Ep 17: The Heart-shaped Adventure
On Your Marks
I stared at the map of my walks, still reeling in all the emotions of last week's adventure which was the longest walk I'd ever done, winding through creeks until I got to the sea. As I studied the map, I began to see the potential for something special - a heart-shaped route that would build on my previous adventure.
Get Set
After sketching up a path, the heart shape came as clear as ever. I used Footpath, a newly discovered app that made planning the route a breeze. This 10km walk would touch a lot of neighbourhoods, going through Willingdon Heights → Hastings Sunrise → Burnaby Heights → Capitol Hill.
And just when I started packing, I noticed an email from Vancouver Sun Run! Ah yes, I had signed up for the 10km run and hadn't even started training yet 😂. What began as a plan for a leisurely walk turned into an impromptu training run for the event, all while creating a heart-shaped route through the city.
Go!
The air was perfect for a run: cool and refreshing. As I set off, I felt a familiar mix of excitement and trepidation - this wasn't just a casual jog, but an impromptu 10K without training. Unlike my usual wandering expeditions, today was all about the mission: 'Complete the Heart'.
Sun El Musician had released his new African EDM set on Kunye's YouTube channel, which made a great background track to stomp to.
Since this was a mission, there is no grand narrative, so I'll share some cool stuff I saw on my jog.
1 km
The first interesting thing I saw was this grocery store tucked away on Douglas Rd beside a few homes. It looked peculiar and seemed to have some rich history. I was right, this building is “one of the few remaining neighbourhood historic Chinese Grocery Stores still existing in the Greater Vancouver” as Anthony Maw puts in his Flickr. I made it a point to check it out.
I also stumbled upon a fun license plate reading “RAMBO-7”. It turns out there are many more where it came from! Check out this PDF and this gallery to see plates like “2BROKE”, etc.
5 km
I hit the halfway point, crossing the border and into Vancouver. I zoomed past a quaint neighbourhood library, which was lovely to see. One of my favourite genres of things you see on city streets is those that show community spirit like book exchanges.
7 km
With most of the route behind me, I found myself noticing more city projects on the streets I passed. The aesthetic choices were…stark, but I was pleased to see the city investing in vintage public seating, open-air public toilets, and mini-playgrounds.
As I continued, the terrain started to change. I met the very few reds on the Footpath map that showed the steeper sections. They made for a great climb 🥵 to a nice view of North Vancouver. My legs were feeling it at this point, but the thought of completing my heart-shaped route kept me pushing forward. Each step up those hills was a small victory.
10 km
The final leg of the run led through a bit of the Trans Canada Trail and into a few parks (McGill Park, Rainbow Creek Park, etc.). I hadn't anticipated that part of this mission would involve running on trails.
The last few hundreds of metres were back on the asphalt, south of Confederation Park. The cherry blossoms here were gorgeous and they played a heavy role in distracting me from the tension in my quads (I was reaching my limits!) for this last push. The terrain looked more familiar and I clocked that this was the opposite end of the expanse I saw the other day. I was almost completing the shape!
I think a combination of the beautiful view and the background music helped carry me through to the end. The track had gotten to Karyendasoul's Mngani Wam which made an excellent finale.
I reached this last cherry blossom before seeing the familiar railway tracks. I did it! The heart was complete!
Cool Down
The adrenaline rush from running the 10K and completing was intoxicating. I carried that energy further down to Brentwood but in a chill walk. I hadn't explored this area yet according to Gogomi.
It all ended after walking 14.8 KM. I also learned to pack some hydration next time, the salt residue on my face from all that sweating was something alright!
Finish
This was an interesting spin on my usual walking adventures. Peppered by the looming Vancouver Sun Run, I decided to move at a higher tempo, revisiting where I'd left off to make my first large geoglyph. Revealing…the heart!
