Blown Away... And Tagged!

Man, it was windy out there tonight! With a -8 windchill and 50km/hr winds, tonight's run was not pleasant.

I'm discovering (rediscovering, really) that I don't run well in the cold. I slow down, I stiffen up and I tire out.

Tonight's post is about more than the nasty winter weather, though.

A Little Celebration

First up, I didn't realize it but my last run write-up was my 100th post. Wohoo! It's not really important but it feels like a good milestone. Looking forward to numbers 200, 300 and beyond, although by that point I may have to re-examine how I organize my running routes on the site!

I've Been Tagged!

Secondly, Marky Mark tagged me and I feel I must respond.

The Rules of the game:

• Link to your tagger, and post these rules on your blog.
• Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
• Tag 5 people at the end of your post by their names and links to their blogs.
• Let them know they are TAGGED by leaving a comment on their blog.

Following Mark's lead, I won't tag people he tagged.

So, here goes:

FACT 1: I passed out after my first marathon. Yep, passed out. Properly. Dramatically, too - on the sidewalk, and I hit the back of my head on the way down. Woke up to a crowd of people calling the paramedics. Not a good first marathon experience.

Basically, I hydrated throughout the race but couldn't find any Gatorade afterwards so I worked my way through a litre of water. Combined with not being able to stomach any food, apparently that diluted the few salts left in my blood and my body said, "I don't think so, thankyouverymuch."

Oh... I ran a 3:39 and change. Yuck.

Fact 2: I moved to Canada from England four years ago... for a girl (awwwww).

She then proceeded to dump me (grrrr), but inadvertently did me a favour by doing so as I've now ended up with my dream girl, who I wouldn't be living with if I hadn't moved here for someone else.

Life has a funny way of kicking you in the a$$ then picking you back up.

FACT 3: Despite what Laurel says, goat cheese rules.

FACT 4: During my 'dress like a fool' stage, I once went to a mainstream nightclub in a black long-sleeved metallica top with a glow-in-the-dark pattern, including a giant skull on the back. Let's just say I went home alone. I never stopped being a rocker, though :)

FACT 5: I obsess over everything I do. It's all or nothing for me. That leads to me burning out on a lot of things. Generally, the big challenge for me is to hold myself back enough so I can enjoy whatever I'm doing.

I'm going to tag (sorry if you've already been tagged and I missed it... let me know and I'll pick on someone else):

Ali, whose 100 consecutive days of running, if not a record, is still one of the most impressive things I've heard about. Her blog is pretty impressive too.

Andria, who's gearing up to kill her first marathon.

Rob, whose ongoing running log and weight-loss challenge inspire me daily.

Greg, another guy with a very detailed running blog and another guy who inspires me whenever I check in.

Doug, who's having a tough time with an injury at the moment. Looking forward to you getting back into it!

And I'm not tagging: Bill, Amanda and Kenny... count yourselves lucky you're pre-tagged!

16k - Queen's Park/Rosedale Loops

Two loops around a mid-town loop north-east of downtown. All on-road. A good scale-able route.

• From Queen's Park, head north up to Bloor Street West, and continue north up Avenue Road
• Turn right (east) onto Pears Avenue then continue straight through the park and up to Yonge Street when the road ends
• Cross Yonge Street and continue straight onto Crescent Road
• As the road bends sharp right, turn left (east) onto South Drive then take the second left (north) onto Glen Road
• Cross the bridge over Craigleigh Gardens then turn left (northwest) onto Highland Avenue
• Turn left onto Roxborough Drive and follow that through to Mount Pleasant Road
• Turn left (south) onto Mount Pleasant Road
• When Mount Pleasant merges onto Jarvis Street, continue south on Jarvis
• Turn right (west) onto Wellesley Street East and head west back to Queen's Park
  • On the second loop, instead of turning onto Wellesley Street East, continue south and turn onto Carlton Street instead. Head west on Carlton, contiuing as it becomes College Street, then head north up to Queen's Park.

Here's the map and the stats from my run.

TTC Info: This run starts and ends near both Museum and Queen's Park subway stations.

A Quick Lunchtime Blast

With some nasty weather forecast for this evening (and which matched the forecast), I decided to get in a quick run at lunchtime today.

