A Trip around the Chip!

A Trip Around the Chip I headed out midweek from Queensbury Avenue toward King’s Pond, setting off on a familiar loop of the well-drained chip trail at Cedar Hill. The run felt like a trip down memory lane, with ducks on the pond, the million-dollar view, and the soft crunch of fresh chip underfoot despite the recent rain. I mixed steady jogging with short walk breaks as the rolling hills, muddy patches, and creek crossings kept things interesting. Even with interruptions for photos and trail chatter, I held a comfortable sub-nine-minute pace and stayed mostly in zone three. I finished the loop relaxed and content, knowing I’d parked the e-bike nearby to grab groceries before riding home.

Closing the Ring,Chasing the Climb

I headed out for a short, sharp hill repeat session on Glen Denning, keeping it simple with relaxed recoveries and aiming for about three climbs. I used the early kilometres across Mount Douglas to check in on my body, calm the system, and note that my heart rate spiked early, confirming I was a little stressed before the real work began. I completed each hill repeat by labouring up, turning around gratefully at the top, and enjoying the downhill resets, pausing occasionally for photos, brief walks, and friendly trail-side encounters. As the session unfolded, I settled into zone three efforts, reflected quietly on family, generosity, and Christmas while descending, and accepted that today’s work was about effort, not speed. I finished with three hill repeats plus the jog to and from, turned toward Harvest Lane at 3.68 kilometres, and signed off on the connector trail feeling worked, steady, and ready to head home.

🦊 “The Jackal’s Midweek Shenanigans”

I rode my e-bike down to the Lochside Trail and started my out-and-back run toward the trestle bridge over Blenkinsop Lake, which I always called Roy’s Bridge. I fumbled with my voice recorder at the start, laughing at all the clothing noise before finally tucking it back into its glove. As I crossed the cedar planks, I enjoyed the glockenspiel-like sound of my shoes tapping along the wooden bridge. A little farther down the trail, I bumped into Chris running in the opposite direction doing his K-repeats. I carried on down the path, feeling like the Running Jackal signing off near the end of another rambling trail podcast.

Friday trails (on Saturday)

I slipped back into the forest of fun for a steady hour on the trails, covering 6.49 km. My pace stayed easy and smooth, settling into long stretches of Zone 1 and 2 with a few spicy climbs pushing the effort higher. The route wound from the neighbourhood streets into the cool woods, then out toward the beach before looping home. My legs felt strong, my heart steady at an average of 126 bpm, and by the end I’d burned 584 calories. It was one of those relaxed Saturday runs that left me feeling great from start to finish.

The mid-week episode

I headed out early for a relaxed 5-kilometre walk through Gordon Head, keeping a steady pace of around 10:30 to 11:00 per kilometre. My heart rate stayed low at about 107 bpm, and my cadence hovered around 127 steps per minute, so it really felt like an easy errand walk. The route took me through quiet neighbourhood streets with only small rises and dips in elevation. Along the way I passed a giant Canadian Santa and a whole lineup of inflatable Christmas pups that made me smile. It was a calm, steady way to start my morning.

Two Cove Run

On a bright, sunny Sunday morning, I headed out solo for my Two Cove Run with a goal of burning 600 calories. I covered 6.98 km in just over an hour of running time, holding an easy, steady pace of 9:17 per kilometre. My heart rate stayed comfortably controlled, averaging 121 bpm and peaking briefly at 140. I spent most of the run in Zone 2 and Zone 3, keeping the effort aerobic and relaxed. I finished feeling great and nearly hit my calorie target with 582 burned.