March 1, 2015

Report from Terri-Lee who ran the Hot Chocolate in Seattle on March 1.  A 15km run with lots of sweets. The first 10 km felt like one big hill ( get over it as Rod would say) time 1:44:37.

March 2nd: Three Cruisers only, notably the senators Alex, Rod and Bobtoc met at the Centre and proceeded west on a cold but clear evening.  All three had ailments;  Alex with sore knees, Rod exhausted somewhat from playing field hockey Sunday with only ten minutes out of the lineup, and Bobtoc, still not fit due to minimal training arising from eye surgery and the Maui absence.   The trio walked to Underhill and Broadway then returned the same route running.  Distance and time,  approx. 6 km,  65 minutes.

From Coquitlam:
Jennel hiked the Crunch again today.  Well part of it…..walked down to IGA to get something, then back up to my house to drop it off, then back to the school and still had 25 min. to spare, so I hiked up the Crunch to the top, then back down to pick up my daughter from school.  I’d say roughly 6/7km!?!

March 4th:  Seven Cruisers:  Debra, RA Edie ,Larry, Libby, Rod, Terri-Lee and Bobtoc met on a cool but clear evening Wednesday.  The group opted to use for their run or walk the usual Forest Grove Drive route, heading west to Underhill, F. G. Drive, east to the Gaglardii pedestrian overpass to the Stoney Creek Elementary School continuing to the Centre via the Breaverbrooks.   Distance for all, 7.42 kms, times for the majority 1:16 and for Debra, Edie and Bobtoc, 1:20.  The weather conditions provided ideal for the run/walkers, but was not voted to be the best night of the year; although close. 

March 7th:  Nine Cruisers: RA Edie with canine April, Flora, Larry, Laura, Jennel , Rick, Rod , Terri-Lee and Bobtoc  hiked up the Coquitlam Crunch Saturday morning on a salubrious day; a bit cool at first, sunny, with many folks using the trail.   At the 2.2 km marker, Rick introduced the other six to another destination, therefore the nine ventured east and north along the road and eventually ended up in new territory to the others, being soccer-baseball-rugby fields a-w-a-a-y up from the usual place of turning back.  The site provided beautiful vistas of unspoiled scenery.  After tarrying awhile, some photo-taking, texting to Vivian in texting to Vivian in Yuma,  the nine hiked back down to the bottom at Runnel Drive, with a few going to the nearby Timmy’s for a debriefing.  A great day, thanks to Flora’s suggestion of doing the Crunch and Rick’s opening our eyes to a new site and sights.   Distance and time,  10 k and 2:28, and for Bobtoc and Laura who was keeping an eye on Bobtoc, another few minutes.
March 9th:  Edie with canine April, Alex, Rod and Bobtoc turned out Monday at the Centre on a cool but comfortable evening, the first outing in PD Time.  Edie reports:.  We did 4k in 52 minutes to the end Stoney Creek Trail and back.  Great to have daylight and perfect weather.☀️😊🐶.   The three senators opted to do the usual Forest Grove Drive route utilizing Eastlake, Underhill, east on Forest Grove Drive and the pedestrian overpass to the Beaverbrooks, walking for the most part on the outward leg and running on the return leg returning to the Centre; their time and distance 1:12 and 7.4 km respectively.  Reflecting on Edie’s comments:  the best night of the year!
March 10th: On Tuesday afternoon Jennel & her two little “Crunchers” (Anamaria & Sofia) hiked the Coquitlam Crunch today, Monday.  From Bramblewood Elementary to the top of the road (didn’t

venture up to those two soccer fields as it was just us gals and I didn’t want take any risks (wild life etc.)…so we stayed more public.  So we walked down to the Dog Park and back up!  That was a good hike especially for “little legs”…they did great and had so much fun!  They’re “Cruisers in Training!!!”
March 10th:  RA Edie, Larry, Rod Terri-Lee and Bobtoc met at and ran from the Centre on a cool and damp evening Wednesday.  The five ran/walked the Forest Grove Drive route backwards, ie Forest Grove, Underhill, Eastlake you know the rest.  The group thoroughly enjoyed the outing, one of the best nights of the year.
 March 13th:  10k Walk in PItt Meadows – Perfect day.
March 11th:  RA Edie, Larry, Rod Terri-Lee and Bobtoc met at and ran from the Centre on a cool and damp evening Wednesday.  The five ran/walked the Forest Grove Drive route frontwards, ie Eastlake, Underhill, Forest Grove and you know the rest.  The group thoroughly enjoyed the outing, one of the best nights of the year.
March 14th: Alex, Ivan, Rod, Terri-Lee and Bobtoc met at the Centre Saturday on a pithy morning which finished thwell  later on. The five ran west, destination Kensington Rink. Rod ran short due to his field hockey team playing in the afternoon, and ran to Union Street where it meets the north end of the asphalt path leading north from Duthie Avenue; his time and distance, 1:43 and 13km.  Ivan and Terri-Lee ran to Kensington Rink and return, time and distance  1:57and 16 km.  Alex and Bobtoc also jogged/ran to Kensington Rink (closed due to spring break at schools), and used the facilities at the restrooms north of the track; their time and distance 2:56 inclusive of pit stops;, distance for Bobtoc 16 km and for Alex, 17.5 km.  This duo had the pleasure of talking to Laurie Brookbank who was leaving the Centre after her spinning and weight room activities.

