It felt like a real treat being able to set foot outside the hotel and break into a run in a perfectly temperate 14 degrees with the sun just starting to warm the pavement. It's not so much about the exercise (although I do miss that when I'm travelling) as exploring. I'm too impatient to explore by walking but with jogging I can see more, quicker, and start to get a sense for the layout and scale of wherever I am. There's always something slightly liberating about going for a run - no bags to carry, comfortable trainers, nothing to do but take in the view - and this is never more true than when you're taking in a new route, in a new city - a new country! - for the first time.
My body clock was still on UK time which meant I was awake ridiculously early (4:30am) and by sunrise I was bright eyed and ready for some sightseeing. A real highlight was seeing black squirrels for the first time. Not only had I never seen one before, I didn't even know they were a thing! So most of the time 'running' through the parks was spent chasing squirrels with my camera phone. They're fairly tame but nimble and won't keep still so I resigned to just watching them in the end. Amongst the many statues and public art pieces my favourite was a sculpture that shone beautifully in the early morning sunlight - nothing more than plastic bottles! The route was cut short a little with the Pont Macdonald Cartier bridge being closed for road works but I at least caught a glimpse of the Rideau Falls, just visible from my side of the river. Along the way back I was determined to find a bronze statue of a bear catching a fish that I'd seen from the taxi the day before. After asking several bemused tourists if they'd seen a bear (probably should have specified I meant a statue) I stopped a pair of very lean - local - runners who knew what I was harping on about. "It's just this way, how fast can you run? Follow us!" By this point I wasn't going to turn down the only offer I'd had of directions but blooming heck they ran fast! I managed to keep up - just - but politely declined their invitation to join them for a further 10km.
7km Route: Metcalfe Street > Houses of Parliament > Wellington Street > National War Memorial > Mackenzie Avenue > Major's Hill Park > Alexandra Bridge / Interprovincial Bridge > Rue Laurier > Parc Jacques-Cartier > Pont Macdonald Cartier (closed) > reverse to return.
Anticipating having a little more time to explore in Toronto, I had called out for running buddies in a Facebook group for people who had recently moved to the city. I was invited to join the Corktown Run Club on Thursday night; the perfect way to round off my last day of work. My last meeting finished at 7pm, leaving me one hour to get the subway from North York back to Downtown, get changed and find the meeting spot - but I wasn't going to miss this! And I was glad I made it. The group welcomed me to the club and, thankfully, were far more relaxed than the clubs I see running along the Quayside back home. We did around 5km, chatting about everyone's experiences of Toronto so far, then caught our breath at Pacific Junction; a sports bar with games galore and an awesome playlist including Mr Jones by Counting Crows, one of my all time favourite songs. I took that as my cue to leave and ran back with a big daft smile on my face despite the dark and drizzle. The pint probably helped.
