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Olympic Cross Country Skier

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Getting outside with baby

July 26, 2016

The first few days after my son Breck was born – and my life changed forever – I spent a lot of time indoors recovering from labor and figuring out the routine of caring for a newborn. The days blended together, and I was astonished to realize that I literally spent four days inside, hardly touching that fresh Alaskan air. By the fifth day I was anxious to get outside!

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Being new parents, my husband and I were unsure of what the rules were for taking a brand-new baby outside. We settled on one recommendation (also backed by our pediatrician) that as long as you keep babies warm, it’s okay to take them outside right away. Thank goodness! So, I snuggled Breck into his infant wrap, pulled my husband’s L.L.Bean Ultralight 850 Down Sweater over the top and headed out for our first walk around the neighborhood. Breck seemed instantly content, and I was energized just being outside.

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As my recovery progressed, we were able to get outside more and for longer stints. I started taking Breck for daily walks through the neighborhood and then eventually to the trails. I went with my husband, with family members and with friends who also had recently become mothers. With Breck snuggled in a front carrier, it was a great way to get out with loved ones and catch up.

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Our Thule Cougar 1 Stroller became a great tool for getting Breck outside. I started with walks and advanced to jogs with him nestled in the infant sling. I love that it protects him from wind, rain and bugs on our adventures.

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It felt so good to have all that extra weight off my body, even though I was pushing an equal amount in the stroller. I was totally giddy to be outside again and took it as a good sign that Breck seemed to love it as much as I did. Suddenly, I was more aware of how green the trees were and how sweet the birds sounded. I’m totally amazed by how reinvigorated I feel.

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As the days grow longer and my body slowly returns to normal, my mind is already bursting with the fun things I want to do with Breck and the adventures we can have as he grows up. With all the great gear available now, it’s easier than ever to get outside with your little ones. Parenthood is already off to an amazing start, and I can’t wait to see where we go from here!

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Awesome weekend in Bellingham for the Ski 2 Sea re Awesome weekend in Bellingham for the Ski 2 Sea relay race.  The Delicate Flowers took the top spot in our division, a proud accomplishment for a group of working parents!  The race was fun but the time with friends was even better!  The sun was pretty nice too ☀️😎. Already thinking about how to improve for next year!
#ski2sea #delicateflowers #relayrace #friends
A perfect Mother’s Day, spent all outside ☀️ A perfect Mother’s Day, spent all outside ☀️! Being a Mom is the best job I’ve ever had, learned from the best role model a kid could ask for!  Celebrating all the Moms out there and just soaking in the family time ❤️! ⁣
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#mothersday ⁣
#outsidetime ⁣
#familytime ⁣
#llbeanambassador
Time to get your boots wet! 💦⁣. Just because Time to get your boots wet! 💦⁣. Just because it’s looking a little messy out there doesn’t mean there’s not fun to be had… for all ages! Nothing better than an exploratory walk to connect three generations.⁣
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#llbeanambassador #beanoutsider #springslush #beanboots
Probably one of the last snow bike rides of the se Probably one of the last snow bike rides of the season but a fun way to get out and appreciate our great planet on Earth 🌍 Day! ⁣
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This winter has been especially epic snow-wise ❄️ so we’re getting to enjoy 😊 our favorite winter activities a little longer.  I really hope we can all work together and do our part to preserve winter for generations to come! ⁣
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#earthday #protectourwinters #beanoutsider
Because, how can you not have fun brushing your te Because, how can you not have fun brushing your teeth in matching pajamas 😂. Got our day off to the right start!

