The Wilder Snail is a warm, intimate neighborhood cafe/grocery set in the historic Strathcona neighborhood near Downtown Vancouver - what better place to start a Christmas Eve flash event that would span the urban jungle and along a rain and wind-swept seawall?
Dario and I started from the Snail at 8:35, just missing a well-intended Mark who ultimately ran elsewhere. A light rain and warm 8 degree temp was a non-factor early, as Dario and I made it from the Adanac bike route, over to the Dunsmuir viaduct and eventually a left turn on Beatty.
Into Yaletown, a massive pile driver, driving a giant steel pile, echoed throughout the area. Ah, running in the city! Around David Lam Park and back onto Pacific ave, we headed towards our next rendezvous.
We saw Jess waiting for us right on time at the 4.5k mark near the corner of Drake and Hornby. Two were now three, headed up Hornby. We navigated a construction site near the Robson ice rink, and darted behind and around the Vancouver Art Museum. We sloshed a silly lap around the giant Christmas tree and returned to Hornby just after getting our pictures taken with the tree.
At the seawall near Canada Place, and around the new convention centre, we noticed the high tide in Vancouver Harbour. No longer sheltered by concrete and glass towers, the rain pelted us a bit harder here and the wind whistled. A moment of levity with the bright red men of Chinese sculptor Wang Shugang’s The Meeting, and a hello to seven swans-a-swimming in Lost Lagoon were the highlights of this part of the run.
At 2nd Beach we headed east along the seawall and again admired the high tide tickling the edge of our world. Where the seawall met Hornby, Jess bid adieu so Dario and I pushed on to the finish. The driving rain and headwind made for a home stretch to be earned. More historical buildings in Strathcona, around MacLean Park and a touch on the Wilder Snail signboard signalled our finish.. er.. start of our cappuccino and americano time!
Submitted by Sibylle on 25 December, 2010 - 08:33.
Lovin it, in the spirit of Christmas, three runners with wildly varying speeds, join for a run in the Vancouver monsoons. Hugs. Wish I could have been part of it. Merry Christmas!
Comments
lots of smiling I see
Good one Reagan. Who knew the concrete jungle could be so much fun with lots of smiling I see. Merry Christmas to you and your gang.
Lovin it, in the spirit of
Lovin it, in the spirit of Christmas, three runners with wildly varying speeds, join for a run in the Vancouver monsoons. Hugs. Wish I could have been part of it. Merry Christmas!