Junior : Oct 5th - Full Speed Ahead

What an Out-Standing Group

Thanks to all the Parents and Junior skiers for a great second full week of practice. We all did a great job of arriving on-time and well-prepared to have FUN in the forest as well as dressing for the cooler weather!

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

Wednesday – Running and Strength Training

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

meet at the Palace at 5:15PM so that we can get running right at 5:30PM. We still have a good amount of daylight, so the practice will run right until 7:00PM.

It is the fourth 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 run to a different part of Hardwood to find a few more good spots to stop for bodyweight exercises:)

Our goal is to run approx. 4km and complete FIVE groups of exercises. Within each group, there will be one lower body, one core/arms, and one shoulder exercise. Each time we stop, we will do four (4) sets and then keep running to a new spot!

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 (and tall socks) 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 – Roller Skiing and Pole Walking

With nice weather projected for Saturday, we are going to take the opportunity to again add some Roller Skiing into the practice. Our Mini Program also begins this Saturday!

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 be practicing a short distance away at Mount St. Louis, so we also want to minimize the drive time for parents with kids in both programs.

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. We recommend a water bottle belt to carry both.

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

Depending on the size of the group, we many again split into two for this practice. If we do, one half of the group will do Roller Skiing, the other half will have some adventures on-foot in Copeland Forest! Please bring good trail running shoes as well as Walking Poles. These can be any Nordic Ski poles that are just slightly longer than elbow height and better if they DO NOT have to have sharp tips

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!