Happy
New Year! January 5, 2004
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| Speaking of training … It’s time to be signing up for courses! We have courses beginning the first full week of January in Oakville, Port Credit, High Park, the Beaches, North Toronto, and Unionville. With the help of our certified, knowledgeable, and motivating coaches and a little commitment to a training schedule, you could be walking one of these spring half or full marathons. And, if you need to be convinced that courses are a good idea consider this…
Walk for a cause – WoW and
Team in Training WoW power walking is the official
trainer for walkers signing on with Team
in Training in support of the Leukemia Research Fund of Canada.
These walkers commit to raising funds for the Leukemia Research
Fund of Canada in exchange for training and travel to some exciting
race destinations. The feature race for 2004 is the Rock’n
Roll Marathon in San Diego on June 6. Other destination races
include the Adidas Montreal Marathon on April 18, the Vancouver
International Marathon on May 2, and the National
Capital Race in Ottawa on May 30. Even if you’ve taken
a course with us before, you may want to have a look at the Team
in Training website at www.leukemia.ca.
It’s a great opportunity to walk and travel for a good cause.
On top of that, you’ll have a chance to experience more excellent
WoW coaching! |
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| WoW Tip :: What is it really like walking in winter? Cold and wind, ice and snow…sound enticing? If you need convincing, WoW power walkers who persevered through the coldest winter in a decade in 2003 will tell you that getting outside is the best defense! For the most part, we wore our training shoes throughout. There were always enough roads plowed that we were able to get outside! For those infrequent days when the snow fall was too fresh and there had been no opportunity for the plows to do their job, we would pull on our boots and just high step through the drifts. Power walking on these days turned into power trudging that still left us exhilarated by both the beauty of winter and the sweat of working our way through it. Rules of the Road Never forget one of the Rules of the Road for Power Walkers – There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes. Layering is the way to get dressed for January and February. Start with a technical fabric that wicks sweat away from your skin. Add layers of more technical fabrics and fleece which also keeps you warm when it is wet. I like a few layers of technical shirts, a fleece vest, and then a wind-breaker. On my legs try a layer of thermal underwear and a wind-resistant pant - sometimes even a light snow-pant when the thermometer dips below -10° Celsius. Feet seem to stay warm with the regular wick away fabric socks although some walkers were wearing thermal socks when the really cold weather (-20°C) hit. The Cool Down The thing to watch for is getting cold after you’ve cooled down. That’s when getting something to eat or something warm to drink right away is an excellent idea and a good reason for holding WoW courses out of coffee shops! Try not to stay damp for more than an hour after you’ve returned from your walk. Get into a hot bath or shower and find some warm clothes! |
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Long-distance number 1-877-WOW-WALK (1-877-969-9255)! |
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2004
is shaping up to be an exciting year for marathon walkers in Southern
Ontario. Local marathon organizers are starting
to take notice of the many walkers wanting to participate in their
events and have committed to walking starts. These include the 
Posture
makes perfect. . . Just a few weeks ago the Globe
and Mail reported on a study out of the Mayo Clinic stating that
walkers with poor posture or unbalanced movements could be doing
more harm than good. That’s why we’re here! You will
learn about good walking technique which is especially important
if you are training for a distance event. Picture yourself…
not just crossing the finish line… but powering across with
perfect posture and excellent form!