Junior : Sept 28 - First Roller Ski Session!

Keep Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Rolling!

The Start of some Fall Colours

Thanks to all the Parents and Junior skiers for a great first full week of practice. We all did a great job of arriving on-time and well-prepared to have FUN in the forest and, for the first time, on Roller Skis!

You all also did an excellent job keeping socially distant before, during, and after practice. We will need to keep this up for the foreseeable future, so keep up the good habits👍

Wednesday – Running and Strength Training

We will be building upon the exercises we learned last week, as well as adding in some new ones as well.

Arrive by 5:15PM and meet at the Palace so that we can get running right at 5:30PM and the practice will run until 7:00PM.

It is the third week of Hardwood’s Wednesday Night Cross Series, so we will look to cheer on some of our favourite cyclists while they are working hard on the Cross Course.

After some cheering, we will be doing a slightly longer run as we'll head further out into the trails to find a few more good spots to stop for bodyweight exercises.

Each time we stop, we will be completing a "round" of exercises. Our goal is to running approx. 4km and complete four rounds of exercises.

Within each round, there will be four groups of exercises. Within each group of exercises, there will be one lower body, one core/arms, and one shoulder exercise.

These exercises will get you fit for ski season, and that will help you move fast which is FUN!

Be sure to bring good trail running shoes as well as be sure to watch the forecast for the evening and dress accordingly. Consider bringing some extra clothes for afterward as well and a light snack.

Saturday – Pole Walking and Bounding

With the cooler weather projected for Saturday morning, we are going to align our practice with the Provincial/National program and also stay at Hardwood.

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 should you require them. We recommend a water bottle belt to carry both as we will be away from the Palace for nearly the first 2hrs of the practice out on the trails. We will wrap-up the last 30min with some games around the Teaching Flats.

With the cooler temps projected that morning, consider adding a thin set of gloves as this will also reduce friction on your hands from your pole straps.

As a reminder, poles for walking should be just a bit taller than the height of your elbows when your arms are held by your side. I think most everyone had poles of a reasonable length this past Saturday.

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 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 – We will be sending out an email after this Wednesday's practice with a recap of the bodyweight exercises we did. 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!