Get Thrown for a Loop!

by Tim Froberg

Photo by Atif Quereshi

Spring has arrived in Wisconsin, and the once snow-covered trails have cleared.

The arrival of this long-awaited season of rejuvenation has given us the green light to ramp up our physical activity.

Health initiatives such as Future Neenah’s “Log Your Loops” present the perfect opportunity to get outdoors and get that heart ticking,

“Log Your Loops” is a popular program sponsored by ThedaCare, in which participants regularly run, walk, bike, or skate the full loop of the Little Lake Trestle Trail covering 3.1 miles (5 kilometers). Each loop is logged by participants, and the goal is to complete 50 loops from the period of Memorial Day (May 31) to Labor Day (Sept. 6).

A T-shirt is awarded to those completing 50 loops, but the real prizes are the physical benefits gained from a cardiovascular activity that can be done at any speed and with any number of people.

“The Neenah community is ready to spend time outdoors and enjoy the warmer weather while connecting safely with family and friends,” said Nikki Hessel, Executive Director of Future Neenah. “We’re grateful that ThedaCare continues to support this popular initiative with a fun incentive that promotes a happy, healthy lifestyle.”

“Log Your Loops” takes participants over two trestle bridges that close the Lower Little Lake Butte de Morts loop through the cities of Neenah and Menasha and the village of Fox Crossing.

This will be the third year for the program.

“Last year it was extremely popular — perhaps because of COVID-19 and people were looking for something fun to do outdoors,” said Michelle Dunning of Future Neenah. “We’re expecting a really big year again. People just love the loop, and they’re starting little sub-groups where they meet every day at a given time and walk or run. It’s pretty cool.”

The program is free, but registration is required and will be available starting May 10 at http://www.neenah.org/log-your-loops/. Those participating will be asked to log their loops on a sheet provided.

“If you bike, you can get it done a little faster, but how you do it is your choice,” Dunning said. “People just like a challenge, and they get motivated with it. A lot of people use it to train for runs and races. Once people get started, they want to finish. People who have done it in Year 1 or Year 2 are like, ‘Yep, I want that third T-shirt.’ It’s just a lot of fun.”

Future Neenah is a non-profit organization that manages various community-driven programs that promote economic and cultural growth in Neenah.

For more information, visit www.neenah.org or call 920-722-1920.