outdoor

Happened to catch this post-event report in the RSN sidebar:

The road was closed for the 18th annual Napa Valley Inline Marathon and Half Marathon so skaters, some Bay Area locals and visitors from France, Germany, Australia and other countries, could have free reign of the course.

“These people live for these types of events, where you get a closed, smooth road and you can skate distances, not just like in a roller rink where you go in circles,” said organizer David Miles, 55, of San Francisco.

Congrats to all who are spending plenty of time exercising! Kudos if you do that AND spend lots of time thinking about this while exercising or not. Thinking about exercising is part of actually going to exercise. And any mind game that gets me out exercising is a mind game I like. Also, thinking about scientific and mathematical issues keeps brains exercised along with the rest of the body. If you feel elevation data is irrelevant to your training, you won't want to waste your time reading this article. If reviewing your data informs you and inspires you, read on to see if you agree.

I won't spend much time describing this gallery but let me say it is a really fun look at photos of the type you take with black and white film, you dodge and burn, you hold in your hands, mark up for cropping, and put in the newspaper. I also usually stay away from comments after most newspaper or television website articles, but I looked at these and I was glad. Most were happy. Some were very well written and added to the positive aura of the page. What I notice is what so many noticed, that these were shots of people having fun skating. I hope today's kids are having as much fun as safely as these. And notice how many adults are in on the fun too.

I took a break from working on the website and some family health issues, and from photos and video of the US Figure Skating Championships, to read this nice story of a day out at a new rink...in a snow storm. There's a balance of thoughts on the rink and the money and the goals, but really, to me, it sounds like the start of something beautiful in Toronto. Community and physical activity often amplify each other well. If you have a minute, read this journal entry of the brand new shovel and brand new skating rink. 

Skate Across Toronto: The best $9.99 the National Post ever spent - National Post -

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