The Running Jackal

A little Running Jackal time travel today, back to one of my historic Sidney runs with Derek during the COVID era. Derek was coming back after a couple of months off, so we took it steady, talked about getting him back into training, and planned on meeting every Thursday for the next month. As usual, the conversation went everywhere—shoes, UFOs, electric cars, Facebook relationships, virtual races, Beirut and even gadgets that supposedly knew how many calories we’d eaten! Despite the social-distancing restrictions, Derek kept going like the Eveready Bunny, and we ended up covering about 4½ kilometres at a pretty respectable pace while still remembering that training is about listening to your body, not simply chasing speed. Looking back from 2026, it’s a great little snapshot of those strange COVID days—and another reminder that running with a good friend can make even a socially distanced world feel pretty normal.

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The Running Jackal hits the Rake and Radish farm stand at the back of Mount Douglas, scores some basil, beans and pickling cukes, and heads for the hills. Through Upper Whittaker and toward the saddle, the trail gets steep enough to remind him that some terrain is best conquered on foot—with a good dental plan! Along the way, fallen trees, mossy rocks, old trail junctions and even the spot where he once found his first mysterious green dog bandana bring back memories of countless hikes. After grinding his way to the saddle, breathing heavily and shedding his jacket, he heads downhill through the beautiful forest of massive cedars, maples, spruce and Douglas fir. Another Saturday adventure from the back of Mount Doug, another guerrilla podcast in the bag—and the Running Jackal signs off with a cheerful “bye-bye, everyone!”

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I headed out to the golf course to make a guerrilla video podcast, but naturally I forgot the Sony and ended up doing the whole thing handheld with my Nikon and a health app instead of Samantha in my ear. I worked my way around the hilly wood-chip, gravel, and dirt trails, mixing running and walking with my breathing and the terrain, while trying to keep the camera rolling and avoid the noise. Along the way I stopped for water, crossed Bowker Creek, admired my favourite hydrangea, passed the earth drums, dodged a noisy fairway blower, and generally turned the golf course into my little outdoor studio. I also used the opportunity to talk about our upcoming three-week trip to Cord-sur-Ciel in southern France, where we planned to explore an ancient hilltop village and the surrounding area using public transit and our feet instead of renting a car. By the time I reached the clubhouse and the 18th tee, I had enough clips, photos, wind, machinery, water stops, and random Jackal commentary to cobble together another midweek episode—Avoiding the Noise, guerrilla podcasting at its best.

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I headed out toward the weir and the Rake and Radish, taking audio notes on the Sony while testing Samantha’s coaching, my artificial Jackal voice, and settling back into my nine-minute Jackal pace. I went through Robinwood and into the forest, talking about everything from the heavy rain and the surprisingly busy Sunday traffic to my new hobby of making soy milk and tofu from dry soybeans. Along the way, the Jackal wandered through thoughts on tai chi, blues music, my upcoming 75th birthday, and the idea that these rambling audio notes can eventually be translated from Jackal into something resembling English. I turned around halfway, headed back toward Mount Douglas, and let Samantha keep me honest as I worked toward a seven-kilometre, roughly 600-calorie outing. I finished near the stepping stones after spotting Valerie Bell, someone I hadn’t run with for 15 years, and signed off with another Sunday adventure safely in the books.

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Running Naked Around the NeighborhoodToday’s five-mile solo run is another Running Jackal experiment: no Samantha, no constant heart-rate nagging, just me, my Apple Health app, and running by feel.
I wander through the neighborhood toward Glencoe Cove, noticing everything from Montessori kids and dog walkers to playground construction, sea fog, pressure washers, and a suspiciously Homer Simpson-like Evergreen Terrace.
Without the familiar zone announcements, deciding when to walk becomes a discipline of its own — basically asking myself what Samantha would be saying if she were along for the ride.
There’s plenty of Jackal-style wandering along the way, including cameras and recorders in one hand, a phone in the other, trousers threatening to fall down, and thoughts drifting from local streets to the large trees waiting for me in France.
It’s a five-mile neighborhood adventure, part running experiment, part travel preamble, and part unscripted conversation with whoever happens to be listening.

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Second-String Podcast Mission:- Got a story from your active life?
A run, a ride, a hike, a walk—or just one of those moments when you’re out there doing your thing?
Send me an audio file at:- [email protected].
Tell me what you’re up to, where you are, what you’re seeing, and whatever happens along the way.I’ll collect six submissions, stitch them together, and when the pack is full, I’ll put out the next show.No scripts. No studio polish. No trying to sound like a radio announcer.
Just you, your voice, and your active life.
Keep it real. Keep it moving.

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Laps at Lambrick Park: Going Nowhere FastLaps at Lambrick ParkGood morning, viewing public.
The Jackal is back at Lambrick Park.
Same park. More laps.
The legs are complaining. I’m ignoring them.
Another run. Another story. Another day on the trail.

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The Running Jackal heads out on the Norn Trail, enjoying the sunshine and open space before disappearing into the deep, deep woods. The trail soon narrows between the bushes, requiring maximum concentration to avoid going “ass over tea kettle” on the roots and obstacles underfoot. It’s a nostalgic, memory-lane run, reconnecting familiar trails and old friends while creating a new Norn Trail Loop. Half an hour in, the Jackal discovers a serious flaw in the master plan — he forgot to bring anything to drink. And so, with Zone 3 calling and the bushes closing in from all sides, he bids farewell to the viewing public and ventures into the wilderness, trusting the trail gods to return him safely.

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Good morning, everybody—Carlos here. Today’s adventure was a reminder that guerrilla podcasting doesn’t always go according to plan. I rode 7 km along the Lochside Trail before heading out on a 3.5 km run, but my recording gear fought me every step of the way: I left my voice recorder in my jacket, the earbuds let me down, and I accidentally recorded nothing but them clattering around in my pocket. No matter—sometimes the bloopers become part of the story, so here’s the outtake instead. I’ll still stop by the Longhorn cattle and Pondwood Pond on the ride home, camera in hand, because the adventure is always bigger than the technology.

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