Wow. January flew by and it’s time to check in on all those fancy words & promises I made to myself in December and January.
My word of the year is “steady” and I’ve maintained a consistent workout schedule which is feeling good and maintaining my steps per day at 10,000 a day.
I aim to cycle 30 km a week. At my current pace that’s 90 minutes of spinning. I’m in the ball park each week and trending towards hitting that consistently. I’m not stressing about it, I’ve already done more km this January than any previous ones. Yay!
The first few weeks I needed a day or two between spinning sessions as my legs were quite sore. After 4 weeks a recovery rides feel good even on consecutive days.
I continue to go to physiotherapy for my balance. Most recently Emily gave me some core exercises to further support my stability.
To compliment my targeted training I’m also trying exercise “snacks”. 5 minute yoga moment focused on wrists? I’m there.
10 minute standing core workout? Perfect!
15 minute dance cardio? Heck ya, let’s grapevine like it’s 1999!
I’m finding a bit of play and joy by not taking things too seriously. I am highly unskilled at dancing, lateral movement and core workouts. I find a sense of humor helps as I ineffectually flop about trying to cajole my brain and body into doing something new. I’m coming for you neuroplasticity!
I had recommitted to a daily yoga practice. I’ve taken a big tent approach to that by including stretching and meditation as “daily yoga”.
It’s feeling good. I’m more stable on my feet walking to work on icy sidewalks.
So far, so good with my 2025 plans. Hope yours are going well too!
Nat smiles at you wearing a green plaid shirt. Her hair is longer than it’s been for many years.
I’m very fortunate to live in a city with imaging services throughout. I was able to get an appointment within 1 week just 1 kilometer from my home and work.
I was nervous. I had heard stories of cold metal plates, awful squeezing and even bruising or blistering.
My experience could not have been more opposite of that. The clinic was small and specialized in mammograms. The technician collected me from the waiting room at exactly my appointment time. I was given clear instructions on what to remove and how to put the gown on.
Once in the imaging room, the technician reviewed my medical history. They explained the screening program and ensured I understood and consented to participating.
The imaging itself took maybe 5 minutes. The technician gave clear instructions and helped position each breast.
The machine was warm, the edges beveled and comfortable to be against. The compression was mild.
I have fairly large, wide breasts. They look like the ones on goddess statues, flat and pointed down. These are fifty year old boobs that nursed babies a long time ago. They have seen things.
The famous Venus von Willendorf statue is clay and palm sized. In this photo she is warmly lit on her pedestal facing left. Her thin arms rest on top of her pendulous breasts that drape around her generous belly that rests on thick thighs. It’s wild to me that something so ancient could capture my body shape so accurately.
I was out the door 10 minutes after my appointment started. Easy! I spoke with two other friends who recently had their first mammograms. They had similar experiences. We decided that mammograms need a positive PR campaign.
“Come get your boobs imaged! It’s not so bad!”
And. Who knows? Maybe my privilege of being in a well served community is a positive bias.
I hope, if you are of an age where your public health department recommends getting a mammogram, that you go. It’s important.
Yes, it is scary to think you might have breast cancer, especially if you have close relatives and friends who have gotten a breast cancer diagnosis. Honestly, early detection is coined as “prevention” as it can avoid more serious interventions but it’s still cancer.
So connect with your supports. Friends, primary health care providers and anyone else so that you can go and get screened. I hope this helps it feel a little less scary.
I have not been spinning indoors since July 2022. I was keeping a regular schedule on the Peloton and then I just walked away.
I thought I’d get regular outdoor rides in and that would be enough.
I had a decent 2024 cycling season. I trained up for the MS Bike tour and PB’d (Personal Bested) the whole route at the end of July. The conditions were ideal. I felt like a champion!
My wake up call came on a 100 km ride in August with a solid headwind in the second half. I melted. It was rough. I finished but there were times my speed was 13 km/hr or less. Yikes.
Since then I was away quite a bit. My only riding has been my short commute to work twice a week. It is less than 15 minutes. I like it a lot but it’s not enough to build on my cycling.
I have been consistently recording my rides in Strava. I completed 704 km in 2024 and that was mostly in June & July.
With “steady” being my word of the year for 2024 I want to see a more consistent amount of kilometers each week. I think this will help me be stronger on those windy days.
So I hopped back on the Peloton Jan 1 and did a twenty minute beginner ride with Tunde. I like her firm, positive guidance. The beginner rides are tutorials orienting you to the bike, display and purposes of each phase of the ride.
