South March Highlands - Awesome Trail Run!!

Well ... I finally made it into the South March Highlands trail system for a run.  It was an awesome, awesome day!!  I can't wait to get back out again and spend a little longer time exploring more.  I did a 7.2 KM loop and it took me just over 56 minutes - much slower than running on the road or groomed trails, but well worth it.  Had to be very careful with footing because it is a very technical trail system - but that's what makes it fun!!  It is a popular trail system for mountain bikers but I have seen runners in there before - even runners wearing bibs which leads me to believe there are organized events that use the trail system.

Here are some photos of the trails and the surrounding scenery.

A Bit of Hills, A Bit of Distance, A Great Friend and a Rewarding Coffee!

This morning was a very nice LSD (long, slow distance) run with my running partner.  Yesterday we discussed what we wanted to do today - during our training for the half marathon last year, the Running Room route for the 18 km runs included a section of trail on the west end of Ottawa that is very nice - but we weren't certain that we were ready for 18 KM again just yet.  So we spent some time looking at alternate routes in that area and we created a 16 KM route that included the main part of the trail we like.

This route has a couple of hilly sections - some nice short but sharp hills in the trails and one particularly daunting hill on the section of road known as Corkstown - here are a couple of pictures

 These shots certainly do not do the hill justice - it has two sections:  as you reach what you think is the top, it really is just a short plateau before you begin the remainder of the climb - the second hill really is not that big, but seeing another hill, no matter how big, when you think you've reached the top, can be disheartening.  But we knew it was coming because we had run this route a couple of times before, so it wasn't so bad.

Overall the run was awesome - very enjoyable mainly because our main motivation today was the passion of running - we were not out to set any records nor were we on a schedule - we were out to enjoy a little bit of nature and the fact that we can run - we stopped for a few photos - and we knew we were heading to Starbucks for a refreshing drink as a reward (wooohooo!!).

Here's our route and stats for the run - all in all an awesome outing.

Thanks partner for the great run and company - it was a fantastic morning :-)

All for now - for those in Canada, enjoy the rest of the long holiday weekend - and for everyone else - have a great Sunday!

Keep on running and smiling ...

Commuting on Foot

I just finished running home after work - what a cool way to end a long day, especially before a long holiday weekend.  I have biked to and from work several times - but never run.  I really enjoyed it - 9.3 KM and it took just under an hour.  I think this could become a regular occurrence once or twice per week.

It's shaping up to be an awesome weekend here weather-wise.  My older son is doing his Try-a-Tri tomorrow morning - should be awesome weather for it - good luck boy - you'll do fantastic - I'm so  proud of you!!  Can't wait to see you cross that finish line full of smiles (and maybe even some tears)!

All for now - get out this weekend wherever you are and enjoy the outdoors - go for a run!!

Cheers

John

Very Nice Trail Run

I went out for another trail run this evening back in the Stoney Swamp area this time with my trusty running partner.   It was really nice to run through the trails with someone.   We did just over 5 km - the sun was out, it was cool and the cold temperatures the past few days meant nearly no bugs!!  It was awesome.  I'm looking forward to many more similar runs this summer - maybe even some longer distances.  Can't wait!!

All for today - keep smiling ... and keep on running ...

Short Run Through Stoney Swamp Trail System

Yesterday I got out for a short run through part of the Stoney Swamp NCC trail system southwest of Ottawa.  It was a bit of a brisk day - temperatures fell, wind picked up and there was even a few moments of what felt like freezing rain - but it was all good.  It's a beautiful area and it can get very quiet on a still day - nice place to go and let your mind wander freely as you soak in a bit of nature.

Here's a 9 minute video of the first part of my run yesterday - trying out my video editing software for the first time - so bear with me - I've added a few songs and played around with some short, simple video effects in spots.  Hope you enjoy - I'll be trying to capture some more interesting video as the summer goes on - hopefully I'll get some of the local wildlife (animals or otherwise *smile*) and post some video.

Cheers for now.

John

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENT7NrRvK5E&feature=youtu.be

Increasing the Distance Again !!

Just got back from a 15.5 KM run this morning with my running partners - it was great!!!  Totally awesome!!!  The weather was perfect - cloudy, around 13 degrees C, a light mist in the air at times.  We did  the distance in just over 1 hr 40 minutes.  I felt very strong around the 10 KM point - and our running pace was quite good as well.

We started our run along Old Carp road - a nice, quiet quasi-country road just outside the town - some beautiful properties and forested areas along the road.  Then we turned south-east along Huntmar Road - some spectacular views along this road - the pictures really don't do the view we had justice:

I wore my compression sleeves on my calves today - they felt great.  The one on my left leg really helped with keeping my knee brace in place as well - a nice side-benefit.

Happy Mother's Day to all you running moms out there - if you run tomorrow I hope it is fantastic - either way, be sure your loved ones spoil you all day!! :-)

Cheers for now and keep on running ... smiling ... laughing ... ...

Share the Trail - or Else :-)

Well - I managed to get two runs in today - both along trails.  The first run was early this morning - me and my four-legged partner - a short 5 KM along the nearby Trans-Canada trail section.  It was an awesome quiet morning - a nice temperature - about 6 degrees C.

My second run was late afternoon (just got back) - I went alone and did 10.25 KM through the woods along the National Capital Commission (NCC) trail system.  It was much warmer (26 degrees C) and drier - my mouth was very dry.  The highlight of the run was spotting a porcupine along the edge of the trail near the 8 KM mark - he was munching on something but gave me a look that said "Share the trail man - or else!"  So I didn't get too close but managed to snap a couple of photos.  Here is one of the little (or not so little) guy.

It was an awesome run - not the strongest run ever - it was the warmest run so far this year and very dry - but it was very enjoyable.  Many people were out biking and hiking along the trails.  I'm so lucky to live so close to such an awesome trail system - let's hope housing developments don't spread much further.

Next week I hope to get up into an area of trails that are a little more technical - the South March Highlands (also known as Kanata Lakes area).

All for now - stay well and keep on running and smiling :-)

Bummed Out by the Bug

Missed my TRX class and run last night - got this head cold and stomach bug going around.  Bummed out!!  Hopefully it will clear up through the day - weather here is awesome - forecast high of 27 C today and mid 20's and sunny for next four days - gotta hit the trails and get some yard work done.

Smile and be happy ... stay well and run for fun