Training Camp at Chelsea Velo Nordic - Gatineau Park
September has been an amazing month for uOttawa Nordiq! We have some exciting developments that students have greeted enthusiastically (Tuesday combined workouts with Carleton Ravens & Nakkertok ENRG and Friday mornings at the Gee-Gees High Performance Center). Another addition was a Fall Training Camp.
Fortunately for our team, we discovered a new BnB in the Gatineau Park that had everything we needed - and more! Chelsea Velo Nordic has running, road cycling, mountain biking, and hiking trails right out the door. In the Winter, you are close to the vast Gatineau Park network of groomed ski trails.
The BnB is owned by active outdoors people Trevor and Alisha - and the entire house setup reflected this - tons of storage for sports equipment (and in the winter guests can use a ski wax room). We had excellent space to do a strength training circuit (and really appreciated the bosu ball, swiss ball, and medicine ball!). Nearby trails were perfect for easy soft-surface running, and it took just minutes to get to the Gatineau Parkways.
Our decision to stay local was to accommodate busy student athletes' schedules, minimize travelling and associated expenses, and maximize the number of athletes attending. And because the Gatineau Park has some of the best car-free rollerskiing in the World, over 200 km of running and hiking trails, and is just 15 minutes from uOttawa this made a lot of sense! Athletes who stayed at the BnB still had the experience of a weekend away from home, in different company, and immersed in training in a beautiful setting.
Some athletes stayed at home and came up to the Gatineau Park for meals and other activities. This worked really well to accommodate a variety of school and work schedules.
When we weren't training, the beautiful space was warm and relaxing, and had ample space and nooks and crannies for reading or studying, and was tastefully decorated with original artwork - much of it by the owner Alisha who has her studio in the main house (Alisha's studio is featured in the Chelsea & Wakefield studio tour this year - you can still check this out Oct 5 and 6).
Another bonus to the house is the incredible games room with pool, darts and shuffle board!
A few more pictures of our Gatineau Park activities . . .
Sunday morning's activities included an epic run - hike (rike!) led by Jesse Williams.
Fall colours are starting in the Gatineau Park! Car-free parkways every weekend morning.
A school parking lot across the street from Chelsea Velo Nordic was perfect for a bit of agility.
All and all it was a terrific weekend in a perfect setting, and we highly recommend the Chelsea Velo Nordic BnB if you have an active get-away in mind!