Feminist reflections on fitness, sport, and health
I made it through October and now I’m arriving at my office in the dark, biking home in the dark, and there’s white stuff falling from the sky as I type. November is a month of many things, including cold and here in Canada, the start of snow. November is also a month of challenges. […]
No-vember?
Fall is here. It’s grey, it’s windy, it’s rainy, and it’s cold. But still I love riding my bike. Here are some reasons why. 1. It’s hard to start but I always feel better after. I sometimes have to remind myself but it’s true. Studies show that people who work out because of the way […]
Twelve reasons why Sam loves biking in the wind, the rain, and the cold
So I am a resiliently cheerful person. I’ve often thought I could live almost anywhere for a period of time because I am good at finding things to love about even the most unlovable of places. I’ve also in the past thought the same thing about seasons and weather. Yes, the summer months are best–because […]
The case for cold, dark walks #November
What I read: Nap or quick workout? A doctor explains the cognitive benefits after sleep deprivation
“Thirty minutes of evening cycling helped protect memory after a short night of sleep.
In this trial, 88 healthy young adults either cycled moderately for 30 minutes at 7 p.m. or remained seated. They later learned 80 face-name pairs before receiving either an 8.5-hour or 4.5-hour sleep opportunity.
After the shortened night, participants who had cycled recalled more than those who had rested. Their performance was comparable to the groups given 8.5 hours in bed.”
My two cents: I’ve often wondered whether to work out on the days that follow nights with less sleep. I like the idea that short workouts, say 30 minutes, actually help us in terms of memory when we get less sleep. I’ve been thinking lately about the ways that sleep and exercise are connected. Going to bed earlier helps you move more, for example. But also moving helps you get a better night’s rest.
How many posts? Fifty-two posts this month, counting yesterday’s Top Ten.
Who did the writing? Sam, Catherine, Diane, Nat, Christine, Nicole, Martha, Mina, Tracy, and Elan, with Laura joining in on a group post.
Taking stock. October is when the year’s goals start looking back at you. Diane opened the month checking in on her 26 Things in 2026, and Sam followed with her own #26in2026 check-up: some plans cancelled, some workouts counted, a few outings still possible. Sam also did some math and adjusted her cycling distance goals, trading 3,000 km for a more realistic 2,000. There were milestones too. Martha is leaping into her 60s with her hands full of joy, with twenty lessons on friendship, balance, and staying open to change. Nat celebrated her Birthday-Thanksgiving-Anniversary extravaganza (52 years old, 30 years married) and reported that she’s still married after the 30th anniversary hike, locked gate, missed trail markers and all. Later in the month she wrote honestly about weight changes since retiring (no goal weight, thanks) and confessed she’s been avoiding stretching for all the wrong reasons.
Older and stronger. The media discovered the Superfit Sixties and Sam, who knows a thing or two about fittest-by-fifty projects, had thoughts. She also responded to a headline about cycling after 60, made the case for why you need to lift and ride (road cycling alone isn’t great for bone density), sang the praises of farmer’s carries and big strength, and noted creatine is in the news again, this time for adults 45 to 65. Her favourite new label? Leisure athlete: all of the identity, none of the competing. Our group post asked what five simple exercises you can do at home, and Sam reminded us to never stop being a beginner. Curling, anyone?
Making fun on purpose. Christine announced she was determined to have more fun in October, and by mid-month she could report a clear increase in October fun. Planning for joy works! She also celebrated Train Your Brain Day (which is also International Day for Failure) and rounded up a few Halloween workouts to try. Sam, meanwhile, continues to say no thanks to the Halloween candy workout. Catherine made a case for pumpkin boat racing and for the return of night garden walking season. Nat showed off her new boots on her rainy walks, and Nicole looked ahead to the dark months with her Winter Well-being Toolkit.
Rest, sleep, and winding down. Sam asked readers about their favourite de-stressing exercises and, after her Garmin kept nagging her, about demanding days and winding down. Then she shared research suggesting that if you want to move more, you should go to bed earlier, and night owl Catherine responded to lark Samantha in defence of the evening swim. Nicole says let sleeping dogs lie (next to me), and there’s research on her side. Mina wrote movingly about straining toward ease and her frustration with advice that treats well-being as a matter of mindset. Catherine warned us to avoid the grey zone in training and in life, and Sam declared that October is not locking it in, not even a little bit.
The internet should not be your nutritionist (or your coach, or your mirror). Catherine went looking for the study behind a viral claim and found that, in chicken and rice vs. a DQ Oreo Blizzard, there’s no study at all. She also learned about looksmaxxing and was reminded of misogyny, and noticed that women’s-only gyms are back and the pink vs. not-pink debate continues. Sam looked at apps that make you do pushups before you can open social media in Workouts and Earning Your Access to Instagram. Diane turned the critical eye inward: sitting with uncomfortable biases in jazz class, taking her ballet teacher’s advice to do your best, and trying to let go of self-imposed patriarchal norms about housekeeping in retirement.
