A respite in Quebec’s Laurentian Mountains easily wrapped the beautiful outdoors around this willing traveler.  Running was easily meshed with good food to satisfy a runner’s body and palate, outdoor activities for continued good health, and outdoor cultural events that inspire. Here is the sampling of what I found – or rather what found me, during a brief stay.

Sunday Morning Yoga on the Mountain

Photo credit: Julian A. Giacomelli

 In a Lolë shop browsing through their active women’s sports- wear, I spotted a flyer announcing a free Sunday morning yoga class on the mountain.  I joined 100+ participants stretched out on mats in an open-air class instructed by Dawn Mauricio and accompanied by two wonderful musicians.

Lunch-Time Runs sponsored by Rona complete with trainers in the lead were offered in the weeks leading up to the Mont-Tremblant demi-marathon.  I took advantage of a couple of runs, picked up some training and nutrition tips and enjoyed running with local runners.

Mont-Tremblant Jazzfest overlapped with the demi-marathon weekend.  On a beautiful Saturday afternoon after picking up my race packet at the expo, we returned through the jazz lounge tent set up on a side street in Saint-Jovite.  The Jean-François Groulx Trio was playing. With all the seats filled, my race packet became my seat cushion as we found a spot on the curb and settled in to stay for the set. 

10K Race I jogged a couple miles to the bus pickup where runners were transported to the race start at Chateau Beauvallon. It was great to see some familiar faces from our lunch hour runs.  After the point-to-point 10K on a slightly downhill road, a bit of trail, and a couple of moderate hills, we reach the finish to find a large, cheering crowd.  As it turns out, the Mont-Tremblant demi-marathon has become a sizable event.

After cooling down, I found my way to the runner’s lunch line. Here, I spotted a gentleman in a white chef jacket directing the food staff, the first clue that this would not be the typical bagel and banana post-race food.

Runners were served a beautifully arranged plate of two salads, a coucous with the aroma of freshly-cut parsley rising from the plate and a pasta salad with chopped fresh vegetables, and mini-pitas sitting atop a delicious hummus.  I’m thinking this is a beautiful vegetarian runner lunch, but then we are directed into another line. Here we were served an incredibly large (think Fred Flinstone) barbequed turkey leg.  I doubted I could eat it all, but of course I didn’t waste a single succulent bite.

A beautifully prepared runner lunch, a variety of expo tents, live entertainment and now it’s time to go home.

Sigh.

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