Running the Bayview Ravine and Y&L: 3 load patterns worth checking

The Bayview Ravine trail system is one of the best runs in North Toronto. From the Alexander Muir Gardens down through the ravine to Pottery Road, you’ve got elevation change, soft surface, and enough tree cover to make a February run bearable. The problem is that the same features that make it a good run also make it a common source of injury — especially for runners who’ve built their base on flat pavement.

I’m at Yonge & Lawrence. This is my neighbourhood. I know the routes, I know the hills, and I know the injury patterns that come from them.

Here are three patterns worth checking when the knee, heel, or outside of the thigh starts talking. None is a diagnosis on its own.

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1. Descending without hip control

“Dr. Devon Savarimuthu, DC, CSCS, says: ‘With lateral knee pain on descents, I compare hip control, cadence, recent hill volume, and the knee itself. The useful finding is the one that changes the runner’s familiar task.’”

The Bayview Ravine descent from Lawrence Avenue is steep and uneven. On a road, your braking force is absorbed over a longer stride. On a trail descent, it concentrates quickly — and it lands on the lateral knee if your hip abductors aren’t doing their job.

What we check: Whether hip control, fatigue, recent hill volume, or another local finding changes the runner’s symptoms on a step-down or running task.

Why the distinction matters: Foam rolling may change comfort, but it does not test whether the runner can tolerate the load that provokes the pain.

What the plan may include: Task-specific strength work, running-load changes, and a gradual return to hills, based on the assessment.

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2. Heel-striking on an uphill

The Alexander Muir Gardens to Lawrence segment and the Yonge Street hill up from Bloor both change ankle, calf, and Achilles demand. A recent increase in hills can expose a capacity gap even without a “bad” foot strike.

What we check: Recent training changes, calf capacity, symptoms during hopping or loading, and whether cadence or stride changes the familiar discomfort.

What it’s not: Just a shoe problem, though minimalist runners can make this worse. It’s a combination of foot strike, calf eccentric capacity, and training load that accumulates over several weeks.

What the fix looks like: A combination of calf eccentric loading to build tendon resilience, and stride mechanics work that shortens ground contact time on inclines. Most importantly: a structured load management plan that doesn’t try to fix everything in one run.

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3. Overstriding on flat sections

The Y&L neighbourhood routes — Yonge south from Lawrence, any of the streets east into Leaside — tend to be fast and flat. Fast and flat is where overstriding shows up. The runner extends their lead foot out in front of their body’s centre of mass to reach for more speed. The heel hits the ground in front of their hip, and the knee takes the braking force.

What we check: Cadence, braking, knee position, training load, and the runner’s capacity on a comparable step-down or squat task. Any one of these may or may not be relevant.

Why the distinction matters: The knee still needs to be examined. Gait findings only matter if they connect consistently to the patient’s symptoms or goal.

What the plan may include: A small cadence change can reduce selected loading variables for some runners, but it should be tested rather than prescribed automatically. (Heiderscheit et al., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2011)

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What to do when a trail injury doesn’t resolve in a week

Some running pain settles as load is reduced. Seek assessment sooner for severe pain, inability to bear weight, marked swelling, neurological symptoms, or rapidly worsening symptoms. Otherwise, pain that persists or keeps returning is a reason to review the diagnosis, load, and recovery rather than assuming one biomechanical error.

The Bayview Ravine will still be there. Getting a working diagnosis and a return-to-running plan can be more useful than repeatedly testing the same painful route.

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Related reading

• Endura’s page for runners
• Hip pain treatment at Endura
• Lawrence Park neighbourhood page

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If you’re a Lawrence Park or North York runner dealing with a recurring injury:

View our running injury page or call directly — you’ll speak with Dr. Devon, not a receptionist.

(647) 951-5841

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Dr. Devon Savarimuthu, DC, CSCS is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (since 2015) and Doctor of Chiropractic at Endura Chiropractic, 3440 Yonge St, Lawrence Park, Toronto. He leads the Endura Community Run — a free weekly run for patients and neighbours in the neighbourhood.