Tag Archives: he’s got legs

Average pace: 5:11/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran optional Piper Mill, Spruce Loop and Conifer trails
Distance: 11.06 km
Weather: Cloudy, some sun
Temp: 15-20ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 799
Total distance to date: 2190 km

In this case the goose-stepping was done by actual geese, as described below.

I was going to run on Thursday but logistically Friday was better so I moved the run back one day. Unfortunately I came home from work on Friday, laid down for a quick nap and conked out for several hours, using up all the daylight in the process. This is why you never lay down for a quick nap when you have other things planned.

I set out today during the lunch hour under a dull sky that didn’t really threaten rain. The temperature was a mild 15ºC and rose steadily to 20 over the course of the couple of hours I was out.

As I crossed Cariboo Road to the entrance to Burnaby Lake park I looked to my right and saw what will probably be the cutest thing I’ll see all month. Possibly all year. A family of geese — mom, dad and three goslings, were waddling quickly in single file across the road, with traffic stopped to allow safe passage. Once across they shifted over to the very path I was taking to the lake. I didn’t want to spook them (or worse, be attacked by a couple of hissing adult geese) so I walked slowly a reasonable distance behind them. In the parking lot of the complex to the right was another line of geese, dozens in all, with many a gosling, again marching in single file, all heading back to the lake after an adventure somewhere else.

Once the geese got to the dam I thought about running clockwise but nixed it and instead just gave them a wide berth as I started off.

After Tuesday’s dismal run I was concerned about today, doubly so considering my left foot was already acting up right from leaving the condo. I pressed on, though, feeling more energetic, whether due to the extra days off, more food in my system or just having seen a bunch of incredibly cute baby geese waddling along.

From the first few km I knew I was ahead of my pace and even better that held right to the 10K mark, which came much sooner than on the previous few runs. This was validated when I hit the 11K mark and had a reported time of 57:24 and an average pace of 5:11/km, easily besting my prior times of 5:25, 5:28 and 5:27. It was also a boost over the 5:17 and 5:18 times from a few weeks back.

Overall I felt much better. The knee was not an issue at all, the right tendon made its presence known a few times, but only for moments and not in any way that impacted my run. As for the left foot, it was sore but stretching it out on the run seemed to help. This was the first time in awhile where it didn’t feel like it was holding me back. Maybe it’s actually starting to get better!

Average pace: 4:35/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 10.39 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 10ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 733
Total distance to date: 2097 km

I was a bit concerned going into tonight’s run, given that it was my second 10K and only two days after the first. The results were unexpectedly pleasant.

First, my right tendon: it felt more noticeable at the start of the run–not a good thing. But it eased up dramatically and by the end of the run was a non-issue. A good thing and a consistent pattern so far in my runs this year.

Next my left foot did start to hurt again but not until later in the run and not nearly as much. While I did run 1 km less than on Sunday it was still much less of an issue comparatively.

I avoided a noticeable sag like the one I had at the 9K mark on Sunday, though there were more peaks and valleys. Strangely my fastest km was the 5th one. I wonder if I’ll eventually get back to the first km being the fastest (which it was probably 99% of the time last year).

Speaking of fast, I got informed that I ran my fastest 5K tonight at 22:09. That seems kind of nutty but I’ll take it.

Average pace: 4:34/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 11.53 km
Weather: Sun with some scattered cloud
Temp: 8-14ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 782
Total distance to date: 2020 km

I had to run a day late after a pair of interviews on Wednesday gobbled up my jogging time. That turned out to be a good thing, weather-wise, as today was sunny and yesterday was not.

I headed out shortly after 10 a.m. and when I got to the lake I spent a minute watching a park employee use a net on the lake side of the dam to scoop salmon out of the pen where they end up after climbing the fish ladder and toss them into the lake proper for spawning/dying. Kind of neat and weird at the same time. Why would they block the access to the lake for the fish? Dying fish, no less! But I am not a fishologist so perhaps there is a sound reason to this method.

As for the run itself, it started out brisk at only 8ºC but I had vowed to stick to my long-sleeved t-shirt and shorts and that was fine. I did keep track of how cold my hands were, though. It went something like this:

2K: hands are cold, feel like ice
4K: hands are cool
6K: hands are edging toward feeling neutral
9K: hands are warm, starting to sweat slightly
1K after run: hands are cold, feel like ice

As I started clockwise I got that extra bit of momentum from the small hill on the south side of the dam. As I headed down the Avalon Trail I decided to step on the gas a little. I’m not sure why, really, it just seemed like the right thing to do. I ended up having my fastest 1K ever at 4:15/km.

