It’s finally Spring!  …at least for now anyway.  The last two years in Bozeman have conditioned me to believe that spring doesn’t really exist.  It’s just an illusion off in the distance of the west’s perpetual ability to continue to get snow straight through May and waltz into summer unannounced.  Days of 60 beautiful degrees linked together only to be shattered by another storm, another wintry blast of 6 to 12 inches in town and much much more in the mountains.  I would always sigh, “Can’t it just stay in the mountains!”  I was longing for the warmth and sunshine in the valley…but didn’t mind escaping into the mountains for a ski.  With that in mind I keep waiting for a storm….but we are moving farther into April each day, and for now, it is still spring.

In high school spring was a quick turn over of seasons…sport seasons that is.  I would march blindly off my skis and directly into track spikes.  Indoors, outdoors, circles.  (maybe I just really like circles)  Track would get me all the way to June, state would end, and ski training would commence the very next day.  In college spring was this big bad expanse of time that I didn’t know what to do with.  You mean all of a sudden I would have to go to school?  regularly!?!?!  I would sneak away from school work to go on runs, entertain myself in the student gym, indulge in the occasional crust ski.  I even took to coaching middle school track to help fill all my new-found time.

This spring.  This spring has been one of my most laid back springs yet.  I know some people would disagree, but I think I’ve gone along pretty willingly at doing nothing.  Nothing…so odd.  I’m an antsy person by nature.  I struggle to sit still for extended periods of time.  Maybe for the first time ever in my ski racing career I finally tired myself out enough racing and training that I took to time off willingly!?!?

I’ve done almost nothing for 2 weeks… I try to move a little every day, but besides from stealing a few final skis of the year and the first orienteering race of the off-season (my poor hamstrings!) my life has been blissfully inactive.

I can feel the life slowly creeping back into my body.  All of my batteries are recharging.  Giddy on occassion…and for the first spring ever I’m not restless.  My body and mind are healing, regrouping, flushing… getting ready to start the whole darn thing all over again.  And for that I’m incredibly excited!