Initially, I chose Stretch. I thought about Reach. You can spot a trend here. They all have in common a theme of growth, meeting new people, trying new things, learning new skills, and pushing out of my comfort zone.
That went so well that I’ve signed up for skating lessons. Sarah and I both think we need them after a wonderful weekend at Arrowhead, Sam’s winter weekend triathlon, where the cross-country skiing and the snowshoeing went very smoothly, but the skating not so much. It turns out, that for us at least, skating isn’t like riding a bike. And even riding a bike might not be like that for you.
Starting Tuesday evenings in April, we’re signed up for Skate Canada learn-to-skate here in Guelph at the rink near Exhibition Park.
Sooooo, we’ve been having a bit of snow here in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Well, I can’t speak for the whole province, just for the Easterly island bit where I live but there is A LOT of here.
This was the view from my front steps near the end of the storm that plagued us from Saturday afternoon until late Sunday evening. Image description: a nighttime photo of the rails of my front step with snow drifted so high that it covers most of the uprights. there is a piece of a tree sticking sideways of the the snowbank at the based of the steps and in the background the handle of my snow scoop is sticking out of the snow lump that hides my husband’s car. Even more snow, my snow covered truck, and my snowy street can be seen a bit further out.
According to official measurements at St. John’s International Airport, 166.1cm of snow has fallen since February 1, 2026 but different areas in the metro region have probably had more.
Over the course of the month I have had to incorporate snow shoveling into my workout routine pretty regularly – turns out that an hour of snow shoveling is the equivalent of 8kms in my 2026 walking challenge!
Then, last week, things went up a notch when the snowbanks on the side of my driveway got so high that I could no longer shovel snow up there.
NOTE: We only have one ‘side’ of our driveway because our driveway and our neighbour-on-the-left’s driveway is connected and I’m not going to just start dumping snow on their part of our joint driveway.
Then, on the weekend, the day after my husband left on a trip to visit his brother, we had a storm that lasted from Saturday afternoon to Sunday night and dropped a ridiculous amount of snow on us – over 60 cms.
Here’s what my driveway looked like (from my upstairs window) when the storm stopped:
This was a scary sight on Sunday night. Image description: a top-down photo of my driveway taken from my bedroom window. You can see that in our half of the driveway there are two vehicles. One is mostly covered with a lot of snow on it, next to it and between it and the road. The other is completely covered and the space next to the car and the snowbank is filled almost to the level of the car’s roof. The photo was taken at night and, in the light from the streetlight, you can see all the snow in the middle of my cul-de-sac and in other people’s driveways.
Normally, I am ok with shoveling and I sometimes even like it.
However, I do not enjoy shoveling when there is nowhere to put the snow.
I really tried to throw some up on the bank but half of it would tumble down.
I threw some of it closer to the house.
And I used my scoop to add to the pile of snow in the middle of my cul-de-sac.
After he finished his own driveway, a neighbour used his snowblower to clear along one side of my truck and to clear some of my neighbour-on-the-left’s driveway.
It took over three hours, even with my oldest son’s help (and my neighbour’s help), and every part of it was an exercise in frustration.
There was no satisfying rhythm of shoveling.
There was no sense of accomplishment – I mean, we obviously accomplished something…
This is my driveway cleared enough for me to get out. You can see that a lot more work is needed though. Image description: a top down view of two vehicles in a driveway. One is cleared off and the other is mostly snow covered. There is a narrow path on the bottom right that goes between the snowbank and the car and there is a shovel and a snow scoop visible in the narrow path. The street beyond is snow covered and there are high snowbanks everywhere including a mound of snow in the middle of the cul-de-sac.
But it wasn’t possible to clear a wide path to the house (see the lower part of the photo, it’s like a roofless tunnel) and, in fact, the path has packed snow at the bottom from us walking on it while trying to shovel so it feels even more annoying.
It wasn’t possible to completely clear or widen the end of the driveway and it is really challenging to back my truck in.
But, clearing all that snow has been a good workout – if you define good as ‘Uses muscles I wasn’t even aware of and leaves me really, really, really tired’ but I do NOT recommend it.
In fact, if you can get away with just doing fun stuff in the snow (skiing, snowshoeing, building forts), I think that would be the best workout plan.
The cursing while you try to shovel snow higher than your head routine is like something an evil fitness influencer would devise to sell to unsuspecting followers.
