I didn’t run at all last week. I had reasons, some good, some not so good.
Today, I opted out of birding and by mid-afternoon I felt I should run, which would make it almost seem like I’d run on Friday. I headed off under cloudy skies and conditions that were otherwise similar to the last run.
I definitely felt the difference in having a week off, with a slower pace, higher BPM and feeling the burn just a little more. But it was fine, and I’ll get my proverbial groove back if I resume my regular schedule again.
A few things of note:
- The trail was busier, as I started at 3:26 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon. This wasn’t an issue, though.
- There were horses! Specifically, two. One was being walked by the rider, the other had the rider on it and was near the start of the Avalon Trail. She saw me coming, stopped the horse and let me pass, which was nice. It got weird shortly after when I heard the sound of rapid clip-clopping. When I looked behind me, the horse was…not exactly galloping, but definitely moving faster than a trot. I was wondering if she was now trying to pass me. I’ve never seen anyone ride a horse like this on the Avalon Trail before. It weirded me out. I picked up the pace and hoped she would move down one of the horsey trails, which she did. This led me to deciding to go all the way around the lake rather than run a short loop, to avoid more horses on return. I don’t mind horses, but they are big and scary, and I am just a frail little runner.
- I started fast, got slower till the fourth km, then picked up the pace to finish. Pretty standard after some time away.
- About 2 km into the walk back, I experienced a lot of abdominal cramping. It went away after maybe 120 minutes or so, but was rather unpleasant.
- No dog incidents for a change. Yay.
In all, a decent run on a decent day and a decent return.
Stats:
Run 891
Average pace: 5:43/km
Training status: Recovery
Location: Burnaby Lake
Start: 3:26 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:44
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 17°C
Humidity: 63%
Wind: light (basically none)
BPM: 156
Weight: 166.4
Total distance to date: 6,315 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 6 (100/194/294)
