It has taken me a couple of days to recover from Sunday’s exuberant activities, and for this I am thankful. On Sunday I participated in the Natural Fitness Lab Winter Challenge – this was a morning of skate skiing, classic skiing and snowshoe running, organized by Dave and Lise. When I first saw this event posted on Facebook, I was wary – very wary.

It sounded like a day for the super skiers and snowshoe runners. Surely not a day for the-always-offsetting skiers and kind-of-walking-not-really-running snowshoers… Boy, was I wrong. On Dave and Lise’s urging and convincing that the event was all about participation and bringing people together, I signed up (but not without recruiting a few friends as well).

What a a fun morning. I got to ski in a location I’d never skied at before. Yes, Lac Philippe is worth the drive (even from Barrhaven). And even better, I got to ski with my good friend and I got to hang out with the super fast folks for a bit as well. The trail was excellent and I am now committed to returning so I can make it all the way to Lusk Cabin. In between the skate skiing and snowshoe running, the gang went out for a classic ski, but since I only have skate skis, I was lucky to hang out with another good pal. We chatted up a storm and got ourselves ready for an hour of snowshoe running. This final leg was quite excellent – a great trail (#73) with some crazy ups and super fun downs – a great hour of running/walking/shuffling/smiling.

At the end of it all, my legs were trashed, my lungs were burning, and I was smiling. There are a few stand-outs from the morning: great people, excellent location, and good weather – but most of all what stood-out was the reality that no one cared if you were fast, slow or in-between – what mattered was that you were out doing it.

This is just the spirit and vibe that I’ll be carrying with me into the New Year. Thanks Dave and Lise for getting a great gang of folks together for a fun morning of fresh air and smiling.