The only difference between this workout and the one an evil influencer would be trying to sell me on is the fact that I didn’t have to dress up or smile while doing it.
This morning, I went to my Mom’s place (see below) to dig a path to the street for her. Another day, another annoying workout. Image description: a selfie of me in a beige sweater and green toque and glasses, looking disgruntled. In the background there’s a mountain of snow that plows dumped on Mom’s lawn -it’s almost as high as the streetlights.There was so much snow at Mom’s that it was hard to see her house. Image description: a photo of my Mom’s house taken from across the street. She lives in a blue bungalow and there is a huge mountain of snow on her lawn (put there by a plow) that is higher than her roof. And on the other side you can only see the tops of her windows and door and the peak of her porch roof.
At least that’s what some of my more serious cycling friends have to say. They’re posting about it on social media.
Typically, they head south in March, during the school holidays, and take part in a riding camp. After they return, it’s outdoor riding season. No more time on the trainer!
There will definitely be more daylight then. In the Toronto area, by the end of March, it’ll be getting light around 730 am and staying light until 730 pm. It will certainly be warmer.
I’m not that hardcore these days. My summer plans no longer include races. and I’m not even aspiring to be that hardcore, but I do feel spring is in the air by the end of March and that definitely means more time outside on the bike.
Around here, our riding life isn’t so structured. Sarah and I have our first bike trip planned for early April. I’m hoping to start commuting as early as next week. It’ll be above freezing if I leave for work late enough in the morning. But I’m also still riding on the trainer and I’ll likely keep that up through the spring.
How about you? When does your outdoor riding season begin?
A bare road on the left and a 30 cm layer of frozen slush runs up the bike lane. You know it’s a bike lane because there is a higher pile of snow to the right and there are white lane markers sticking out.
Friends, we have had a very snowy winter in London. I was so happy to see Diane’s post on Thursday that she is out and about on her bike.
My bike is in the garage. I keep thinking “maybe next week?”
In the mean time, my beloved and I had our basement renovated in January. This limited our workouts to some dumbbells in the living room.
Today I’m mopping the floor and getting set up for indoor spinning.
My lower back is a mess at the moment so I’m not looking for personal bests, just getting in the saddle for some easy rides.
And likely shoveling more snow. Apparently that will keep happening.
Nat peaks out from behind the snowbank at the end of her driveway. It’s mostly above her head. She is waving both hands in red mittens. Her hair, eyebrows and lashes are covered in frost. She is smiling like a kid in her green parka because this is a silly amount of snow.
It has been a hard year for me on the cycling front, so it has been exciting to rediscover the joys of winter cycling.
Diane in her blue and white helmet and black ski jacket, with her red bicycle and another winter bike in the background. It’s a sunny day and the bikes are parked in the snow at a bike rack outside a school.
Pros:
It’s often faster than driving or transit, especially for shorter distances.
It doesn’t require a lot of special gear (though I do not regret investing in studded tires).
Even on a grey day, that little bit of fresh air and sunlight will boost my mood.
My neighbours think I’m a bit of a badass, which is hilarious. I’m easing back into riding, so most trips are under 2 km each way.
It’s an excuse to indulge my inner child and buy all the bike lights.
No bugs.
I don’t overheat.
Cons: none that don’t also apply to summer cycling.
Photos from previous winters, showing off the bike lights and beautiful winter weather.
This year we’re celebrating it, the sunny snowy days anyway. For three weekends in a row, we played in the snow between work things.
I’ve spent the past couple of weeks away in Ottawa at academic administrators’ conferences. Week 1 was the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) Development for Deans meeting. Week 2 was Higher Education Strategy Associate’s Re:University meeting. It’s been a very busy January and so this blog post is more photo essay than anything.
An ode to playing in the snow!
Weekend one was Sarah, Mallory, and me at Arrowhead and Limberlost on skis, skates, and snowshoes. It was snowy and warm, like almost too warm, just below freezing.
Weekend two Sarah and I spent at the farm between Ottawa conferences. Mallory and friends visited and so did Susan and Jeff. It was a bit strange weather-wise. In this part of Canada, we associate snow with lake effect snow, and that usually happens when it’s not that cold. When it gets really cold, people say it’s too cold to snow. Not this winter. As our weather changes, with climate change, we’re having overlap between days when there are record-breaking cold temperatures and record-breaking amounts of snow. What’s that mean? Toronto had -25 (feels like -35) and 60 cm of snow in 24 hours. Ouch!
