North Shore Getaway with Nordic Walk for Life!

I’m so excited to be offering this month our first ever Nordic Walking Getaway Weekend on the lovely shores of Lake Superior!! I go up to this area every chance I get, because there’s such a nice mix of trails, lodging, art and good places to eat! We’ll be based out of one of my favorite places to stay on the North Shore – Cascade Lodge- a cozy, historic lodge which overlooks the lake and adjoins the state park. Over the weekend we’ll have plenty of time for walking the trails, exploring Grand Marais, dining and having fun together!  The weekend runs from the evening of  Friday, October 30th – Sunday, Nov. 1st, and includes:

• Friday evening social and presentations by local experts
• Nordic walking lesson: How to build strength and reduce strain by relaxing MORE!
• 3 guided walks on trails in the Cascade/Grand Marais area
• Time for shopping/sightseeing in Grand Marais
• Saturday evening Nordic walking entertainment
• Digital photography option – for those of you who’d like to get a little more familiar with your digital camera in an inspiring and scenic area!

Cost is $89 (meals not included), and beginners and non-Nordic walkers are also welcome. This is a great chance to try Nordic walking and bring your friends! The walking technique lesson I’ll be doing is based on instruction and experience I’ve had recently that has really transformed how I walk – with and without poles – and I’m eager to share it with you. Since the idea is to relax more in the way you walk (while still building strength), doing this during a weekend getaway seems like the perfect setting!

Lodging is available at Cascade Lodge for the special fall room rate of $55/night for a standard double lodge room (cabin upgrade also available). Guests receive 10% off at the Lodge restaurant. Call (218) 387-2911 or visit www.cascadelodgemn.com to make a reservation.

For a detailed schedule and registration form, go to http://www.nordicwalkforlife.com/Trips.html

Questions? Please e-mail me at info@nordicwalkforlife.com or call (651) 468-1878

I am looking forward to spending time with you and really hope you can make it!

Fall Trail Walking in Ramsey County

We’ve had such a long summer – it seems like usually the trees would be showing more color by now. Tamarack Nature Center in Ramsey County, MN has acres of restored prairie, woods and wetlands that beautifully display the subtle colors and textures of early autumn.

Prairie grasses

A group of us walked there today and ran into a rafter (Wikipedia tells me this is the correct term, though I’ve never heard it before!) of turkeys – about 30 of them – poking along on the trail and taking cover in the grasses (as are most of the ones in this shot).

Turkeys on the trail

The misty grey weather was actually quite pleasant for walking our 2.5 mile route. Covering over 400 acres, with wide grassy trails, this park is a walkers delight! If you live in the Twin Cities metro area, check this park out if you can!

Many thanks to my fine walking companions, Laura, Mary,  Cheryl and Terri!

Happy trails

Crossing Paths

You never know who you’ll meet when you go out walking. This Labor Day we Nordic walked along Lake Vadnais, trying out some ki-based technique and enjoying the beautiful weather. Besides the people fishing along the reservoir, we saw this young painted turtle attempting to cross the road, and gave it a hand into the lake.

Lake release

Nordic Walking Rescue Team

Scared in the wrong direction

“Where am I?”

Thanks to Cathie Reasoner for the turtle shots!

Walk with Ki this fall

It’s that time of year – still summer, but the little bit of chill in the air is prodding us to wake up and move with a brisker step!
 
It’s also a time of new beginnings. For Nordic Walk for Life, that mean’s introducing some new principles that can help you build even greater physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing through your Nordic walking practice. As some of you know, for the past year I have been studying Ki principles through the Center for Mind-Body Oneness (http://www.mindbodyoneness.com/) in St. Paul, and training in the martial art of aikido there. What I’ve learned has direct application to many activities and forms of movement, including Nordic walking.

Starting with this month’s group walk and running through the fall, I’d like to begin to share some simple Ki techniques I’ve learned that you can apply to make your Nordic walking more healthful, enjoyable and effective. The first principle I’ll teach is one I’ve been applying recently to help relieve some ongoing pain I’ve had in my neck and shoulder area, and it really works! In fact, it’s made me even more aware of how Nordic walking can be therapeutic, as well as exacerbate problems if done incorrectly.
 
After our usual warm up, we’ll spend a few minutes learning the principle, then you can practice during our regular walk. The cost and length of the walk remains the same.
 
I hope you’ll take advantage of this series of walks to not only get out and enjoy the fall with other wonderful Nordic walkers, but also receive some guidance that can help enhance your comfort and health!
 
Please note that the walk this month will be on Monday (Labor Day) rather than our usual Sunday.
 
WHEN: Monday, September 7, 2009
            1:00 p.m. – Mini-lesson
            1:30 p.m. – Group Walk
            Plan to walk about 1-1.5 hrs. on paved and unpaved, generally flat terrain             
 
WHERE: Sucker Lake, Vadnais Heights, MN

For more information, and to RSVP, e-mail info@nordicwalkforlife.com

Summer Walks

Walking in summer is an especially delightful time to walk. Time to roam and explore farther afield. Time to remember what it’s like to be a kid, playing outside with your friends.

