By Harvey Weber
Before I was a runner, I was farm boy.
I grew up on a mixed dairy, beef and grain farm outside Wadena, Sask. It was hard work helping my parents with such a diverse farm. However, we didn’t consider it hard work; it was a way of life.
My chores included running the fields chasing cows in for milking. Those are my earliest memories of running.
Fast forward a few decades: I am a 59 years old, retired and living near Whiteswan Drive. When I stepped away from my 30-year teaching career in 2018, I chose this location because it’s near one of my favourite single-track dirt running trails called “Slytherin,” which runs 4km along the west side of the South Saskatchewan River from the Meewasin Park parking lot to Chief Mistawasis Bridge. Back when I was doing my Bachelor of Education degree at the University of Saskatchewan and training with the Huskies I called this “The Meaning of Life Trail.”
In the first three years that I was living close to Slytherin, I noticed the trail became very difficult to navigate by mid-summer because of the tall grass and clover that overtook the narrow path.
So, I had an idea: I was going to buy a push lawnmower and cut the edges of the trail so it would be easier to run throughout the summer and fall. (Remember, I live in a condo. Condo people usually don’t buy lawnmowers!)
My mowing adventures started with 4km of mowing the first year, 6km the second, and 8km the third (both sides need to be mowed). I mow the trail roughly once every three weeks depending on weather, which amounts to about four or five mows a summer.
After destroying two lawnmowers in three years due to the rough terrain, I decided this year to move back to only mowing 4km, which takes about three hours to complete. Mowing 8km reminded me too much of the work I did on my family farm as a boy. It would normally take eight hours of solid mowing to complete 8km.
Why do I do this? People ask me this question often.
First, because of my farm upbringing I enjoy and am capable of doing hard, physical work.
Second, I love being outdoors and I run this trail about five times a week. Since suffering a severe calf injury after university I try to avoid running on pavement and do most of my runs on the track or dirt trails.
Thirdly, I love being able to share this amazing trail with other runners, hikers, dog walkers, bird watchers, and mountain bikers. Keeping it mowed allows more people to enjoy it.
Besides mowing, I trim the overhanging branches, cut out roots on the trail, and fill in pot holes where rain water collects. I once hauled in 30 5-gallon pails of soil to fill in one of many pot holes on the trail.
Because I live in a condo building, I cannot store my lawnmower or gas containers in my storage unit due to fire regulations. Fortunately, my Brainsport colleague Ali Bergeron allows me to store these two items in her garden shed which is nearby. The best thing is that Ali runs this same trail almost daily as well.
Most everyone thinks the City of Saskatoon mows these trails until they see me doing the mowing. I get lots of “thank yous” for doing this task and once a guy gave me $10 to help pay for gas.
Earlier this month, Derek Rope — the founder of Running Wild Athletics Club — heard about my mowing adventures and that I had destroyed two lawn mowers already. He went out and bought me a gas grass trimmer. I definitely wasn’t expecting that type of donation.
When I am out mowing my trail, there’s a little part of me that makes me feel like a farm boy again.
Harvey Weber is a coach, athlete, educator and consultant. He is a Saskatchewan age-group record holder for a number of middle distances on the track, a Brainsport employee and coach with the Running Wild Athletics Club.
