They say that you don’t find your passion, your passion finds you

If that’s true, I’m so glad that snowshoe running found me.

Six years ago I was that person on Facebook who, starting a few days after Christmas, complained loudly and persistently about winter.

And then I stumbled into snowshoe running, got hooked and suddenly winter didn’t seem long enough, snow storms were too few and far between and all I wanted was to run through the snow.

When a major point of complaint in your life disappears, you change. I changed. Instead of having four months out of the year steeped in a negative and pessimistic outlook, I had four months of the year that were filled with gratitude and play.

It’s amazing to me how one new activity brought about such a shift.

Maybe that’s why I love the sport so much? Whatever the reason, it gives me such joy to run on snowshoes through the woods, up mountains and over hills and introducing others to this world of winter play is just as thrilling.

This past weekend I hosted the first (of hopefully many) Women’s Snowshoe Running Clinics.

My introduction to the sport was at a race, which was an intimidating and nerve wracking experience in and of itself. The aim of the Snowshoe Clinic was to provide a new entry point to the sport that didn’t have the pressure of a race atmosphere, where women could familiarize themselves with the snowshoes and the effort level in a safe and inviting space.

>> Read about my first snowshoe race HERE. <<

And that’s exactly what happened this past Sunday when I was joined by 20+ women at Moose Mountain for an introductory experience to snowshoe running.

We started by familiarizing ourselves with the gear, running snowshoes provided by Dion Snowshoes. Then we set off for a quick jog up and then back down the nearby hill to get a feel for the shoes. Running downhill can be tricky in snowshoes and it was an opportunity for everyone to work on feeling comfortable before we set out on our two-mile run.

>> Find out what kind of snowshoes are best for you HERE<<

With snowshoes click-clacking against the crusty snow, we made our way through the trails that criss cross the side of Moose Mountain. The terrain is quite similar to many snowshoe race courses and included a few short climbs, some single track through the woods and a generous sloping downhill. We regrouped before heading for a quick out and back on the snowmobile trail.

While two miles might not seem like much, snowshoe running involves a much higher energy output for a shorter distance and we wrapped up the two miles in just under 40 minutes.

After our run, each participant received a goodie bag from the event sponsors including a beanie from Kari Traa, Vital Proteins Collagen Powder, Athletic Brewing non-alcoholic beer, Super Coffee, FRÉ Skincare samples, Nuun Hydration and Cabot Cheese.

A small group of women stuck around after we wrapped up the event for a hike to the summit of Moose Mountain, which afforded us an amazing view of the White Mountains to the north.

The view from the top of Moose Mountain looking North towards the White Mountains and Mt. Washington (the snow-covered peak that looks like a cloud on the horizon).

I know this new event will become an annual occurrence and am counting down the days until next winter when I can host it again.

—Sarah

>> Get the snowshoe running gear checklist HERE. <<

Snowshoe Running Clinic Recap

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