It was an effort, to leave my run mates, yesterday as they entered the home stretch of their run. We parted company on the belt line and I ducked into Memorial park arena for a pit stop and bought a pinkish, Vitamin water. I reversed direction on the belt line back to Mt. Pleasant cemetery, under Bayview, and then cut southeast to the exit opposite the northerly entrance to the Moore park ravine. Wanting to save my knees, I walked down the first portion, a sharp downhill and then eased into running, as the next mile and a half are downhill.
Going down the big hill, in Moore Park ravine
This is one of my favourite running routes in Toronto. It is an ideal route in the summer as it is very shaded and the terrain, gravelly dirt, is easy on the legs. However I would not advise a lone female to run this route outside of the weekend, and even at that, only during the peak times for dog walkers, runners and walkers.
You can see the route of roughly 2.25 miles on this map, although unless you know the route, you won’t get a sense of the seclusion created by the hills, ridges, forest and bush. There are two ways to exit this ravine; the really steep route, up to Milkman’s lane or the one outlined below that is a more gradual uphill parallel to a creek, and up to Mt. Pleasant road.
The photo of the path going up to Chorley park does not do justice to the slope of the hill. Our group jokes about the one time we ran up this hill, with a new recruit in tow. Not sure how that happened, but it has been suggested that it was some sort of initiation rite, as a run up this section of the trail was unprecedented.
Chorley Park to the west
Brickworks to the east
Final downhill turn before fork in the road
So after this section, I end up in at Roxborough drive and Mt. Pleasant, run over to Yonge street, and gaze longingly at Patachou, however I’m feeling far to disheveled and sweaty to venture in and buy a pain au chocolat. I have to settle for the gas station, kitty corner from there, where I buy a dark chocolate Mounds and use the washroom. After 25 years of trying to sneak or slip unobtrusively into washrooms here and there as a non-customer, it finally dawned on me that it is far more pleasant to buy a small item and feel entitled to a pit stop.
Three miles to go and I’m home. My next post will cover how to recover from long runs, and have enough energy to enjoy the evening.
Happy fall!
Mind, Motion & Matter 