Seen On The Run

Taken around 07:30 along the Grand River, Kitchener, ON, using the camera from my iPhone.

 

Seen On The Afternoon Run

Yesterday was one of the few days in February where I felt not only able but even compelled to run outside.    A sunny day with a temperature at 0C was delightful.   My route took me through Victoria Park, a gem of sanctuary just west of downtown Kitchener.   I was originally going to cross this  footbridge to take a picture of the snow-covered bandstand, but then I looked up and this little Victorian fancy caught my eye.

Here’s a close up.

It turns out that the bridge is something of an architectural rarity, not only as one of the oldest metal bridges in Canada, but as the only known example of a cantilever structure being used on a small scale.  Bridge connoisseurs, apparently, think this bridge is kind of a big deal.

Seen On The Midday Run

It’s been a tough winter for running outside.  Most days it’s either too snowy or too cold or both.  However, this Wednesday I got outside for a run and enjoyed the bright sun and the fresh air.  Treadmill running gets old after a short while.

This is Woodside, a National Historic Site and the childhood home  of William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canada’s longest-serving Prime Minister.  It looks like a interesting place.  I’d like to take a tour when it’s warmer.  

King was  an interesting character, with an interest in the occult and in using seances to speak to his mother and to previous prime ministers and pets.  He also claimed to see portents and omens in his shaving cream.  He bears a rather startling resemblance to yours truly, as you can see in this selfie I took last summer.  Note the same visionary, far seeing gazes and heroic miens.  

 

Seen On The Morning Run

One great way to get to know a new place is through running.   For the last two months I've been exploring my neighbourhood since we moved to Kitchener-Waterloo.   Some runs have been less fruitful than others.  There was the disastrous morning I discovered that the route I had plotted to take me home from a trail head led me through a busy industrial park with no sidewalks.  

Most runs have been less stressful and have allowed me to reacquaint myself with a part of Canada that is so different from the prairie that has been my home for the last three years.

Here was the view a few days ago, on a fairly hot and humid morning along the Grand River.  Views like this make the occasional steep hill along the trail worthwhile.

Here's a selfie taken after that run, in which the only military thing about me is the T shirt.   The long hippy hair and goatee are decidedly non-regulation, but since the closest Regular Army unit is two hours away and my place of duty is at a civilian university, it can stay for now.   Sadly, I have just made an appointment for 1 October to get a new military identity card, so I will have to address this deplorable grooming standard soon.   But not too soon.

 

 

Seen On The Afternoon Run: Alberta Calvary

Trees on a hillside on a clear Good Friday evening reminded me of a green hill far away, outside a city wall.

Seen On The Morning Run: Three Views Of The River

My Saturday morning running route of late has been taking me by the same bend in the South Saskatchewan River, and taking pictures of the river in its various moods and seasons has become a good excuse to stop and catch my breath for a few minutes.

Here's the river on a calm and mercifully warm day in late October with little hint of the winter to come.

Nearly the same spot in early November, after the first snowfall of winter, with ice starting to form at the bend.

And the river as it appeared this morning, 24 November, after a week of cold weather and thickening ice.

Today's run, a very slow 16km, got me over the symbolic number of 2000 kms logged since spring 2010 using the Nike Plus app, a full month ahead of schedule. It would be nice to get to 2100kms before this Christmas.

Cheers and thanks for looking. MP+

Seen On The Morning Run

Taken this morning at the top of Carry Drive hill in Medicine Hat, looking east towards the South Saskatchewan River, on an unseasonably warm October day. I was tryng to capture the light on the far coulees, but my iphone camera wasn't quite up to it. Despite those clouds in the photo, the day turned out kindly and I got a goodly bit of fence painted in my back yard once I recovered from my 10ks.

Seen On The Morning Run

Kin Coulee Park, Medicine Hat, around 07:30 yesterday morning. Fall fights its doomed battle with winter for dominance.

This run put me at 1844 kms logged with Nike Plus since June 2010. So far I'm on track to break 2000 before New Years, God willing.

Seen On The Morning Run / 1800+ Kilometres!

