NORDIC WALKING AND ADJUSTING TO TIME CHANGE

Time change in the late fall is a fantastic thing when it comes to snagging that extra hour of sleep and it provides early morning Nordic Walkers a little more light. Fall’s time change is not so good however for those of us that like to squeeze in that after work Nordic Walk on our favorite trail before dark.

No complaints, we just need to get creative. Remember that a little extra reflective tape is always a good idea for Nordic Walking when it is dark out. Be sure to wear a reflective vest too. Headlamps are worth looking into also.

The other morning I was up on Alligator Hill in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and it was snowing lightly and snowflakes were getting stuck in spider webs – something I had NEVER noticed as a runner or cross county skier?

We have also had a HUGE hatch of medium sized brown moths – kinda weird for November. This follows the best fall on record for warm, dry weather this far into November. Nordic Walking on trails thickly covered with dry leaves has been kind of magical for weeks. Snow is on the way and we may be cross country skiing on Sunday.

Nordic Walking and cross country skiing are my favorite activities. Luckily my family is addicted to both Nordic Walking and cross country skiing too.

My cross country ski poles and Nordic Walking poles have the same comfortable patented straps on them (kind of like a fingerless glove) – patented by the Salomon Ski Company. The best XC ski racing poles (Exel, One-Way and SWIX) utilize this same patent on their top poles. These straps also work great for Nordic Walking, Nordic Running, Nordic Snowshoeing, Nordic Blading and Nordic Skiing (cross country skiing). If you are considering a purchase of Nordic Walking Poles it is well worth it to be sure the straps are "Salomon Patented Straps" – be careful because there are many cheap imitations out there. I have tested a lot of sample straps from China and they all ripped out with-in just a couple weeks. One test pair didn’t last two days. A quality strap allows you the chance to push off – applying pressure into the cradle of the strap through the heel of your hand. Quality straps also eliminate the need to squeeze or grip the poles and eliminate wrist-lock.

For more information about Nordic Walking Technique and proper use of Nordic Walking Straps check out: http://www.skiwalking.com/getStarted.asp

My next Nordic Walking challenge will be Deer Season.

Have FUN Nordic Walking!