A Fitness Match Made in Heaven: Your Personality And Your Favourite Sport

For a long time, I’ve always believed that you need to find the right sport or physical activity that matches your personality to feed your motivation forever.  This wonderful personality-sport fusion, will keep you cycling, jogging, hiking, walking, golfing or

Cycling feeds another passion: travel and time to savour sights. Cascade Mountain, part of Canadian Rockies. On Banff Legacy bike path north from Canmore, AB 2012. Photo by J. Chong

lawn-bowling for many years.
 
Having Different Habits and Social Needs: Finding the Right Fit, Passion
I used to extoll the virtues of cycling to anyone that was willing to listen. No more.  Not everyone is suited for cycling, rollerblading or swimming.  We are creatures of habits

2010 Olympic women’s hockey semi-final game: Switzerland vs. Russia. Vancouver, BC. Photo by J. Chong

with different patterns and socialization needs with others.  Or not socializing with others…which is why some of us revel in the solitary walk or bike ride at times.

Team Sports Not For Everyone
When I was a child, I enjoyed playing softball  daily under the hot summer with other girls before and after school. Our school had segregated sex playgrounds. Our softball diamonds for both guys and girls, were asphalt pavement. Our school playgrounds did not have grass. But no matter, kids played softball, soccer on the playground in the late 1960’s to 1970’s at our school.

Practicing capoeria, a dance-like Brazilian form of martial arts. Vancouver BC 2012. Photo by J. Chong

But gradually, I started to withdraw from team sports.  I didn’t like the reminder, that really, I wasn’t as athletically inclined as some other girls in volleyball and basketball.  Team sports forced me to compare my performance against other players.
 
I  also didn’t like the dependency of my role as a team player for  the team’s overall winning or losing stance.  I tried field hockey for a few weeks, but dropped out.  I can’t even remember the reason. Field hockey was clashing at the same time, with my rising passion in art and poetry writing –both solitary activities.

Hiking in canyon area near Sante Fe, New Mexico 2005. Photo by J. Becker

Physical Activities- Going Solo But with Choices for Companionship
In the background of my maturing body and angst of teenage years, I was still biking occasionally around my neighbourhood on a  one-speed bike that I shared with 3 other sisters. (A fourth sister was still too young to bike.) 

I didn’t go very far, but I loved cycling because there was no team to please nor need to conform within the game rules.  I could bike at my own pace.  Besides, as the eldest child, it was a temporary escape from looking after younger siblings.

Kayaking to see more wonderous sights. Doubtful Sound, South Island. New Zealand 2002. Photo by J. Becker. Part of a solo 6-month cycling trip for Becker.

My return to cycling at 32 yrs. after abandoning cycling when I was 20, was partially fuelled by these happy childhood and teen memories. 

Cycling suits my natural introverted tendencies.  But  cycling also fits my occasional need to socialize and share cycling passion with others if I want:  by riding non-competitively in small groups or in large mega charity cycling events.  Or riding often with Jack or a good friend.

Sport as Springboard for Advocacy, Travel
Cycling also has been a springboard for me in  advocacy work by encouraging cycling for health and transportation and supporting improved cycling infrastructure through the efforts of local cycling organizations, in cities where I’ve lived. 

Cycling by Bow Valley Provincial Park, Alberta 2012. Photo by J. Becker

 Cycling, like hiking, kayaking, rowing, snowshoeing or cross country skiing, have provided me opportunities to travel and enjoy local corners and far-flung foreign scenery from a completely unique perspective that cars cannot sometimes reach.

So all above motivators have kept me on the bike saddle, year after year, for the past 21 years.

Highland dancers at a bike festival who impressed bystanders in summer heat. Calgary AB 2012. Photo by J. Chong

Lifelong Dancing with Your Physical Activity Muse 
I wonder whenever I hear of those who try all sorts of different sports and diets to lose weight and improve their fitness, but are failing in their efforts long term.  Have they found the magic physical fitness bullet that fills both their personal physical and mental soul?

Have they found the sport that matches their personality?  Or are they wasting unhappy energy latching onto a sport that is the current rage that everyone is practicing?Is it a team sport that a person can easily meld their social needs and schedules to play with others?  Or is it a solo based performance sport that appeals to their introverted or solo-motivated tendencies? Is it a sport that has flexibility for a person to practice it happily solo or in groups?

Snowshoeing Tram Line. Lake Louise, AB 2012. Photo by J. Chong

By landing on a sport that you enjoy practicing, it becomes naturally integrated into the rhythms of your day, week and onward, for many years.  Your choice of regular physical activity then, becomes not a chore, but a welcome break and necessary, like brushing your teeth.
 
Whether it’s gardening, lacrosse, Highland dancing or yoga, may you discover a physical activity, that lights the fuse of your motivation, inspiration and leads you to more related passions, friends and good health for life.

Fun photo for possible sport choices for a cycling family. MEC Bikefest 2012. Calgary, AB. Even baby in mother’s backpack carrier is part of the fun. (Sorry: Wiring and lightbulb runs through the photo booth.)

