Monday’s run went sideways when I walked to the river trail (1.5 km) and realized I’d forgotten my SPI-belt™. It’s where I stash my phone when I run and keeping it in my pocket isn’t really practical, as it tugs on my shorts while jogging. I walked back (it was showering steadily at the time) and got the belt, but then decided to dry off a bit before heading back out, then ultimately put off the whole thing because at that point I was soaked and super unmotivated.
But today was different! It was merely cloudy, so off I went, planning and successfully executing a short counter-clockwise loop at the lake. I started late, but temperatures were still mild. What was not mild was the humidity, which started at 76% and only dropped slightly over the course of the run.
I was a bit droopy to start, with a pace of 5:58/km, then picked up a bit to 5:56/km, then an entire metaphorical wheel fell off as I slipped to 6:11/km. I ran to the 3K marker and decided to take a brief pause, by walking the short distance to Phillips Point, taking two photos, then walking back to the 3K marker and resuming the last 2K. This gave me my two best laps: 5:52 and 5:49/km. I was feeling a bit drained by the finish and I’ll admit to glancing at my watch a couple of times to see how much farther I had to go. But I managed to slip in under 6:00 minutes, with an average of 5:58/km. Woo (even with the cheating).
Interestingly, my BPM was lower at 151, likely because the humidity was moderating my pace. The trail was busier than expected, possibly due to my being out early afternoon instead of mid-morning, or maybe people were just excited to get out after two days of showers.
Also, summer is apparently “let your dog run free” time, if the river trail is any indication. That’s all I’ll say about that. [angry emoji here]
Overall, though, a decent effort and hopefully part of a successful return to regular runs.
Stats:
Run 874
Average pace: 5:58/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 12:36 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:59
Weather: Mostly cloudy
Temp: 21-22°C
Humidity: 76-74%
Wind: light
BPM: 151
Weight: 166.9
Total distance to date: 6,230 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 6 (15/34/49)
