Junior : Nov 2nd - First Snow!

Happy Halloween!

What great weather we had for our Orienteering Run on Saturday. You all did a great job working together as teams to find the controls.

Though this first snow won't last more than another day, it's really exciting to see that winter is just around the corner!

Having said that, the next two weeks look to see a return to some warmer weather, so this week's practices should again see some clear skies and pleasant fall temperatures.

Now that the time change has occurred (grrrr...), our weeknight practices will occur largely after sunset, so be prepared!

Wednesday – Pole Running (BRING HEADLAMPS!!!)

Meet at the Palace at 5:15PM so that we can play a quick game with what little light remains. By 5:45PM we will get running (with poles and headlamps) off onto the Hardwood Trails.

We will Pole Run for about 45min, then return to the Teaching Flats for a few quick circuit or two of favourite strength training exercises👍

The Cross Races have finished for the year so we'll only have each other to cheer on - Go Team Hardwood!

Saturday – Back to Copeland Forest and Ingram Rd

With nice weather again projected for Saturday, we are going to take the opportunity to go exploring some more in Copeland Forest as well as to try Roller Skiing again!

We will return to the P2 Parking Lot of Copeland Forest at Ingram Rd and Line 4 North, see a link below with the exact location. The Provincial and National Program will also be practicing there too so we also want to minimize the drive time for parents with kids in both programs.

Please Watch Out for the Senior Team skiers on the Road as you approach P2 as they'll be doing a final Roller Ski Time Trial on Ingram Rd.

Please arrive by 9:15AM as the practice will start at 9:30AM and run until just before 12:00PM. Please bring water and snacks accordingly and we recommend a water bottle belt to carry both.

We will go into Copeland as a group for a short run (no walking poles needed) and some "forest" games, then return to the P2 Parking Lot around 10:45AM to get suited-up for Roller Skiing.

We will have three distances set-out for the kids to ski and the coaches will be out there to watch and provide feedback. We will be setting the expectation at the beginning of the Roller Ski that this is a "solo" ski that we would like to see the kids do at a continuous steady pace.

Directions to Copeland Forest P2 lot HERE

For Roller Skiing, you’ll need the following:

Helmet (MANDATORY) – Any Bike Helmet will do so long as it fits
Bring Coloured Shirt, Vest or Jacket (MANDATORY) – You need to be visible to all
Thin Gloves (Optional) – As most ski pole straps fit better and don’t rub your hand with gloves on
Knee Protection (Optional) – By no means required, but something like volleyball knee pads will work
Poles for Roller Skiing – Any poles with good sharp tips will do. Last year’s skate poles would be best as most will have grown a bit since then
Skate, Classic or Combi Boots – We’re just going to work on Double Poling, so either will work
Roller Skis – If you haven't already, please email me directly as to whether you have access to Roller Skis and, if so, whether they can be shared with a family member. If you don’t have access to Roller Skis, don’t worry as the club does have some we can use. If you also haven't already, please email me directly with what type of boot sole (SNS, NNN, or Prolink) you have so that we have a sense of what skis we will need to pull

As for the rest of your week, here are some suggestions for other activities should you need them:

Be active every day, get enough sleep and be sure to always eat healthy

Running – Try for 20-30min. Start easy, but find some hills if you can!

Cycling – Try for 45-60min, either on-road or off-road

Fun at Recess – Play Basketball, Touch Football, Grounders, or just about anything that has you moving and jumping

Strength Training – Try some of the exercised HERE that we do at practice on your own. These can all be done either inside or outside and I would encourage everyone to try to do one additional Run/Strength session each week. Perhaps each Monday combine them with a run in your local park or forest!