Catching up with Liz Stephen, Off-Snow - Carrie Baker

Carrie Baker, one of our in-house Spokes at Muscles Not Motors, sat down with Olympian, cross-country skier and MNM Spoke Liz Stephen to talk about her rockin’ ski season that just ended in April. During Liz's short visit home to Vermont, they enjoyed some spicy Thai food on a sunny day – a nice contrast to Liz’s winter on snow. MNM: Liz, welcome home for a short break before you start up your season again! We followed you and the entire U.S. team this season and it seemed like a home run – can…

Breaking Trail for the Camel’s Hump Challenge - Tristan Von Duntz

Once a year, backcountry (or “BC”) skiers gather in Huntington, Vermont, to circumnavigate Camel’s Hump in the Camel’s Hump Challenge (CHC), and to see a different side of one of the state’s most iconic peaks. The CHC skiers get the chance to try their skills on the mountain and see some of Vermont’s most beautiful backcountry, but the CHC also has a greater purpose than simply skiing: Skiers raise money to support the Vermont chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Four years ago I skiied the…

Running my First 5K – Tales of the Stroller Division - Dan Mahoney

As I get ready to run my first Vermont City Marathon relay race this spring, I've been reminiscing about a race I did in Farmington, Maine, back in November. I know, slightly delayed, but I had to take an unforeseen sabbatical this winter. So here I am with an update.

A good friend of ours, Tricia Cote, had informed us of a 5K in Farmington, Maine that she was organizing. It would benefit the New England Lung Cancer Project, a non-profit Trish founded a few years back. If you have not heard of them you should…

Fighting the Headwinds at the Ironman World Championship - Donna Smyers

As I aged up into my new 55-59 age group for triathlon this year, I set out with the lofty goal of returning to Kona to try and win my age group at the Ironman World Championship . The Ironman World Championship held annually in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, is the famously televised triathlon that includes a 2.4 mile ocean swim and a 112-mile bike through hot, windy lava fields, followed by a steamy 26.2 mile run. Triathletes earn the right to compete at Kona by winning a spot at another Ironman race that distributes qualifying slots. I journeyed to St. Croix last May…

Realizations of an Older Dad - Eric Medved

My son is 2 ½ years old. I am in my mid-forties. Actually, I am in the lower mid-forties. While that may be getting technical, at this age it is important to be very specific if it is to your advantage. For the most part I feel younger than my age, except for some post-mountain bike mornings.

I had been working hard on maintaining some sense of good physical fitness, including regular biking, indoor training and some Nordic ski racing, prior to my son’s birth. Okay, that last one can be considered a loosely-defined term, as…