#llbeanambassador #matchingonesies
Awesome day adventuring in the mountains 🏔️ w Awesome day adventuring in the mountains 🏔️ with several other families.  So fun to take parenting out of the box and bring the kids along for a favorite pastime from life before kids.  The kids got a great ride and the parents got a great workout!! ⁣
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It was a good reminder how energizing it can be to be out in the mountains, entertaining ourselves with snow, sticks and great company!! ⁣
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#llbeanambassador #beanoutsider #adventurewithkids #snowfun
It was a snowy Easter Egg hunt this year, made it It was a snowy Easter Egg hunt this year, made it a little tricky to find some or them!  This has been the winter that just won’t stop and we are loving the extra chance to play in the snow! ⁣
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#llbeanbassador #beanoutsider #snoweaster
Sweet sunshine and fresh tracks!! Hoppy 🐰 Frida Sweet sunshine and fresh tracks!! Hoppy 🐰 Friday everyone!! #anchoragenordicski #springskiing
Finally found the sun ☀️ in Sun Valley! Had a Finally found the sun ☀️ in Sun Valley!  Had a great family ski day with three generations!  So fun that we can all ski together. ⁣
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#llbeanambassador ⁣
#beanoutsider ⁣
#threegenerations⁣
#afamilythatskistogether
A fun mother-son day aboard the NSAA Ski Train 🚂 !  Took a 4-hr train ride into the wilderness and then got to hop off and ski for a few hours before enjoying some live polka band entertainment on the way home.  I brought the tow strap so we could cover a bit more ground. ⁣
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It was fun to be on my OTX backcountry Nordic boards to explore off track for a change! ⁣
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I feel so lucky to be able to share the wonders of Alaska’s outdoor playground with Breck. ⁣
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#skitrain⁣
#beanoutsider⁣
#livetoski⁣
#alaskaplayground ⁣
#mothersonadventure⁣
Having an amazing visit to Holmenkollen! It’s b Having an amazing visit to Holmenkollen!  It’s been 5 years since I had been back.  So many friends to hug and high five.  A long trip just for the weekend but so worth it!  And the racing has been fantastic.  Can’t wait to see the women race 50k today for the first time, they are going to crush it! ⁣
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#holmenkollenskifestival ⁣
#oslo ⁣
#skifamily ⁣
#fiscrosscountry
Beautiful March days ☀️are a great time to sha Beautiful March days ☀️are a great time to share the joy of sliding on snow.  Thanks to some friends from the local oncology community for joining me on the trails and being partners in promoting exercise as medicine!⁣
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#advancedoncologyassociates ⁣
#anchorage ⁣
#magicmarch ⁣
#nordicski
Happy Anniversary @jessiediggins !! Hard to believ Happy Anniversary @jessiediggins !! Hard to believe it’s been 5 years since this amazing night, it still feels like yesterday.  So fun to see all that you and the team have done since 💪🏻!⁣
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Today I take a moment to close my eyes and relive that most incredible feeling of satisfaction for what we accomplished together and my supreme gratitude for all the people that were part of making it happen. ⁣
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Cheers 🥂 🇺🇸🏅🎉 ⁣
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📸 @flyingpoint 
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#oneteam ⁣
#usskiteam ⁣
#crosscountry ⁣
#goldmedal ⁣
#anniversary ⁣
#pyeongchang2018 ⁣
Excited and proud to be speaking today at TEDx Anc Excited and proud to be speaking today at TEDx Anchorage 2023. The theme is ENTROPY and it’s been quite the journey to bring some chaotic ideas together for my presentation tonight. ⁣
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Feeling the nerves like an Olympic race, time to get the butterflies in formation!  It’s already been awesome getting to know the inspiring cast of speakers… there are definitely going to be #ideasworthspreading !! ⁣
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#tedxanchorage ⁣
#entropy
Happy Valentines Day ❤️! Love comes from many Happy Valentines Day ❤️! Love comes from many places and Breck and I are super lucky to have such a fun and amazing family that rallies for an early morning celebratory breakfast!
Hey ski fans, fun news to share… Chad Samela and Hey ski fans, fun news to share… Chad Samela and I will be commentating the upcoming World Championships on @skiandsnowboard.live with the @usskiteam !  Action starts Feb 22nd.  Tune in and join us! 🥇🥈🥉🎿🌎🎉 ⁣
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#worldchamps ⁣
#liveaction ⁣
#plancia2023
Happy National Girls & Women in Sports Day! So ma Happy National Girls & Women in Sports Day!  So many of my favorite memories from sport have come from the women I’ve learned from, the teammates that have made the days so memorable and  from all the things we were able to accomplish TOGETHER. Today we celebrate the victories, the near misses, and the moments of courage just to get out there. ⁣
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#gogirls ⁣
#girlsinsport⁣
#womensupportingwomen
Fantastic weekend sharing ski tips and stories wit Fantastic weekend sharing ski tips and stories with at the inaugural Ski de She weekend!! A big thanks to @fischernordic for bringing me in and to the @americanbirkebeiner team for putting on a great event!! #livetoski #birkie #skideshe #womenwhoski
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