Spring is here. It鈥檚 that wonderful time of the year when the grass is turning green, the flowers are blooming, the leafs are appearing on the trees and, best of all, the temperatures are rising.
For me, it means it鈥檚 time to dig out the jogging shoes.
Now, some of you might be surprised to hear that I鈥檝e been jogging on a fair-weather basis for more than a year. After all, my pudgy build screams couch potato rather than jogger.
And if you watch me jog, the song that will instantly pop into your head is the theme from Chariots of Fire, rather than the theme from the first three Rocky movies.
But thanks to the completion of the new track and field facility at the Estevan Comprehensive School, I have been jogging regularly* for the first time since my university days.
(Note: when I say regularly, it means I鈥檓 jogging when it鈥檚 not raining, when the winds are below 35 kilometres per hour, when my work schedule permits, and when there isn鈥檛 snow on the track. I鈥檝e been out five times so far this year. However, the April weather is still more suitable for jogging in Saskatchewan than it is in B.C.).
I was surprised I didn鈥檛 need oxygen when I jogged a full lap for the first time last year. I鈥檓 equally surprised I could walk the following day. I was so stiff, I thought I had pulled every muscle in my lower body.
The track, officially known as the Chamney Family Running Track at Panteluk Athletic Park, has been a great addition to the city. It boasts quality surface that measures 400 metres on the inside lane. It鈥檚 a great facility for people who aren鈥檛 avid runners, and its width makes it suitable for walkers and joggers alike.
(Much like on the highway, I urge slower traffic to keep right).
When Estevan was awarded the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games, we knew that it would leave a number of legacies for the community. One of those legacies would be the athletic facilities.
Many of our sports venues were already really good, but they were destined to be even better after the Games.
The most glaring athletic need for the Games was a suitable track and field site. For those who never used the old track at the Comp., you didn鈥檛 miss much. It was a dirt track that was adequate for an event like the Relay for Life, since almost all relay participants were walking, but it wasn鈥檛 ideal for jogging, running or other athletic endeavours.
And since it was dirt, it would take a long time to dry out after precipitation.
The new track was finished more than a year before the Games, and it has held up well so far.
It鈥檚 vital that we take care of this facility, so that future generations can enjoy it. Therefore, when the sign says no bikes or skateboards or scooters, there鈥檚 a reason for that. There are certain types of footwear that shouldn鈥檛 be worn there, either. And please don鈥檛 bring your pets.
Respect the track, and keep it clean. 聽
I hope the new track is well used, not just by local school students in their training for track and field events, but the community as a whole.
I鈥檒l never be a marathon runner. I鈥檒l never have six-pack abs, unless I go through the most intense liposuction treatment in history.
I just want to find a way to lead a healthier life, and maybe try to knock off a few pounds. The track at the Comp, with its width and its jogging-friendly surface, is as good of a place as any.
