I’m a proud mom.  What else can I say?

Although I haven’t gotten much running in the past few days due to a cold, tons of new snow and an aching ankle, I have been able to ride the trainer, get the car stuck again and ski a few days.  The sun is starting to shine through the clouds today so I’m hoping to get my pregnant self motivated and out the door!

While my parents are in town, Ian and I took advantage of the babysitting and made a quick trip up to Marble yesterday for some backcountry skiing.  We have not had any new snow in a while but have had some wind so some aspects have considerable avalanche danger.  While Ian and I were very confident in our line, we watched a group just next to us set off a slide.  The first two skied the line but the third person set it off – a good reminder that it doesn’t mean it’s safe just because someone has skied it.  Thankfully, everyone was totally fine and the skier was able to hike back up and ski our much safer line.  Conditions were not perfect, nor was my skiing, but it was great to get out for some exercise with Ian! Also, I have to say I was pretty impressed with my prototype Polartec Power Shield Pro jacket. I wore it on the ski down and it stayed completely dry despite a couple of pretty good crashes in deep snow, but it also breathed well enough that I didn’t overheat during some aerobic route-finding on the way back to the car.

6 months pregnant

Top of No Name had some great snow.

I was standing on the ridge when a skier to my right triggered this slide (you can see him in the center of the frame above the slide crown, click photo to enlarge). Thankfully everyone was ok, but it was definitely not how I wanted to start my descent.

Debris path

Len Zanni leading Lance Armstrong & Jay Henry up the first climb in Snowmass a few weeks ago.

Primal Quest is about 600 miles and will go on for at least 3 or 4 more days so I have been more obsessed with the Leadville 100.  Of course the big thing with Leadville this year is Lance vs. Wiens and breaking the 6-hour mark.  Lance has become somewhat of a local in the Roaring Fork Valley and Wiens has been a friend for several years after adventure racing together.  So who  have I been cheering for this morning?  Len Zanni of course.  Len from Honey Stinger and Big Agnes is my dark horse to either be on the podium or take a surprise win.  Although Len works full time and has two young kids, he is strong, has been training with Lance and has been having an amazing season.   Of course I’m cheering for Dave and Lance and everyone else, but really we are just hoping Len can keep up the pace he is racing at currently and that he has no mechanicals or crashes.

My new shoes! Imogene, Wildcat & Fireblade

L to R: Imogene, Wilcat, Fireblade

What I really should be doing is deciding which of my new La Sportiva trail shoes I should put on and try out on the trail.  All three shoes look great and I’m having a hard time deciding which pair to try first:  Fireblade, Imogene, or Wildcat.  I guess it will depend on how much more rain falls this morning and how long I get to run for.  Tough decisions.  Although I’m no longer racing in the TransRockies (more on that another day), I’m looking forward to putting lots of miles on these new shoes.

As I finally finish up writing this, it looks like Lance is going to win the Leadville 100 this year despite flatting and riding with 5 – 10 miles left.  Although he won’t break the 6-hour mark, it looks like he’ll easily break the record Dave Wiens set last year.  Wiensy should be claiming the second spot on the podium and third is still up for grabs.  I hope Len can pull it off but either way it has been fun to watch.  Salomon Crested Butte is still on the heels of OrionHealth in Primal Quest with about 450 miles of racing remaining.

Here are top 10 from Leadville: 1. Lance Armstrong, 2. Dave Wiens, 3. Matt Schriver, 4. Alex Grant, 5. LEN ZANNI, 6. MAX TAAM, 7. Travis Brown, 8. Manuel Prado, 9. Mike Hogan, 10. Jason Tullous.  Huge congratulations to Len and Max and the Honey Stinger team!

Email from Amanda:

I’m through accepting limits
‘Cuz someone says they’re so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I’ll never know!

It’s time to try
Defying gravity…

–Defying Gravity from Wicked

Altering the weight of my world…

Today I walked on my legs for thirty minutes in the most normal unrestricted gait for the first time in seventeen years of paralysis!  No, I didn’t even use my leg braces.  Imagine being a NASA astronaut suspended in a pressure regulated device that defies gravity.  Today was my third day on the Aspen Club & Spa’s newest toy, the Alter-G, an anti-gravity treadmill.  With the help of my trainer, Mark Alderdice, and my friend Zander, I threaded my legs into a pair of customized neoprene compression shorts and wormed my way into the machine.  Mark zipped the skirt-like extension at my waist to the ballooned frame and I wiggled my legs into position.

“Okay Amanda, put all your weight on the treadmill and keep as still as possible.”

