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SkiLab. Nordic skiing and snowshoeing will build functional core strength, cardiovascular endurance, aerobic power, agility, balance, and confidence in a pragmatic and natural environment. Achieve superior total-body conditioning with one sport. Read the Reviews.

Looking for adventure, lifestyle, or performance fitness?

The adult Nordic ski and snowshoe program is the most comprehensive of its kind in Canada. University and college students welcome. Many participants have personal goals ranging from the improved skills, fitness, weight loss, finishing the Ski Marathons, to elite high performance racing. The program is open for all levels and abilities, from total beginner to racer. It is the most fun you will have in the snow this year.

Our competitive ski team regularly trains with the adult program and helps mentor developing skiers. Five Olympic and 15 former members of the National XC Ski Team have skied for team xczonetv, and we have four (4) national snowshoe team athletes. We wrote the manual for cross-country skiing. Visit our facebook group to for the latest news.

The ski program offers:

  • 80 expert leads sessions over 16 weeks
  • Fitness Program Nordic Skiing or multisport athletes (from novice top elite levels)
  • Dryland training program of rollerskiing and ski striding
  • 16-weeks of on-snow sessions (four times per week included)
  • FREE Snowshoeing every week.
  • 52-week total training program, personal training and virtual coaching (costed option)
  • Technical instruction and coaching by Olympic and former national team skiers.
  • Strength training sessions
  • The most sophisticated sport specific video and biometrically analysis on the planet.
  • Technique and training DVDs (costed option)
  • Special seminars, clinics and training camps (costed option) Press HERE for more details of our ski clinics.

“Living and coaching natural fitness through clean oxygen fed sport.”




WINTER SESSION

Nordic Skiing sessions begin 01 Dec

For Adults 18+ (Parents are welcome to bring teenagers 16+ and we will coach them for FREE)

All sessions are your choice of either classic or skating technique.

SCHEDULE SKIING AND SNOWSHOEING

TUESDAYS SKI TRAINING 6:25pm to 8pm "Train to race" group workout skate skiing. Normally consists of a variety of interval and intensity sessions to develop power and strength. Place: TBD www.trirudy.com. This workout has a training focus for novice to expert skiers. You are strongly advised to show up early and warm up a bit before the Tuesday workout. The complete “Nordic Skiing Technique and Training” curriculum is published on DVD/download from www.xczone.tv

WEDNESDAYS FREE SNOWSHOEING 6:30pm-8pm group workout snowshoeing. Normally the training consists of a variety of Fartlek or varied pace(run/hike) and terrain (slowest folks are approx 4kph). Discover a new snowshoe trail every week. Place: TBD www.trirudy.com

THURSDAYS SKIMO 18:25hrs Training at camp fortune or special events like ice skating, backcountry, orienteering, ski in pot luck dinners, spa, adventure etc.

SATURDAY TEAM TRAINING XC SKIING at 9am-12 AND virtual SNOWSHOEING in teh PM. We also use this time to have special events or clinics. Place: TBD www.trirudy.com

SUNDAY AM LONG DISTANCE 9am-12 distance training for intermediate+ racers. Place: TBD posted on www.trirudy.com

LEVELS

Verify what level you are ?

OTHER ACTIVITIES

We will spice-up the sessions with optional special events and activities:

  • Biathlon
  • Ski Orienteering
  • Hut-to-Hut Skiing
  • Potlucks
  • Ski and Spa
  • Snow Shoeing
  • Winter Trail Running
  • Winter Adventure Racing 

SPECIAL CLINICS

We will run a number of special clinics and training camps this season on Saturday afternoons:

  • Beginner-Novice Skate Skiing and Classic
  • Intermediate+ Skate Skiing and Classic
  • Downhill skiing on cross-country skis
  • Ski, Run Snowshoe training camp
  • Women and daughters on skis (Fast and Female)
  • Instructor Clinic
  • Waxing, equipment selection, training etc

Press HERE for more details of our ski clinics.

COST STRUCTURE
$100 Training and Coaching Sessions


FREE for students for the year
$10 drop-in fee for training and

TESTIMONIALS

“I moved to Ottawa five years ago from Calgary for graduate studies with some hesitation that I would miss the Rockies. As soon as snow fell I discovered the great skiing in Gatineau park, but soon got bored of skiing on my own and not having anyone to push me. Two years ago I found Natural Fitness Labs which was exactly what I wanted, a chance to improve my ski technique, gain fitness and meet people with common interests. Going out for a good ski or run is a great stress relief, especially when your thesis seems to be sliding off a cliff. I will soon be moving from Ottawa and one of things I will miss the most is this group. Thanks Dave and Lise!!!” - Nicholas Utting

Lynne Bermel, Ottawa Sun Newspaper -

"Last weekend, Dave McMahon was on one of his favorite trails in the Gatineau Park when he ran into a cross country skier who had crashed on a downhill. The skier had failed to negotiate a corner that had been snowploughed down to the gravel. The skier ended up with a few broken parts to show for it.

That caused McMahon to wonder how many others were risking injury, broken equipment and a few bruised egos because they didn’t know how to take the down hills properly.

True to form, McMahon didn’t stop there.

The next day, the former biathlon champion turned cross country ski coach and film producer, was on the Net, inviting anyone he knew to a special “crash course” on proper descending techniques.

He’s running that course at Camp Fortune tomorrow – the latest in his long line of programs and instructional offerings he’s developed over the years to teach people about cross country skiing as well as adventure racing, trail running and mountain biking – sports he affectionately calls “clean oxygen fed activities.”

“I’ve always been into sports that tax the cardio and muscular systems. You can’t find a better all over body workout than cross country skiing,” says McMahon, whose adult Nordic ski program that he runs with wife Lise Meloche, a two time Olympian, has grown to 400 members and is one of the largest in the country.

“Cross country is all terrain skiing. What goes down must go up,” he says. “Not to knock alpine skiing, but let’s just say the return on investment is a lot higher than riding a chair lift.”

They live less than 200m from the edge of the Gatineau Park.  For the last 20 years, when they haven’t been working – he’s a full time engineer at Bell Canada and she is a high school teacher - they’ve rarely been out of it... and

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www.naturalfitnesslab.com is a not for profit company promoting health and fitness.