-
Epinette Trail
Back in late October, inspired by an early snowfall, I called MB Parks to reserve the Jackfish Lake Cabin for an epic nordic skiing adventure. In the naivety of autumn I thought through the various obstacles we could face, including cold temperatures, physical conditioning, and supplies we’d neglect to pack. I never thought we’d be…
-
25 Reasons I Didn’t Go For a Run Today (Winter Edition)
When we were kids we got my dad a “Fisherman’s Excuse Mug”, which cleverly outlined all the reasons the fishing was bad. Which was useful, because the fishing often was bad. This time of year it’s important to probably prepare a list of excuses reasons you might not make it outside for your daily run.…
-
Seven things every Manitoban needs in winter
These thanks to the Manke Product Lab (aka the dinner table). Number 8 was “cheek muffs”.
-
Bugs Don’t Bite in Winter
Snow in the forecast, but there’s lots to appreciate about winter… right?
-
Mennonite Marathon NL
Following the tradition established in August 2020 to commemorate the arrival of the first Mennonites in Manitoba, in 2023 I took the opportunity while visiting my wife’s family in the Netherlands to run to the birthplace of Menno Simons himself. Fortunately my in-laws live only a half-marathon distance from Witmarsum, so the mission could be…
-
Mennonite Marathon: The Peace Trail
Not everything automatically becomes a tradition. You can do a thing once, have a good time (or not), then never do it ever again. There’s no such thing as a “first annual”, you need a second to make it an annual affair. Back in 2020, when we were all going stir-crazy and making up our…
-
Making Things Out of Junk
One of our kids returned proudly from pre-school one day holding up a creation made entirely from objects rescued from the recycling bin. If we were unsure what this random glued-together collection of cups and sticks was, exactly, so was she. But it was her creation, and that was enough to call it something like…
-
What the Trail Requires: The Mantario
For the past couple years I’ve heard stories about the Mantario Hiking Trail from friends who’d hiked and run it. At about 63km (40 miles) long, it’s not to be taken lightly. The trail was created in 1970s (though I wonder at its prior history), and traces a north-south path through the Mantario Wilderness Zone,…
-
Running Every Single Street in Steinbach
“To walk across a place is to truly know a place.” – Rickey Gates # Last year I was inspired by Rickey Gates’ “Every Single Street” project, where the ultrarunner set out to run all of the 1170km (1100 miles) of street in San Fransisco. No big deal, right? Here’s the documentary that was produced…
-
To Know a Place, Run It: Reflections from the 2019 Polar Bear Marathon
As a runner, I believe that the best way to get to know a place is on foot. Sure, you can cover ground more quickly in a car or plane, but to really know a place, you need to get out of your vehicle, plant your feet on the land, and feel the air on…