I arrived at the parking lot just before 9 a.m. on Saturday. Several cars were parked with no sign of the owners. It was strangely quiet for a Saturday morning given the above seasonal temperatures and sunny forecast.
Running on autopilot, I quickly got my gear sorted and began hiking up Moose Mountain Road. I could tell immediately that I wouldn’t be hiking through a ton of snow. Thankfully the warm temperatures had melted all the snow from a couple of weeks ago. It also looked like the road was ploughed.
I strapped on my Kahtoolas over my sneakers to be on the safe side. The freeze-thaw-freeze cycle is no friend to this runner. Learned my lesson early on. I have so many bruises and scrapes from slipping and falling on a piece of an unassuming piece of ice.
I have to tell you there’s something oddly satisfying about running the same route over and over again especially in this winter is almost but not quite over season. I know I can get in about 17K from the parking lot gate to the turnaround spot and back.
It’s mindless running/hiking/whatever. Perfect for when you want to put in the distance and gain some elevation and do not want to think about all the logistics.
I admit I get pretty stressed out when I try a new trail. Since I am usually alone I stress about finding the trailhead. Then when I manage to do this, I get paranoid that I am going in the wrong direction, and I will get crazy lost. It never ends. (Funny though I never get worried about encountering wildlife.)
So I prefer running along routes that I have done a million times just to get in the mileage while I work on my fitness and wait for the snow to melt.
No encounters with rifle-wielding hunters
Surprisingly I didn’t see another person for at least 5 kilometres. I half-expected to see some runners doing repeats. One guy in shorts came running by around my 5-K mark. Shortly after I crossed paths with a woman running with her dog.
Thankfully the road was pretty clear and barren in some spots. I was smart to put on my spikes – while some parts of the road were completely dry. At least I didn’t fall.
It was a very quiet morning. So quiet that when a gust of wind came up behind me I nearly jumped out of my skin. For the next few minutes, I had kept checking over my shoulders to make sure no one was following me.
My legs were a little grouchy moving up the road but after they warmed up I was good to go. I always look forward to the downhills but I am working on improving my hiking/running up hill. I have improved so much since moving to Calgary (and closer to the mountains) and there’s so much more room for improvement. Just have to stay consistent.
This week I clocked 15 kms and 600 metres of elevation. Next week I am going to run the full length of the road and bump up the elevation. I am taking it slow because I refuse to get injured just because it’s a nice day and I want to do it all.
Do you run the same routes because they are mindless? So you don’t have to worry about all the logistics?