The rest of the run also went well and unlike most runs the latter half was remarkably even, with no notable dips anywhere from 6-10K. I ended with the usual upward blip in speed. The overall pace was exactly the same as Monday — 4:34/km. Talk about consistent. Joan also came on to congratulate me on another 500 km completed, only 20 km late. Thanks, Joan!

One minor note of discomfort, though it didn’t slow me down: the Achilles tendon on my right foot felt a bit sore. It is still a bit sore today if I am not walking around and keeping the muscles limber. It isn’t a serious issue and I also don’t think it’s from running but rather something weird going on with my feet when I’m in bed. I’ve actually woken up to find my feet sore. I have no idea why. I’m almost afraid to find out what’s happening. :P In any case, I note it here in case it becomes an issue.

Average pace: 4:36/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 11.50 km
Weather: Sun and variable cloud
Temp: 15ºC
Wind: moderate to strong
Calories burned: 771
Total distance to date: 1974 km

In a surprise twist, the weather was pleasant for today’s run, with the temperature a mild 15ºC and the sun even poking out periodically. I ran clockwise around the lake, establishing a strong pace up front. This turned out to be important as I flagged during the 6-7K stretch for no particular reason I can discern. Or maybe it was that strong pace up front wearing me out. Oops. The last four km was one of the most consistent I’ve had in a long time and that helped bring my average pace down to a zippy 4:36/km.

The run was otherwise unremarkable. Everything ticked along, there were no issues with wayward dogs, people hogging the trail or any of the other stuff that sometimes comes up. At the end of the run I noticed a park employee putting up a new sign at the entrance to the park. I couldn’t read all of it but the top said Canine Code of Conduct. Considering how often dogs are running around unleashed, I suspect the park’s received increasing complaints about them, hence the new sign. I’ll see what the rest of it says on the next run.

Average pace: 4:37/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 11.51 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 8-10ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 781
Total distance to date: 1951 km

I headed out at 9:30 a.m. for today’s run and it was a brisk 8ºC, rising to a still cool 10ºC by the end. Low cloud gave the lake a socked-in feeling, with the mountains and surrounding area blotted out.

As expected, my pace was much better. It took me a minute or so to step up but once I did I finished out the run without difficulty, coming in with a pace of 4:37/km, a full 16 seconds better than Monday’s effort. It didn’t hurt that I had to move just to get my hands warm initially.

En route to the run I was walking along the Brunette River trail and noticed several park employees with cameras by the river. I couldn’t see what they were looking at, moved on and a few steps later saw a couple down at the edge of the river, looking over it. Then I heard a huge splash and assumed it was the couple’s dog mucking up the recently rehabilitated stream. But no, upon closer inspection I could see several salmon heroically working their way upstream through an especially shallow stretch of water. Neat.

There were no fish sightings on the run, which is for the best because any fish I’m likely to come across there would be dead and stinky. There were quite a few people, though, including one group that looked to be a photography outing and another that seemed to be a big, spread-out group of walkers. They were a bit annoying, often arrayed in a way to completely block the entire trail. Some people never seem to think about the possibility of others existing in the same space as they do.

The cold seems to have also gotten rid of the flies as this was my first fly-free run in awhile. After nearly gagging on clouds of the buggers recently I can say I am glad they have moved on/disappeared/gone to a better place.

I am a bit wary of Friday’s run. It looks like temperatures will remain low and rain is quite likely. I don’t mind running in the rain that much but the iPod has been a pain to use lately and having to tote it around in a plastic baggie to try to keep it functional makes it that much worse. I must ponder possible solutions.

Average pace: 4:33/km <– ties record for personal best (under 10K)
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW), Brunette river trail, Lower Hume Park
Distance: 9.28 km
Weather: Clear
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 630
Total distance to date: 1928 km

This past week has been a bit of a bust for running.

I missed my usual Saturday run because I went to the island to visit the family. I had planned on doing a Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday schedule the following week. Tuesday (today) I ran as scheduled but come Thursday I was feeling tired and unmotivated and opted to ksip the run. I felt like I had been on the go all week with no time to relax.

Late Friday afternoon I was struck by a 24 hour flu bug that left me in a weak, kitten-like state and I ended up missing Saturday’s run as well (it is Sunday morning as I write this, though I’m, posting it on the day of the run, October 2).

I’m now planning to go back to a Mon/Wed/Fri schedule this week. We shall see how it goes.