Tunde sits on her bicycle smiling at the camera. She is wearing a fuchsia workout top with her hands forming a heart shape.
The ride was a handful of spin ups and felt good. My legs felt strong as did my back. I wore regular shorts as it was a short class. I find for rides under an hour I don’t need my chamois.
With my commuting and indoor spinning I want to hit a minimum of 30 km per week. That’s 90 minutes of cycling for me at a 20 km/hr pace. This feels achievable.
I really enjoyed the class and felt like it was time spent with an old friend.
In thinking about life after knee replacement and planning my fitness life for my sixties, I’m trying to remember my happiest active times. I’m wondering what aspects of those times it makes sense to think about getting back, as well as what new stuff I want to add.
Sam testing for 5th kyu in Aikido
And, of course, what old stuff I’m ready to give away. I mean, some things are right out of the picture. That’s running and all sports that involve it, like soccer. Other things are back in, for sure, like recreational cycling.
But what form does this take in my ideal life?
I’m still reflecting on Tracy’s piece about how turning 60 feels different than turning 50. And part of that, for Tracy, seemed to be giving up on a bunch of external fitness should talk. Her interests also changed, and she’s approaching sixty with a more integrated and sustainable approach to fitness.
Writes Tracy, “When I was approaching my fifties, I had an intensity and focus around my fitness activities that was extremely goal-oriented. I had an eye on one thing and one thing only: the Olympic distance triathlon. Though of course the goal yielded some internal change (mostly in the form of perseverance), the goal itself was external.”
Truth be told, Tracy’s approach differed in that she had a much more ambitious goal. And she took up more new things than me. So it’s not a surprise that our attitudes about the difference between 50 and 60 are different.
Me, I want to get back to some aspects of the life I created leading up to 50. I loved it. I loved the biking, the rowing, Aikido, and CrossFit. By the end of the challenge, I wasn’t so focused on an external goal. Rather, the fittest by fifty challenge helped me appreciate how much physical activity matters to me and how much it’s part of my version of a good life. I might have started with an external goal–fittest by fifty–but it ended with a real love and appreciation of sport, physical activity, and joyful movement. I knew it was an important part of my life, going into the challenge, but the fittest by fifty challenge helped me appreciate how much it mattered.
My goal for the challenge was the Friends for Life Bike Rally, which I did as part of our challenge, but I did it again in August of 2022, right before my first knee replacement surgery. I don’t think I’ll manage it this year, the year I’m turning 60, but I’ve got 2025 in my sights. I’d like to do it in my 50th and my 60th year and I’ll still be 60 then.
Fit at Midlife the book on the left, Tracy and Sam in a publicity photo on the right
So I did keep some of my cycling fitness after the fittest by fifty challenge, and I hope to keep that up for a very long time yet. So what’s missing for me?
There are four themes that keep coming up when I think about the fitness future I want.
First, it’s community. When I think back over my various fitness pursuits, the best times involve working out with other people. I think about bike clubs and teams, my soccer team, the Aikido dojo, the rowing club, and so on. Even CrossFit’s appeal lay mainly in the community. Soccer, Aikido, rowing, and bike clubs are all team efforts where you work with others. I like that a lot. They’re also all community associations where people are drawn from all walks of life and from all corners of the community. It’s what I like about the Guelph Community Boating Club.
Sam and Sarah racing the snipe at Guelph Lake
Second, it’s active, outdoor adventure. I love being outside. I love moving my body. The combo is perfect.
Two photos of Sam in red shirts in her canoe
Third, it’s intensity. I do my best work in teams and there’s something about the group effort that makes me work harder. Team time trials are one of my favourite kinds of bike races and they’re intense, co-operative efforts. Of course, that’s also true of rowing. I like sports that have intensity built in. I’m not sure what form that will take as I get older, but I still think about one of our earlier blog posts, about aging as a choice. Is Aging a Lifestyle Choice? I talked about Gretchen Reynold’s book on exercise science, The First Twenty Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can: Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer, where I was particularly taken with her chapter on aging,
I wrote: “The old view was that muscle loss and a decline in aerobic capacity were inevitable with old age. We slow down with age and become more frail, starting in our 40s, it seemed. But new research suggests the connections may run the other way. We become slower and more frail because we stop moving. Older athletes get slower and less strong, not because they’re older, but rather because they train less than younger athletes.”