I actually ran slightly further than I planned in my post yesterday - I cranked out 7.2 km (that's 4.5 miles to you Americans) in 30 minutes on the treadmill. That's an average pace of 14.4km/hr (9 miles/hr).

I was reasonably happy with the run, especially as I stepped up the pace throughout and felt comfortable at the end.

So, nothing spectacular, but a reasonable tempo run. I'd like to get up to 15km/hr over that time period at some point. We'll see. I'm sure I'll be there by the time spring rolls around.

Brrrrr... Winter's Here

Winter is here. It's official. Goodbye fall, hello winter.

Yesterday I did my first winter run of the year. How do you define a winter run? I came back with ice on my gloves and hat.

I actually found yesterday's run really hard, probably partly due to the temperature (it's always harder going in the cold), but also due to the ice all over the road plus the uneven snow that made for treacherous going.

Even with the tough conditions, the run was fun. My highlights:

• Blissfully quiet paths (it's cold... what are the odds!) -  left me alone with my thoughts
• Running past Howard Talbot Park and seeing the kids tobogganing down the slope for the first time this year.

I realized today that my mileage over the last few weeks has been pretty low - I've failed to break 40km in each of the last three weeks, so I'm going to try to step it up again this week.

My plan:

• Monday: 5km (ish)
• Tuesday: 15km (ish)
• Thursday: 15km (ish)
• Friday: 15km (ish)

Let's see how that works out!

15k - Leaside/Don Valley/Sunnybrook/Eglinton Loop

A simple and scenic loop through the Leaside and Davisville Village areas of East York.

• From the intersection of Mount Pleasant and Merton Streets, head east
• When you reach Bayview Avenue, continue straight along McRae Drive
• Turn right onto Millwood Road. When you reach the intersection with Southvale Drive, turn left then right back onto Millwood
• Follow Millwood over the Leaside Bridge, then turn right onto Hopedale Avenue
• Turn right (west) onto O'Connor Drive, then immediately right onto Beechwood Drive
• Follow Beachwood down into the Don Valley. Turn right just after the police kennels, and head north up the valley
• Shortly after the path crosses under Don Mills Road, turn left (north) across the bridge. Climb up the slope, then turn left and drop back down on the other side of the rail tracks
• Follow the road north up towards Sunnybrook Park
• When you reach a parking lot next to Eglinton Avenue East, climb the steps and turn left (west) onto Eglinton
• Turn left (south) onto Henna Road, then right (west) onto Parkhurst Boulevard
• Turn left (south) onto Bessborough Road and follow that down to McRae Drive
• Turn right (west) onto McRae, then left (south) onto Bayview Avenue
• Cross Bayview and enter Mount Pleasant Cemetary about 200m south of McRae Drive
• Follow the north edge of Mount Pleasant Cemetary until the path drops down and forks. Take the left fork, and exit the cemetary onto Mount Pleasant Road
• Turn right (north) onto Mount Pleasant and return to the start.

Here's the map and the stats from my run.

TTC Info: This run starts and ends close to Davisville subway station. Take the 11 or 28 bus along Davisville, get off at Mount Pleasant and head south to Merton Street.

-2 Windchill, Rain, Snow Warning. 19km.

Oh yes. Yesterday's run was fun.

Fun, that is, if you like freezing your behind off while almost drowning.

I keep saying things have been crazy recently; this week has been no exception.

I went to a book launch for fellow PR pro (and now author) Terry Fallis on Monday night, so I didn't run on Monday (I haven't read the novel yet; I'll let you know how it is when I'm done).

On Tuesday I headed to another PR/social media event called Case Camp (which was great), so I didn't run on Tuesday either.

Yesterday, I was determined to get out there and run... which was unfortunate as the weather was brutal and I only had a small sandwich for lunch (stupid lunchtime meetings!).

Regardless, I planned out a 19km route and hit the road.

A few highlights:

• Actually got out there and ran, for the first time since Sunday (felt very guilty)
• I caught up on a couple of podcasts - the latest For Immediate Release and a recent Jaffe Juice (which was a great Q&A at ArbCamp - check it out if you're into marketing/PR)

A few things that made the run tougher:

• Batteries on my iPod ran out about 6km from home... had to finish the run without Jaffe's soothing tones in my ears
• Rain
• More rain
• Cold. Couldn't feel my toes by the end of it
• Forgot to bring a towel. Ran from work. Oops
• Did I mention the weather?

