January 2014 - Happy New Year!

Seven runnes/walkers emerged from hibernation and showed up Saturday Jan 4 at Cameron Centre on a zero C morning.  RA Edie, Larry, Laura and Rick opted to run, while Alex, Rod who suffered with cold/coughs courtesy of his grandchildren plus the almost-stranger Bobtoc, who had not run since Nov 17, opted to walk, albeit with more than a few creaks and groans.   Alex turned back to grab an extra jacket and somehow lost the other six.  The route taken by the six was west on Cameron St to the bridge leading to the trail to Government Street, north on Production Way to Government Road, continuing west, with the four runners going to Phillips Avenue then turning back to Piper Ave to join the two walkers, the six then heading north to Lougheed Highway, crossing at  Lake City Way to join Broadway east to Underhill, south to Eastlake and you know the rest of the route to past the Burnaby Mountain Secondary School, then  onward to the Centre.  Distance and times,  for the runners, 8.5 km and 1:30,  for the walkers, 7.7km and 1:45 respectively.  We saw Alex after our return; not sure why we did not connect with him.  

On Jan 1, as is their long-time custom, Edie and Laurie ran the Resolution 5k run in Poco.  

We had a very nice snow shoe trip, Alex Lau and Debra Colvin and back country ski trip, Miriam & Len Soet to Red Heather Meadows, where we stopped at a view point just before Paul Ridge in the Diamond Head area of Garibaldi Park above Squamish. It took us 2 hours to drive to the parking lot from Vancouver, 2 hours to hike up to Red Heather Meadows warming hut and another 45 minutes to hike up to the view point. The total distance, in and out was 12.4 km.  Len

On Monday evening runners  Laurie and Alex ran for 52 minutes and 7.0km along Eastlake to Underhill, then along Broadway to Arden, ran to Willowwood Park and returned to the centre. Walkers  RA Edie,Larry, Laura, Rob and Bobtoc used the familiar route being the Beaverbrooks, Eastlake to Underhill, north to Forest Grove Drive, east to the pedestrian overpass to the Stoney Creek Elementary School and continued along Beaverbrook to Cameron St to the Centre.  Time and distance 1:15,  7.0 km.  The group enjoyed a cool but dry evening.

January 8th:  On Wednesday evening runners  Larry, Laura nd Libby ran to the Super Valu and return to the Centre, their time and distance 1:22 and 9 km,and Senators Rod and Bobtoc walked to Eastlake and Underhill only, their time and distance, one hour and 5 km respectively.   The five experienced weather varying from no precip to precip varying in strength from Warner;s weak to strong streams accompanied by gusts of wind. 

January 11th:  Larry in shorts, Laura, Rod and with some trepidation, Bobtoc on his first run since Nov 17,  were lucky enough to miss rain Saturday am.  Instead they enjoyed  a mild temperature and sunny skies at the beginning of the run although clouds formed during their time on the pavements.  The four ran to the Super Valu corner of Greystone and Burnwood on the oh so familiar route from Cameron St to Beaverbrook to Eastlake, north on Underhill, west on Broadway to Arden, Greystone and Burnwood and return; time and distance 1:30 and 9.7 respectively.  Rain commenced lightly after the four completed their stretches and continued more heavily thereafter.   January 13th: Alex, RA Edie with canine April, Laura, Rod and Bobtoc ran/walked from the Centre Monday on a relatively balmy evening the Forest Grove Drive route frontwards, i.e., west on Eastlake, north on Underhill, east on Forest Grove Drive to the pedestrian overpass, along the Beaverbrooks, Cameron Street back to the Centre.  Time 1:09, distance varying from 7km to 7.5 and 8 km depending upon Bobturns.  The five enjoyed no-precip weather, not bad at all for this part of the year.   Look for a Saturday run from Burnaby Lake parking lot to get in more mileage than what we have done.  The Chilly Chase looms.

January 15th: RA Edie, Larry, Laura, Libby, Rod and Bobtoc ran Wednesday on the best night of the year weather-wise from the Centre to the Forest Grove Drive frontwards, time and distance, 1:02 and 7 km.  Conditions were great: thin overcast, a showing of the moon, and temperature +4C .