Sam’s bike rally team 2022
Fourth, they’ve involved some element of competition. I’ve never been a serious racer but I like club level competition, in most physical activity that I do. (Obviously that’s lacking in yoga and hiking.) It provides some benchmarking and gives a purpose to training.
So, purposeful training, outdoors, in a community, with intensity, and some competition…that’s where we are so far!
Canberra’s Vikings above, Dunedin’s Women on Wheels below
What happened to my fitness community? Where did it go?
Well, my knees for one thing. Knee pain led to saying goodbye to running, soccer, Aikido and CrossFit. My big move was another. Bye-bye cycling coach and the community of cyclists I rode with in London. And then there was my big new job. That’s a lot.
Also there’s age. In Canada it’s harder to find groups that include older adults. I often think back fondly to my racing days in Australia where the master’s cycling group had an active over-80 group. You needed a doctors note to race after 80. It’s hard to imagine an active group of seniors racing bikes in Canada.
As I try to construct a ‘fitness after sixty’ plan, I’m thinking about activities in three groups–things I’m saying goodbye to, things I’m keeping and new things I want to add.
And I also want to recognize the pieces of the plan that are already in place. Zwift hits both the community and competition buttons. The Guelph Community Boating Club is very much of the volunteer association model I like.
On the bye list are running, soccer, Aikido.
On the keep list are hiking, cycling, sailboat racing, yoga, paddling, and weightlifting.
And on the new list are bike packing and dancing. I’m not sure where to put swimming but it’s in there.
Oh, there’s also a fourth category–to pick again after retirement–rowing for sure!
Sled pushing at the gym
Look this is obviously very much a work in progress. Stay tuned!
Also, I’ve been trying for better blog post titles.
Here’s some AI suggested:
1. “Rediscovering Joy: Embracing Fitness After Knee Replacement”
2. “Creating a Vibrant Future: Planning Fitness in Your Sixties”
3. “Reflecting on Active Happiness: Reimagining Fitness After Knee Replacement”
4. “The Next Chapter: Designing a Fulfilling Fitness Journey in Your Sixties”
5. “From Recovery to Revival: Crafting a Dynamic Fitness Routine After Knee Replacement”
Recommended listening “Hurricane Years” by Alice Cooper
Last weekend was to be my epic, triumphant return to the MS Bike Tour Grand Bend to London after a three year hiatus. For the first time in a long time Pride London was not the same weekend as the bike tour. I participate in both as part of my corporate teams.
I love that Canada Life supports Pride and matches the first $10,000 any corporate fundraising team raises for charity events. Win-win-win!
This year I was cycling each weekend and went from 20 km up to 60 km in just over a month. I was feeling prepared and loved that my partner Michel was able to join my team and train with me.
Michel and I take a selfie after one of our training rides. I’m in the foreground with a neon green helmet and a yellow and red jersey that reads “ms bike tour”. Michel is on the background wearing a blue t-shirt and black helmet. We are both sweaty and smiling.
Thanks to the amazing support of our friends, families, colleagues and fit is a feminist issue bloggers both Michel and I exceeded our fundraising goals raising just shy of two thousand Canadian dollars for MS research. Thank you!!
Monday before the event we picked up our registration kits and met with our Canada Life Cycles teammates for a meal. I had missed those smiling faces!
Friday night we got ready and packed all the things.
Our helmets with our participant numbers sit on tops of our red Canada Life Cycles jerseys with our numbers pinned on. We felt very prepared!
Saturday morning the alarm went off at 5 am and we were in the car by 5:22. I decided to stop at the Lucan Tim Hortons. It was open before 6 am and I saw our motorcycle marshals inside getting hot breakfasts. One came out to the vehicles in the drive through with bikes to let us know the start would be delayed an hour as there was lightning in the forecast. It was still calm and clear. I decided we’d head up anyway and connect with the team. Get photos etc.
We got to the start at 6:15 am and the clouds were rolling in. As we took our bikes off the car rack serious thunder started rumbling. A crack of lightning overhead had us dash back into the car. It wasn’t even safe to walk to the motorway just a hundred meters away.
Michel and I face the camera in our matching jerseys inside the car and are trying to keep our sense of humour.