An unpleasant run overall, but long enough to put me back on track for the week. Plus, it's over. Phew

20k - Queen's Park/Avenue/Eglinton/Davenport Loop

A relatively simple loop north from Queen's Park. All of the run is on-road, although a small change would allow a kilometre or two of running along the Belt Line. A fair bit of hill climbing near the beginning, but flat/downhill for the second half.

• From Queen's Park Crescent, head north. Continue straight as Queen's Park Crescent becomes Avenue Road
• Follow the road as it bends right (east) around Upper Canada College and becomes Oriole Parkway. Continue to follow Oriole Parkway when the road forks left
• Turn left (north-west) onto Chaplin Crescent (turning a few metres earlier will let you run on the Belt Line). Follow Chaplin until it hits Eglinton Avenue West
• Head left (west) on Eglinton, until you reach Keele Street
• Turn left (south) on Keele, then left (east) onto Rogers Road
• Follow Rogers Road as it bends to the right, then turn right (south) onto Old Weston Road. Continue south on Old Weston Road until you hit Davenport Road
• Turn left (east) on Davenport. Run east on Davenport until you hit Avenue Road
• Turn right (south) on Avenue Road and return to the start.

Here's the map and the stats from my run.

TTC Info: This run starts and ends near both Queen's Park and Museum subway stations.

Ugh

Ran 19km today, but too tired to write about it right now. I'll try to do it tomorrow - promise!

Dark, Dark Trails

I based my entire route today around a 500m trail that I spotted last week.

I've run in the Duplex Parkette in the Lawrence Parks area a couple of times now, but on my long run last week I noticed that the trail actually continues past where I've been turning off (a trail called Chatsworth Ravine), so I decided to finish it this time around.

Here's what I realized today: if you're going to run on trails in the winter, don't do it after 5pm when the sun's gone down.

Let's just say it was a little... uh... unsure underfoot. By unsure I mean I had no idea what was going to happen each time I put my foot down!

Aside from the thrill of not knowing if I would break my ankle each time I put my foot down (it sounds melodramatic but there was one massive pothole that I only just avoided), today's run was pretty unremarkable. I forgot to stop my watch at the end so the run time was a bit off, but I think I averaged around 4:30 per kilometre, which I was ok with.

Today was all about getting out there and actually running. Last week was a little crazy and I didn't get much running done, and yesterday I had absolutely no motivation, so I was determined to get out today.

Mission accomplished... just!

10k - Avenue Road/Ravine/Mount Pleasant Loop

A fairly hilly 10km loop. Mostly on pavement, but some limited gravel trails. Poorly lit in some sections at night.

• From Yonge Street & Merton Street, head west on the Belt Line to Oriole Parkway
• Turn right and follow Oriole Parkway north to Eglinton
• Turn left (west) and head over to Avenue Road
• Turn right (north) and head up to Lawrence Avenue West
• Turn right (east) on Lawrence then right onto Chatsworth Drive
• Take the first street (Cheritan Avenue) on the right, and drop down the path on the left by the gates
• Follow the trail through to Yonge Street
• Cross Yonge Street and head right (south) briefly to Alexander Muir Road
• Follow Alexander Muir Road to the end then continue along the trail
• Just after you hit the road again, turn left up Dundurn Road (unsignposted - looks like a steep paved footpath)
• Turn left (west) onto Glengowan Road
• Turn left (south) onto Mount Pleasant Road
• Follow Mount Pleasant Road south to Merton Street, then head right (east) back to the start.

Here's the map and my stats from the run.

TTC Info: This run starts and finishes near Davisville subway station.

Toronto Runner Interviewed by CityGuide.ca

A writer from CityGuide.ca got in touch with me last week and requested a short 'interview' (ok, really a set of emailed questions).

You can check out the interview at the Toronto CityGuide website.

A Few Tardy Write-ups

The last week has been insane for multiple reasons. As a result, I've gotten way behind in my run write-ups recently.

Think of this post as me playing catch-up!

I've actually got five runs to write about.

