Churchill Drive (mostly pavement)

This morning, the Running Jackal heads up Mount Douglas via Churchill Drive for a change of pace — a pavement climb rather than his usual trail route. Starting with a few kilometres of neighbourhood running, he chats about everything from talkative ravens and Halloween decorations to the new communications tower and the welcome return of fellow podcaster JD. With his heart rate climbing into the 160s, Carlos alternates running and hiking, tackling the steepest sections he can manage while chasing that ever-important bang for his buck. Along the way, he reflects on aging, recovery and the limits of training, concluding that sometimes the best approach for ordinary runners is simply to pick a hill and try to run up it. After 35 minutes of effort, he reaches the summit and prepares to descend via Glendening Trail — another outing in it for the long run.