I start getting texts from teammates in other vehicles and we notice a 6:30 email confirming a delay from a 7:30 start until 9 am. Dang. I mean. It was not safe to ride. The starting area was flooded. Registration was not open. It was very bleak in the start area when I darted in to use the port a potties while we waited. A few of my teammates had waded through calf deep water to climb up into the bandshell for shelter. It didn’t look like much room so I went back to the car to wait with Michel.
By 8:15 I got a text from my team captain that the ride was canceled and shuttles were coming to take everyone to London. I was soaked from my two trips to the toilet. The idea of waiting an hour or two more to take a bus with our bikes to within 2 km of our house did not appeal to me. Michel and I briefly considered just riding anyway. We had water, electrolytes and a couple snacks. But I had not packed enough for a fully self supported ride.
I’m also a rule follower and thought we weren’t allowed to ride. So we throw our bikes back on the car and drove home. We ran errands for our family. Later I saw most of my team had decided to ride without support. I regret not being ready to be self supported. I was so bummed out about it I cried off and on all day.
We decided to go see the Barbie movie. Great call! We laughed so hard. We also came up with a plan to ride a self supported 80 km on Day 2. We had the car in London, plus the official Day 2 ride is slightly shorter, the 150 km total is split wit a roughly 80 km Day 1 and just under 70 km Day 2.
Sunday morning we sleep in, have breakfast, walk the dog then hop on our bikes for an 80 km loop up to Ilderton. We accidentally end up on a very hilly route with 500 m of climbing. It was slow going for me but I didn’t walk up one single hill and that’s the first time this year I could say that.
Since we started from our house the club route had a break at the Tim Hortons which fell at 47 km into the trip.
Me, squinting at the camera and kind of scowling at the 47 km mark. I really needed the break off my bike, food, toilet and a refill of my water bottles.
As we left Ilderton and headed north a hefty headwind kicked in as we slowly climbed to 15 mile road. I was so over climbing at that point. As we headed east towards Adelaide street I looked forward to the downhill to home with a tailwind. I would get to fly home after grunting along at 16 km/hr on all the climbs.
But it was not my day. Somewhere on Adelaide while we were 12 km from home I got a flat. There were several fine green glass shards in my tire.
We stopped and Michel helped me change my flat. I picked all the glass from the outside then ran my fingers inside the empty tire to find more shards poking through. I must have missed some though because we couldn’t get the new tube to inflate. We would pump it up, I’d hop on and try to ride and I could feel it was flat.
So many friends and strangers stopped to check in on us. We declined all offers of help. It was just a flat. But. Dang. I should have taken the hint. After three more attempts to get me rolling I convinced Michel to bike home and get the car.
I don’t know if it was worry, frustration or just pent up energy from a weekend that would not cooperate but he flew, like 40 km/hr flew, down that hill on a tailwind and picked up a couple Personal Bests on Strava.
I found some shade and checked social media. I posted an update
It’s sunny, I’m in the shade. I look like hell. I’m disappointed I was just 12 km away from completing my 80 km ride.
So it was a lot of fussing and feelings, not much riding but I felt very satisfied with myself. I was ready to ride 2 days back to back fully supported. I really love the energy of the MS Bike Tour.
The more years I do this event, the more I meet people living with MS and folks who love folks living with MS. It’s all around me and I don’t think I’d have that knowledge if I didn’t ride for the cause and tell people about it.
I learned a lot this year. That I am able to train up even after a long break. I will always pack for self support. I’m riding both damn days next year, come hell or high-water.
I worried about not being able to do the rides because of my physicality. But it was weather and a mechanical that foiled my plans. I worried that the folks who sponsored me would feel cheated by me not completing either day.
It turns out though, all those supporters are. Well. Really fucking supportive. Huh. And all I got was love, encouragement and commiseration.
I’m really over having plans change/:be cancelled/interfered with. The pandemic gave me a physically painful reaction to plans being canceled. I’m working on it. And I’m still making plans. The 2024 MS Bike Tour is already in my calendar. Maybe I’ll see you there?
Over a month ago my friend and colleague Freda offered to be my gym accountability buddy. She asked if I was a morning person. I think I forgot to answer “no”!
I agreed to meeting at 6:15 am Tuesdays and Wednesdays at our office gym. It’s marvelously compact, clean and, at that time of day, sparsely populated.
No, I haven’t magically “become a morning person”. I have, when needed, done 5:30 am triathlon workouts in college. Ew! I’ve had physical training for the military at 6 am. Ya. Done with that. No voluntary boot camp classes for this retired Captain. I get paid to be yelled at, not the other way around!
