RunningAHEAD - Topic: Running Downtown

posted: 5/7/2009 at 3:09 PM

I am sitting her plotting some new routes for my longer runs and I am just curious if anyone here is in the habit of running downtown. Presently I only go as far south as maybe Yonge & Bloor. I am playing with the idea of taking Avenue down to College or so and then sliding along College to Jarvis before heading back north. I'm a little nervous and I don't want to be stuck in a ton of foot traffic or hitting three stoplights in a kilometer. Does anyone have any experiences positive or negative?

And who am I anyway?
Just another fat jogger, evidently.

redleaf

posted: 5/7/2009 at 4:16 PM

sorry I can't really help - I run downtown, downtown - right near the water. I try and stick to the Martin Goodman Trail and then I don't have to worry about lights etc. Although I'm thinking of heading north and east a bit and heading up by the Don Valley for a long early weekend run. Probably next weekend though. Maybe do a drive-by soon to check it out. I'm pretty unadventuresome being such a noobie and all! (It's only recently that I left the treadmill for the great outdoors...)

First or last...it's the same finish line

HF #4362

redleaf

posted: 5/7/2009 at 4:34 PM

I googled "running toronto" or something like that and found a runners group that has some maps posted. They might give you an idea of possible routes... http://runningrats.com/ click on Routes

First or last...it's the same finish line

HF #4362

anutherfinemess

posted: 5/7/2009 at 4:58 PM

I'm familiar with the runningrats, well by name anyway. I thought about joining but after a few inquiries it became apparent that I was simply too slow. Thanks for the effort though, kiddo. I'm not the most adventerous, either. I think it must be an OCD thing but I can't just "go for a run" without knowing in advance where I am going and how long the route is. I think I'll just put together a route and go for it some time next week. The worst that can happen is I get fed up with the traffic and end up on the subway.

And who am I anyway?
Just another fat jogger, evidently.

Daddyo

Go Pre!

posted: 5/7/2009 at 5:02 PM

Where do you start? The lower Don trail is great, and Taylor Creek park.

https://twitter.com/BeachesRunner

rururunner

posted: 5/7/2009 at 8:31 PM

I have a friend who runs downtown and says it is very difficult to run between stop lights and dancing with pedestrians. He even complains about cyclists on the Martin Goodman Trail. I think that every Sunday between 8 am and noon major streets (4 lane ones) like Lakeshore or Bloor or whatever should have two lanes closed off so us runners can do our long runs in peace. Cool

There are certainly enough of us!

Suffering Benefiting from mature onset exercise addiction and low aerobic endorphin release threshold. Hoping there is no cure.

anutherfinemess

posted: 5/7/2009 at 9:41 PM

I start from Lawrence and Bathurst. I will usually head over to Allen Road and run the trail alongside it until I hit Eglinton, then cut through side streets down to Vaughan. After that I cut over to Whychwood and Wychwood Park, then run along Davenport to Yonge, over to the trail just past Shelbourne ( or is it Sherbourne? ) and back up through Mt. Pleasant Cemetary. I was thinking of taking Avenue Road from Davenport all the way down to College, then running College / Carlton over to Jarvis and follow Mt. Pleasant as it comes up. I really hate that hill on Mt. Pleasant from like Roxborough up to around Davisville, but for some reason I insist on working it into every run that is longer than 10k. What I am trying to do is basically extend myself a bit over the summer up to maybe 40 or 45k long runs, but that would mean either running downtown or heading up toward Richmond Hill. I have no idea why, but I simply do not enjoy running east / west as much as I do north / south, so I generally don't go far beyond Dufferin to the west and Bayview to the east. Running north up through Richmond Hill seems like a pain as it has fewer side streets that I can avoid lights with. More importantly, I strongly prefer to make myself go uphill on the last half of a run. I do that on pretty much every route. Just for reference, I will throw in links to the 21k and 15k routes I have been using this spring. I'm pretty comfortable with the elevation charts on those runs but I honestly am not sure how much more of a climb I could swing. 21k http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/on/toronto/386123812994131152 15k http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/on/toronto/753123852182099805

And who am I anyway?
Just another fat jogger, evidently.

Toronto and Beyond

Running Downtown (Read 143 times)