Audio Postcards

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An audio update of "The Roman Ramblers"
Huge congratulations, Pablo, Tony and Bill — you did it! Carlisle to Newcastle is no small feat, especially if a 6-hour slog in 25-degree sun was a daily event. Glad Vindolanda gave you a proper break, it really is worth it.


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Testing, testing, 123, 123 Today, I'm planning to record a short audio postcard using my voice recorder that's built into the iPhone. So this is just another test. Thank you. Bye bye.👋

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I headed out for a short, sharp hill repeat session on Glendenning, using the early kilometres to check in on my body as my heart rate spiked and confirmed I was slightly stressed before the real work began. I completed three hill repeats, grinding uphill in zone three, enjoying the downhill recoveries, pausing for brief encounters and reflections, and accepting that the day was about effort rather than speed. I finished with the jog home, turned toward Harvest Lane at 3.68 kilometres, and signed off on the connector trail feeling worked, steady, and satisfied.

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On my day off, I set out to hike the Wide Saddle Loop at Mount Douglas, turning the outing into a small experiment. I had my phone’s voice recorder running, paired with a steady metronome, just to see what kind of transcript and data I could gather from the trail. The loop itself circled the base of the mountain, taking me through the Saddle, past the perimeter fence, and eventually onto Upper Whittaker where the path grows quieter and less traveled. Soon I was climbing over the familiar shapes I call the elephant’s back, shoulder, and ear, before dropping into the saddle chute and heading toward Harvest Lane and Glendenning. The pace stayed steady—about eleven minutes per kilometre—with my cadence between the forties and fifties and my heart rate climbing steadily into the 130s as the trail rose and fell. At first the metronome’s clicks kept me honest, but as the hike wore on, I realized they were more of a distraction than a guide, so I focused instead on the rhythm of my footsteps and breathing. Along the way, I passed through quiet stretches of fern and shaded forest, meeting only a couple of other hikers before carrying on toward the open sections. By the time I reached the 5K mark, I had logged nearly an hour on the move and burned close to 478 calories. The hike gave me what I was after: steady aerobic work, a few pushes into higher effort on the climbs, and the satisfaction of covering more ground than I would have with a short run. More than just the numbers, though, it was the flow of the loop itself—the mixture of climbs, descents, and forest turns—that made the experiment feel worthwhile.

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Hey folks, Carlos here, just back from a solid run with Rob—well, almost 4K, but it felt good. He’s gearing up for the 8K on Canada’s Thanksgiving Day, part of a whole festival of races that roll along the Victoria waterfront with killer views of the Olympics and the Strait. Running with Rob always pushes me because he’s old school—no walk breaks—while I tend to manage my heart rate with little pauses on the hills. Right now I’m cruising home on my e-bike, trying to record this without too much wind noise, after messing up my first attempt with the mic turned off. We’re already talking about running again soon, maybe adding an extra lap next time, so stay tuned.

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Ride Report — “Lochside Pig Ride” This morning, Rob and I set out on the Lochside Trail with one unusual mission: visit the new mini-pigs. The weather was perfect for spinning, and the trail was alive with late-summer greens and a hint of crispness in the air. We covered 31.77 km in just under two hours (1:57:03 moving time), keeping an easy conversational pace of 16.3 km/h. The ride wasn’t about speed—it was about scenery, company, and curiosity. Along the way, we climbed 143 m, enough to keep the legs warm but never burning. My average power came in at 56 W, translating to 965 calories burned, which I think means I earned extra lunch. The pigs, by the way, were worth the trip—charming, small, and already the stars of their pen. We lingered for a while before heading back, chatting about future rides and sharing the road with a scattering of other cyclists and walkers. Second longest ride in my Strava records—proof that sometimes the best motivation is the promise of something unexpected at the end of the trail. 🐷🚴

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This morning's run to Lohbunner Pond doubled as an audio test—I had my phone tucked in a pouch under my shirt to see how well it recorded. I skipped the earbuds and ran without music, listening only to messages from Samantha while focusing on pace and hydration. I mixed Half-Salt and a little sugar in my water to mimic a sports drink, aiming to replace lost electrolytes without the fake flavor. Along the way, I stopped to photograph my favorite "Pouting Tree" again and reflected on a recent fall that left a bruise and a reminder to stay cautious. As I reached the meadow, I paused the recording to audit the sound quality and enjoy the quiet moment.

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