Latest Running Adventure

A few weeks ago, I participated in a science and religion conference on the Canadian west coast. I heard some really good presentations, and it was great connecting with old friends, and meeting some new ones. My paper (co-authored) examined different ways of being skeptical about science.

In preparation for any trips I take, I usually look up things to do in the destination city. Pinterest typically is helpful because it doesn't just list touristy spots like museums, but also things like, "The best coffee shop." Now of course, Pinterest fails at time. (One time it sent me to a musical bridge that wasn't musical at all. Unless you count banging a stick on metal rods as musical.) Many of the Pinterest lists for the Pacific northwest had some sort of venue that involves a lot of activity. True to that area's reputation and Pinterest lists, I found myself, not in museums or cathedrals, but being active on my downtime.

You find your regular pace for different race distances
and then know how fast you should run 800 m, 1200 m, etc.

Phil, running coach extraordinaire

The first evening after I arrived, I joined a local running group. Phil, the running coach, had a pace chart and a prescribed workout (with different distances at the track: 200 m, 800 m, and 1200 m). As you'd complete your set, he'd tell your time so you'd know if you are running too slow or too fast. I've done speed workouts on my own and with a friend, but I've never ran as fast as I did that evening. Having a coach give you instructions and yelling your time out was motivating. Running with a group, and falling at the end of the slower group, makes you push it hard. It was a great experience and made me want to find a running clinic to join here at home.

It's Myron's regular running clinic
so he took April and me to it. 

I love the moss on the logs.

The next morning I got to go for a hike up a mountain. It reminded me of my trail run/hike with Pam in Oregon last fall. Beautiful green everywhere.

About a quarter of the way up

                                       

At the top of this trail: worth the climb

                                        

Looking down

Looking up

Learned how to maneuver trail paths like this.

The hike was a warm-up for a trail run the following morning. As I've complained written about before, hills are the bane of my races. This flatlander survived, but my quads were shaking by the end of it.

Trail run...notice how long it takes to "run" 4.5 miles. There's a lot of stopping to wait for everyone to catch up (and make sure nobody got eaten by a bear) and pick the path. Of course, I was not complaining about the stops.

Elevation gain for the trail run

My typical run has this elevation gain in Flat Land Oklahoma.

I enjoyed the run, alternating between looking up at the beautiful big trees and down at my feet as I made sure I didn't trip over a rock or root. The view at the top of the trail was picturesque.

Wearing my Team OC shirt from this past Memorial.

To the left of my head where there are colored rows - that's a tulip farm.

Friendly running group that were welcoming and patient with this Okie.

Going down proved a bit scarier, especially when one of the runners slipped and slid down a ways on his butt. I got lots of practice of high stepping, going side-to-side in an S pattern, and just embracing the speed because slowing down would probably make me fall.

I didn't run the next day, but my last day I got to walk some trails at Capilano Suspension Bridge and on the Seawall around Stanley Park. According to April's Apple watch, we walked a half marathon that day. I feel like I got a good taste of BC with all the activity I was able to squeeze in over a long weekend.