And I find I can’t even begin to write about our outdoorsy fitness activities without mentioning the horrors of the fascist government south of us.
I’m also very aware these days that although this blog is based in Canada and almost all of our bloggers are Canadian (Catherine and Mina are in the United States), the majority of our readers are American.
So this post flip flops between what we’re doing and what’s going on, because that’s kind of how my life feels these days.
Some normal life and life activities, working and working out, cooking, and playing cards with friends and family alternating with reading, watching, and listening to political news that’s pretty horrifying. I’m thinking of American friends and colleagues with love and fear.
I’ve been away working in Ottawa last week and will be there this week too. Sarah and I are spending time in the middle at the farm. We were with family and some of Mallory’s friends here on the weekend.
Saturday was freezing cold. Sunday was a snowstorm.
And in the midst of it all ICE shot and killed a young nurse who was helping a woman during the protests in Minneapolis. Alex Pretti, 37, was pushed to the ground and shot 10 times. We’re all horrified.
So it was a fun weekend but it was also a hard weekend as we worry about what’s happening in the United States.
Saturday was so cold that I considered staying in. But I also felt the need to get outside in nature, in the fresh air, in the sun, no matter how cold it was. So we went for a hike in our snow shoes and even though it was pretty chilly, I felt better afterwards. Sun helps. Movement helps. Company helps.
I understand why the people of Minnesota are outside protesting in the cold temperatures. I’d be there too.
We’ve also been cooking lots of familiar comfort food: veggie chili and cornbread, general tsao tofu and rice with broccoli, scrambled eggs, French toast, soup and grilled cheeses.
Also, I read this in The Atlantic about what’s going on politically in the United States: “Yes, It’s Fascism: Until recently, I thought it a term best avoided. But now, the resemblances are too many and too strong to deny.”
And here’s a photo of Sarah, Susan, Mallory, and me frolicking in the snow.
One of the social media threads that made me smile this weekend was people listing online communities that don’t normally talk about politics that are now full of angry anti-ICE speeches. From road cycling reddits, and nail polish sites, to porn user groups, and bird watching forums, people are saying that enough is enough.
If you want to do something to help the people of Minnesota, but you’re not sure what, here’s a list of places to donate.
“Minnesota is under occupation by federal agents from ICE and CBP, and we need your support. Across Minnesota, ICE continues to stop, harass, and detain people regardless of their citizenship status. Normal life in Minnesota has been interrupted, as schools have been forced to close or go virtual, as people live in fear of leaving their homes or going to work. Minnesotans are organized and activated to respond to this violence. But they need our help. “
I wrote recently about why the snow makes me smile and I smiled a lot this weekend. So much snow. So much smiling.
Sarah and I missed winter last year while we spent my research leave in New Zealand. I loved our time there but I did miss the snow.
❄️ Who came along: Sarah, Mallory, and me
❄️ Where we stayed: Tally Ho Cottages outside Huntsville
❄️ Where we played: Arrowhead Provincial Park and Limberlost Forest and Wildlife Reservation
Walk
Mallory and I started the day off with a walk around the cottages while Sarah finished off some work stuff. That was our warm up for our weekend of outdoor activity.
Mallory and me walking around the cottages
Ski
After breakfast the three of us headed over to Arrowhead Provincial Park. We have a provincial park season pass so it was free but we still had to book for day use, since the park limits the number of people who can visit. I’d read about weekend crowds and it’s true the parking lot and lodge were busy but the trails weren’t crowded at all.
I was very nervous. Old me, before my knees went bad, loved cross country skiing. I was frightened I wouldn’t be able to do it. But do you know what? It was fine. Except we accidentally took the long trail, 5 km, instead of 3 km. They were my favorite kind of ski trails, mostly flat and winding through the trees. It was warm, -1, and snowing pretty heavily at times. It all felt kind of magical.
What we’ll do differently next time– bring snacks on the trail, bring water, and wear less clothes, or least different clothes, technical clothes you can sweat in. I remember all this from my old cross country skiing days. It’s been awhile.
The best news? I remembered how to cross country ski! My new knees did a great job. I’m looking forward to more cross country skiing in the future.
Skate
Arrowhead also hosts Fire and Ice nights where they light their 1.3 km skating trail for evening skating. I was excited to go– even got my skates sharpened for the occasion. And Sarah taped up the skate tongue that the shed mice had chewed off. I can’t believe they made a nest in my skates.
