and get me down the mountain. I’m cautious, mmmkay.
Repetition of the same easy route down the mountain for the third year in a row started to get stale after just a few days, so I put my big girl snow pants and pep-talked myself into to facing a few previously-feared steeper routes. In the process of maneuvering said new routes, I accidentally chose the wrong side of a trail when getting a little spicy with some blue squares about a week ago.
KATY UNINTENTIONALLY DROPPED INTO FREESTYLE TERRAIN. FFFfffffffuuuuuuuudge.
Long story short, I accidentally found myself on sassier terrain than I ever believed I could handle. Yes, I fell. Yes, I screwed it up the first 3x I tried. But it was the good kind of failing. The kind of fail that I knew wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. So I gave that sassy terrain a few more shots, and on the fourth try I managed to do something that two weeks ago I’d have told you you’re out of your damn mind for thinking I’d even give a shot.
Look up HEAD CASE in the dictionary and you’ll se my name in front of it. Aside from taking on the Midway Avenue Bank Track, this week at work I flexed my new certifications and operated some effing heavy machinery and got over my fear of working with the giant batteries that can kill you if you look at them cross-eyed. This week was a good week for shutting up and giving intimidating yet possible things a try.
So yeah. If I can squash the anxious voices in my head, I’m willing to bet you can too. Get out and do something a little bit scary, because deep down you and I both know that it’s probably going to be okay.
All stock images courtesy of lululemon athletica, Athleta & Zappos
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A bit off-topic, but I noticed you are wearing wrist guards. Do you like them? My 11 yr old son has been wanting to try snowboarding for several years now and I have been putting him off saying too dangerous, injurious, etc., as well as “not until you’re a better skier.” He has been skiing since he was about 4, but last weekend was able to do black diamonds with me at Mammoth and had no problems getting down (albeit not the best technique or use of poles). So we are going to Whistler next month and my husband and I have relented, and have signed him up for snowboard lessons. I just bought him some Dakine wristguard gloves, but not sure if I should have just purchased wristguards that he can wear under his current gloves. I’m also concerned about his tailbone, but oh well. Luckily, he can switch back to skiing any time… I wanted to check if you have any opinions on gloves with built-in or separate wristguards? Thx
Hi! I’ve been wearing the same pair of wrist guards since my first time on a board. Hearing so many stories about beginners falling forward, I figured it was silly not to take precautions… a girl’s gotta type!
The good part about gloves with guards built in is that you’ll know they fit. My normal ski gloves & mittens have always presented a struggle to get over the wrist guards. Shimmying the first one on is easier because I can get a grip with my ungloved hand, but as soon as I try getting the second glove on I’m always struggling to get it over the second wrist guard with my teeth (no joke).
This winter hasn’t been a problem for me, only because I erred on the larger size with a new pair of heated gloves, and the extra space in them allowed me to easily pull them on over the wrist guards.
So, my biggest caveat would be to watch out for the extra circumference they add. While it may seem like the most cost-effective idea to get wrist guards to go under gloves he already owns… those gloves may not fit with the extra underneath.
In that case, you’re buying a new pair no matter what.
From my own experience, I fell onto my tailbone plenty while learning, which resulted in some bruising but no breaks. Still would recommend wrist guards and a helmet no matter what. I can’t tell you how long it had been since falling forward on my snowboard (I’m talking YEARS), but took a forward spill last week and I’m glad I had my stuff on.
I’ve made protective gear a habit from the start, it’s now status quo and I don’t even notice how marshmallowed & braced up I am every time I hit the mountain!