PS. Rod played field hockey Saturday pm at UBC, the whole game except for 10 minutes.  Lost 2 to 1.  Rod almost played the tying goal.

March 16th:  Alex and wife Angela, Rod and Bobtoc appeared  6:30 pm at the Centre.  The foursome chose to walk an old but new route to some, by heading south down Erickson Ave through to the underpass at Lougheed Highway, continuing south through the park to Government St-Winston then heading west to Brighton-Production Way, north to Eastlake , west through to Beaverbrook, Cameron St back to the Centre.  Distance and time, 6km, 70 minutes.
Flora, Rachel and  Edie walked to the bottom of Cardiac Hill tonight.  Distance
was about 10k and time was about 2:15ish.  Another perfect night for walking.

March 18th:  Six Cruisers:  Alex, RA Edie, Larry, Rod, Terri-Lee and Bobtoc ran, jogged or walked the Forest Grove Drive route backwards, i.e., from the Centre north to the Gaglardi pedestrian overpass to Forest Grove Drive, north and west to the oh so infamous hill past the school to Underhill, south to Eastlake to Beaverbrook to Cameron Centre, and east thereon to the Centre.  Distance for Bobtoc, 7.4 km, for the others ranging to 7.8 due to bobturns., and times 1:05 to 1:14.  The six enjoyed a balmy temperature and daylight for much of the route. 

Other footwork fromJennel in Coquitlam:

Jennel, Anamaria & Sofia tackled the Coquitlam Crunch this beautiful Sunny Monday Morning!  Then played at the park at Bramblewood afterwards!  Good hike, good play!  They’re sure loving this Crunch!!! 

On Wednesday just went for an hour run (first time in a while).  slow jog, but nice steady pace.  Down Panorama, up Parkway Blvd. Left on Tanglewood up Wintergreen crossing Bramble Lane to a path that brought me to the top of the Coquitlam Crunch, so I ran up the path.  That was the midway point….and I was alone (no little kids with me) so I thought I’d see how far it was to go to that “next stretch” that brought us up to the Soccer Fields.  Too far on the windy road to walk with kids….so we’ll wait to go with the group….so next time you go, let us know and we’ll meet up with the gang …A & S are excited to go to the top fields…but I won’t with just us 3 gals!  too secluded for my liking!
Anyhow, turned around and ran down Eagle Mountain to Panorama, down Sandstone around Limestone over to Granite, back up Sandstone to Home!  Lots of Stones!!! LOL

March 21st:  Nine Cruisers met at and moved west from Cameron Centre on a +8C and showery Saturday morning.  The nine moved west, the goal for most being to proceed west to the Kensington Ice Arena and to return therefrom.  Laura and Rene’ opted to run to Duthie Avenue then return, their time and distance being 1:16 and 10:9 km.  Ivan and Terri-Lee ran to Gamma Avenue on Francis Street before returning to the Centre, their time unknown, and distance being  18:2 km.  Rick and Len ran to the Arena and returned to the Centre  with different times since Rick moved more quickly outward bound than did Len, distances for both 16 km with Rick’s time approx. 1:45, Len’s time unknown. Rod on the return leg from the Arena ran solo, ran to Shellmont, up Shellmont to Forest Grove and back to the Centre via the Gaglardi overpass route; his time and distance,  2:18 and 17:5.   Alex and Bobtoc ran/jogged to the Arena and on the return, Alex ran into the residential subdivision at Meadowood, used those residential streets, then headed back onto Broadway, Underhill, Eastlake etal to the Centre.  His time was 2:52, distance 19:1.  Bobtoc stayed the course,  time and distance  2:48 and 16 km.  These latter two encountered more showers on their homeward bound leg.
An elderly man is stopped by the police around 2 a.m. and is asked where he is going at this time of night. 

The man replies, “I am on my way to a lecture about alcohol abuse and the effects it has on the human body, as well as smoking and staying late.” 

