Boring Blog

Hi,

This week’s blog is for the true fans. If you’re here for breaking news, you’ve come to the wrong place. Just a good old-fashioned check-in. I’m not doing any glam camps, races, or travels, and many of my roommates have gone home for a bit. The snow is dwindling, so training has been transitioning into dryland activities. Nothing to complain about, but times like these are often when the ski life can lack a little flavor. I chose “lack a little flavor” over a more negative word, because it’s not a bad time, it just is what it is. (I like to use the phrase “it is what it is” because it’s always true - simultaneously meaningless and yet very meaningful. Maybe a blog topic for another time.)

Anyway, the highs of race season are fun, but they happen after many months of comparatively boring base building. I originally didn’t know what to write this week’s blog about, but as this is the reality of much of the training-season, I thought I’d share it!

I train most mornings with the APU team, which is huge for my motivation. Training hours can feel very different on any given day, and I’d go so far as to say that I don’t even notice the time when I’m with people I like to be around. I like to train alone from time to time, but solo training hours can sometimes feel very long - I prefer them in moderation. Today we trained in the windy rain by the ocean. Very nice actually.

In the middle of the day I’ve been working, making lunch, and trying to lay low before the next workout. Then, I go out for a little solo run or rollerski. I come back, make dinner, and either work, do errands, or do something relaxing or low-energy fun. I warned you this blog was boring! Anyway, this is a big reason I like to have a lot of roommates - they make the “in between times” a lot more interesting, even if we’re not doing anything.

The biggest highlight of the past few days was successful cookie baking. My favorite recipe is a New York Times recipe that requires 24 hours of chilling the dough. I have tried the recipe both ways - skipping this step and waiting the full 24hr, and I can confirm that chilling the dough makes the cookies much better. My little science experiment for the week. If you’re looking for good cookies, here they are. If you are looking for healthy cookies, here they aren’t. All told, I usually feel kinda sick after eating these babies. signs of a good cookie.

It’s always nice to acknowledge balance in life - gotta have some boring times to appreciate the exciting ones. That’s what I’ve been up to. Thanks for checking in!

Renae

food photography might not be my calling but you'll have to trust me that they tasted good