This morning in SE Ablberta looked like fall transitioning into winter, grey and cool with a threat of rain. Coming back to the base at the end of a 6k run, the drizzle stopped, the sun came out and this was my reward. A good omen for a good day ahead.

This run marked my 1800th kilometre run with nikeplus since I started tracking in June 2010. I am hoping to get to 2000km by the end of 2012.

Seen On The Morning Run - Kingston, Ontario

These pictures were taken last Saturday while I was in Kingston, Ontario, for a wedding. Kingston is a little gem of a city, and has tons of historic interest. The old downtown has wonderful old world limestone buildings, lots of decent restaurants and pubs, and cultural life. Nearby Queens University keeps the place young and vibrant.

Saturday morning a storm was blowing off Lake Ontario but since our hotel was on the waterfront I decided to risk going for a run along the harbour trail. That trail brought me to Murney Tower, one one of the Martello Tower fortifications built in the 1840s. Kingston was a strategic communications point and garrison, both during the War of 1812 and later as it anchored the Rideau Canal being built northwards to Ottawa, so the Crown was anxious to fort up the place in the event of another spat with the United States.

In the picture below, you can see how strong the wind was by looking at the trees to the right of the tower. When I was running into the wind, I was really just walking.

This photo shows a view of the Kingston Harbour and the choppy water. If you squint you can see two more red roofed Martello towers, one on the right at Royal Military College (Canada's version of Sandhurst or West Point), and one on the left by the inner harbour.

One of the pleasures of running, especially in a new place, is that it allows me to see things I would miss while travelling in a car. As I meandered around, I noticed how the local architecture mimics and echoes the Martello tower shape and theme. The picture below shows a residence building at Queens University. In the bottom right, just above the SUV, you can see an example of what I mean.

Another example of a Martello tower echo in a high-end townhouse complex I ran by along the waterfront.

So this post is a little longer than most of my Seen On The Run posts, but I encourage you to get out, be healthy, and notice things.

Seen On The Morning Run

Anglican cemetery, Rocky Harbour, Newfoundland. Mountains in the background are typical of the landscape here in Gros Morne Ntl. Park.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Main St N,Rocky Harbour,Canada

Seen On The Morning Run

Here's a prank you have probably never seen before. While out runnning near my house this Tuesday morning, I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of a car entirely covered in post-it notes.

From what I could see, many of the post-its had friendly messages on them, so this was perhaps a birthday, or a birthday present? Whatever the reason, very cool and imaginative.

Seen On The Afternoon Bike Ride

Taken this Friday afternoon around 1pm, on the western edge of Medicine Hat on the Ross Glen trail, overlooking Seven Persons Creek and the rail line. It looks sunny in the distance to the south, but that dark line at the top of the photo is a rain cloud just waiting to dunp on my friend Kevin and I. Within minutes of taking this picture the skies opened, rain mixed with hail, and there was thirty minutes of wet, shivery misery in store until we could take shelter at a Starbucks and warm up. Still a good ride, and this was a nice shot worth stopping for.

Seen on the Morning Run

This photo was take during a breather alongside the South Saskatchewan River at Strathcona Island Park in Medicine Hat last Friday, 13 April As you can see, spring has come to the river, the ice and snow are gone, and those are actually birds in the water, who seem quite happy about the coming of spring. For those readers who don't know this part of Alberta, this gives you a sense of the river walls, or coulees, that are a distinctive part of the badlands landscape here.

Taken using the Pro HDR app on my iphone.

Seen On The Late Afternoon Run

Strangely warm temperatures and the blessed absence of snow and ice saw me out more often last week. While it seems like spring, the sun still sets on its winter schedule, and as I was coming back across the river and passing Medicine Hat city hall (an impressive glass structure), I liked the Christmas lights on the clock tower as it started to become luminous in the gathering dusk. The bare branches accent the piece, I think. Taken as always with my iphone camera.

Seen On The Morning Run

Some runs are better than other ones, but even on the really good ones, when I've enjoyed being out and working out, I always enjoy seeing the front door of my house at the end. This was the view this morning of Christmas Eve, about 10:00am on a gorgeous and clear sunny day with our festively attired front stoop and some fresh snow on the mailbox garland. Consider this my Christmas card to all Mad Padre readers.