I don’t know if it was my love of Western movies or my period but I couldn’t help but shed a tear when I looked over the picturesque view of Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park on Sunday.
On a whim, I decided to head out on Hwy 1A towards Cochrane with a plan to run for an hour while exploring the provincial park. My pal Amber spends a lot of time here with her family. She said I would love it. A few others suggested, I run here too.
So off I went early Sunday morning. Any signs of tiredness immediately disappeared once I parked the Qashqai and walked through the entrance. It’s amazing how fresh air and beautiful scenery can do wonders. Slightly windy, the day was glorious.
There were lots of people wandering around. I glanced at the map but it didn’t really matter. I just wanted to explore and take my time. A runner who was just finishing up suggested I try out a certain trail. Basically his advice went in one ear and out the other. Note to self: I really need to improve my map reading skills.
I felt fantastic, which was surprising given the amount of elevation over the previous two days. Then again I wasn’t pushing myself. I ran when I wanted to and stopped to take pictures when inspired. I ran a mixture of paved trail and off road. It was just fun to run with no plan in mind.
I didn’t see any cows, which was disappointing since it is a working ranch. But the train rolled through a couple of times, adding to the allure of the western backdrop. I truly felt like I was in the west and it made me think about John Wayne movies. (As mentioned, I love Westerns!)
As for my training, I scheduled an hour and a half on my feet. The distance or the pace didn’t really matter. I am still building up my endurance so anytime on my feet works in the grand scheme of my training. I always believed in moving my body especially after tough days.
I’ll definitely be back here to run. It was such a nice change of surroundings. Besides who doesn’t need more hills in their training?
Love this place. Find out more about Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park here. It’s a perfect spot that the whole family can enjoy.