I am trying to say “yes” more to new things to get out of a serious rut/funk that I have been settling into.
Couple things though. It’s year end at work. That’s writing and delivering performance assessments. My work involves supporting teams to place as much business as possible before the end of the calendar year. Hectic!
Plus that one little thing, buying and moving into a house. VERY HECTIC.
I decided that I would stick to my workouts, even on my days off work for moving. I needed to know that in the middle of all the chaos I had something I could 100% do.
My face at 6 am inside my car. It’s dark outside. I’m puffy. I’m seriously wondering if I’m awake enough to drive the 2 km to the gym. But I’m doing it!
It worked wonders for my anxiety. Knowing there was one thing I absolutely could do was a touchstone to my day, my week…my last month really. Knowing I can make plans, follow through and see gains proves to my anxiety I actually can do many things and handle busy time quite well, thank you very much!
So for me the tired adage of “when you are too busy to workout you definitely should workout” is true. Does that work for you?
It’s been 13 years since I have last moved. I was more than a bit nervous I’d injure myself. Am I tired? Heck yes! Sore? Most definitely! But definitely just fatigue. I’m so grateful.
What were the keys to getting through an epic move without getting hurt?
Team work
My partner, adult children, my sister and brother-in-law pitched in. Many hands meant no one person had to push themselves too hard.
Michel, my partner, is standing in a bathroom with a grey tile floor and a tub in the background. He is smiling at the camera. My whole family helped clean our new house. It was awesome!
Outsourcing
I was able to pay a painter and order take-out. Outsourcing two key tasks meant I could focus on packing and moving.
Weight Training
I’ve been back at the gym twice a week for a few weeks. Getting a full range of motion and engaging muscles helped me be aware of when I could or could not lift something.
The right equipment
My sister Anj ensured we used a dolly to good effect on the heaviest items. She knew to use grippy gloves and how to work smart. I’m so grateful for her expertise!
A multiphase, multi day approach
Our house closed on Nov 16 and our rental was paid until Nov 30. We took full advantage of the two weeks to get things done. Moving some boxes each day meant the “big move” day was focused on furniture.
All the feelings, all the time!
Despite all that there were many challenging moments on the big day. Oh. And I definitely got my period so was not feeling great. I definitely cried a few times in frustration and because of anxiety.
Post move chiropractic care
I had our regular appointments set for the Monday after our moving day. It allowed me to check in with my body and I was surprised I didn’t have any injuries. Not bad for functional fitness at 48!
I’m making a silly, smiling face next to Michel. We are in our car that is full of boxes and loose items. We did it!
In a world of fitness influencers there’s a lot that distinguishes Hampton of Hybrid Calisthenics. He’s funny and kind which I really enjoy.
Hampton demonstrates some moves.
I especially appreciate his approach to learning new movements and exploring discomfort with curiosity. Rather than encouraging people to push through pain Hampton offers ways to build strength and flexibility while preventing or recovering from injury.
The exercises demonstrated rarely require equipment and he always offers practical ways to get support from chairs, walls and railings.
Hampton also encourages folks to start with small amounts of exercise and build over time. His focus on functional fitness and reducing injury and pain are a welcome counterpoint to videos of shocking makeovers. He offers good advice!
Have you stumbled upon a fitness personality that you find warm, welcoming and inclusive? Please tell us about them!
I haven’t been on my Peloton since the spring. I agreed to give it a go after my vacation. So, yes, I am late to the game, not only for the Artist Series workout but Lizzo in general.
One of my roller derby friends recommended I watch Lizzo’s reality TV show on Prime, Watch Out for the Big Grrrls. She loved it. I was leery as I don’t enjoy the mean things that are the backbone of unscripted shows.
I watched it and totally fell in love with Lizzo. How did I not know her music before? I listen to mostly metal, rock and Canadian indie music. Well, I’m a fan now.
The show is an extended audition for dancers to join Lizzo’s touring troupe. It was great to see all of the athleticism, fashion and choreography. There was the sprinkling of unnecessary drama but it was 5% of the airtime.
The show also functions as a promotion of Lizzo’s newest album and her tour. It does a great job showcasing her songs and artistic persona.
Most importantly, and fitness related (I’m getting there!), is Lizzo’s message about body positivity. She explicitly states in each episode that working out is not to loose weight but to be strong to perform and live life. She encourages us all to enjoy our embodiment, revel in our grace, sexiness and “having the juice!”
