Walking in the festive season

The festive season is officially upon us tomorrow. December 1 is when I deem it safe to listen to holiday music, string the holiday lights, and generally let loose with all things twinkly and tinsel.

The challenge, of course, is making it through the holidy season with my waist intact. Just this past weekend I managed to indulge in turkey, tiramisu, and tarts. Walking is a must!

I particularly love evening walking class over the next few weeks as it helps me create space for two of my favorite December vices - eggnog and mince tarts. It is just SO challenging to walk by myself once it gets dark. Of course, as a coach, I have to be out there. But I can tell you, I am extremely grateful for the group and the holiday lights add a magical quality.

So, if you don't have your holiday lights strung up - please get out there! There's a bunch of us evening walkers who will be very grateful!

Walking off pre-race jitters

Here I am in Philly to join Prevention magazine, as their Walking Coach, with their team of more than 300 walkers. The weather could not be any more perfect and this morning about 25 members of the team brought all their jitters out for a "welcome walk".

Even if you're on your own at a race, it's calming to go out the morning before te event to scout out the start area (especially port-a-pottie locations!). Here in Philly it's even better than usual because the start and finish are within a few hundred meters of each other - at the base of the "Rocky Steps" Ta-da-daaaah. Ta-da-daaaah.

Here are some pics of our Team Members at the top of the steps and the view from the steps looking down the first kilometer of the race route toward downtown Philly.

Looking forward to tomorrow!

Walking discoveries - Vancouver & Toronto

I don't know why I need reminding but 10 days ago I almost missed an amazing opportunity. I was in Richmond B.C. which is not the most obviously charming section of the greater Vancouver area. Because it is not the prettiest area and because it was raining (and it's always raining in Vancouver at this time of year), I almost decided to use the fitness center's treadmill for my morning walk. Fortunately, I reminded myself how I often discover something when I go outside for a walk - whether it's good local coffee, an interesting path, or (cry for help) an irresistible shoe store.

So, down I went to the hotel concierge to ask where one might walk that would be pedestrian friendly. Well, as often turns out in any place, but especially on the westcoast of Canada, there is more to Richmond than street after street of suburban malls. Just 8 minutes from my hotel was a beautiful pedestrian walkway along a dyke that follows the Fraser River. And on the way to that dyke I passed by the Richmond Olympic Oval.

Well...because of the Olympic Oval, I never made it to the dyke! I was seduced to enter by the wood wave roof that, as I learned later in the day, is constructed of 1 million board feet of pine 2x4s that were thought to be useless because they had been damged by pine beetles. Only the long track speed skating event will be held here but it will be worth watching just to catch a glimpse of this spectacular building.

My fantastic experience stumbling upon the Richmond Oval reminded, again, how it expands my horizons - quite literally - to walk outside, no matter how much I am tempted to stay in.

So, today, even though I don't usually walk on Mondays, because it's yoga day, I went exploring in my new urban neighbourhood. Over recent weeks I have had need to drive under an overpass on which there are often cyclists. Today I decided to investigate on foot. Wouldn't you know I happened upon the West Toronto Rail Path. The photos above show you some of what I saw. It's an impressive initiative and you can find out more at http://www.railpath.ca/ .

Please post here, if you have discovered an interesting feature of your neighbourhood recently. Or, go for a walk, and find one!

Does anyone else find it just a little intense that the night after gorging on Hallowe'en leftovers we launch into Christmas/holiday mode? Because I had to walk the Angus Glen Half Marathon on November 1, I postponed the gluttony by one day! Saved by a race.

The Angus Glen race is super for walkers - walking division, early start, separate results. And you can see from the photos what a beautiful day we enjoyed.

I digress...back to the idea that Halloween seems to launch the holiday season...in southern Ontario many walkers now consider the race season over and look to new goals for the spring. Many leave training to start in the New Year.


If we are starting our holiday season at the beginning of November, it's a long time to the New Year. Two months to be exact. We can undo a lot of good work in two months. Mall walking just isn't going to be a good replacement.

I know the days get really short, and rain can make it particularly uninviting to be outside, but it is crucial to maintain our fitness over these few months - not to mention our sanity! I know I could not survive without my classes and my walks. I find evening is particularly challenging to get outside – so easy to just swaddle myself in blankets and read. That’s why I am particularly grateful for evening classes because the commitment gets me outside enjoying the holiday lights as they start adorn the streets, shops, and houses.

See you there!