Last month Cathie, Kit and I met at William O’Brien State Park to Nordic walk along the St. Croix River and have a picnic. It was such a perfect day that afterwards, Kit and I were inspired to take out a canoe and do some paddling on the river. Birdsong, the sound of the water swishing around our paddles, and feeling the squishy river bottom underfoot are to me what summer is all about!

  At William O’Brien State Park

 For our August walk yesterday, a group of us traced some of the history of old St. Paul (originally called Pig’s Eye for the French Canadian who lived in a cave along the river in this area). We followed the Mississippi through Lilydale, then trekked up the crushed limestone trail to see an old cave (used in the past for things like making cheese and growing mushrooms, and now inhabited by hundreds of bats), remnants of the old brick factory, and ancient fossil beds from the Ordovician era (about 450 million years ago). My husband Mike has studied these fossils and provided some for our inspection (mainly crinoids, brachiopods and bryozoans).

Without poles, I wonder whether we would have made it up or down this trail – it was STEEP!!

In front of the waterlilies of Lilydale

Town Walk

If you’ve never been to downtown White Bear Lake, consider it for your next walking destination! There is a wide, paved walking trail that follows the Northwest corner of the lake, with a gorgeous view of the lake on one side, and beautiful lake homes on the other. You can park next to West Park and follow the trail from there.

For our June group walk, we walked the mile+ path along the lake, then walked back through the neighborhood, admiring the charming houses and gardens as we went. The lake is at historically low levels due to the drought, but is all the more interesting this year for that reason.

White Bear Lake Group Walk, May 31, 2009

Along the trail

“Barefoot” Nordic Walking

If you’ve been out walking lately, you know that the ground is stirring with new life – tender grasses and other plants, beetles, and an astounding number of anthills. These last especially often affect my experience Nordic walking, as I feel guilty disturbing all of the ants’ painstaking work.

This morning I took a walk on the Sucker Lake trail in Shoreview – a beautiful wooded trail whose red pines reminded me of Itasca State Park. As I savored all the manifestations of nature, I also tried to take care to avoid the anthills – not an easy or entirely achievable task.

Classic Nordic walking technique emphasizes a firm and forceful pole plant, but this morning I started thinking about how differently we walk when we are barefoot – more carefully and gently, more aware and respectful of the earth underneath us. We may step on things, but we are less likely to kill them. I started walking with this barefoot sensibility, and tried applying that to the way I used my poles as well. I found that planting precisely and deliberately, and keeping gentle, sustained contact with the ground all the way through my backswing did a number of things. My shoulders relaxed even more. I felt an even greater sense of centeredness and strength, radiating from the lower abdomen. My feet were lighter on the ground. I felt more peaceful.

Studies of barefoot running suggest that actual running without shoes leads the body to compensate by landing more softly, thus putting less shock and strain on joints. This also suggests to me that the muscles are doing more work, in a more finely tuned way.

So now I am thinking more than ever, that wearing softer soled shoes, planting your pole with care, and being more sensitive to the earth underfoot can be a way to bring both greater strength AND peacefulness to our minds, our bodies and our relationship to the world around us..  including the ants.

Nordic walking goes Norsk

Last week I was invited to present to the St. Paul Sons of Norway lodge. This cultural and philanthropic organization is one I didn’t know much about beforehand, but through my experience with them I was really struck by how friendly, organized, active and enthusiastic this group is. For example, when the group’s President Sharon Amann asked attendees to raise their hands if they had volunteered at the recent Festival of Nations, nearly every hand in the group of about 50 people went up! By the way, at that event they sold some awesome lefse – I purchased two packs that were leftover from the event. Yum.

Though the meeting was indoors, we had a nice opportunity to practice a little walking. Poles or no poles, it was delightful to have so many folks join in!

Oakdale Intro Class is Cruising!

Congratulations to the walkers who just completed my N. St. Paul/Maplewood/Oakdale Spring ‘09 Nordic walking class! We had a wonderful group of women, including a couple sets of friends who took the class together. We were fortunate enough to have sunny skies for all four classes, and I think you can see that reflected in the many sunny faces! Great job everyone, and thank you so much for all your enjoyment and enthusiasm!

Postcard from Florida

Here’s a note received this week from Trish F. who is allowing us to vicariously experience what it’s like Nordic walking down in Florida…(you’ll see some things aren’t that different   Thanks Trish!!

Hi Amy,     I finally remembered your request for photos of me using my poles on the beach.  It’s great to head out in the sunshine down here on the south end of Estero Island (Ft. Myers Beach) where our condo is located.  For the most part, I walk on the sidewalk but will head down the shoreline now and then.  It’s easier to get a nice gait going on a level surface as opposed to the uneven sand.  I purchased a pair of ECCO sports sandals in MN before we drove down to FL which are very comfortable and are a nice alternative to athletic shoes.  I do wear half socks with the sandals though as the day I tried out my new sandals last fall without socks, I had blisters develop….too much friction perhaps as I walked at a good clip for an hour.  I still receive all sorts of comments from people I pass on the sidewalk.  One elderly fellow stopped as I was approaching him and said “I’ll bet you thought it was going to snow today!”