The post-cold slower run

Run 352
Average pace: 5:17/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce and Conifer Loops and Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 5.13 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 24-20ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 373
Total distance to date: 2953

Five days between runs and missing one due to a cold meant that tonight’s 5K was bound to be slower and it was, neatly reversing the progress I’d made the previous run, with a pace of 5:17/km, the same as two runs back and a full seven seconds off my previous 5:10/km.

Although I didn’t feel especially sluggish and conditions were actually quite nice (light breeze, cooler) it was clear the cold and time off had worked against me. Or maybe it was the phone, which I used again. Yeah, that’s it. Stupid phone.

Speaking of stupid, I chose the option to lock the phone during the run, thinking this would prevent it from accidentally activating or doing weird things. But that’s what “slide to unlock” is for. What this meant is that at the end of the run, while still running (don’t want the pace to fall off) I had to enter my 4-digit passcode. This is not easy to do while running. In fact, I found it impossible. I ended up using the pause button on the earbuds to allow me to slow down enough to unlock the phone. I then resumed pace and then properly ended it. This meant the run stretched out a bit farther than normal for a 5K, to 5.13 km.

The other minor technical SNAFU was at the start. Because it’s a bit fiddly getting the phone into the spibelt I opted for the maximum 9-second countdown before the run begins. Despite this the run still started before I could get the phone securely tucked away. Fortunately it didn’t affect my first km pace.

The second and final km both saw big drops of 9% and 6% and here the phone provides a useful breakdown of where exactly I…broke down.

The second km drop-off happened as I hit the final bend on the Conifer Loop, not too long past the 1 km mark. I lost a lot of gas after a good start but maintained a steady pace after that until the last km. That last km drop-off also happened on a side trail when I did my second trip down the Spruce Loop, though I’m sure mucking about trying to actually stop the run had an effect, too.

Overall a disappointing run but not too surprising given the time off and lingering effects of the cold.

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