So the other day I was starting my car when a funny thing happened: the car died. Me being me, I took the key off the ring and tossed it aside. "Screw this," I bristled, "I'm going to bike to work from now on." And today, I did just that. Granted, I only went into the office for a few hours (it's Saturday, after all), but I did technically work. My odyssey was a tad over 21 kilometres, took about 2 hours and resulted in about 1100 calories burned.
Ten kilometres per hour is not a particularly fast speed, but on ice and snow, it's not bad. I learned that riding on the Saskatchewan Crescent side of the trail is much more difficult than riding on the Spadina Crescent side. I also learned studded tires are a god-send. I owe a special thanks to Bike Doctor at 623 Main Street in Saskatoon for doing such a terrific job providing and installing their house brand studded winter tires.
And by the way, studded bike tires have incredible grip and provide a piece of mind when biking on icy surfaces. I may one day become a fat bike convert, but for today I'm happy with my BRC mountain bike from the '90's.
Running along the Meewasin Trail as it winds through Saskatoon in the summer and autumn months is quite different than running it in winter or spring. The mood of the trail is warmer and more inviting, it seems to beckon to you at the site of each new lilac bush or footbridge.
Winter along the trail is less inviting and less accommodating to runners. And yet, even in twenty degrees below zero the trail offers you something.
Because Saskatchewan is a mostly flat province, you can watch a sunset from a great many places, including the trail.
The repose of the city, with its collection of bridges, reveals the character of its one hundred year history in the architecture. Nestled among its constellation of new apartment buildings and office towers are structures like the Bessborough [which is, of course, not pictured here].
Sometimes it's little things like a river bank in autumn that remind you of our collective relationship with nature.
The South Saskatchewan River divides Saskatoon between two halves, the east side of town and the west side of town. Each side offers different experiences.
The trail system does not exist independently of us, it needs our support and care. The Meewasin Valley Authority is a conservation organization dedicated to preserving the use of the trail as well as other areas in the vicinity.
The weir, pictured above and below, was constructed to regulate water flow. Today it remains one of those things you need to see if you want a real taste of Saskatoon.
The sun burns brightly over the cold midwinter landscape.
The Meewasin Trail is home to the subtle beauty of nature even during Saskatchewan's cold cold winter.
In its own way, the winter helps to protect this very beautiful city from overpopulation and over development. Those of us willing to brave the winters are treated to a running experience that you simply cannot replicate anywhere else.
You only 32k/20m for the first time once. With the 2015 Saskatchewan Marathon rapidly approaching, I'm deep into my training on the winding path of the Meewasin Trail here in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. My runs have been between 3.5 and 26k thus far, but yesterday was a milestone: 32k. I'm not sure what sounds more impressive, 32 kilometres or 20 miles. They are roughly the same distance, and yet the numeric sting of 32 or the impressive heft of the word "mile" add a certain undefinable quality to each.
In preparation for my long run I "carbed up" for two days ensuring that more than my usual < 300 grams of carbohydrates. I ate things like fettuccine alfredo and other carb-heavy foods, while also drinking gatorade and eating fruit. My secret vice, Doritos, contributed sodium--but otherwise, their importance is debatable.
Before taking off to run, I drank about 500ml of gatorade, consumed one organic banana and one PowerBar gel pack. During the run I had one bottle of Gu brew, two Gu gels, and about 750ml of water, along with a bag of skittles (mostly near the end).
Part One: The first 10k.
I set out running on the sidewalk in my neighbourhood until I reached the first asphalt trail (exactly 1km). It was a slightly chilly 10c, but I felt quite comfortable in my long sleeve tech shirt (from a 5k race I did in 2013) and Under Armour running pants. As I made it past the first kilometre it occurred to me that I had 31 left to go. I wasn't intimidated by the challenge, but I wasn't totally comfortable with it either. For most first time runners the 32K is the apex of their training, whereas for me it is the first of several 30K+ runs.
Then I yawned around the 2k point. Realizing that my muscles needed more oxygen, I took deeper breaths. I averaged a 6:14/k pace over the first 3k, but from 4 to 10 I ran about 6:00/k.
My first stop came at 3.5k when I crossed a heavily travelled street. After that I ran through University of Saskatchewan and onto the Meewasin Trail. As I reached the 10k point, I felt great. I drank a bit of my Gu Brew and had a Gu gel.
Part Two: The next 16k.
I accidentally "ended my run" according to Runtastic, and was forced to begin a new run. No big deal. Strangely enough, though, I wasn't particularly aware of the fact that my pace really picked. But no big deal, right?
As I wound along the South Saskatchewan River, I saw other runners. Some, I noted, ran on the grass alongside the trail, while others ran on the trail itself as I did.
You don't really notice the accumulation of tightness or pounding your body takes until it sends you a few warning signs. But by the time you hamstrings, let's say, begin to start hurting, there isn't too much you can do about it.
Part Three: The finish
What I found most challenging was how sensitive my legs became after the 24k point. It really got to the point where I had trouble tolerating running on the asphalt of the trail. Otherwise, though, it wasn't until about 30k that my heart rate began to rise to a level higher than it ought to be given the effort.
When I started-off today it was in the high 40's (Fahrenheit). As you can see from the photo on the left, the trees are becoming bare, and the leaves are browning on the ground.
Actually, I started off at 7:30am this morning with butter coffee (yes, I said it). Note: that's grass-fed, unsalted butter with freshly ground coffee, mixed in a blender. And dear god, it's actually good.
At any rate, at half past 12pm, I biked out to University of Saskatchewan, chained up my bike and ran 10k.
One of the things that happens when I'm on these runs is that I often recognize some of the runners I see. Obviously the landscape is familiar to me; and because its repose changes with the seasons, I'm never bored on the trails. Note: it's not really "trail running"
since the path on the trail is asphalt.
My change in cadence is continuing to bear fruit. As well, the forefront striking (albeit rough on my calves) is reducing the impact of running. The result? The stress on my IT bands is nothing compared to what it used to be like.
Today's run was a piece of cake. Below are the pictures from today. Enjoy.
And in the "wouldn't it be nice to throw my diet out the window" category:
I was out on the Meewasin Trail today running about 7.5k in what was, essentially, a meagre attempt at a tempo run. As I was running I noticed a strange feeling in my right leg (I have a leg length difference)... well, it wasn't too strange, but it was a pretty clear indication that my right shoe was probably worn own (since it absorbs more impact than my left). At any rate, this was my final run wearing my trusty Brooks Adrenaline GTS 14--I used them for several runs longer than I ought to have. My Sauncony Guide 6's are probably going to be retired in the near future as well, which leaves me with a pair of Brooks PureCadence and a pair of Mizuno Waves--neither of which has as much cushion as I'd like.
As you can see from the train in the photo above, I ran on a narrow bike/running path for part of today's run. A general rule of thumb of safe running is to avoid running on the same surfaces as cars. Although I did run about 400-500 metres through University of Saskatchewan on roadways shared with cars, the traffic was so light that it didn't matter too much. The wonderful thing about Saskatoon is that you can run for hours without running alongside cars. Even my bike ride today was half on bike paths.
So I accomplished 7.5k running and 5.2k on my mountain bike (really, I need a road bike if I'm going to be touring around this very flat prairie province). After I finished my run, I collected my bike at the Sobeys on Preston Avenue, and had an impromptu picnic right where the above photo was taken. My picnic consisted of Chocolate Milk (1 litre, lol--it was on sale at Sobeys for $1.99) and 2.5 servings of Doritos.
Now, onto coffee... and running. If you have experience drinking coffee right before running, I'd love to hear from you.
