A Complete Loop

It's still early spring, and temperature-wise, that was very evident. Although not so bad...

I took a chance on shorts and tee, and as a concession to the time of year I wore my running vest too. The first couple of blocks walking were chilly, I thought about my clothing choices, but was pretty sure I'd be warm after fifteen or twenty minutes. I was right.

This cold is a pain. I'm still a little stuffed up, and after a few minutes of huffing and puffing, I began a bit of a hacking cough, that accompanied me throughout the whole run.

On the promenade, I passed a few orange cones, and a glance down toward the Y revealed the finish gate of some run. I saw no one around, so either it was already over or hadn't started yet.

Lots of walkers and runners near downtown. At the west end of Prince's Island, the promenade is blocked off and detour signs direct the foot traffic out to 6th Street and then 1st Avenue to get around the fencing and construction. Construction of the Peace Bridge is underway.

Once I was back on the promenade, I met the first bibbed runner. I met a few more before the C-Train bridge, and a few people standing there cheering them on. Once past the Louise Bridge and along Bow Trail, I began to met dozens of runners, most with bibs. At the Metawa Bridge at 14th Street, I asked volunteers at a water table what was up, and was told it was the Hustle for Hunger run, a 5K and 10K fund raiser.

All along the path toward Crowchild, traffic was heavy with racers, and more volunteers cheering at the bridge there. They were running straight along the river, and thinking it might be clear that way, I decided to head that way too, through the Lawrey Garden Natural Area.

It wasn't too long until I reached the turn around point for the racers, and continued along the trail, hoping it wasn't too iced up. The weather has been pretty nice but maybe not warm enough to eradicate all the ice that builds up below Spruce Cliff from the natural springs.

I crossed the tracks at the west end of Lawrey, and the gate was still across the path just a ways up. A well worn path went around it, and there were a couple of runners up ahead. This stretch, about 100 metres long, has signs warning to not stop because it's an avalanche area. There is no snow at all up on the slope, but the retaining wall they built at the top last year looks formidable from below.

It wasn't too far past that, that I caught up to the couple ahead of me as they picked their way across the big ice sheet that was still across the path. We gingerly picked our way across. Mostly it was a little crusty and graveled, but the ice was wet, and sloped, so it took awhile to get across.

I passed the couple after that, and crossed a couple of much smaller ice sheets. It was nice to get back along that trail, into the trees. The gate at the west end was opened slightly. I wonder if someone cut the chain so they wouldn't have to take the small detour through the trees to get around it.

I passed the parking lot at the south side of Edworthy, crossed the tracks again into the picnic area. Lots of people walking the path, but the foot bridge across to Angels Cafe was quiet.

A quick bathroom break, and continued toward downtown. Being cooler and a little windy, there weren't that many out running once I was out of the racing crowd. The wind was brisk and had a bit of a bite, but I was in shorts and light tee, and it wasn't all that bad.

As usual, my return trip seems to be when I stretch a little more and pick up the pace some. The occasional glance at the GPS told me my pace was pretty good. The traffic was a trickle and I ran head down and hard, well, hard for me.

At the foot bridge to Prince's Island I took the ramp agressively and crossed Memorial to the The Stairs. On The Path I pushed a little bit and was almost past the steepest part when a walk break started. I got to dodge running that part. But it was a nice rest, because I took the last 100 metres of The Path hard.

I'd picked up a rock just before the ramp and it was rattling around in my left shoe. Occasionally it was jab under my arch, or the ball of my foot. It didn't bother me much running up The Path, but was annoying once I was on the trail along the bluff. By the time I reached the top end of The Stairs, I'd managed to shake it into the toe of my shoe, so that it nestled somewhere between a couple of toes.

Which reminds me, I must dump that rock out...excuse me a moment...

...how such a tiny little thing can be so aggravating.

Anyway, I'm all runned out, the cough threatened but never really developed, and it was a good fun morning.

Today's run:
Distance: 16.9 Time: 1:34:56
Average speed: 5:37 min/km. (10.68 kph)
Rest distance: .89 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.79 km. Total time: 1:44:56.

Shoes: New Balance 769 (blue).
Today's earworm: Easy L n K
Weather: Sunny and 3C at the start, 6C at the finish.