Run 545
Average pace: 5:27/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:38 am
Distance: 10.04 km
Time: 54:44
Weather: Rain, rain showers
Temp: 7ºC
Humidity: 94%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 163
Weight: 156.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 4242 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone
It only got up to a chilly 7ºC on today’s run (the normal high for today is 14ºC) but I actually only felt a bit cold when walking back after the run, when my body cooled off and suddenly it really felt like 7ºC. I wore my long-sleeved t-shirt and do not regret doing so.
Today was one of those tricky days, motivation-wise. I’d miss running during the week for various reasons, so I knew I’d be off my form (I once read that more than three days off will see some deterioration in form, however minor), plus it was raining steadily even before I headed out.
But head out I did, confident, at least, that there wouldn’t be too many people out on the trail on such a dreary, cold day. There were still more than expected–but most were runners, with a few scattered dog walkers and a couple of those “I love walks in the rain” types. And no cyclists, so that was nice.
I felt fine throughout the run, with the left leg holding up well, with only an echo if the stiffness I’d experienced recently. I wasn’t exactly a blur of speed to start but by around the 4K mark I began to pick up the pace and the last few km, when the rain started to at least ease up a little (but not entirely stop) I significantly improved on things. Maybe I was just eager to get home and get dry.
The trail was a mess of puddles so I was constantly running along the edges and switching from one side to another. At the sports field the usual floody spot was flooded. I tried skirting it on the left but the narrow lumpy, grass-covered hump you have to traverse looked a bit more questionable than usual, so I backed out and went around. The field, of course, was completely saturated, so my feet got thoroughly soaked, no different than going straight through the puddle, really, just less splashing.
The resurfaced part of this stretch is holding up so far. Water pooling up at the edge of the field is not yet high enough to start lapping over onto the trail. Right around the corner, the last part that borders the fields, there is a large swath that has flooded, with water carving through the fresh gravel, forming a semi-hazardous uneven surface. A strip along the left was still bare, so I was able to get by without taking another plunge.
There were new signs all over the place but not telling people to GET OUT. Instead, these were warning that from October 2017 to February 2018 a project to replace the bridge at Still Creek would be underway. It’s the largest bridge on the trail and there is no detour route that can be used, so it would seem that running a full loop would not be an option for some time–except the sign says that the period of no access should only be three weeks. I’m curious to see if the new bridge closely matches the current one.
The bridge at Deer Lake Brook still seems more rickety and in need of replacement, but I’m not a bridgeologist, so what do I know? It actually felt a little more stable today, possibly because I ran over it slower, to avoid slipping.
Overall, a perfectly decent run in less than decent weather. I don’t miss the heat, but I can’t say I’m overly fond of running in the rain, either.