Women’s sport and women’s health. Sam previewed Canada vs. England in women’s rugby with Same Rivalry, Smaller Ball and then reported back on a big crowd and a great win for Canada: 18,621 fans at BMO Field, a North American record for women’s rugby. Nat’s Financing Friday looked at Canadian Tire putting half its sports partnerships toward women’s sport. And Diane took the plunge for menopause health, raising money for research at Sinai Health, then told us We Did It!: a 400-metre cold-water swim on World Menopause Day.
Brave firsts and new trails. Elan shared her impressions of her first 5K race. Tracy, fresh off September’s 5K, is already decking the halls for the Holly Jolly 5K. Martha faced her fears of heights and small spaces on a canopy tour, running towards the danger in midlife. Sam and Sarah found a new favourite bike trail for fall riding in Algonquin, Sam reminded cyclists to do the wave, and she shared one of the things she looks forward to about retirement: weekday rides (if she can find people to ride with).
What kept us writing? Partly it was the season. Shorter days and colder mornings had us planning for fun, for rest, and for getting outside in the dark. But it was also a month of posts talking to each other: Sam’s early-bedtime post got a reply from a proud night owl, Diane announced her cold plunge and then came back to tell us she’d done it, Christine set out to have more fun and then reported that she had, and Nat’s anniversary got two posts of its own. Running through it all was the idea that you can be a beginner at any age, and that doing your best looks different every day.
Want to know what readers liked best? Here are the Top Ten October 2026 posts.
Month-in-review posts are assembled by Claude with prompts from Sam and edited by Sam.
I hate November, generally speaking. We all know that around here. It’s old news. More recently, like last year. I decided to bring out the big guns in mood improvement. For me, that’s time outside, indoor bright lights, cozy things, staying connected to friends and family, and gratitude. November is Gratitude Month. I blogged about […]
November is Gratitude Month: What are you grateful for? #NationalGratitudeMonth
🎃 Chicken and rice vs. DQ Oreo Blizzard shake: the internet should not be your nutritionist (Catherine)
🎃 From Fittest by Fifty to the Superfit Sixties? (Sam)
🎃 Nat’s Birthday-Thanksgiving-Anniversary extravaganza! Aka on being 52 and married for 30 years (Nat)
🎃 Women’s only gyms are back (did they ever leave?) and the PINK vs. NOT-PINK debate continues (Catherine)
🎃 Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (next to me) (Nicole)
🎃 Nat’s still married after the 30th Anniversary hike. (Nat)
🎃 Leaping into my 60s with my hands full of joy (Martha)
🎃 At the office, Catherine learns about looksmaxxing and thinks about misogyny (Catherine)
🎃 ‘Running towards the danger’ in midlife (Martha)
🎃 Straining Toward Ease (Mina)
🎃 Taking the Plunge for Menopause Health (Diane)
Oh, Halloween. In addition to ghosts and ghouls at Halloween, there’s an awful lot of anxiety about candy, about having candy in our houses, about eating candy, and mostly about gaining weight. Scary. For me, given the number of fitness communities I run in, it means my social media newsfeed is full of a lot […]
Halloween candy workout? Sam says, no thanks
I was at a party the other day and a friend started to talk about the great October lock in he’s doing. Then at dinner a few days later another friend mentioned that they were starting the 75 Hard for a second time. It’s not a fitness challenge per se, rather a mental toughness challenge.
I do like that this friend has modified it in various ways. Like no daily photo and if they miss a day they don’t think they need to start over.
Here’s the usual rules:
Daily Rules
• Two Workouts: Complete two 45-minute workouts per day, with at least one session performed strictly outdoors.
• Strict Diet: Follow a designated nutrition plan of your choice with zero cheat meals and zero alcohol.
• Water Intake: Drink one gallon (about 3.8 liters) of water daily.
• Reading: Read 10 pages of a physical, non-fiction or self-improvement book each day.
• Progress Photo: Take a daily full-body progress picture.
But there’s also the 75 Soft which we’ve blogged about here.
Here’s the rules for that:
Core Rules of the 75 Soft Challenge
• Daily Movement: Complete one 45-minute workout per day, with built-in active recovery or rest days allowed.
• Hydration: Drink about 3 liters of water daily.
• Nutrition: Eat well, incorporate more nutrient-dense whole foods, and reserve alcohol for social occasions.
• Mindset & Learning: Read 10 pages of any book each day.
• No Restart Penalty: Unlike 75 Hard, missing a target doesn’t force you back to Day 1; you simply reset and keep going with self-compassion.
Me, I’m just trying to eat well, get enough sleep, lift weights and ride my bike, as well as doing some mobility exercises.
Here’s last year’s post about the challenge and October lock in.
What is the “great lock in” fitness trend and OMG is October now the new January? – FIT IS A FEMINIST ISSUE
What is the “great lock in” fitness trend and OMG is October now the new January?
What I read: Want to Be More Active Every Day? Try Going to Bed Earlier, Study Says
New research shows that earlier bedtimes are linked to higher levels of physical activity—independent of how long you sleep.
My two cents: I love good habits that build on each other, virtuous cycles. And I’ve always known that being being well rested helps with athletic performance, and that physical activity helps with a better night’s sleep. But I didn’t know that it matters when you sleep. Going to bed early is correlated with higher than normal next day physical activity.
The study itself is here.
What do my sporty night owl friends have to say about this? Here’s looking at you Catherine Womack!