Further Reading:
Chong, Jean. Blogging and Cycling: It’s Like a Drug. In One Cool Blogging Tips Blog. Nov. 11, 2011.

A Google search under keywords, sport and personality, will yield a plethora of scholarly journal articles on the relationship between choice of sport and personality.

Lake Louise Snowshoeing: Snow Glazed Mountains, Ice Castles and Bison Reuben Sandwiches

Like every mountain snow-starved urbanite, we head to our choice mountain area for some snowshoeing.  This time after an overnight stay in Banff, Alberta, we went to Lake Louise to explore both some familiar and other new trails.

Snowshoeing on the Tramline trail between village of Lake Louise and Chateau Lake Louise. Alberta 2012. Photo by J.Chong

I last visited Lake Louise twelve years ago in the fall, when we were travelling across Canada from Toronto in a small moving van when Jack first relocated to Vancouver.  On earlier trips, I had seen Lake Louise, dazzling in her turquoise bejewelled summer waters when 2 years prior to my move, we cycled on the Continental Divide route to the town of Field.

Area becomes a mecca for hiking, mountaineering and winter sports –as promised by vintage poster. Archival display at Lake Louise Visitors’ Centre 2012. Photo by J. Chong

Along the way, we spied a baby bear playing by a stream.  That meant mama bear was near by. We scrambled onto our bikes and spun as fast as we could up a hill along with an overly ripe banana inside my pannier.  Another time, when we cross-country skied the Continental Divide for 18 km., I recalled a nagging fear as the wind blew slanted with snow falling steadily:  we saw no one for over an hour while we crossed the snowy foothills under towering mountain shadows.  I wondered if I would finish the route before nightfall.  I was not a good cross-country skier.

Cradled Among Snow-Draped Evergreen Forests
Between the village of Lake Louise and the world-famous iconic hotel, Chateau Lake Louise by the lake, it was a perfect 11 km. snowshoeing round trip with some gradual hills, groomed trails flanked by snow-draped thick evergreen forests and rising mountains ahead at each bend.  Every winter, I always forget how much snowshoeing energy is burned up, especially when I suck in dry, fresh and pure air.

On High Line snowshoe trail. Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta 2012. Photo by HJEH Becker

While traversing through these soaring forests topped with snowy creaminess, you are cradled along Nature’s protective snow forest canals, away from harsh winds.

To avoid the avalanche of tourists and higher accommodation prices, we were there a week after New Year’s Day.  Perfect, since we had the trails to ourselves, and attentive restaurant servers.

This time the Chateau Lake Louise had its first  ice castle sculpture of the year, planted at the lake edge where skaters swirled around it.  In a few weeks, there will be more ice sculptures to draw more visitors until the icy creations melt down.

Lovely lady figurine chandeliers in different areas of Chateau Lake Louise, Banff National Park. Alberta 2012. Photo by J. Chong

Though I had been in the famous hotel, Chateau Lake Louise, I had not seen it since its last major retrofit.   The hotel is a historic evocation of Canadian Pacific Rail’s few deluxe, luxury  hotels along its main railroad across Canada. It was first built in 1890.

To keep visitors entertained and satisfy their adventurous spirit, both Lake Louise and Banff  became a mecca for hikers and mountain climbers.  In the late 19th century, Canadian Pacific Railway hired Swiss guides to develop its network of trails. In the Chateau, at Parks Canada visitors’ centre and at the Whyte Museum in Banff, the mountaineering , backcountry skiing and hiking legacy is highlighted.

Bison reuben sandwiches with red cabbage slaw and handmade aioli — elegant fireside culinary grubb at the Chateau. Lake Louise, Alberta 2012. Photo by J. Chong

 Evocation of Refined Adventure Travel And Grub
Chateau Lake Louise has some lovely figurehead chandeliers, wild animal taxidermy pieces (or simulations) and occasional curious wall tapestries to emulate baronial furnishings. By the third floor entrance stairway landing, is a wall hanging that is a tongue-in-cheek Canadian  parody of the renaissance pastoral vision:  a caribou or deer  seems to be swimming through the lake.

Curious tapestry with mock renaissance pastoral visions with deer (or elk) swimming in lake. Chateau Lake Louise, Alberta 2012. Photo by J. Chong

In the Lakeview Lounge, we munched happily through the restaurant’s signature bison reuben sandwiches with delicately grated red cabbage and their house aioli. Surely, the

Mountain ice climber spotted while snowshoeing around Lake Louise. 2012. Photo by J. Becker

finest interpretation of the local fireside grub.  A memorable lunch with a lakeside view of Temple Mountain, its glacier, ice castle and horse drawn sleigh before we hit the downhill Tramline snowshoe trail back to the village.

Further Reading and More Adventures:
History of Chateau Lake Louise.

Chong, Jean.  Canadian Reindeer Look-alikes:  Caribou, Elk and Mule Deer.  In Cycle Write Blog. Dec. 26, 2011.

