Hiking in Wisconsin would be a treat, but let's see what I managed in Toronto.
Hot Weather Exercise Tips
Toronto was enjoying hot summer weather, with enough humidity that some people could have been at risk of overheating from exercise...or even from sitting in the shade.
Fitness through Outdoor Exercise
You can enjoy most of these activities all year around. Running is pretty obvious; icy sidewalks are the main concern. You can cycle when the pavement is clear.
Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, skating and ice hockey are four winter alternatives. Obviously, A. Duval didn't cover those sports for a summer article; but you can be creative!
I'd also publicized both the above articles in my DeHaan Services blog, in "Burn Calories by Walking or Hiking for Summer Fitness".
Four Outdoor Festivals in Toronto for Sept. 13-15, 2013
- Toronto Ukrainian Festival;
- Roncesvalles Polish Festival;
- Applicious;
- The Terry Fox Run across Ontario and Canada.
Remember to participate in the Terry Fox Run in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) as well as other Canadian cities next year, if you can't participate in Toronto.
The New Name, Toronto Mennonite Festival
Most of the event is outdoors. I sold meat or vegetarian Sloppy Joe buns from the shelter of a tent. Our customers walked through the rain, or stayed dry in the quilt auction pavilion.
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) provides disaster relief services, promotes sustainable development, and supports peace and social justice issues both in North America and around the world. The newly-named Toronto Mennonite Festival raises funds and awareness for MCC's work.
We partner with Black Creek Pioneer Village, a year-round historic interpretation site near York University in Toronto. This year their horse-drawn carriage went past the village green where we set up for Sloppy Joes. Later I learned that their usual route in the north of the village was too muddy to navigate.
I can tie in "exercise" for my part at the Toronto Mennonite Festival. I'm not sure I ever sat down from 9am to 3pm or so. We had a good supply of customers despite the weather, and the Sloppy Joe mixture needs a lot of stirring.
One Writing Tip from the Great Outdoors
This time, let me confess that I had not recognized that I actually used one theme frequently over the summer and early autumn. My theme, of course, was "outdoor activities".
Although I had not planned to use this as a theme, it's pretty obvious now that I review what I've written.
The weather often was excellent for gentle outdoor activities, but challenging for exercise when it was too hot. Conversely, the Toronto Mennonite Festival had its first "rain all day" weather event; but it maintained about 80% of its usual revenue.
Today's writing tip is simple. From time to time, review what you've been writing over the last quarter year. What themes or topics are now obvious? Will you still be excited about them for the next quarter? Will those themes be popular again next year? Were you in a rut, or are you developing a niche?
Thanks for reading about these outdoor activities articles, as well as the writing tip.