Skiing ... not so much for me

April 2012, Les Contamines-Montjoie, new skiing equipment and ready to go. Or so I thought.
Day 1: too snowy and a back that said "I don't think so ... for today". Okay, fine by me (I am quite good at procrastinating...)
Day 2: weather was clearing up, I got a ski pass for the day (I thought to myself "let's be prudent") and up I went. I had a blast! Snow was great and my back was doing fine. In fact, it was better than in the morning.
So I thought let's continue. Next day, I got a 4 day ski pass! Yay, shoop shoop, here I come! I went all the way to aiguille croche, the highest spot you can get to with the lifts! And there it was, the view of the Mont Blanc. So totally worth it...

The downside was... well, the way down. A red slope, not really any harder than some of the others I had done... But I got scared: it looked really steep, it was very windy and well, there was me, my primary obstacle.
Obviously, I made it down since I am writing this post. But my back (the I-feel-great-one) stayed up there. That way down plus lunch/picknick in the snow did it. Back at the chalet, the pain stopped me from walking upright. Time for the doc who declared skiing to be over. I still had a great week with my family and friends this week...

Next day I relaxed at the chalet and then, well, I went to this cool spa I've been wanting to go to for ever.

All's well that ends well!

cheers

Stars and bears

Number 2 and 3 passed their ESF tests (aka skiing level tests) today and completed them with success

Number 3 - ourson (bear cub)
Number 2 - 3ème ètoile (3rd star)



(Number 1 had already passed golden star in feb)

Watch out on the slopes, little (high-speed) skiers are coming...

cheers

Kids ski

This past week:

 

 

cheers

come on baby, light my fire...

Module 2 of my training... last Wednesday I went in, not really knowing what to think or say. Having read some stuff, I thought, wow, this is so much based on big companies, I just don't get it. I never worked in a big company, I taught there. It all felt pretty much like a downward spiral... and when would I hit solid ground again? 


Day 1 came and went, quite intense, with a coaching demonstration by one of our teachers. And it seemed so easy that I just thought: "wow, I'll never get there!". I was beat in the evening, and still not so much reassured about the "what the hell heck am I doing here?" 



It did become more concrete though. Tools were being given in addition to the implicit knowledge we are flooded with. The German in me LIKES tools, they are definable, they are palpable, they seem more realistic. 




Day 2 came and did not just go by: there was live coaching.... aka us, coaching each other (I know, like yikes!). A good coaching like the one on day 1 is good to see, but less ... well, instructive. A not-so-perfect coaching teaches way more about the techniques... especially the ones we didn't use!
A the end of that day, after debriefing the live coaching, I had a glimpse on how to do it - the light at the end of the tunnel - a tiny light, but a light nonetheless. That felt SO-O-O-O good, I went home elated (weird, huh?)


Day 3 came, and started off well, new material to help us grasp coaching and more coaching sessions. Again, mistakes were made and taught us more about how NOT to do it and gave us several glimpses on HOW to do it. 
While I am still in doubt (would that by any chance be in my nature?), I feel somewhat reassured about my path less traveled. 


Plus, I mean, it's spring, weather is just awesome at the moment and everything is blossoming... that does help to lighten the mood and lift the spirits, right?!

cheers!