Chong, Jean. More Snowshoeing for Snow Mountain Addicts and the Vertigo Inclined. In Cycle Write Blog. Feb. 12, 2011.

Ice castle at edge of Lake Louise in front of the Chateau. Lake Louise, Banff National Park 2012. Photo by J. Chong

Chong, Jean.  Rocky Mountain Cycling Interlude:  Bighorn Sheep, Ragged Peaks and Turquoise Waters.  In Cycle Write Blog.  Aug. 4, 2011.

Chong, Jean.  Roaming Around for Bison:  Distinctly North American, Lean and Maybe Gourmet. In Cycle Write Blog. Dec. 17, 2010.

More Snowshoeing for Snow Mountain Addicts and the Vertigo-Inclined

Snowshoeing across footbridge in light, no wind snowfall. Rocky Mountains, near Black Prince. Kananaskis area, Alberta. Feb. 2011. Photo by HJEH Becker

 After postponing our December snowshoeing trip, because Jack was abit sick and again, after 2 separate January trips to Banff with snowshoeing intentions, we finally did our annual snowshoeing trip. In the Rocky Mountains north of Kananaskis Mountain area and under the snow-veiled shadow of the Black Prince, a locally known peak.

It was our first snowshoeing foray with a group of 15 people, organized by the Outdoor Sports Centre, University of Calgary. They offer well over 15 different trips each winter.

In a group of others,  it made us realize that we had snowshuffled  far out on our own in self-guided trips over the past decade.  Some of our trips were highlighted  in my last blog post.  Most of our snowshoeing trips covered about 10-18 kms. per trek.  If we stayed somewhere in a ski resort, we would  snowshoe for 4-5 hrs. each day for several consecutive days. 

Pausing under mountain shielding snowfall for lunch. By Black Prince, Kananaskis area Alberta. Feb. 2011. Photo by J. Chong

The trip was originally planned for the Sawmill Ridge area.  It was a warm, gentle 4 degree C morning in Calgary.  We wondered if it was going to be a sticky snow, slushy trek.

However  2 hours later, our van climbed north and deeper into the mountains, through whipping 50 kms. winds and white-outs across open fields.  Thankfully our guide, “Aspen”,  decided to turn the van steering wheel to a shorter and wind-protected snowshoeing route tucked in among the pine, spruce and fir forests. We still had ever-changing views of mountain ranges through a gentle veil of dry snowfall.   We were grateful since we were a photo shooting, non-competitive group looking for fun and fantastic scenery.

Birthday snow hike by river on a face-biting cold -28 degree C morning. Mt. Rundle in background. Banff, Alberta Jan. 2011. Just too cold for snowshoeing in wilderness.

Unfortunately we didn’t spot any moose since this area does have a few moose lumbering in the lowlands. Moose like swampy or moist low-lying areas and  meadows fringed by protective woods. 

Various areas nearby are prone to avalanches so the uninitiated should tramp about with an experienced snowshoe guide.

Snowshoeing Conquers Fear of Heights
Someone pointed out that snowshoeing allows me to enthusiastically penetrate  mountain wilderness areas where I would normally wobble down on cross-country skis or pick my step around narrow mountain side trails.  I do have some fear of heights. 

By Spray Lakes path north of Banff, Alberta. Jan. 2011. A non-snowshoeing 16 km. hike with ever-changing scenery.

I first came face to face with this fear in my late twenties, when we were hiking a narrow rocky trail by the Agean Sea on the Greek island of Santorini.   I barely made it across the ¼ km. of rock and sand.Another time, I ended up with aching upper thigh muscles for several days because I could barely descend a no-rail, open staircase that curved around an open pit, dark stairwell inside a lighthouse by Georgian Bay, Ontario.   The lighthouse was only four stories high but I only made it up three-quarters up the stairwell before I descended with legs shaking like jelly.  Rail trestle bridges converted for cycling in British Columbia, are fine as long as I don’t look down at my pedaling feet, crossing wood ties with light filled spaces plunging 100-500 metres down into a valley or canyon.  I haven’t yet walked across Capilano Bridge in North Vancouver.  At times, there are steady mountain ascents while snow tramping in the woods.

Snowshoeing deep into wind protected forest. Kananaskis area, Alberta Feb. 2011. Photo by HJEH Becker. At times, there are steady mountain ascents while snow tramping in the woods.

 But puffy piles of pure lush snow, obliterates steep, long declines and narrow twisty turns.  The descent on mountain sides are softened as the eye sees kilometres of  white purity rolling downward with trees bedecked in  snowy chiffon swaths and snow frost- swirled tophats.   No doubt, I’m guided by childhood memories of rolling and sliding down snowy, non-rocky hills.

Snow cocoons each mountain snowshoe hike by softening each step in knee-deep fluffiness.  Snow blunts an occasional fall or stumble into dimpled puffiness of snow candy.  You may not find me creeping up and down steep Mayan temple steps, but give me a marked snowshoeing trail up a mountainside and I will gleefully descend and fall in step with you to marvel the magnificent snowscape.