Toronto Waterfront Trail Running

At the foot of Park Lawn Road in Etobicoke where the Mimico Creek dumps into Lake Ontario is Humber Bay Park.  As you're driving east into Downtown Toronto you can't miss it:  It's where the old Nabisco Bakery and Cookie Factory used to be.

While the area around it has seen the massive infill of highrise condos, there's a gem of a park just south of the Lakeshore (that's the Green Area in the Map below).  There's some great running to be had here...Woodlands, wetlands and Lake views contrast with the wall of condos.  It's nice to know that there are still some nice waterfront trails to run along even as we pave paradise.

Mostly unpaved, hard packed and well groomed trails are laid out through Humber Bay Park West.  The loops through this section of the park reveal great vistas around every corner.

This is one of them.  That's Lake Ontario up ahead...the trail hugs the shoreline for a few hundred metres before turning back around the small ponds and natural wetland areas that make up the park.

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Running in the Rain

Splashing through puddles with raindrops bouncing off my forehead. Nothing beats a run in the rain.

The weather forecast for Monday morning called for heavy rain and thunderstorms.  I wasn't too concerned about the rain but wasn't too keen on being a news story courtesy of a thunderstorm:  "Local runner struck by lightening while running this morning".  Thankfully I remained out of the news.



Running in the rain is always a treat because it's really natures shower.  I come back from a run in the rain cleaner than I left.  At least that's the way I feel.

As usual I got a few stares from motorists who thought that I was a crazy guy for running in the rain.  They seemed envious though...heck, I was outside on a warm summer morning splashing through puddles with a big grin on my race.

I love running in the rain!

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Canada Day Running

There really wasn't anything special about my run this morning.  OK, I was up extra early and it was nice to get out for another summer time run. And what a summer morning it was:  24 degrees Celsius with a humidex reading over 34 Celsius.  And still...not a breeze in the air.  Perfect conditions for a nice sweaty run!

On my way down to the Trails that run along the Humber River this tree stump rising above the lush green caught my eye.

It's a pretty steep dirt trail down to the Humber River's edge.  Easy on the way down at the start of my run...swear words out loud at the end on my way back up.

But then this is what I run for...a cool canopy of trees arching over the paved trail breaking the early morning light.

Happy Canada Day!

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Stay Young; Keep Running

Or maybe if we keep running we stay young.  Either way, I love these:

"You don't stop running because you get old. You get old because you stop running" from Jack Kirk, ninety-six-year-old super-runner, from Christopher McDougall's bestseller Born to Run.

I've been at it over 30 years now.  Running through illness, injuries good times and bad.  Getting up in the morning to go running is like breathing for me.  My day just doesn't feel right unless I've started it with a run.

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy