Llovely Lloydminster

I'm doing some traveling on family business and find myself in Lloydminster this afternoon, and using my daughter's Macbook to type this up. I asked about where to run at the front desk of the hotel, and they suggested Bud Miller All Seasons Park. Not too far to drive, so off I go.

Actually nowhere in this town is too far to drive, or even too far to walk, come to think of it. In retrospect, I could have got a decent run to the park from the hotel, without driving.

Anyway, I got to the park, parking in a large lot beside what I think is an aquatic centre. I headed started on a path along side the parking lot, and after a short brisk walk, started the run. The path soon took me past a tennis court, and then past this huge yellow pipe sticking out of the ground at a weird angle. There were these narrow paving brick paths radiating out from this thing, and it took a moment for me to realize that is was a humongous sundial.

After that, I crossed a muddy road, passed a maintenance shed, and crossed the road by the gate to the park. On the other side was another maintenance facility, and a little further on, a parking lot in front of what looked like a school or something. I ran across the front of it and found the path had disappeared. I backtracked and went around behind it to find a road that lead back toward the aquatic centre.

Past the side of the aquatic centre, and I found myself running along side a small lake that was mostly still frozen over. On the far side was a small amphitheatre with a white sail-like roof over it. Then a branch on the path took me through the aspen forest.

Just past a barbeque shack, I took an unpaved branch of the path and dodged mud and puddles, eventually getting back on another paved path. This one lead straight out of the park into the adjacent subdivision. So a hard right took me behind that and to a drainage ditch. The ditch lead back into the park, eventually flattening out at a soggy picnic area. Past that and its parking lot and I was back at the park gate.

So straight back past the aquatic centre, around the lake again, and this time at the barbeque shack I stayed on the paved path which lead past a maze. In a few years it'll be pretty cool, but right now, the hedge is only a couple of feet high.

And then I was back at the parking lot. Lovely little park, but small enough that I had to go around it twice to get some distance. In fact running to the park would have been a good run.

Today's run
Distance: 7.01 km. Time: 39:06.
Average speed: 10.8 kph (5:35 min/km).

Shoes: New Balance 1061.

Weather: Mostly cloudy and 13C.