Running for Fun

I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to live so close to an ideal spot for running for fun. Since I run, during clement weather, about 3 times a week, it is a bonus to have an area to run where there are groomed running paths set apart from vehicular traffic. The Eastern Parkway which runs alongside the Ottawa River from the Prime Minister’s residence at 24 Sussex to Bearbrook Road in Beacon Hill has a number of paths and trails which allow me to have a variety of runs ranging from 3.5 – 12.0 km.

During the summer months, on a Sunday morning from 9AM – 1PM, the length of the parkway from the Aviation Museum to Bearbrook road, is completely closed to motorized vehicles and is reserved for running, cycling, in-line skating or any variant thereof. Unfortunately, this week-end haven ceases on Labour Day, which has already passed. However, the paths are still available.

On Sundays, as part of my regular running regime, I try to do one of the longer runs. This particular day, I selected the 12k course. Because of my trusty Garmin Forerunner 405, you can see the complete details of the route as well as time and speed at any point. When you run for fun, you are not competing with anyone but yourself. However, I personally, need some type of motivation and until recently used the ‘Virtual Partner’ feature of the Garmin Sports watch to give myself something to measure against. I typically set the pace at 5 mins/km which equates to 12 kph. As you will see if you follow my posts, I usually clock in at around this pace.

In an effort to vary things a little, I usually set a goal for each run:

1. To complete the distance in the shortest time possible
2. To keep my heartrate within a certain band  (ie. 130 – 150 bpm)
3. To cover the entire distance without stopping or walking (including the hills)

As I post my various runs, I will show you which is which. Running is, by its very nature, a solitary sport and if you hope to keep it up, you too will need to find ways to keep your interest level high. Of course, the health benefits are obvious but they are not enough of an incentive for most people.