Mill Cove Shore Road

I’ve never been one to complain too much about running the same routes day after day. After all, it’s a gift to be able to run (etc. etc.). The thing is that, without a car, I don’t have too much choice in the matter. There are very limited options when you’re leaving from the same spot each time. No big deal – no route is ever really the same twice.

However, this morning on my long run out the Aspotogan highway, I got a rare chance to explore new ground on my run. There are a number of side roads that lead off the highway, but I’ve never explored any of them because I assumed they were all simply dead ends to private properties. There has always been one road, though, that has made me curious – the Mill Cove Shore Road. Every time I’ve passed it I’ve wondered if it connected with another unmarked road a couple of k further along. But each time I’ve gone past the dirt-packed road, I’ve chosen against exploring it because I’ve been concerned about my pace and all that stuff.

Well, because I’m tapering and not so worried about pace, I decided to explore it this morning. And, boy, was I glad that I did.

After 3 days of rain and unseasonably cold temperatures, we finally got a good one today. The morning was warm and sunny and clear – and the ocean was calm and sparkling. Anyway... the turn off to the road is exactly 7k from my place on Shore Club Road. While the highway dodged inland and climbed a hill, Mill Cove Shore Road went down and towards the shore. It wasn’t long before the road turned a corner and an ocean vista opened up. True to its name, the Shore road followed the shore for 2.7k – and then rejoined the highway – a perfect side route! I can hardly believe that I’ve been running here for years and I’ve been missing those views each time! It was just so calm and sunny and beautiful, and you could look out across the Bay, past Peggy’s cove on the other side and out to the big ocean beyond. And the little fishing boats were all out there doing their thing – it was a perfect Nova Scotia Sunday summer morning.

Anyway... enough of my gushing... but it’s funny how just trying out a new route can open something like that up.

On an interesting but gross side note: while I was running, a bug got sucked up my nose. Incredibly, this has never happened to me before – bugs in mouth, in ears, in eyes, yes – but nose, no. And he got up there pretty good. I couldn’t get him out with a few snorts, so I just shrugged my shoulders and kept running. After awhile, the poor thing worked its way down the back of my throat and I was able to hork it forward and spit it out – like post-nasal drip or something. Strange, eh?

Gotta love running!!