Tuesday, February 24, 2004

Cross-country skiing, snow shoes and walking!

On Sunday the 29th of February at 1:00 pm, we will be holding our second Event for 2004.

This will be the first time that we will use the new SK+ stamp in our Distance and Event Books.

Due to changing weather conditions the SK+ has been introduced for winter/spring Events,

If we had planned a snow shoe and xc-ski event and the weather turned mild, the snow melted etc, we can now continue with the Event as walkers as long as we use the same Start Point.

In the past we would have had to cancel or postpone the event, the only thing stopping us now is extreme weather or our inability to get off the couch.

Hope to see as many of you as possible at MIRA PROVINCIAL PARK located on the Brickyard Road off HWY 22.

After the Event, Shirley and Bill Boutilier will be hosting a Pot Luck at their home.

Follow Trout Brook Road to BenGeorge Road then onto Sherwood Drive.

Note: There were 10 members of the CBIH plus 57 members of the XC club at Ski Ben Eoin on the 15 Feb.
It was cold but fun and many thanks to Micheline, Jacques and Sinclair for organizing this event.
Thank You Martine for keeping the ten of us on the right track up the hill, down and up the hill.
The goal for the day was 1000kms, we finished at 837kms, a bit short but it was fun and we introduced our club to
potential new members when the snow has melted.


An observation or statement (the theory of walking with a group):

#1. I went out walking with you guys once and I thought you were walking too fast, I couldn't keep up, I felt embarassed and didn't go back again!

#2. I went out walking with your club, you walk too slow for me, I was walking on the heels of the guy in front, that's why I never went back!

Answer/my opinion:

The simplest answer I can give (but not a simple solution) or statement that can be made about this situation is that Volkssporting is a non-competitive sport, and maybe we should not use the word sport and emphaze the NON in "non-competitive".

We have adopted the IVV motto, "Walking for Fun, Fitness and Friendship", everyone who participates in our Events should and will be made welcomed no matter what your degree of fitness.

The Annual Schedule of Events details the Ratings for each Walk and I encourage everyone to make themselves aware of our rating system, which should help in determining if an event is suitable for you.

The schedule also takes us to different and wonderful parts of our Island, this is the "Fun" in the motto, exploring the trails and the scenery; the walking at any speed and the distance gives you the exercise or "Fitness" and while doing these two things you are conversing with a fellow walker who is enjoying the outdoors with you, therefore you are making a new "Friend".

Those of us who want to be power walkers, fast walkers can do so seven days a week, the CBIH schedule allows for only two or three Guided Events each month, surely we can slow down a bit once or twice a month and enjoy this beautiful Island with some very friendly people.

If this is not satisfying to the faster walker then consider selecting our higher rated events of 3 or more, remembering our events are 10kms or more or another suggestion is to prewalk the Event with the Walk Leader or become a Walk Leader, selecting trails for us, assisting the Trails Coordinator; other things you could do, try out our 5 Year Round Events (YRE's) on your own or with a friend.

To those of us who are slower but steady paced walkers, those who want to rest along the trail, DO NOT try to keep up with the person ahead of you, enjoy the walk, you are not competing with anyone, there is no blue ribbon at the end of the trail, you will have the satisfaction of knowing you completed the event and enjoyed the scenery around you and the friends along the trail.

The Trails Coordinator or a designated member is always at the rear as the 'sweep' to assist you if help is needed; these are called Guided Walks for that purpose and if a trail is fairly complicated it is usually marked with our signs or trail tape. A quote from Bill, "remember if you come to a fork in the road, Take It "!

Some of the other CVF and Atlantic Clubs have tried different approaches to this problem, (a) a fast group, (b) a slower group, (c) starting at different times for each group; none of these are real solutions nor is there a firm way to resolve this, other then to make all of our Walk Events, Volksmarches/Map Walks.

We would set up a Start Point, you would sign in, get a map of the walk and proceed on your own and ensure you get a stamp at a designated check point before receiving your Events and Distance Stamps.

Many of our U.S.A. and Euro. friends use this method for many of their Walk Events, the draw back is that you don't get to meet people, you are concerned about reading a map; a good point is you can run into a pub whenever you want to, if there's a pub available!

Folks! Lets get out and walk and have fun, enjoy the day,observe a waterfall in the forest, smell the roses along the way or the manure on the Trans Canada Trail.

If we have lost new or potentially new walkers due to the statements of #1 and #2 above, then it is up to you the members to help bring them back or introduce newer walkers to our foal.

It is ashame that we have lost people to our style of walking, we all have our own philosphy on how to approach this situation and I invite you to express your opinion in this forum, unedited except for offensive language.

Walking For Fun, Fitness and Friendship!

Volksmarchers Walk for the Health of IT!

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