After dinner we headed back into the park for skating. Mallory and Sarah did great but I haven’t skated since before knee surgery. It turns out skating isn’t like bike riding, or even cross country skiing. Maybe you do forget how to do it. I didn’t manage much actual skating, though I did move around on the ice for a little bit. Advanced wobbling.
Now the ice was pretty rough and it was very crowded so maybe that was part of it. I’m not ready to give up and declare skating a thing I just don’t do anymore. Sarah and I have decided to keep at it and try skating again. Wish me luck.
Here’s me in my helmet just in case I took a tumble on the ice.
We ended the day with cards, Wizard as usual. Mallory and I tied.
Our fitness trackers, Mallory’s fitbit and my Garmin, started letting us know we’d done a bit too much. Mallory’s wasn’t happy even with the first bit of skiing since she’d already been skating that week and playing volleyball with her queer volleyball league.
Probably we should have stretched, but we did not. Instead we all crashed and slept really well. Zzzzz.
Snowshoe
Sunday morning Mallory had to head back to London to sing in the church choir so Sarah and I went to Limberlost for a snowshoe hike. Limberlost is free and there were only a half dozen cars there, very quiet.
We did a short snowshoe hike on the sculpture trail before heading home.
We’re back home now, tired and happy. It’s the sign of good weekend that we’re already planning to do it again next year.
But of course, on the way home we listened to the news. The world is still falling apart. I don’t know whether to be more worried about civil war in the United States or world war breaking out over Greenland. Trump’s presidency terrifies me.
Whenever I look at the blog’s stats I’m reminded that although we’re a mostly Canadian blog, most of our readers are in the United States. Last week the blog’s Catherine, who is an American based in the Boston area, wrote about taking part in civic action there. Me, I’m thinking of Minneapolis especially and our readers there and sending you love and support.
The weather in Southwestern Ontario has been mercurial. One day rain and 12C, the next freezing rain, then snow, then rain. You get the idea. It’s what we call in these parts a “wintery mix”.
With the barometer fluctuating any joint I’ve injured starts a conversation with me. My right knee gets cranky when it rains. My right hip reminds me of a fall in December. Lots of biomechanical feedback. So much so I didn’t walk in the worst weather. This is very out of character for me. I’m the one who wrote Nat decides she’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether she likes it or not.
I do take advantage of opportunities to walk to physiotherapy, the chiropractor and work.
My commuter bike is tucked behind construction supplies awaiting me to adjust the shifting. I’ve been getting a lift. It’s been so gross out!
I’ve enjoyed the days where there is good footing and I have my little spikes for my shoes on me at all times. They are not great on my knees when the ice gives way to solid footing.
All of that to say, overall, I’m still averaging 9,500 steps a day, even taking it “kneesy”.
So here’s to navigating the rest of the season with self compassion and some stick-to-it-ive-ness
Nat smiled at the camera in a light jacket, a grey knit toque and a mustard yellow cowl.
I shared a picture of my mother and me walking our dogs in a snow storm the other day and a friend commented, “You love winter so much lol.” (Okay, it wasn’t just any friend. It was one you know, the blog’s Cate.)
I’d also been sharing pictures of me riding to work in the snow.
And this week, I’ve been snowshoeing and winter hot tubbing.
The thing is I don’t think of myself as someone who loves winter. Last year I was happy to skip it entirely and spend the coldest, snowiest two months in New Zealand.
And yet, there are some things about our winter weather that definitely make me smile.
😊 I love clear sunny days with blue skies and bright white snow.
😊 I love how the cold encourages movement. There’s no temptation to stand around. I once complained about being cold riding to work and one of the very serious cyclists in my department said I wasn’t working hard enough. I couldn’t believe he said that, and yet now, I think about how right he is. Winter exercise is all about move it, move it!
😊 Increasingly, it’s our summer weather that scares me. It’s often too hot to ride bikes and we have hot, humid stretches that just aren’t suiatble for very much in the way of outdoor exercise. Swimming yes, but cycling now. Add to that smoke from the now common forest fires north and west of us, and summer no longer feels like the favorite season I used to know and love.
😊 I think myself as someone who is not that body conscious and who doesn’t worry too much about the way I look, and yet winter layers for outdoor exercise are cosy and comforting.
😊 Cold weather exercise in the snow also appeals to the Canadian in me. Snow shoeing is part of our national identity. I feel very Canadian outside in the snow and I like that.
