Inching Our Way To Spring

We’re heading into February already, although this past month feels like it’s lasting forever! Less than two months until Spring 🌷… although you’d hardly believe it from the image below.

Footwear Update

I just received my pair of IceBug shoes and have tried them out twice this past week. Like Helen, I find the grip vastly better, particularly when the cleats can dig in well into the snow and ice. Only note is that the toe box is roomy on the model I purchased (Pytho6) so they feel bigger than comparably sized shoes in other brands. Helen says her style (NewRun) seems right though. In any case, this is good for winter when we’re likely to wear thicker socks. The treads are different as well (Pytho6 top, NewRun bottom).

Weekly Walks

Saturday morning is a chilly one, with -21 C (-29 with windchill), so bundle up…or…walk on Sunday, when it will feel like a balmy -19 C. If that’s still not on, perhaps the PATH. Sign in and share your views.

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PATH On Weekdays

A small group followed up the massive snow dump on Monday past with an unusual walk through the PATH on Tuesday (roughly 6.5 km). Compared to weekends, busier but not alarming, and many times we were still the only people in sight. The advantage to weekdays is that the shops open around 9:30 so that could be folded in. Plenty of Tims on route but so far nowhere to sit and enjoy afterwards. As cases drop and restrictions ease (hopefully on the first followed by the second), this could be an alternative on days where conditions are too adverse.

Calorically Yours

Thanks to Helen for this Harvard Health link to calories consumed; handy for those of us tracking such things. I draw your attention to these lines.

Weekly Walks

Saturday looks has decent weather-wise. It’s only a matter of whether the mid-week thaw that preceded it will leave dangerously icy conditions underfoot. Please check conditions before heading out and make sure to have the right footwear if you do.

Sanctuaries

With restaurants now closed for indoor dining, finding a place to gather over coffee and morning nibbles post-walk has become challenging. On milder days, the option to sit outdoors at the picnic tables near Loblaws on Saturday, or hovering near a Tim’s during the week is tolerable, albeit not ideally comfy.

However, another option is possible: there are a few cafés about town that feature heated patios. One pod was recommended the Birchcliff last week, and despite the cold, outdoor tables were comfy enough for there not to be an urgency to leave. The Birchcliff (Kingston Road and Avalon Blvd) has both infrared and propane heaters in its roofed and canvas-walled patio, and serves excellent coffee and baked goods as well.

So here is your assignment this week, Shore Things: please sign in and share with the group any other sites that have the same amenities. We could even plan walks to fit. There is some conjecture that the Riverdale Perk (on Logan) also has a heated outdoor space. Perhaps our walk this week could route by, so we can confirm.

Weekly Walks

This Saturday looks very cold. Some of us are defaulting to the PATH for a more sheltered walk. Car pooling will be from Earl Haig at 8:00, or you can rendezvous with that group at the Sheraton lower level.

If you prefer to be hardy, dress warmly including face covering (Vaseline or body glide on exposed skin works too). Definitely too cold for the picnic tables though, but should the Riverdale Perk (see above) have a heated patio, well, those brave souls willing to walk north from Loblaws might be tempted to make a pit stop on the return. Please sign in…either way.

There may be a walk either Tuesday or Thursday that could include a pause at the Birchcliff. TBC.

Pandemic FYI

Sharing this little chart on cloth vs surgical vs N95 mask effectiveness courtesy of an article in the Wall Street Journal. Very good summary at a glance.

Shoppers seems to have recently received KN95 masks, although they were selling quickly. Hopefully they will maintain a good supply.

Birthdays this week

Happy birthday to Olwyn this Saturday and Jan this coming Monday! Woot!

Mindful Nutrition

Thanks to Barb for suggesting this entry.

Based on chats during walks, and following perhaps some indulgence over the holidays, a goal of shedding a few grams may be on the minds of some of us.

While each approaches the issue in their own way, I hope you don’t mind I share a method that has worked for me, Helen and some others we know.

Simply stated, it’s mindful eating. No elimination of any specific items, just better portion control and tracking what is consumed. Nothing new really, as this is the Weight Watchers approach for instance. What has really helped is using a calories counting app, in the case Lose It (available for iOS and Android). Other apps out there (Noom, MyFitnessPal, Calorie Counter) do a similar job and may work better for you. Still, they share similar features and work in the same way: they make you aware of what you are eating and its impact calorically.

So regardless of the app, here are the essential features that could make whatever your choice of app more successful.

• Free. Most apps offer a “light” mode that is adequate for most tracking purposes
• Weight tracking items: daily weight, target weight, timeframe to reach
• Food tracking: a good library of foods already catalogued, barcode scanner, manual entry mode, recipe entry mode, memorized meals
• Calorie budget
• Daily and weekly summary (this allows you to “bank” calories so you can splurge a bit and still average out)
• Meal sharing option; great if you are doing this with someone else in the household so you text/email/airdrop a meal to them
• Linked to activity tracker (i.e., Apple Health, Fitbit, etc.) to credit you for activities performed
• Manual workout entry: not all workouts are step-based. Shovelling the walk or digging in the garden also consumes calories. You’ll want to claim for those as well.

The down side is taking the time to log in meals and some activities, which could be a nuisance for some, but I have found that this becomes easier as the app gets to know your habits. It is a commitment in any case, and one you may choose to maintain even when the target is reached.