As to today’s run, I didn’t quite plan the route as efficiently as possible so I came in a little under 10K. My ankles also felt a little sore around the 7K mark, what I believe is lingering issues from the uber-walk. On the plus side, I finished with a record-tying pace of 4:33/km, my best for under 10K and I believe I would have maintained that had I been able to push the small distance needed to get over 10K. I think I may have been running faster to stay warm. :P

It was only about 12ºC for the run, the coolest since before summer. It actually took a few km before my hands warmed up. I also wore my long-sleeved t-shirt and didn’t feel that was a bad call (although a short one probably would have been fine, too). The sun had set before I finished the run and despite the clear sky the light faded fast.

My runs this week should be different, as for now it appears I will have the option of running in the day. I’m actually curious to see what Burnaby Lake park will look like after being away for a week or so. I predict many fallen leaves.

Speaking of the park, one thing I’ve neglected to mention is that back in August they put up temporary signs at key points on the trails that read thusly:

FIRE DANGER
STAY ON TRAIL

No Smoking

It is interesting to note that a week into October those signs are still in place, there has been no precipitation this month, almost none last month (driest September in Vancouver in over 100 years) and just a few days ago — again, in October — the forest fire danger has been elevated from High to Extreme, the highest level in goes to.

I am expecting winter to be unusually unpleasant as payback for this very dry summer and early fall. It shall make for interesting runs.

Chart (records are in pink)

Average pace: 4:36/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW), Brunette river trail, Lower Hume Park
Distance: 10.58 km
Weather: Low cloud
Temp: 16ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 718
Total distance to date: 1908 km

Ran Piper Mill trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

It was a pleasant 16ºC as I set out tonight, starting my run at Lower Hume Park and heading off to Burnaby Lake from there. The bridge on the Brunette river trail is finished and feels very sturdy. It also smells pleasantly woody, much like the new boardwalk at the lake.

The nice thing about tonight’s run is my glasses did not fall apart and only two bugs plopped onto them. Other than those, I did not notice any others land on me, unlike the previous run where they were festooned all up and down my arms and everywhere else.

As it turns out, I got back right around the same time the sun was setting so there was still plenty of light. In fact, the sky began to clear toward the end so it paradoxically got brighter as I was wrapping up the run. The parts of the trail where the canopy is thickest definitely had a gloomy aspect to them, though.

My only misstep was in terms of calculating distance. Once I hit 5K I jogged an additional 500m or so, hoping to end the run just over 11K. I goofed and came up about 500m short so next time I use this route I’ll run to the 6K mark before turning around and heading back. Other than that the run went well, with a fast 4:36 pace, showing that the soreness from Sunday’s power walk didn’t slow me down. I also passed the 1900 km mark and if I stay on track will hit 2000 sometime in October.

Chart (records are in pink)

Average pace: 4:37/km

Location: Brunette river trail, Lower Hume Park
Distance: 11.49 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 23-19ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 779
Total distance to date: 1851 km

Tonight’s run was a virtual repeat of Tuesday’s, with my pace being virtually identical (the one second difference could be a rounding error). I had intended to ease off a bit and indeed my right calf and ankle both felt a bit sore starting out but once I’d warmed up they felt fine.

Speaking of warm, tonight saw a late summer surge with the temperature a balmy 23ºC at the start of the run and a still-mild 19ºC by the end. This higher than average may also explain why the run was so buggy. It felt like running though the alpha code for Ultima IX. At certain points along the trail it even felt a bit like rain except instead of drops of refreshing water splatting against my face, it was tiny bugs. Yuck.

There were several other joggers out and because of the bridge closure, we would pass each other as we looped back and forth. Except for one girl — I watched her make her way past the fence and onto the bridge. Remember, it’s just narrow support beams right now and while it’s now towering hundreds of meters above a gorge, you would still do some decent damage if you fell into the shallow water below. Since I was running I never saw if she made it across safely but I’m going to assume the lack of bloodcurdling screams and/or ambulance sirens means she did.

I passed another fellow jogger several times and we did that polite jogger nod each time. After the third pass, he looped back and I looped behind him, putting us on the same side of the trail. This is where I abandoned my slow and steady pace as I strove to catch up and hopefully pass him. It took probably the better part of a km but I eventually did. The point where I was catching up shows plainly on the Nike+ chart, with my pace nearly matching that of the first km (and this at the 7K mark). After I passed him it dropped off by over 5% before rising back up to my usual level. I’ll find out tomorrow how much I’ll regret turning on the turbo charger.

Chart (records are in pink)