Training Log Archive: OutdoorsMama

Timmins is built on a hill so any outing involves hills. Oddly mild morning and jogging felt good. Headed east, passing the former Ontario Northland train station, then did a lap of Gillies Lake.
I paused at the Little Library box (always looking for something to read) and there was a hardcover biography of Shania Twain, of course!

Hill time on the way back.

Hersey Conservation Area - Timmins

As I had found out earlier in a phone conversation with someone from the Conservation Authority, the trails closest to the parking lot are VERY popular with walkers (with and without dogs), so only had a narrow band of less than totally trampled snow along the edges. But trails further out had only one or two sets of foot or snowshoe tracks so were nicer to ski on (there had been 6" of fresh snow on Monday). The wind picked up as I skied, but it was only noticable in the open area by the lake/parking lot. The boreal forest was all dressed up with this week's fresh snow.

Like at Kivi Park in Sudbury last February, I am amazed at the number of folks here "up north" who go out for a walk in the woods in wintery weather.

Since the trails were so well trampled, I decided to just wear running shoes and leave the snowshoes in the car. I hiked along another set of trails and got into some hills (yeah! Raccoongaine training!) Then, because I had left my snowshoes in the car and had put my skis away (d'oh), I ended up on a couple trails that had had NO traffic since the last snowfall. Oh, the irony.
Finally I did a slow loop on a trail that has a booklet to inform you about the flora and fauna and geology and history along the way. I skipped the part about wild flowers this time.

Back at the parking lot, I did a lot of stretching amid the cluster of bird feeders that were action central for chickadees. If I wasn't sweaty and starting to get chilly, I would have stayed longer to watch their antics.

Part of this park is an off leash area for dogs, but that seemed to extend everywhere I went. I met many friendly dogs in my travels today.

Riding around town, gently working the brakes in.

Fast cadence (which I do not enjoy, so it must be good for me), then pyramid resistance work.

After months of research, I had True North Cycles (near Fergus, ON) build a bike for me. Gravel/touring/bike packing is the intent of the design. Paul and I enjoy doing these activities together, and the YouTube videos of bike packing in Scotland are addictive. I coughed up the big bucks for a Rohloff hub.
There are some steep hills in Fergus so of course I had to test it out. Yup, it climbs hills. We went for a bar end placement for the Rohloff shifter as I am accustomed to that placement from my Trek touring bike. It can be modified to be placed in at least three different spots on the bar, but I will give this a go to start.

I was very close to ordering one from Carver bikes in Maine, when I stumbled on True North. Ironically, when I was enjoying my gravel travels in late July in the Rockwood/Fergus area, I had ridden within a kilometre of Hugh's shop (but had no idea it existed).

So if you know anyone in the 5' - 5'5" range looking for a Trek 920 Disc for gravel riding or touring, let me know.

warm up on rowing machine then weights

resistance and pyramid intervals

Thanks to arthurd's rec, I added some XC ski boot covers to my gear closet today. Given that there now isn't -30C weather in the forecast for this upcoming Timmins trip, I am trying to console myself by thinking they would be good boot covers for biking too.

Timmins temperatures are from +4C to -20C this weekend.....I put the red (warmer temp) wax on tonight, and will take the blue, in hopes that I can snag some time with an iron at the Porcupine Ski Runners centre once the temperature drops. These are waxless skis, but Goose introduced me to the wonders of waxing waxless skis, and I can't go back now!

In another life, I will learn to play hockey when I am 5 years old.

Just mild enough that only random spots on the sidewalks were icy (including our driveway....that almost ended the session before it started). Jog/walked down to the park then hoofed it up and down and across the hills that weren't icy slicks from the sledders. Then jogged home. Too foggy to consider a road ride right now.
But at least I got the outside Christmas lights down.

3D