July 2008

Saturday I was on the Birke trail nordic walking in the north woods with a very active and fit group of walkers.  Wednesday morning I was in a climate controlled world at the Mall of America presenting Nordic Walking to the Mall Star Walking program, an indoor walking club. Two extremes of age, activity and fitness levels. 

The important thing about it was that the interest and enthusiasm for learning about nordic walking was very similar between the two groups.  They are both passionate about staying active and listening to what their bodies and spirits are capable of  doing.  There was a different energy level, but walkers, whether inside or outside, all want to get the most out of their walk.

 So even tho it felt a bit schizoid to be moving so quickly between these two worlds, I feel that I found the common link between them and I’m glad to have been able to bring nordic walking to their worlds.

Julie and I headed north at 4am on Friday to do some nordic walking clinics on the Birke Trail.  We were meeting up with the Ski and Tea women, our north woods counterpart to HOW, led by Juli Lynch and Linda Cook. Yes, it was the Juli, Julie, Linda, Linda show for the weekend.  We weren’t sure how many folks would come out to walk with us in the woods but I was excited to have my first experience on the Birke. I was not to be disappointed

At 8am we had 27 women waiting to walk with us.  A few more than the 12 we had expected.  It was a beautiful morning, they were pumped to try the poles and we headed up the hills and into the woods.  Most of them are cross country skiers so it was a relatively easy transfer of movement to nordic walking. After 3 miles in the woods we finished with tea and fresh blueberry scones at the Moose Lips Cafe.  yummy!

The afternoon was spent kayaking on the White River, a trout stream north of Cable.  After a delicious dinner at the Angry Minnow we fell into bed so exhausted that we never heard the “big” storm that came through during the night.  Guess we were a bit tired.  Good thing we slept well because the Saturday morning clinic also exceeded our expectations. 

Total walkers: 66!!!!  Men, women and children, ages 7 to 70’s. I was blown away!  Somehow we actually had enough poles to go around, I think it was the stone soup scenario,  and after introducing everyone to walking the nordic walking way we took off into the woods.  It was amazing to walk with so many people with poles in their hands and they were all very good students. Wow!  What an experience.

We sold lots of poles and one pair is even going home to Hawaii. I’m looking forward to going there to do the next expansion of the kingdom!

There were 30 nordic walkers on the trails by Hoigaard’s tonight.  Eleven who were walking with poles for the very first time, and lots of familiar faces.  I had spent the middle of the day at Methodist Hospital Farmer’s Healthy Market promoting healthy lifestyle choices for outdoor activities.  Seems that lots of people did just that tonight.

 It was our biggest group of the season and we were not really prepared for it.  It’s a lot of poles to adjust and we want to make everyone feel welcome and part of the group.  Once we got out walking it was a beautiful evening and everyone fell into rhythm by the end of the first mile so we were on a roll.  Lives connected, new friends made, a new activity explored. 

 I’m ready for bed!

It was a simple article in the paper, but it seems to have reached out to so many people.  I am humbled and very touched by the response to the “How I got this body” article from last week.  I have talked with so many individuals and couples, coming into Hoigaard’s to look at nordic walking poles.  And their stories all have one thing in common, reading about the early morning walking gave them hope, inspiration, confidence, and motivation to try something new that just might make a difference in their life.  Again, I am humbled by the response.  Thank you.

Dan and I escaped for a midweek getway to Grand Marias before the holiday weekend.  Since I was going to work all weekend it seemed fitting to get some play time in before everyone else.  We headed north to do some hiking and kayaking on the north shore.  It was beautiful!  We stayed at the East Bay Suites, the reincarnation of the old East Bay Hotel.  We were right on the water, Lake Superior for those not from this area, with the north woods wrapping all around us.  We took our nordic walking poles for some light hiking on the Superior Hiking Trail, doing about 6 miles.  Jan Lemke from East Bay Suites recommended the hike and the spectacular wild flowers seconded her choice.  The upper meadow filled with flowers and the view of the lake was breathtaking. 

We enjoyed fresh Superior White Fish with organic veges and salads at the Crooked Spoon and The Angry Trout and a big breakfast at the Blue Moon Cafe.  John took us kayaking Thursday morning and we got up close with the big water.  Water temp was only 38 degrees, way different from most of our kayaking ventures.  But it was calm and the rhythm of the paddling relaxed my spirit.  I can’t say I was ready to return to work but I was in a better place, connected to my husband of 33 years and this wonderful creation we call earth, as I headed back to the cities.

It’s always fun to be in the press.  Pictures taken at 6am are questionalbe at best but I do believe that Sarah Moran, writer for the Star Tribune “How I got this Body” article, did a good job profiling Nordic Walking and how it plays into my day.  You can’t see the picture but the text is available at

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/22072149.html?location_refer=$urlTrackSectionName

 Seems that nordic walking is getting headlines more and more. It’s great fun to be part of it all. I have to thank Mike White from Hoigaard’s for putting us on the “cutting edge” 4 years ago.  Hoigaard’s introduced nordic walking to the Twin Cities way before it was ready for walking with poles.  And now today my calendar is full of classes and demos, from the Mall of America to the Birke Trail, it’s all about nordic walking.  Amazing what time and patience will introduce to your life.