Mark touched the computer screen while it calibrated my body weight.  From a crouched position I rose to standing as the bubble inflated.  Digital numbers clicked by 20, 30, 40, 50, 60…Within seconds I was almost weightless and completely vertical standing tall on my own two legs…without leg braces!

“Are you ready for the treadmill Amanda?” asked Mark

“Yes, go for it.  I’m ready.  I won’t know ‘til I try.  Now let me FLY!”

“We’ll start really slowly.  We can increase the speed in one percent increments.”

Before I knew it I was walking!

It’s been so long.  It’s almost too long to remember.  Something has changed within me.  I feel tingles.  My legs are alive.  They’re moving.  Blood pumps through my veins.  I feel light yet I’m supported.  I’m almost weightless but I can walk!  I’m defying gravity.  I’m defying the odds.  I would never have imagined it possible—especially two years ago prior to my first embryonic stem cell injection.  I couldn’t move anything below my hips for fifteen and a half years.  My body is still awakening.  I am walking!  It’s happening.  It’s possible.

Words can’t even describe my sensation of standing tall in my five foot seven frame on my own two legs while walking in a true heel-toe-bend-knee-swing-forward motion.  As I marched onward consciously focusing on planting one foot in front of the other, I stretched my memory back to when I was a teenager recalling the days when my legs ached after ballet or running hard.  Today my legs ached…and they are still aching and tingling as I sit at my computer this afternoon.  I have longed to feel my leg muscles ache since that fateful ski accident that rendered me a paraplegic seventeen years ago.

While the idea of unweighting isn’t new, the Alter-G is apparently the first company (www.alter-g.com) to use a pressurized bubble that provides a counterforce to a person’s bodyweight, reducing the effective weight on the treadmill surface.  In essence, the machine gave me unrestricted mobility to maintain my normal body position and a somewhat normal gait.

“What do I look like Mark?  Normal?”

“Well…n-o-r-m-a-l…like you’ve had a few drinks!”  We laughed.  “But you’re getting there.”

Actually, Mark and Zander were amazed at my newfound ability to move my trace muscles in this weightless device.   Through the gift of the Aspen Club & Spa I will have the opportunity to use the Alter-G machine twice a week incorporating it into my therapeutic regimen.  Thank you Michael Fox and thank you Mark (and Zander too).  I am grateful beyond words.  Today, you brought me to tears once again—sobering tears that remind me that I can be beautiful in my tallness and that with a little determination and help from my friends I can achieve the impossible.

So if you care to find me
Look to the western sky!
As someone told me lately:
“Ev’ryone deserves the chance to fly!”

And if I’m flying solo
At least I’m flying free
To those who’d ground me
Take a message back from me
Tell them how I am
Defying gravity
I’m flying high
Defying gravity
And soon I’ll match them in renown
And nobody in all of Oz
No Wizard that there is or was
Is ever gonna bring me down!

–Defying Gravity from Wicked

Amanda Boxtel

Website: www.AmandaBoxtel.com

Blog: www.amandaboxtel.wordpress.com

“Human Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy has restored life into my limbs and HOPE back into my vocabulary.  While my spinal cord injury took away my ability to walk, it didn’t take away my ability to dream.  I am making my dream my reality one baby step at a time.”

The family, including my mom, is headed over to Vail this weekend for the Teva Mountain Games Ultimate Mountain Challenge.  Last year I raced well for the four events – downriver kayak, mountain bike, trail 10k and Vail Pass time trial – to place second among the women behind Gretchen Reeves and just ahead of Keri Nelson.  I know Gretchen is back to defend her title and I believe Keri will be back trying to better her performance from last year.  I’m not sure how fit I’m feeling this year, but the challenge will be a good one.

After running around with Juniper in tow last year, Ian decided he was up for the challenge this year.  It was a difficult decision whether to race pro or amateur but after some coaxing from me he decided to go for the pro race.  The only difference is the mountain bike race – 4 laps versus 2.  The pro women do three laps of the mountain bike course so unfortunately Ian and I aren’t quite racing head to head.  Bummer, because that would have been the best race out there.

Ian and I will still be battling it out in the kayak race, 10k and hill climb.  It should be some fun, family competition.  May the best spouse win!

Check out the list of women I’ll be speaking with:

Lynn Hill:  World Cup climber, made the first free ascent of the Nose of El Capitan and mother.

Irene Beardsley:  Started Stanford Alpine Club, first ascent of Irene’s Arete in 1957, mother and grandmother.

Amanda Boxtel:  Founder of Challenge Aspen and learning to walk again through stem cell transplants.

Kelly Perkins:  Heart transplant recipient and mountain climber including Kilimanjaro.

