As our heels kick up the final dust on 2007 walking capers, we’d like to congratulate everyone on a fantastic year. Many of you have walked countless miles in training and races. The results show just how reliably hard work pays off. There are still more of you who haven’t caught the racing bug but are making big changes in lifestyle, fitness, and general well-being by challenging yourselves to walking workouts. All we can say from our end is – "WoW! Keep up the inspiring effort."

The holiday lights make for magical evenings of walking as we approach the shortest days and longest nights of the year. Over the holiday season we hope you will walk with a brother or a sister, a son or a daughter, a friend or a parent. Yes, the outdoors is our gym but let’s not forget it’s there for simple enjoyment. Having said that, there’s nothing like a solitary, invigorating walking workout to chase away the occasionally overwhelming burden of holiday shopping, eating, and too much family! If you find yourself feeling a little stressed, head outside. Get your heart pumping and discover the miracle of endorphins and serotonin. In a mere 20 minutes you will be ready for more festivities.

Races for 2008 :: You don’t have to wait long to get into the racing spirit. Most towns have 5k events on December 31 or January 1. We already know of a few walkers who have signed up for the Resolution Run/Walk in the Distillery District in Toronto. One of our favourite half marathons, The Chilly Half Marathon in Burlington, is sold out but you can put your name on the waiting list – and we recommend you do! Word on the walks has it that the popular destinations for spring (in addition to our perennial favourite – Big Sur) are the women-only MORE Marathon in NYC, Sporting Life 10k in Toronto, Cleveland Marathon, Mississauga Marathon, and the Ottawa Marathon. Further into the year, Las Vegas seems to be luring a few walkers for the marathon and possibly other activities next December?

Classes for 2008 ::We’re always here to help you with your training. Our January tradition of Marathon Training Level 2 Hills classes in Oakville and Toronto is always popular. We’re excited to announce that starting Saturday mornings in January, Lee will be teaching a Marathon Training Level 1 class out of the Runners Shop in Toronto at Avenue Road and Bloor Street. Walking Strength and Balance classes return in March and be sure to look for more Video Analysis Workshops in April and May. Is a positive relationship with food the secret ingredient that could turn your training from good to great? If so, sign up for our Habit Busters class in January in Oakville: four nights a week for January and February. We know this is a big commitment, but sometimes to make a really big change we need to make that big commitment. Six weeks is what our brains need to make change stick. Some nights we’ll walk, some nights we’ll talk food, some nights we’ll take a field trip or hear an expert, some nights we’ll do a combination. At the end of 6 weeks, you’ll come away with a different attitude toward your food and your body.

Looking for the PERFECT gift? Forget the chocolates and wine, give the gift that can make a difference. Simple Secrets for a Great Walking Workout is the only help for walkers offering visual instruction in the DVD and an audio workout on CD. Order online or find it at the Runners Shop in Toronto and the Running Company in Oakville.

Winter Solstice Coffee and Muffin Walk ::
What: 8k (more or less) un-timed walk followed by snacks and warm drinks.
When: Saturday, December 22, 8am.
Where: Sovereign House, 7 West River Street, Oakville.
Why: Celebrate the return of the sun and a fantastic 2007. Wear ALL of your 2007 medals and enjoy the fact that we are your only friends who really want to see ALL those medals!
Who: All WoW Power Walkers past, present or future and any significant other. We planned this event for Saturday in Oakville (Bronte Village) for several reasons. First, it’s the day when the sun returns and we need to celebrate! Second, downtown Oakville and Bronte are two very civilized shopping destinations for après-walking activity. We’ll help you out on the shopping front too, by having a special one-day-only reduction on all WoW stuff (except our new jackets and hats). Bring cash or cheques. We’ll have a map for an 8k route and lots of ways to fudge that distance so that you can walk more or less! After the walk, return to the Sovereign House to chat, eat muffins and marathon cookies, warm up with coffee, tea or cider, and stock up on WoW stuff for yourself or family and friends (they probably would love a copy of Lee’s DVD - CD Simple Secrets for a Great Walking Workout).

Holiday Nutrition tip :: You’ve likely read or heard the typical advice on party noshing – hang out near the fruit and veggie platters, snack before you go to a party so you won’t arrive hungry, etc. Well. Here’s my contribution to the suggestions. Try to balance the glycemic load of your holiday eating. It’s so easy to eat too many calories when your blood sugar levels are careening like a roller coaster at Canada’s Wonderland. Nuts offer a great defense. They are high in protein and good fats which slow down sugar absorption to the blood stream. Look for nuts in holiday baking or a bowl on a side table.

Fantastic Feedback :: Thank you to the many people who returned the feedback form we sent out earlier this week. Look for our January newsletter where we’ll let you know what we heard from you and what we’re doing about it. If you did not get the Feedback Form, you can access it under the newsletter archive section of the website.

Words to walk and live by ::
Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.
- Helen Keller.

WoW Power Walking coaches are proud to wear New Balance shoes.

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