Toronto Power Walker site is getting an update....stay tuned! 

It sure feels good to write "February" and say goodbye to a long, cold, windy January!  But that nasty weather (except when the sun came out and the winds died down) did not stop our intrepid walkers, even if we had to add many layers to our clothing, and convince ourselves we were not cold!

This blog is taking a bit of a hiatus. We will be back later in the year.  However, the Toronto Power Walkers website is still available at  https://www.torontopowerwalkers.ca/

This provides general information about TPW along with contact details for anyone inquiring about our group.  It also includes schedule and details of regular walking sessions. 

Many thanks to our TPW bloggers as well as our blog coordinator, who stepped in for 2 years, that somehow became 4 years...

Please be patient as we update our site!

Winter (BY PHILIPPA)

 At minus 20 degrees on Saturday morning, a group of us defiantly walked around the
cemetery, under a clear blue sky, a shining sun and no wind. Now I wouldn’t say it was
“balmy’ but it really wasn’t intolerable at all and in fact was quite beautiful. The air was
clear and crisp, the snow was glittering under the bright sun, the trees and bushes were
draped in white snowdrifts and the cemetery roadway was clean and dry. We feared not
as made our way around, we are Canadians after all and can do this.
At the same time, I couldn’t help but think about the people in Ukraine who are without
electricity, heat or water during a bitter winter cold snap. How on earth are they
managing? And yet they still seem to be defiant in the face of terrible adversity.
We really don’t know what we are capable of until we are tested and as the world
changes rapidly around us at an extraordinary and unsettling pace, it seems that tests
will be coming our way both personally and as a country. And so we must dig deep
and find the resources within to withstand, be it a walk on a very cold winter’s day or
political turmoil.
As my daughter once told me (to my absolute shock!): “Suck it up, buttercup!” And so I
did. And we TPW’s do too and are proud of it.

Ruminations on Aging (BY MARY)

 

On Tuesday of this week - yes, that day of ice pellets and freezing rain, I kissed the pavement while stepping out of my son's car.  An embarrassing moment for sure, when one's dignity is tossed out the window.  With a minor scrape on the forehead, I felt happy in the ensuing days to escape any obvious bruising.  Four days later as I headed out to join our trusty walkers, I noticed some dark blue, golden yellow and even pale green tinges to my skin developing on one side of my forehead and towards one eye.  Hmmmm - not so lucky after all.  I am lucky in that there was no serious damage, other than to my own vanity, but it led me to think about how we "seniors" perceive ourselves, more specifically how invincible we sometimes feel.  ChatGpt tells me that aging is often described as a slow accumulation of losses: strength fades, memory falters, balance becomes unreliable. Yet this framing misses a deeper truth. For most seniors, the real challenge is not decline itself, but the emotional and psychological work of adjusting to it - of redefining identity when abilities that once felt permanent quietly slip away.

My experience this week has reminded me that I ought to pay a little more attention to my real age, as opposed to my "imaginary age".  I saw a birthday card recently that said "I don't know how to act my age because I have never been this old before!".  Seniors are fitter now than they have ever been apparently, so we should celebrate that fact while being mindful of the pitfalls (literally, in my case!) that may lie ahead.  Now I will step off my soapbox (carefully...).

Walking Schedule and Plans for 2026 (BY BARB)

 

Our walking schedule: 

Tuesdays at 4 p.m.  

We meet at Ramsden Park, on Yonge St. opposite the Rosedale subway station.  We walk for an hour in the park - nice pathways, no cars, then some go to a local pub, the Rebel House for an early dinner. 

This group uses the Tuesday What's App group to communicate who's going to walk.  There are not many, but hoping there will be more participants this year.  If you are not a member of this Tuesday What's App group please let me know. 

Thursday morning

This is a much larger group that meets either at the cemetery at 9:30 or at High Park and a time determined by the walkers. We hope that this year, a group of us 'east enders' will be able to get out to High Park.  Traffic is an issue as we all know. 

This walk is organized by me (BDL) in emails that go out on Wednesday for the Thursday morning walk.  There are 20 people on this distribution list and our turnout is usually good. Coffee afterwards in each location. 

Saturday

There is no separate communication for this walk.  We meet at the cemetery at 9 a.m. There is usually a large group to walk and talk. We even have a warm up exercise, led by our own DD, before we head out. After walking we typically go to what we call the "Underground Cafe" which is in the lower level in the Loblaws building.  It is nice and open and we can congregate even as a large group. However, we do add different locations to meet and walk several times a year - especially in the better weather, such as the Brickworks, Toronto island and others. 

Races in 2026

A few of us are going to do the 10 km race in Florence, on Sunday March 29. 

However, as a group we typically organize a more local race each year.  We have started working on this, but are still looking for other suggestions.  Our criteria are: 

1. Local, as in able to drive, train or fly, but within Ontario

2. Have different distances, i.e. 5, 10, 21 km

3. Have no or reasonable time limits for each race

4. Have a choice of accommodation, as this usually involves an overnight stay. 

We are hoping to have some options to present to the group at our business meeting on January 31.  And we know that there are other very local races, like Sporting Life (registration now open) that are popular and don't require any travel.

When I was thinking about the topic of this blog, I had read an article in the Globe, that others may have, about how to keep friendships strong and growing.  That always involved a deliberate strategy, as in regular get togethers in various 'formats',  Seems to me that our structure as a group perfectly echoes these requirements to sustain and nourish our friendships and deep connections. 

So, here's to 2026.  More walking, talking, socializing, travel and fun! 

Endings and Beginnings (BY PHILIPPA)

 
I believe I was in my right mind when I decided not to walk in the blizzard like conditions
taking place on Saturday morning but there were a few intrepid TPW’s who remarkably
did walk, clearly undaunted by snow, wind and sleet. My blessings to you! I however
stayed warm and dry inside my house, and played with my grandbaby.
I absolutely love this time of year; this window of time between the end of the old year
and the beginning of a new one. To me it feels as if time is suspended during the week
between Dec 25 and Jan 1and I can look back at what happened in 2025 and look
forward to the future unfolding in 2026. It’s my time of reflection and contemplation
about the events, both happy and sad, of the year, and of anticipation and hope for the
one upcoming. I challenge myself to absorb and accept my losses while still looking
forward to the possibilities of change and renewal. It’s not easy being human! 

But how lucky we are!