Tara Sheahan: Former US Cross Country Ski Team member, Oneness Blessing giver and mother.

Also, check out this video for more information.  Hope you can make it next Sunday!

Brian Smith heading down Rock Island on the first descent.  This descent is super short so we all opted to keep our skins on.  Ian volunteered and got the post at the bottom of the descent which was highly entertaining for him.

Mike Schneiter and Brian Johnson.

Dawes Wilson opting for the slide instead of skiing as I come into the top of the descent.

Brian Edmiston also taking the slide instead of the ski.

Monique Merrill climbing out of Rock Island.

Unfortnately Ian missed the finish by a few minutes but I was able to hold off Monique by just under 2 minutes.  Both of us were much faster than we were last year on the same course and I managed to get by with out many skin issues which is always a plus.  Travis Scheefer edged out Brian Smith on the last descent down Buttermilk to win by a second and Bryan Wickenhauser finished very close behind.

My parents, brother Ben and nephew Christopher have been visiting so Ian and I decided Ben should see the Marble backcountry.  We had another early morning wake-up call on Sunday and skinned up No Name and then skied the Carbonites.  I had never skied this line which had gorgeous turns and we were able to make it back to town in time for a late breakfast with the kiddos and for the parents to make it to Snowmass for some great skiing.

Me and Ben getting ready to ski down the Carbonites.

Ben taking advantage of some great turns.

This was the first time I had been on my tele skis in awhile as I have been practicing descending on my race skis as much as possible lately to get ready for the Pierre Menta.

Ian finally let someone else use the camera so I could actually get a photo of him.

Ben filled his beard with a little snow while I ran up the road to get the truck.

It has been a great week of training, racing and hanging with my family.  Next weekend is the COSMIC at Monarch and the Highlands Inferno so I have a tough decision this week of which race to go to.  I’ll be getting out on the bike as much as possible as the XTERRA Winter Worlds are just two weeks away.

Instead of driving the four+ hours to Crested Butte this weekend, we came up with a creative alternative. The Kebler Pass road is only an hour from our house and from the Paonia side, it’s only about 30 miles to the Butte. Of course, the Kebler Pass road is closed in the winter, but we have both a snowmobile AND good friends who own a beautiful cabin on Kebler. Giddy up.

Headed into the cabin with Juniper & Emily.

Juniper and I had to make a quick stop to replace a sparkplug.

Rolling up to the cabin.

Curt & Pam's cabin. So much better than a hotel room!

The Wells cabin in the shadow of Marcillena Mountain

The cabin is about 20 miles outside of Crested Butte, so Ian, Curt and I loaded up on the snowmobiles early Saturday morning for the 40-minute ride.  I had secured a ride from the trailhead to the ski area for the race and arrived with enough time to register, down some caffeine and do a quick warm-up.

Snowmobile ride into Crested Butte Saturday morning for the race. Crested Butte is the pointy peak in the background.

The CB race had a le mans start.

Clicking into our skis after about a 50 yard run. Green boot domination!

The race went well despite not feeling stellar. Monique Merrill and I swapped the lead a few times on the first climb but remained within a few seconds of eachother.  Mona’s experience shined at the first transition when she easily peeled skins and skied away ahead of me. I tried some 1st Endurance Liquid Shot for the first time, hoping it would help me make up the seconds I lost. It seemed to work pretty well and I caught back up to Mona. We continued to battle until the last climb where I had to stop and swap my skins while Mona was able to keep going. Again, this has a lot to do with her experience.  At all of the transitions, Mona was able to remove her skins and fold them carefully while mine always end up rat-nested and stuffed into my suit.  Taking good care of your skins allows them to stick better on the next climb and prevent slipping.

I got into my bindings quickly at the start and headed up with the leaders. Photo by Xavier Fane.

Despite having to swap skins, I did learn a lot from last year when I tried to suffer through slipping and peeling skins on the last ascent.  This year I swapped my skins with the extra pair I was carrying in my suit as soon as they started to fail and only lost 2 minutes instead of 15 like last year.  I’m also finally getting a little better on the descents and managed to only stop once or twice so the burning in my legs could subside.

Skiing the Peel at the beginning of the last descent. Photo by Xavier Fane.

Ian slednecking while I was racing.

Ian and Curt rode up to the (sadly) crumbling Irwin Lodge.

I am looking forward to a weekend without any racing and spending time with Ian and Juniper. The next COSMIC race is back here in Aspen on February 21st for my favorite race – Snowmass to Buttermilk.  This is a classic race with true out of bounds skiing and spectacular views. Come check it out!

Rando racing Frosty makes a visit to the cabin for the weekend.