January 16th:

January 18th:  On Saturday Alex, RA Edie, Laurie,Len, Rick and Bobtoc ran from the Burnaby Lake  parking lot to use the Central Valley Greenway to go west as far as Renfrew St and return, time and distance 2:05 and 14 km.  Edie incurred a sciatic nerve problem in her left leg, but soldiered on and finished the run.Len and Alex, not calling it quits, continued on the north trail of the lake to Piper Avenue and return, with Len walking/running back home on Kincaid.  Rick used the 14 km as a warmup and continued by running the trail around the lake.  I do not have the additional time and distance for those intrepid three. 

In Coquitlam, on Saturday Jennel was on the run also.  She " went for 20 min. of sprints around PMRC indoor track this morning while my girls were in gymnastics! "

Not to be outdone, Rod ran early Sunday am since he was in the Seattle area with family Saturday.  Rod reports: Got home late last night. Went out this morning from home through Lake City, past golf course and up Shellmont, back through Forest  Grove, along Stoney Creek trail  to North Road, then left at the top of the hill and  East up Broadway to check how the big yellow machine was doing with the Skytrain guideway. Back along North Road to Cameron. After a short pit stop at Cameron went back along Noel Drive to home. Time out 1h30, distance 12.25km

January 20th: RA Edie with canine April, Alex, Rod, and Bobtoc met at and ran from the Centre on a cold and clear evening Monday.   The route taken was the Forest Grove Drive backwards.  Rod booted it , pressed on ahead, continued to Shellmont, ran west down to Arden Drive and returned to the Centre, time 1:15, distance 8.5 km.  Alex and Bobtoc also continued to Shellmont but turned in to Meadowood, turning west and north to meet Arden Drive.  Enroute back to the Centre on Eastlake the two encountered a man with a grocery cart loaded with his worldy goods, and his dog, and Alex and Bobtoc spent a few minutes talking with him.  The man and dog had started out in the morning from Pitt Meadows, their destination being downtown.  The man said his home base was Dawson City, Yukon, and  would eventually walk back home. Wow!  In any event Alex and Bobtoc returned to the Centre, time and distance  1:28, 8.5.  Edie with April turned south at Underhill and returned to the Centre via Eastlake. Time and distance, 1:15, 7 km/

Today, Jennel  in Coquitlam ran from her house down to Lafarge Lake and ran 5X around, then back home.  13.20km….1:25hrs. 

 On Wednesday Jan 23rd RA Edie, Larry, Laura, Libby, Rod and Bobtoc ran or walked from the Centre on a relatively clear, no precip evening, the best of the year.  Edie and Libby opted to walk, their route being Eastlake to Underhill to Forest Grove Drive and returning the same route to the Centre; time and distance, 1;18,  close to 7 km respectively.  Rod and Larry ran to Underhill, continued east on Forest Grove Drive through to the pedestrian overpass to the Beaverbrooks, Cameron St. back to the Centre; time and distance,  1:02,  7km.  Laura and Bobtoc used the same route and a more leisurely pace; time 

 

1:08, and 7 km.

January 26th: On Saturday Alex, Larry, Laura, Rod and Bobtoc ran from the Centre to Kensington Ice Rink on a cool, bright morning, the best morning of the year.  Larry, Laura and Rod teamed up for a pace faster than Bobtoc and Alex, who stayed with the older chap.  Larry and Rod booted it in particular, plus Larry bobturned to check on Bobtoc and Alex, and undoubtedly added a good 1.5 km to his total time.  Time for Larry and Rod excluding pitstop at the rink, 2:15.  Alex and Bobtoc picked up Laura (figuratively) at Production Way and Eastlake since she ran out of gas, having left the two guys.  The trio completed the run to the Centre, their total time including pitstop, 2:33.  Distance 16 km, and for Larry, more like 17.5.  A great time was had by all.

January 27th:  Chilly Chase

 Laurie had a great run with a time of 1:42 while Edie followed the advice below:
 "Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up." - Dean Karnazes

 It was eerily beautiful in the fog by the water and through the park with the trees outlined against the clouds and the buildings unseen.

On Monday night, two cruisers, Laura and Rod, went the usual way up through Lake City, then up Underhill and back through the regular Forest Grove route to Cameron. Time out 1h06, distance 7 km.

 

On Wednesday night, Larry, Rod, Alex and Libby went the Eastlake route up Underhill and through the Forest Grove route back to Cameron, time 1 hour, distance 7 km, losing 6 minutes on the Monday nighters.  Who says we don't improve?  The weather was great, not too cold, not raining, and we can't ask for more at this time of year.   Edie and canine April walked along Eastlake to Underhill then returned to Cameron.