Over the Christmas/New Year Break, my family and I hopped in the Virtus Van and ventured up to the land of a thousand lakes where my parents live in Shakopee, MN. My brother Zack and his family were going to be there as well. Sadly, Casey and his family couldn’t make it.

Zack is an Ultrarunner, and he needed to get in some trail runs to keep up with his training plan. Since I have a thick “winter coat” on at the moment, and since I haven’t run in months, my dad rented a Fat Bike for me so I could keep up with Zack while he ran.

Running on the snowy, icy boardwalk.

This was a Back-Off week for me in my training, so riding an easy pace while Zack ran is just what I needed. We ended up getting a Kona WO, and other than my toes and hands freezing – I really need to get some winter shoes and lobster gloves – the Fat Bike was a super-fun bike to ride.

I now understand why Fat Bikes have been exploding in popularity. First, they’re amazing bikes in the snow. When I first got on, I kept bracing myself to spin or slide out on the climbs and corners, but it never happened. Second, the Fat Bike is super fun. I felt like a kid again riding that thing. And third, the Fat Bike handles rocks, roots, features, and other obstacles like a champ. I rode a snow-covered rock gardens and other obstacles with ease. I almost looked like a real mountain biker. Almost. If I lived in MN or if MO had more snow, I’d save up and buy a Fat Bike for sure.

Anyway, here’s a short video from Minnesota. And I’ve said it before, but I’ll keep saying it: Photos and videos pale in comparison to what it’s really like out there. But anyway, here you go…

We didn’t just run and ride, though. We also went to a Minnesota Timberwolves game which was a great family experience. My kids had never been on a train before, and they thought it was pretty damn cool. Here are few shots from New Year’s Day…

L to R: Mabel, Eli, and Della

Jackson and Lydia

The kids really got into the game, howling like wolves every time the Kings shot free throws.

Family photo on the Timberwolves’ court after the game.

We also played lots of board games and card games together. We played some hoops at the local rec center where I may or may not have dunked on my nephew. We chillaxed and talked basically non-stop. We ate a crap-ton of delicious food – which only added to my “winter coat.” And of course we all laughed our faces off. The only thing missing was Casey and his family. They were dearly missed.

How about you? Did you do anything cool over the Holidays? Let’s hear about it in the comments!