Wednesday, November 7

I didn't post a route for this one. Why? Because I ran on the spot. Yes, my first treadmill workout of the year.

Isn't it funny how when you're on a treadmill you think you're flying, but in reality you're going no faster than usual?

Last Wednesday I ran for half an hour at about 8.9m/h on the treadmill at the Metro Toronto YMCA. That equates to just over 7km at about 4:12 per km. A tempo workout, for sure, but nothing record-breaking.

Another thing I noticed... am I the only person who actually works out on the cardio machines at the gym? Everyone else I looked at seemed to be either either walking or reading.

Reading?

Yep. It seems lots of people do this at the gym. If I tried to read when I was working out (even on the stationary bikes), I'd:

• Completely fail to make out any words as I/the bike would be shaking too much
• Sweat all over the book

Thursday, November 8

My first set of three days back-to-back since I started running again... and my legs felt like crap!

I ran with the Runners' Shop crew as usual on Thursdays... most people were recovering from marathons so three of us keeners headed off on our own after a while.

I was actually pretty pleased with this run considering how tired my legs were. We averaged (the usual) 4:37/km, but that was after about 2km of slow jogging at the start with the rest of the group. We consistently increased the pace throughout the rest of the 12km route, so it was a pretty satisfying run.

Bonus: No pain in my leg, which I was semi-expecting given the three-days-in-a-row thing. Yeah, I know, three days without a break will be the norm once training kicks in again (and not a word from you, Ali!) but it feels like a milestone right now.

Sunday, November 11

I actually took two days off after Thursday... my leg may not have hurt but no point pushing it, right?

Sunday was another spectacular run. Not just in terms of scenery (although that was nice), but in terms of fun.

Trail running is definitely happening next year.

On Sunday I did an 18km loop from home, most of which was on trails.

I hit the Don Valley bike trails (for the first time in a long time), a trail out of Sunnybrook Park (which I loooove), through Sherwood Park and along through Blythwood Ravine.

There were only really two substantial bits of road running - at the beginning and right at the end. I loved being off the pavement and on the dirt trails. It was muddy and cold but I was in my happy place.

Quick question for you: Does wearing shorts and gloves at the same time mean I'm a little unhinged? Four degrees... brrrr.

Tuesday, November 13

I ran a really simple route on Tuesday - 15km following the east end of the subway line.

Almost as simple as last week's west-end run, I basically got on the subway, got off at the end of the line and ran back. Simple but effective.

I have to say, though, I much preferred the west-end run - I found the neighbourhoods much more interesting to run through. I definitely preferred the weather this time around though!

Wednesday, November 14

I haven't had a chance to post the route/GPS data from yesterday yet, but I'll try to do so tomorrow (I'm speaking at a conference on social media tonight so probably won't have a chance today).

Another 'social' run - I ran at lunchtime with Lara from work. We did simple loops of Queen's Park - a few slow ones together then I got antsy when someone passed us (I'm waaaay too competitive for my own good) and I took off for a couple of kilometres at 4:00/km pace.

Roughly 6.5km altogether - not too bad for a lunchtime workout. They're never going to be intense with that amount of time, but I love the social side of running and it's always good to run with other people, whatever the pace.

So that's it! I'm up-to-date... almost. Phew!

15k - Kennedy Subway/Danforth/Queen's Park

A simple 15km point-to-point run from Kennedy subway station to Queen's Park.

• From Kennedy subway station, head south on Kennedy to Danforth Avenue
• Turn right (west) and follow Danforth Avenue for approximately 13km
• Turn left onto Queen's Park
• Follow Queen's Park down to the finish at the corner of Queen's Park and Wellesley Street West.

Here's the map and the stats from my run.

TTC Info: This route starts at Kennedy subway station and ends near both Museum and Queen's Park subway stations.

18k - Don Valley Trail/Sunnybrook/Sherwood Park Loop

A fun but hilly 18km loop with a good mix of road running and trails. Can be muddy after rainfall.