Now on to the Peloton class. Peloton is working hard at shifting its brand to be more inclusive, reach new audiences and stay financially viable. The business model is built on a foundation of selling stationary bikes, treadmills, athletic wear, and monthly subscriptions.
One way to select workouts is by music genre and there are several class releases in their Artist Series where all songs are from a single artist. There’s been Queen, Def Leppard and David Bowie to name a few. Yes, the ones I noticed totally tell you all the demographic info you need to know about me. The Artist Series is a business partnership where Peloton and the Artist/their label get to draw on each other’s clout for mutual benefit. You can “like” the songs in class and tie that to your music streaming service.
So with many, many, many Artist Series classes already recorded, Lizzo’s stands out because she joined the cycling class and brought a subset of The Big Grrrls with her. The energy and enthusiasm she brought to the workout was awesome.
In the background four women of size are dancing in bright pink workout wear. Lizzo is in the foreground dancing and singing on her bike.
I took the class in September to realize the livestream had technical issues back in July. Lizzo broke the internet and I totally recognized the dancers!
Lizzo’s body is not the build Peloton usually features in ads and classes. All of their instructors are either lean or very muscular with very low body fat. While they do recruit a diverse cast for ethnicity, the age range is tightly dialed in, no seniors as instructors.
It was great to see Lizzo moving on the bike the way I do, breasts bouncing around, belly swaying and thighs undulating. Watching her reality tv show, listening to her music and watching her perform, whether in a workout or on stage, has seriously improved my self confidence. I’m wearing crop tops in public and feeling awesome!
Nat is taking a selfie in her bathroom wearing a super cut space cats print crop top from Point Seven Five.
Recommended Soundtrack: These Boots Are Made For Walking
Friends, I’ve had a 30 plus year habit of steaming down the 401 highway from Ontario to my home province of New Brunswick to kick off vacation. From college days in Kingston in the 90s to the last ohhh 17 years from London. The goal, get the frick home as fast as possible.
This year, I’m trying something different. The Friday night of the last day of work I took a nap. A glorious 90 minute nap to start my vacation.
Nat smiles at the camera, clearly just awake from a very deep sleep. She looks pretty proud of herself.
Instead of frenetic activity and getting on the highway as early as possible Friday night or Saturday morning I just took it easy.
We had a change in plans Saturday that opened up the day. No timing to meet. No one waiting on us. Just a hotel in a town between Montréal and Québec and all day to get there.
In the Victoriaville Quality Inn lobby there are e-bikes and scooters to rent. Plus plenty of bike lanes to use them in!
We leisurely packed in the morning and got underway sometime after 9:30 am. This was unheard of in previous years.
The traffic was. Well. Unrelenting. Fully understanding I am also traffic, I’d never been on the 401 near Toronto midday on a long weekend. It was so busy. We joked it was an exercise in patience.
Our toodling eventually got us to Victoriaville PQ around 8 pm. It was getting dark so we grabbed a bit to eat at a microbrewery. There was live music downtown and streets were full of people. It was awesome.
The next morning, instead of rushing to get back on the highway, we went for breakfast at a diner and took a hike on the Four Seasons trail on Mount Arthabasca.
Nat and Michel take a smiling selfie in the dappled shade of a maple grove full of sap tap lines. They are near a trail pay box for “le Sentier fee Troitteurs”. Roughly translates to the trail of the walkers or trotters or hikers?
It was a beautiful 3 km trail. I had accidentally driven us to the top of the mountain instead of starting at the base. It turned out to be perfect as we took the more challenging part of the trail down l. We sauntered the way around the mountain on maple syrup access roads and east trails. Well maple sap tap collection lines, it’s boiled down to make syrup.
Woven through a stand of maple trees are bright sap lines that come together into larger lines. There are dozens of lines in various colours including blue, purple and black.
We finished our hike on top of the mountain. It was perfect weather with amazing vistas.
We saw runners and mountain bikers on adjacent trails. I loved how everyone had their own paths.
We see the back of Michel’s head as he reads a sign warning of pedestrian and cycling collisions where our paths meet.
We then headed off to our last leg of driving. We arrived refreshed and ready to visit. Our back feeling good for the 1,300 km trip we had just driven.
I loved making the drive part of the vacation and getting some activity in as well. I’m not going to lie, it was painful to shift gears and be less goal oriented.
Have you tried a new approach to vacations before? How did it go?
