There are many ways for us to keep in shape over the winter, and even to continue practising our sport in a slightly different form. Indoors on Inlines:   Organized sessions for inline speed and fitness are offered every Wednesday night at the Récréathèque in Laval (click here for directions). Cost is $7 per skater per night. Sessions begin at 6:30 pm and continue till 9:15 or 9:30, followed by free skating till 11 pm if enough people stay. Sessions are run by Gilles Bellavance of VRL Le Club and include warmup, intervals, endurance and technique. Bring your sneakers for the warmup.   Outdoor Ice:   Besides the arenas and other small rinks where you can really only skate with hockey-type skates, there are many places in Quebec where you can skate outdoors and on real speedskates. See the page on Ice in Quebec for suggestions on where to skate. The Directions page goes into detail on all the places where the club has skated. As you'll see by consulting the Calendar page, a fine series of marathons will be offered this winter, beginning in January. Along with these marathons, several of us intend to get together for regular weekend sessions on natural ice. As with our summer skates, email will help us coordinate these activities. Contact Rod Willmot if you'd like to take part. How to get set for outdoor ice?   Hockey skates are too slow. Between that and "real" speedskates for ice, there's a terrific solution called Nordic Skates. These are long blades that attach to cross-country ski boots. They are very fast and remarkably stable on bad ice; plus, your feet will never freeze in ski boots. Many members of the club have bought Nordic Skates and are very happy with them. If you are a member of Roller-Montréal, take advantage of a 10% discount by buying your blades from our own François Leclerc (click here). Even if you aren't a member, François will be happy to answer your questions and, of course, help you get skating. You can also find Nordic blades at the following locations: In Montreal, at La Boutique Courir on St-Denis. In Ste-Adèle, at L'Expresso Sport (you can also rent them here, optionally with boots). In Sherbrooke, at Le Coureur on Alexandre St. Snowboard & Cross-country skiing:   Several members of the club enjoy these sports, and you can double your pleasure by practising them together. Contact Charles Beaudoin if you're interested.