• From Yonge Street & Davisville Avenue, head south to Merton Street and head left (east)
• Turn right onto Bayview Avenue
• When you reach Nesbitt Drive at the bottom of the hill, cross to the left (east) side of Bayview and continue south
• Shortly after crossing the road, drop down into the Don Valley via a gravel trail
• Before reaching Beechwood Road and crossing the Don River, turn left and follow the trail along the west bank of the river
• Follow the trail until you hit a paved road just after crossing over the railway
• The trail is narrow and visibility is quite poor. Watch out for mountain bikers and other runners!
• Turn right onto the road and follow it along to Sunnybrook Park
• Cross the bridge on the left, just before Sunnybrook Stables, and turn left immediately after the bridge
• Follow the road for a few hundred metres. Just before the road climbs up the side of the valley, turn right (west) and follow the trail along the river bank and up to Bayview Avenue
• Cross Bayview and drop back down into Sherwood Park. Continue straight when you hit the parking lot and follow Blythwood Ravine Park to Yonge Street
• Cross Yonge Street and continue through Duplex Parkette to Duplex Avenue
• Turn left (south) on to Duplex, and follow Duplex south down to Chaplin Crescent
• Turn left (east) on to Chaplin, and head over to the finish at Yonge & Chaplin.

Here's the map and the stats from my run.

TTC Info: This route starts and ends at Davisville subway station.

12k - Rosedale/Forest Hill Loop

A nice 12km loop from the Runners' Shop at Bloor & Avenue. Heads out through Rosedale and back alongside Mount Pleasant Cemetary then Forest Hill.

• From Bloor & Avenue, head west to Bedford Road and turn right (north)
• Turn right (east) on Davenport Road, then left (north) on Avenue Road
• Turn right (east) onto Pears Avenue, then continue through the park to Yonge Street
• Cross Yonge Street and run along Crescent Road until you reach South Drive
• Turn left on to South Drive, then left again on to Glen Road
• Turn right on to Douglas Drive, left onto Astley Avenue, then right again onto Governors Road
• Turn left on to Nesbitt Drive, and follow this along to Bayview Avenue
• Turn left (north-west) onto Bayview Avenue
• Turn left (west) at Merton Street, and follow Merton to Yonge Street
• Turn left (south) on Yonge, then right (west) on St. Clair Avenue West
• Head left (south) on Poplar Plains Road, then take the first right (west) onto Warren Road
• Turn left (south) on Warren Road then left again (east) on Clarendon Avenue
• Turn right back onto Poplar Plains Road, and follow this down to Davenport Road
• Follow Davenport Road along to Bedford Road, then turn right on Bedford and head south to the finish.

Here's the map and the stats from my run.

TTC Info: This run starts and ends near both Bay and St. George subway stations.

Soggy, Cold, Windy, Awesome

Today I ran just about the easiest route possible - I took the subway out to the west end of the line then ran back to work.

In a way it's unfortunate that I ran such a simple route, as I had little to take my mind off the awful conditions - 5 degrees, rain and wind gusting to 50km/h.

The wonderful looming Canadian winter meant it was dark long before I headed out to run today, so there weren't too many sights to see. There were a couple of highlights, however:

• Managing to increase my average pace from my regular 4:37/km to about 4:26/km. Not a big difference, but significant enough at this stage of the training and all the more satisfying that I sustained it for almost 16km
• Catching up on podcasts. Today I listened to two of my favourites (two recent episodes of For Immediate Release and the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation), and came back with about half a dozen ideas for blog posts for my PR blog.
• Side note: At time of writing, I have 227 unlistened-to podcasts in my list, including two new shows that I added at the weekend. This is getting out of control... time to go for longer runs!

16k - Dundas Street West

Probably the simplest route I will ever post here. 16km... two roads.

• From the Park & Ride entrance to Kipling subway station, head north to Dundas Street West
• Turn right (east) on Dundas and follow it to University Avenue
• Turn left (north) on University and head up to the finish at Queen's Park.

Here's the map and the stats from my run.

TTC Info: This run starts at Kipling subway station and ends near Queen's Park and Museum subway stations.

Changes Afoot - Read What YOU Want To Read

In case you hadn't noticed, I've created a few new ways you can get the latest Toronto Runner updates.

I've struggled with the structure of my posts for a while, as I have two objectives for this site:

• Provide a useful resource for new runners in Toronto and for people looking for new routes
• Log the ups and downs of my training and connect with others who share my passion for running.

