Runner experience: “Two morning runs, 24 hours apart, couldn’t have been more opposite”

Christopher Heard runs every morning regardless of location or weather. When travel took him to two polar opposite running environments, he realized that the conditions will never be perfect so he might as well stop worrying. Story as told to Sinead Mulhern. 

It was -28C outside and a cold wind blew off the Detroit River. I plodded along by the water cursing the wind that whipped against the skin on my face. I was on the Canadian side of the river in Windsor, Ont. and though the skyline is quite nice to look at, the grey clouded sky paired with the winds that came in blasts off the river ruined my enjoyment of the run. Glimpses of hunks of ice that floated down the river are enough to chill from the inside out.

There’s always something of concern out on the run. That day, I was worried about staying warm and keeping my footing on this winter route. Let’s just say, I was thankful for my Goretex-lined Brooks winter running shoes.

I’m an avid runner. I am also an on-air contributor to CTV and an author. I travel a lot and the first thing I pack is always my running gear– it doesn’t matter where I’m going. Because of this, I often find myself in pretty interesting running locations.

This time though, I was in Windsor to visit my daughter. It was early January of 2014 and she was living in Windsor. I had been visiting the city from my home in Toronto frequently.

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What stood out about this run though was that in just over 24 hours, I’d be doing my usual distance (between five and seven kilometres) not along a frozen river but instead along the shores of the ocean and surrounded by lush and colourful vegetation. Polar opposites. It’s hard to picture that when shivering during a -28C run.

We had been invited to a beach wedding in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. The next morning, the time came for my run. I laced up and away I went to take on the same distance. It was 31C, hot and humid.

Just over twenty-four hours saw me doing runs in climates almost 60C degrees apart. While both had their own aspects and pleasures and challenges, I have to say I enjoyed the tropical run just a bit more…

What I think is interesting about the quick transition in environments was the change in mental concerns. There’s always something about the conditions that we wish were different. In Windsor, I was hoping I wouldn’t slip and concerned about the ice-cold wind. Fly me over to the tropics and I started worrying about heat, hydration and making it to the end despite humidity.

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The run is one of the best ways to take in visual scenery and get in touch with the senses. It was startling to go from grey skies, urban structures and ice to green plants and red, yellow and blue parrots taking off from the trees. I noticed then, my strides getting longer and my pace quicker. I relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful scenery all around me.