We all juggle family, work, fun, sickness, injury, and training. If we’re lucky, we keep those slippery balls in the air most of the time and only let them hit the ground once or twice a year. All my balls hit the ground right before Christmas, thanks to an AIARE course, a bunch of writing work, a couple guide days, daddy duties, and a two-week chest infection. No good training, a lot of coughing, and damn … it’s the first of the year and I’m sporting muffin top again! 
No matter. The nordy trails in South Boulder are skiing well and I’m headed into a four-day stint of work. If I starve myself just enough, maybe I can shed some tonnage and get back in the game. That’s the trick, though, balancing the discipline to train hard, eat less, but still be a dad, have some fun, live a little. I tend to err on the side of living a little too much in the form of donuts and sloth. As usual, pilot error.
January’s all about intervals, staying healthy, and hanging with my little punks. Is it wrong to write about slippery balls and mention my children in the same post? Probably.
Here’s hoping your balls are a little less slippery in 2015. Keep ’em flying and nail your tick list, whether it’s on skis, on rock or ice, hanging with the family, or keeping the boss off your back. Best of luck!
Rob Coppolillo is an internationally certified mountain guide and co-founder of Vetta Mountain Guides, based in Boulder, Colorado.
