The Running Jackal

Carlos takes us on a wet-weather running adventure from Feltham Road, along the Feltham Trail and through Bow park towards King’s Pond and Peacock Hill Park. Despite overnight rain, muddy trails, soggy shoes and plenty of puddles, he enjoys some downhill running and encounters ducks, squirrels and the occasional noisy leaf blower along the way. He explores the possible origins of Peacock Hill’s name, weighing up the story of Victorian pig farmer John Peacock against the alternative connection to the Peacock Lily, or Shooting Star. The climb to the summit provides a welcome glimpse of sunshine and a spectacular panoramic view of Mount Tolmie, Mount Douglas, Little Saanich Mountain, Mount Work and Mount Finlayson, despite the hazy conditions. With Jackal settling happily into his new surroundings and an island getaway planned for next week, the Running Jackal signs off from the top of Peacock Hill after another enjoyable urban trail adventure.

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Carlos takes us on a run/walk along the Lochside–Galloping Goose Connector, heading towards Hamilton's Hops and Grape to pick up malt extract and a new cheesecloth sock for his home brewing and tofu-making activities. Running without Samantha (his usual audio heart-rate companion) feels a little strange, and he finds himself taking more spontaneous breaks as he discusses the difference between English and North American uses of the word pavement. Along the way, he reflects on Victoria's new mayor, encounters cyclists, explores the echoes of a long tunnel, and observes some rough sleepers collecting recyclables. He explains how he's scaled back his beer consumption and describes his plans for making two small batches of homemade beer, before joking about the possibility of his backpack bursting and leaving everything tasting of nylon. The outing also includes trail closures around the Selkirk trestle, a few observations about everyday life in Victoria, and anticipation of Jack's arrival from England to spend November with the family and his partner Zaryn. The episode finishes with a little geographical wordplay as Carlos crosses Alpha Street and Beta Street, proving that even an ordinary run to the home-brew shop can provide plenty of material for the Running Jackal

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Churchill Drive (mostly pavement)
This morning, the Running Jackal heads up Mount Douglas via Churchill Drive for a change of pace — a pavement climb rather than his usual trail route. Starting with a few kilometres of neighbourhood running, he chats about everything from talkative ravens and Halloween decorations to the new communications tower and the welcome return of fellow podcaster JD. With his heart rate climbing into the 160s, Carlos alternates running and hiking, tackling the steepest sections he can manage while chasing that ever-important bang for his buck. Along the way, he reflects on aging, recovery and the limits of training, concluding that sometimes the best approach for ordinary runners is simply to pick a hill and try to run up it. After 35 minutes of effort, he reaches the summit and prepares to descend via Glendenning Trail — another outing in it for the long run.

https://jackal100.blogspot.com/.../churchill-drive-mostly...



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This Sunday, I headed to the Cedar Hill golf course for a seven-kilometre outing, combining the Chip Trail with a few hills, some downhill running, and plenty of duck-watching at King’s Pond. I shared the good news that Norma has bought her new Kia EV4, while reflecting on my modest bottle-return savings and my ongoing quest to buy a winter’s supply of firewood. These days, I’m enjoying running naked, relying less on Samantha’s heart-rate updates and more on my own judgement to decide when to run and when to walk. The Million Dollar View was looking splendid, and despite a few grumbles from my knees, I was happy to be out enjoying the sunshine, scenery, and companionship of the dogs, birds, and fellow walkers. I finished with a drink of water in sight and a little samba on the air drums, wishing everyone a spooky Halloween and promising more Jackal adventures to come.

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On a Sunday morning when thousands of runners were taking part in the Royal Victoria Marathon, I headed off alone to explore Mount Doug’s Powerlines, Whittaker, Mercer and Todd trails. Having abandoned Samantha and her precise telemetry, I’m happily running for the long run rather than worrying about speed, distance or questionable calorie counts. The trail was carpeted in fallen maple leaves, a beautiful browny gold that inspired today’s episode title as I navigated roots, rocks and a few changes to my familiar routes. An improvised triangular loop, a little trail-side advice for a fellow hiker, and my own walk-and-talk breaks provided the day’s entertainment. So come along for the ride, join me on the trails, and tell me: have you reached the point where you care less about the numbers and more about simply getting out there?

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I set out on my Sunday run with a five-mile target, deliberately leaving GPS, Samantha, and most of the usual data collection behind as I concentrated instead on storytelling and simply enjoying the run. My plan was to cross the Blenkinsop Trestle, say hello to my old friend Farmer Roy, and use the back gate of GardenWorks as a handy shortcut—but the gate was firmly secured with a chain and padlock, so the Jackal had to take the long way around via Lohbrunner and Blenkinsop. I eventually reached GardenWorks and asked about hibiscus plants, only to discover that neither indoor nor outdoor varieties were currently in stock, although they offered to contact me when they arrived. I left my name and number and specified that I was looking for a small six- or eight-inch plant, preferably with red flowers, which would make a nice addition to my wife's hibiscus-tea connection. So the mission was only semi-successful—the shortcut failed and the hibiscus remained elusive—but I came home with useful information, another Sunday run in the bag, and one more little Jackal adventure for the podcast.

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R & R remix

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This was probably my last long run in France, taking me mostly off-road through the trails around Cordes-sur-Ciel, past the ponies and along the donkey routes, with the early-morning sun warming my skinny little body.Along the way I talked about everything from our porridge-and-glue breakfasts and Norma’s steadying influence on my adventures to the surprisingly disappointing guinea fowl and cornmeal mash we had in a restaurant.
The trail became a mixture of running and hiking, with maps, hydration reminders and a few opportunities to get gloriously turned around, although my fitness seems to have improved considerably during this month of vigorous hiking and running in France.Now the adventure is winding down, with our cottage inspection, bus to Albi, train to Toulouse, and eventually the long journey home via Paris and Calgary, while I continue to chatter away in my peculiar Vox Pop style.

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On a quiet Friday morning in the French countryside, the Running Jackal heads out along the Chemin de Pompe, enjoying some unusually flat roads and a little freedom from the hills around Cordes-sur-Ciel.
Along the way, he reflects on the flax fields, learning that this crop is being grown for linseed rather than fibre, while wandering through the dry river valley and photographing a few of the farms and countryside sights.
The run then takes an unexpected turn into the story of the Dove’s Font, a beautiful old typeface developed beside the Dove pub on the Thames—a pub the Jackal himself remembers drinking in as a teenager.
He compares the highly polished presentation of the podcast he heard about the font with his own rough-and-ready Guerrilla Podcasting style, wondering whether his listeners sometimes prefer the stories without all the Jackal delivery wrapped around them.
By the end, he has decided to keep experimenting with shorter, less technical and less waffly audio, while continuing to tell the stories that turn up when he goes out for a run.

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