To hit these two objectives I've subjected everyone who reads this blog to two new posts every time I run - one with the route & map, and the other with my thoughts on the run & my training.

No longer.

You now have three options for how to subscribe to my posts:

• Route-Only Feed: For those of you who are just looking for some new routes to run and don't really care about the fluffy write-up stuff, you're in luck! Check out the new running route-only RSS feed and you won't have to suffer through any more touchy-feely write-ups from me
• Write-Up Only Feed: On the flip side, if you're outside Toronto or just want to know what's going on with my training and how I feel about it, check out the write-up only feed. You'll never be bothered by my boring running route details again
• Everything: Then again, a few of you (hi, mum) might want to read everything. If you're already subscribed to the blog, you don't need to change anything. If you're new and want to stay on top of new routes AND keep tabs on my ups and downs, the 'everything feed' is for you.

Enjoy!

Scenic Run Today; False Alarm on the IT Band

For the first time this year, I headed out to run with the Runners' Shop crew on their Sunday run today.

It looks like three days off was enough to let my sore IT band calm down - I only felt one slight twinge over the 22km I ran today. My calf did start to feel tight part-way through though, so I think I'll head over to the boys at the Urban Athlete this week and get it checked out.

Today's run was almost perfect. The weather was cool (we are in November, after all) but sunny and calm. The group decided to make the most of it to run some of the trails we won't be able to do once the snow starts falling.

Most of the crazy speedies that I often run with weren't out with the group today, so I ended up running most of the route alone.

A few highlights:

• Running the first few kilometres with a guy named Scott who I met today. Great to meet new running friends!
• The autumn colours in Cedarvale Park
• The number of runners out on the Belt Line (although a few off-leash dogs nearly took me out!)
• Running on a carpet of leaves in the Moore Park Ravine
• Not getting bitten by a dog while running up Milkmen's Lane
• Being alone with my thoughts, sans-iPod, while running.

Great stuff.

22km - Mount Pleasant/Yorkville/Cedarvale Park/Belt Line/Moore Park Ravine/Rosedale

A long, meandering run through several very scenic central Toronto neighbourhoods. Runs from Mount Pleasant Cemetery down to Yorkville, up through Cedarvale Park, along the belt line, down through Moore Park Ravine and finishing back at the Runners' Shop.

• From Mount Pleasant Road and Merton Street, head south down Mount Pleasant to St. Clair Avenue East
  • If you're starting from the Davisville subway station, head south down Yonge Street to St. Clair and ignore the next step)
• Turn right (west) on St. Clair and head over to Yonge Street
• Turn left (south) onto Yonge Street
• Turn right (west) just after Rosedale subway station onto Belmont Street. Continue on as Belmont merges with Davenport Road
• Turn left (south) on Avenue Road and head down to Bloor Street West. Turn right (west) onto Bloor
• Turn right (north) onto Bedford Road, and follow it to its end at Dupont Street
• Turn left (west) onto Dupont, then right onto Davenport Road. Fork right onto Boulton Drive
• Turn left into Roycroft Park. Follow the trail north-west, forking left at Sir Winston Churchill Park
• When you reach St. Clair Avenue West, cut up through the Loblaws parking lot and up to Tichester Road
• Drop down into Cedarvale Park, and continue up to the north end of the park
• Continue heading north, along Everden Road, to Eglinton Avenue West
• Head north alongside Allen Road and up to the belt line
• Follow the belt line along to Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Enter the cemetery by Yonge Street, then head east along the north end until you pass under Mount Pleasant Road. At that point, bend right (south-east) and exit the cemetery opposite the entrance to Moore Park Ravine
• Drop down into Moore Park Ravine and follow the trail to the bottom of the hill
• Turn left and climb up Milkmen's Lane until you hit South Drive
• Follow South Drive east, then turn right onto Crescent Road
• Follow Crescent Road until you hit Yonge Street. Turn left (south) onto Yonge, then right onto Yorkville Road.
• Follow Yorkville Road to Avenue Road, then turn left on Avenue Road and head south to the finish at Bloor Street West & Avenue Road.

Here's the map and my stats for the run.

TTC Info: This run starts near Davisville subway station and ends near both Bay and St. George subway stations.