Husband and I are celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary. For traditionalists, this is the wood anniversary. So we decided to go north to a wooded winter wonderland and try out our new running snowshoes. The word running has a very different definition when sleds are strapped to my feet and the snow is a metre deep. It means shuffling. And that’s when I’m going “fast”. I read that snowshoe running will add a minute per kilometre to your typical long run pace. I added two. Okay, three. Despite our glacial pace, the Park Ranger invited us back in three weeks for a snowshoe race and sweetened the suggestion by telling us that we were moving up the endless hill faster than last year’s winner. Last year’s surprisingly slow winner.
We successfully (read: did not need to take any detours to the ER) snowshoed up and down hilly single track terrain, across icy streams, over and under fallen trees, in -30C (-22F) -with windchill- conditions. I think I finally found my maximum heart rate. It’s at the top of a ski hill. Oh yes, among other feats of athleticism, we snowshoe ran (remember, ran=shuffled) up to the top of a ski hill, the ski lift dropoff marking the turnaround point of a trail called Maple Mountain. It sounded fun. And syrupy. It was steep. And slippery. Thankfully I had Husband to pull me out of the snowbanks and set up a hot chocolate IV so I could bring my body temperature back up to something warmer than freezing. It was awesome. And I’m not being sarcastic. A happy anniversary indeed.
Title Reference: Colin James – Five Long Years. 1988.
Happy anniversary! What a coincidence — i was looking at snowshoeing in Ontario a couple of days ago. Recommendations on some places nearby?
On my list this winter is Hardwood Hills, Albion Hills, Crawford Lake, and Scenic Caves … probably in that order.
I give you credit, I can’t stay upright on those things. Its hard!
There is a snowshoe race in a park in the city near me some Wednesdays and sometimes I run by while its in progress and I feel like a lazy ass because I cannot even fathom trying to go 50 feet on the things much less race…
happy anniversary! sounds like a tough day – i don’t think i could’ve kept up, not to mention i’m a total klutz…
I kicked my own ankle with the frozen metal shoe and an unladylike word may have escaped from my mouth. I now have a nice scab to show off when bragging about my escapades.