Yes, I don’t normally use “gloriously” and “slow” together to describe my running pace, but today I am!
And it’s because this is only my second post-COVID run and I’ve only done one other so far this year (I am not counting my treadmill workouts, which are not actual runs). I wasn’t really planning to run at all, so I made an effort (ho ho) to stick to a conservative pace. I aced this because my overall average of 6:28/km is probably my slowest 5K run ever.
And it felt good.
I did actually experience a bit of a cramp on my left side just past the 2 km mark, probably because at that point I still had enough early energy to subconsciously push against the slower pace. The cramp went away quickly as I shifted to moving not-so-quickly.
Conditions were great at the lake. Despite being a Sunday, the trail was not at all crowded, the sun was out (but high up in the sky and not glaring into my eyes) and it was a balmy 18C. I experienced a touch of Dry Mouth™, something that normally doesn’t happen in April.
I also saw my first garter snake of the season, as it slithered off the trail and into the grass. The “Beware, bears!” signs are also back out, truly signaling that spring has arrived.
In all, I’m glad I made the effort. I may be a tad sore tomorrow, but I expect it to pass quickly.
Stats:
Run 674 Average pace: 6:28/km Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW Start: 1:12 p.m. Distance: 5:02 km Time: 32:27 Weather: Sunny with some high cloud Temp: 18ºC Humidity: 41% Wind: light BPM: 155 Weight: 173.5 Total distance to date: 4973 km Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Brooks Caldera 5 (93 km)
