Fall in Fish Creek

In a sudden fit of luxury, I had the morning to myself so decided to go for a slightly longer weekday run through Fish Creek to check out the "nasty hill" that appears at the end of the Harvest Half this Saturday.

This was also the perfect day to take my little crafty crop for a spin to see how I'd like it.  Meet my little run shrug.  I saw an ad for one.  Saw hoe pricey it was to have shipped.  Made the decision to sacrifice a long sleeve tech shirt to my less-than-stellar sewing skills...and Voila:

If you ever see me in person wearing this - I would appreciate it if you didn't stare too closely at the stitching...if the stitching even holds.  Yes - I AM that talented...

I LOVE Fish Creek Park in the fall.  Always have.  The smells, the colours, the crisp, fall air.   Love it.  I used to work in the park, years ago, and fell in love with everything about it.  Now that I am a runner, I appreciate it on a whole 'nother level for the miles and miles and miles of pathways.

But I rarely make it down there to run.

With my half marathon coming up this Saturday, I figured it was high time I went down and explored an area of the park I never really get to.   Plus, it would give me a chance to check out the Sikome Hill that everyone on Facebook has been bitching about.

So - I dropped off the munchkins and headed to Sikome Lake.  And out I went.

I thought I would run out for 4k and then run back and do that hill.  It took me a ridiculously long time to warm up and my quads were whining at me the whole way.  

At about 3k, I saw a fork in the road and made my decision to turn around there.

and that was when I heard the rustling in the grasses and saw movement.  Because this park is no stranger to wildlife - it could have been anything - so I definitely took it a bit slow after turning around until I was clear.  Last thing I would want was for a wildcat to leap out at me (of course - its close enough to residential that it might have been a house cat!) But I never saw anything beyond moving grasses so maybe it wasn't anything and I was on crack...

So, I turned around and  plodded onward - just enjoying the journey.  Very slowly.  But before long, I was back at Sikome and faced with the start of "the hill"

It didn't look so bad...

I filmed the way up, but it is really lame so I'm not sharing it.   But my thought on this hill is that it isn't that bad.  It is a gentle slope all the way up.  The hardest thing is that it is long.  The switchback hell hill at the end of Run at the Ranch is a HILL.  This is a slight slope.  Totally doable.

In the end - just over 7k done.  All leisurely like.

But DAMN it felt good to do a longer weekday run.  

and that crop?  Was actually the perfect weight for a cool/warm fall day.  Not as cumbersome and hot as a full long sleeve would be and not as restrictive as arm warmers can sometimes be.  Plus - the short length provided extra ventilation.  Thumbs up from me.   I may invest in a couple made by people who know how to sew...

The Garmin Geekery:

Oh - and then I went shopping.  And found these. I had to have them.

 

I may have a small Kinvara compulsion.  Or a large one.  I've bought 3 pairs in September.    It's a problem.