September 14th, 2024 | by Ed Hamel
This week on Quench’d, we welcome back my dad, Ed Hamel. If you missed his first post,here it is! My dad passed his love for sport along to me from the first days I could set foot on skis and on a soccer field. His number one lesson for me was to have fun. Sure, working hard was a key element, but keeping it fun was the most vital. Below, he describes his joy of being outside doing the sports he loves. He is my dad, so I’m definitely biased, but his story brings a smile to my face. Thanks for always inspiring me to have fun, dad. And enjoy the read everyone!
-Carina
This week on Quench’d, we welcome back my dad, Ed Hamel. If you missed his first post,here it is! My dad passed his love for sport along to me from the first days I could set foot on skis and on a soccer field. His number one lesson for me was to have fun. Sure, working hard was a key element, but keeping it fun was the most vital. Below, he describes his joy of being outside doing the sports he loves. He is my dad, so I’m definitely biased, but his story brings a smile to my face. Thanks for always inspiring me to have fun, dad. And enjoy the read everyone!
-Carina
It was a cold, snowy, raw December afternoon. I started running with one inch of snow on the roads. Part way into the run some rain started to mix in with the snow. Now it started to rain harder. I was now running in two inches of slush. My feet were soaking wet and water was running over my hat and onto my face. I was proud and comfortable to be outside in this miserable weather. I’m sure the cars driving by thought that I was crazy. It felt euphoric.
Running was always my least favorite sport. It’s amazing to me that this particular run comes to the top of my list for my favorite all time workouts. In reality, I much prefer participating in other endurance sports like cycling, cross country skiing, swimming, canoeing, and hiking. So many fun workouts live fondly in my memories. Backpacking in the Adirondacks with my daughter, Mariah, doing repeat classical ski intervals at Trapps with my good friend, Murray Banks, swimming with my five lane partners at the JFK pool, and group cycling rides I used to do with my Joe's Garage bike team. Oh, and tipping over three times in the Westfield River Canoe whitewater race in April when I was learning to paddle a solo canoe. These are all great memories.
This brings me to why I love endurance sports so much. It’s the Joy!
It was a cold, snowy, raw December afternoon. I started running with one inch of snow on the roads. Part way into the run some rain started to mix in with the snow. Now it started to rain harder. I was now running in two inches of slush. My feet were soaking wet and water was running over my hat and onto my face. I was proud and comfortable to be outside in this miserable weather. I’m sure the cars driving by thought that I was crazy. It felt euphoric.
Running was always my least favorite sport. It’s amazing to me that this particular run comes to the top of my list for my favorite all time workouts. In reality, I much prefer participating in other endurance sports like cycling, cross country skiing, swimming, canoeing, and hiking. So many fun workouts live fondly in my memories. Backpacking in the Adirondacks with my daughter, Mariah, doing repeat classical ski intervals at Trapps with my good friend, Murray Banks, swimming with my five lane partners at the JFK pool, and group cycling rides I used to do with my Joe's Garage bike team. Oh, and tipping over three times in the Westfield River Canoe whitewater race in April when I was learning to paddle a solo canoe. These are all great memories.
This brings me to why I love endurance sports so much. It’s the Joy!
There’s joy in doing solo workouts and joy in group workouts. I’ve always said that 70% of my favorite cross country ski time was alone. The other 30% was with a single buddy or a group of skiers. Just getting outside and enjoying the outdoor environment is the best. Being on a woods trail in the forest at different times of the year with green leaves, fall foliage, and winter starkness creates lots of different environments to enjoy. Walking or hiking on woods trails is the easiest way to get on them. You can often run, bike, or ski on those same trails. Cycling on dirt roads and bike paths is way more common than it used to be.
I’ve always tried to find playful moments in my workouts. Just let the kid in you come out. When I used to ski the man-made snow loop at Swift River in Western Massachusetts, there were big snow piles on the side of the trail. They were uneven with some jumps. My friend Joe Shaw and I would go off trail and ski over those snow piles on every loop we did. I remember some of the kids that were playing on those snow piles laughing at us and we skied next to them and with them.
There’s joy in doing solo workouts and joy in group workouts. I’ve always said that 70% of my favorite cross country ski time was alone. The other 30% was with a single buddy or a group of skiers. Just getting outside and enjoying the outdoor environment is the best. Being on a woods trail in the forest at different times of the year with green leaves, fall foliage, and winter starkness creates lots of different environments to enjoy. Walking or hiking on woods trails is the easiest way to get on them. You can often run, bike, or ski on those same trails. Cycling on dirt roads and bike paths is way more common than it used to be.
I’ve always tried to find playful moments in my workouts. Just let the kid in you come out. When I used to ski the man-made snow loop at Swift River in Western Massachusetts, there were big snow piles on the side of the trail. They were uneven with some jumps. My friend Joe Shaw and I would go off trail and ski over those snow piles on every loop we did. I remember some of the kids that were playing on those snow piles laughing at us and we skied next to them and with them.
We all know that getting out the door is sometimes the hardest part of a workout. What inspires you? What is your motivation? Is your goal to do a long cycling event like the Pan Mass Challenge or simply to be healthier? I used to look forward to working out with my friend, Chris Sorensen. We would schedule meetups for early mornings or after work. I spent many early morning 5:30am workouts with my daughter Carina. She used to laugh at me because I would sleep in my workout clothes! I would just pop out of bed, make coffee and go! Now Carina is teaching her daughter, Svea, that same little trick.
Some of my best time spent while raising my kids was on the trails with them. I swear we talked more then than at any other time. It is really the best way to make friends and deepen relationships. You can work out together then go for a beer or coffee after the workout.
We all know that getting out the door is sometimes the hardest part of a workout. What inspires you? What is your motivation? Is your goal to do a long cycling event like the Pan Mass Challenge or simply to be healthier? I used to look forward to working out with my friend, Chris Sorensen. We would schedule meetups for early mornings or after work. I spent many early morning 5:30am workouts with my daughter Carina. She used to laugh at me because I would sleep in my workout clothes! I would just pop out of bed, make coffee and go! Now Carina is teaching her daughter, Svea, that same little trick.
Some of my best time spent while raising my kids was on the trails with them. I swear we talked more then than at any other time. It is really the best way to make friends and deepen relationships. You can work out together then go for a beer or coffee after the workout.
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