One of my favorite no-fluff magazines is Silent Sports, a mid-West publication which has been around for decades.  One of the reasons is that they cover the activities I'm interested in: running, cross country skiing, paddling, and cycling.  Another one is that they publish practical articles about the region and what's happening. 

Their "how-to" stuff is great.  (For example, Lee Borowski, a long-time coach and frequent cross country contributor, wrote a good article entitled "V-1 pitfalls on roller skis" for the recent edition.

I've spent little time in the mid-West except for conferences in Minneapolis/St. Paul but when I run into folks from Michigan and Wisconsin, I feel like I know the small towns they come from - from my reading, over the years, of Silent Sports.

Now I've finally discovered their Facebook page.  It's a goldmine of interesting articles, updated very frequently.  Here's a video I pulled from it that will make you want to start planning a paddling trip next season:  The Boundary Waters from Alex Horner on Vimeo.

So, take a look at the website and the blog.  Why not subscribe for a year?  You'll love every issue. 

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