What I have noticed in the nearly 20 months I’ve been using the app is that it’s much easier to identify and limit the most caloric foods, and gauge what an adequate portion should be. It also has had the side benefit of hugely reducing our food waste (and costs) as we cook with those portions in mind.

Explorations

Weekly Walks

This Saturday looks promising for the morning, with temperature right at the freezing mark and sunny, so paths should be clear. No indoor dining at Tim’s so, are we back to the picnic table? We’ll have shopping bags for seats regardless. Please sign in…you know the drill.

Wow, 2022 already! Amazing how time flies in an existential crisis!

This will be the last post on both Blogger and WordPress as the latter seems to have established itself as reliable. Thank you Blogger for being a good host for many years.

I will continue to add links in WhatsApp and direct emails until February.

Getting Our Cramp On

Thanks to Kim for bringing this alternative to the IceBug shoes to the blog’s attention. Despite the name, there’s nothing micro about these spikes, in fact, they could serve well as a meat tenderizer during the summer bbq season. Specifically made for very icy conditions, they will ensure safe walking on the iciest surface, although they are less versatile when dealing with mixed road and sidewalk conditions. They also carry less severe versions similar to the studded soles of the IceBugs but a removable sole. Prices in US dollars are $49.99 for the NANOspikes, $59.99 for the EXOspikes, and $69.99 for the Medieval torture version pictured here (click on it to link).

Explorations

As you know from chatting with other walkers, some of us generally prefer the same routes each week, while others like to find and explore new paths, at least occasionally. To let everyone know what options are available, I will try to post specific announcements for these alternative walks when they present themselves. Keep in mind that weather conditions can sometimes affect the choice, even sometimes the day of the walk, so check in with the key person if possible, or at least sign in here (a message on WhatsApp would also be good) to avoid heading to a location that may have been changed last minute.

Weekly Walks

Saturday looks possibly rainy (light), but we’ve heard that before. If too much after ringing in the New Year, or too soggy for a Hair-of-the-Dog experience, then Sunday is a possibility. Please sign in and keep checking replies. Either way, it’s the usual site at Loblaws. Tim’s has been sparse, so it remains an open option for post walk coffee, if you feel okay with that. Or we could go to Taylor Creek Park and huddle under the bridge. Any takers?

 Steel Studs On the Soles of Her Shoes

Apologies to Paul Simon for that title, then again he has come under scrutiny (perhaps unjustified) for “borrowing” somewhat from the music he recorded in South Africa for Graceland. 

 

So Helen got her IceBugs and took them for a spin on Thursday for 6 km. Condition were varied enough for a good test: a fair bit of bare asphalt road and concrete sidewalk, and plenty of icy bits both exposed and snow covered. The verdict seems very positive as she felt much more secure and could feel the grip. She had some concerns that the hard surfaces would wear down the studs quickly, but after the walk, they still seemed sharp, albeit a bit less than brand new. It may be best to only wear them when conditions warrant. I will probably order a pait too as soon as they have stock of the style and price point I want.

Weekly Walks

As Saturday is Christmas, there will be a hiatus for gatherings (still okay at 25 for outdoors so far), and resumption on Tuesday for pods. As next week’s Saturday walk falls on New Year’s Day, please let others (and me) know your inclination for a walk so I can post the consensus in time.

Meanwhile, Merry Christmas to All considering the circumstances. May there be boosters in everyone’s stockings!

Welcome to our blog’s new home on WordPress!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

Starting this week, the blog will be posted in parallel on Blogger AND WordPress, the latter as it seems to better handles email subscriptions. This will continue until I can feel confident the new host site can run smoothly. If you care to be a Beta tester, please subscribe using the “Follow” button in the right sidebar. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem possible to port all the Blogger subscriptions to WordPress automatically. I’ll continue to send Google Group and WhatsApp notifications in the interim as well.

Birthdays

Happy birthday and all the best to Eva on the 20th! Yippee!

More On Ice-Safe Shoes

Helen has a pair of the IceBug cleated shoes on order and expected to arrive next week, so we can report back on their effectiveness. This is not an endorsement (yet) as they will need the official HB I-won’t-slip-and-break-something seal of approval. As an FYI, this review by an Ottawa physical therapist was the one that convinced us they’re at least worth a try.

More About the PATH

For anyone who missed the post on WhatsApp, Helen and I checked out the PATH last Saturday. It opens when the subway runs, according to a security guard we spoke with. We found access to the southern bit that runs from Union Station over Lakeshore and to Waterpark Place on Queens Quay. Straight line (more or less) from City Hall to south end and back is about 4K. If you add side branches to CBC and CN Tower and there is plenty of PATH for a reasonable distance. Plus: all indoors, quiet on weekends. Minus: all indoors so masks, a few stairs, signage inconsistent.

Weekly Walks

As we near the Holidays, our schedules are likely to be a bit erratic due to Xmas commitments. Please do try to sign on to let everyone know whether you can or cannot make it out, or simply to reach out to others to organize impromptu walks. Saturday’s forecast calls for snow, so please dress appropriately, including good grippy shoes. Remember to bring your heath card and ID (for sitting in Tim’s, Loblaws or Starbucks after). Usual time and place, of course.