Wishes

 The year is drawing to a close - this will likely be my last post of 2021

Which sort of seems like a Christmas gift to you all!

I just wanted to wish you a wonderful holiday - I hope you get to spend it doing whatever you like best, in the company of those whom you love and who love you.

My own shenanigans have already begun!

If you find this time of year difficult, I wish you comfort - and I'll stand behind that wish by offering a sympathetic ear or any other support I can possibly provide. I am here for you if you need someone!

I promise there is light at the end of the tunnel, and I will walk with you until we find it!

To all of you, I wish peace and joy. It's been a rough year in a lot of ways, but we've got through them all so far - let's hope that 2022 brings us better times!

..and to all, a good night!

Be well - be merry - and see you in the new year!

It's not how fast you go

It's that you go that counts.

At least that's what I like to tell myself as glaciers go racing past me

Maybe I've spent too much time as a hobby jogger - or perhaps "experiential runner" is more accurate - but I was utterly baffled by a response I got recently.

No, it wasn't from turkey tails...but it was from a fun guy!

I'd learned that the Polar Paws Trail Race is coming back for 2022, with a brand new venue to explore. So, I passed that information (plus the link to register) along to someone I know who enjoys running trails, and has a soft heart for animals - the race has, after all, historically been a fundraiser for the Etobicoke Humane Society.

As well as a lovely time in the woods

I said I was in for the 25k and Tank (whom this person also knows) would be at the aid station all day. The person I invited told me they were really out of shape right now, so needed to work on that first - they haven't been running much.

Which I sort of get, but..

Here's the thing: if you're having trouble getting motivated to go out and run, wouldn't laying down a bit of money (for a good cause) and making a solid appointment to do so be a good idea?

Not to mention just getting some fresh air and time in the trees?

I told my invitee that there was nothing saying they had to go hard: just run a bit, walk a bit, and enjoy the time in the beauty of nature.

The person said they'd think about it.

This led me to an examination of why I race these days - I'm generally not fast enough to do anything noteworthy in the results, and I've arrived at so many start lines with injuries that it's become rather a joke. But still, I'm always happy to lay down my cash, get up before the sun, and go chase a bunch of flags that someone took the time to poke into the ground in the forest.

Sometimes for a few hours - sometimes for a few days

Apart from trying to make cutoff times (mostly out of respect for the volunteers and race directors who have lives of their own to get back to), I'm seldom concerned about the clock while I'm out there, or my particular fitness level at the time.

Chasing no-one but my own shadow, and the next lovely view

Races offer me the chance to go explore places I might not ordinarily hear about or visit, and stay out longer or in worse conditions than I otherwise might on my own.

Though some recent flooding had me questioning where the limit is in what I'll do on my own
(in the dark, with snow starting to fall)

But really, it all comes down to joy - the pure elation of setting out on a course, not knowing what beautiful sight or nefarious challenge the race director may have in store for me, or what delightful encounters I may have with wildlife or other runners (which can sometimes be considered the same thing, really - these are trail runners we're talking about!) along the way.

Frosty sunsets or sunny mud puddle jumping?

The worst thing I can think of would be never knowing what could have been, just because I didn't feel like I was in shape enough to race.

..but maybe that's just me.

See you in the woods!

Dimwit

 I'm not all that bright.

As anyone who's read this blog previously can attest

..but maybe that's why I don't mind the dark.

There's so much more of it this time of year

It's not always pleasant..

..but that doesn't necessarily make it bad.

It can be quite beautiful

Where will the darkness take you this time?

There's only one way to find out

Just let it envelop you, and go..

Just for a visit

 Winter stopped by last Sunday.

We went from no snow at all, to a world dressed in white!

I had some fancy new kicks to try out, so I threw them on and went exploring..

I was hoping the "Glide" wouldn't refer to their performance on snow..

There wasn't enough for snowshoes yet, but a lovely white blanket.

Not quite a monochrome landscape

The temperature hovered right around the freezing mark, so the big, fluffy flakes clung to every surface they landed on.

The wind-damaged trees looked particularly dramatic

It was a bit slippery in the singletrack along the riverbank - more from the mud beneath than the snow itself - but still warranted a bit of care.

Fortunately my inattention here had no unpleasant consequences

Past the Confluence, looking particularly stark in the cloudy afternoon

I don't care to even contemplate how cold that water would feel

Then down into the gloriously snow-encrusted singletrack.

Looking almost like an elaborate confectionery project

Someone had been through with a saw in the past month or two to clear a path past a tree that fell, blocking the trail, so I was able to get through for the first time since mid-summer.

At least I had no worries from mosquitoes!

The shoes seemed to be holding up ok, though the snow did not seem like their intended element.

They were ok while I was running, but strangely slippery-feeling while walking through the tricky bits

It was all very pretty, though.

If a bit mucky here and there

The snow continued to fall - great wodges of white fluff swirling in the breeze

These white stone cliffs look dramatic at any time of year, though

I was having great fun, even after a branch dropped a portion of its load on the back of my neck!

The collar of my jacket being neither high nor snug enough to prevent its entry

A bit of a hole opened up in the clouds as I turned back upriver, showing a bit of pink sunset glow.

Through the muddiest section of trail of them all

I finished up, then had a few errands to run before the shops closed up...but then it was back out in the darkness for a second romp through the winter wonderland!

Such a neat tunnel effect 

I suddenly remembered one of the challenges of taking photos with flash while running on cold nights:

The steam rising off me likes to get in the shot, washing it out a bit

Nonetheless, I was pleased to get in my first snowy night run of the season.

..and to discover the unique effect caused by this lamppost at the edge of a wooded section

The way the wet snow clung to every bit of twig or dried, shriveled flower was astonishing

Winter's strange fruit

It wasn't quite one of those nights where you don't need a headlamp, but it was close!

Or maybe I'm just a bit more of a weenie than prior years?

It was a fun couple of runs, and I was glad to get them in before Monday's sun melted most of the snow away. I'm sure there will be more, but the first few are always so special!

On a walk around the neighbourhood after we got home, it became clear I wasn't the only one who had been enjoying the weather.

A proper carrot nose and all!

After rain earlier this week, there are only a few little dirty clumps of snow left in shady spots, so it looks like I'm back to dirt and mud this weekend...but I'll definitely be dreaming of a white Christmas!