Reconsidering desire to snowboard

I'm already training for a half-marathon and am considering riding in BRAN (Bike Ride Across Nebraska), yet I still felt the need to try something I hadn't done in years...snowboarding.

Actually, it wasn't much of a choice. My oldest son had wanted to try snowboarding during our latest ski trip. After borrowing a snowboard from a friend, he took a two-hour lesson. He then wanted to take a couple trips down the hill; he on his snowboard with me on my skis. Since I have been skiing for several decades, skiing is second nature to me and I figured I could help him master the snowboard from my two boards strapped to my feet.

On our second run together, he took a hard fall forward. He immediately began to complain about his wrist. Here is where I become the bad mom. My response: Tough it out. You have to get down the hill one way or another.

(We'll get to the diagnosis later.)

In the lodge, he determined that the wrist wasn't that bad and asked to borrow my skis, while I took out the snowboard. Fortuitously, we have the same size feet.

So after at least a 15-year hiatus, I found myself cruising down the bunny hill atop the snowboard. O.K. It wasn't technically cruising since every 10 feet I fell either backward onto my derriere or forward on my now-soaked mittens.

The next day, my son stuck with skiing which is very adept at. I alternated between skiing and snowboarding throughout the day and actually made it down a blue run without falling riding either object.

How had I evolved as a snowboarder? I likened it to writing with my left hand. I can do it; it's just not very pretty.

As for my son, he was still complaining about his wrist during the ride home two days later. Fine, I relented, we'll take you to the doctor when we return to McCook.

The verdict: It was fractured.

He's now sporting a red cast for at least the next month and I'm sporting my own guilt-trip while he has it on.