The officer then asks, “Really? Who is giving the lecture at this time of night?” 

The man replies, “That would be my wife.”
March 23rd: Laura and Alex completed a run using Eastlake and Forest Grove clockwise in windy and heavy rain in 54:36 covering 6.62Km. On the route we crossed over many streams, brooks , small ponds and puddles.  

March 25th: On Wednesday evening, five hardy souls turned out in what looked like another monsoon-type night but what do you know, the rain turned to a mist after we started out.  Laura, Libby and Terri-Lee ran along Eastlake, Broadway and Arden to SuperValu (aka ye olde IGA) and back, finishing as it was starting to rain again, distance 9.5 km, time 1h 08m.  Larry and Alex walked at a good speed along Eastlake, closely trailing the others for awhile, then went up Underhill and along the Forest Grove route, across the Gaglardi overpass and back, distance 6.5ish km, time 1h 04m.  Eoin dropped in with Laura and said hello, then went shopping.  Libby informed us that as of late June, she will join the growing army of retired people in the group, or as Bobtoc says, the jobless.  Happy retirement Libby!  Libby says there’s still time to register for the Fools Run on April 12, see who’s registered (those that we know about) below.                         

March 28th: From Coquitlam per Jennel:   The Tuesday/Thursday group ran again.  Heather & Jennel ran Thursday afternoon around Town Centre Park  3 times, then back to  each  others’  homes.  Today we included another fellow running friend Beth, whom we have run with before.  We all run the same pace and we seem to chat at the same pace too! lol We ran 15 km total.  Jennel may have a run one or more km. than the others as she was a sucker for punishment and decided to do a couple reps of Bramble Lane on her way home!!!  But we all had a great run.  Good pace, no injuries…it was a good day.
March Eight Cruisers showed up albeit separately on Saturday morning at the Centre on a no precip, balmy morning that turned out to be the best morning of the year.  Seven of them ran or walked east, the destination of five being Mundy Park.  Ivan, Laura, Rick, Len and Bobtoc proceeded to the park via North Road, Smith Avenue to Foster Ave continuing to Hillcrest St being the west perimeter of Mundy Park, paused for pit stops, then headed west on Winslow through to Blue  Mountain to Foster, crossing North Road into Sullivan Heights, south on Willoughby to Cameron St and back to the Centre.  Ivan, Laura and Rick covered about 12 km including bobturns,  their time being 1:30, and for Bobtoc and Len who ran “shotgun” with the older chap, distance 10.69, time 1:46.   Flora and RA Edie with canine April were out for one hour and did 4k.  They  walked to Robinson, turned right and then walked down different streets, looking at houses, and made their way back to North Road, cut through the apartment walkway at Whiting St. to get back to Cameron Street.  It just started raining as we got to Cameron Centre.  We have ESP.  (So says Edie).

Alex the eighth arrived at the Centre 40 minutes late.  He reports: Hi Bob, I missed the alarm at 6:40, 7:00 and 7:20 and arrived Cameron Centre at 8:40. Started my solo run at 8:49 to North Road via Stoney Creek trail; continued Eastward to Robinson via ComoLake road. Turned North along Robinson to Chapman then turned West ,then turned North at Chapman and North Road. Ran up Burnaby Mountain Park via Power Line Trail and Trans Canada Trail. 1:27hours and 10Km when arrived at Horizon Restaurant at top of Burnaby Mountain. After water break and washroom break, continued running West down the mountain along the Trans Canada Trail to Hastings and Curtis. Wrapped around the Curtis,Duthie,Hastings neighbourhood and back to the old IGA intersection. Ran along the urban trail to Meadowood  ,Shelmont ,Forest Grove clockwise to the Centre. . Total time 2:59. distance 21Km. The sky was so clear at the mountain top that I could see the cars moving on the Lions Gate Bridge. One of the best morning to do a loooong run. Read the attached pic for the areas covered .  NB.  Map not sent to Cruisers.
From Rod:  Went out Sunday morning from home to Kensington Rink the usual way and back via Shellmont. Time out 2h18 and distance between 17.5 and 18.  Thoroughly soaked!
Rod

March 30th: Monday evening:   Alex, Laura, Rod and Bobtoc met at the Centre Monday on a gorgeous evening, no precip,  balmy temperature.  The four ran east using the Stoney Creek trail to North Road, north to Chapman Avenue, east to Robinson St, south to Ebert Street, west to North Road, Cameron Street back to the Centre;  time and distance 70 minutes,  6:8 call it 7 km.  The Stoney Creek trail was very wet and muddy in spots, a  reminder of the heavy rains experienced Sunday.