Hi Everyone,

I haven't posted for the last few weeks as I've been away and out of reach of the internet. My husband and I have been travelling throughout Nunavut with a brief stop in the Northwest Territories. The weather up there has been very cold for this time of year so my plans to run were forestalled. Even walking was a challenge although I did try to get out daily. Somehow though temps of -25 to -40C (and that was before the wind chill was factored in) are less than conducive to outdoor activities.

I think if I were a faster runner I might have given it a go. Running at MAF for me means a very slow pace so walking was a better choice as I was able to move fast enough to keep warm yet stay under MAF. Even so there were many days I just couldn't face an extended time outdoors. I'm truly a southern softie. It was a great experience though seeing a culture that is very foreign to our North American way of life. There are many problems in the North with poverty, drugs and alcohol being foremost amongst a minority but you can still see and experience a much simpler and meaningful way of living. I would highly recommend anyone who has the opportunity to take a trip to the Canadian Arctic. It certainly puts our problems into perspective. When I was fussing about the lack of internet access I met a woman who was worried that her husband and extended family members wouldn't  hunt enough food to get them through the winter.

Now that I'm back home I'm starting to run again but it seems like I've lost any progress I had made so I will be starting all over again. That's fine with me although I wish I could be a little faster. I seem to recall reading about folks who took a month off and came back faster than ever. That obviously doesn't apply to me. I read a post by Nobby today in the forums where he advised that 'You can never run too slowly'. That's my new mantra.

Perhaps a bit early but I want to wish everyone here a happy and peaceful holiday season,

Anne

Thanks for the great post, Anne.

I like looking at maps, and always wondered what it was like in Northern Canada. Thanks for the brief glimpse. Nunavet covers the same amount of area as western Europe and only has 30,000 people. Room to breath.

I just took 4 weeks off and lost some fitness as well, but it's better in the long run that you rested.

Keep posting and sharing the travel stories, Anne.

--Jimmy