View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Cloudy and cooler.
Despite a later start, today’s run was cooler–a mere 14C, which is practically seasonal. It was also cloudy, so no need for sunblock.
I was pleasantly surprised when I got to the lake, because the drinking fountain by the dam was working again. I celebrated by sipping water from it. To my further delight, the fountain was still operating after my run, so I sipped again. Oh happy day.
The watch suggested a recovery run and because I missed Monday, I was good with that, so I adopted a somewhat more leisurely pace. My overall pace of 5:45/km is maybe a tad misleading, as I did pick up for the final km, coming in at 5:31/km, which brought my average down a good bit. Still, I felt fine throughout, had no issues and my BPM was a spiffy 145. Thank you, clouds and lower temperatures.
There were no shirtless joggers today.
I still have yet to see a coyote. I’m not saying I want to, I just haven’t.
In all, a fine mid-week effort.
Still Creek, post-run: A mix of gray skies and green banks.
Stats:
Run 1,034 Average pace: 5:45/km Training status: Maintaining Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 11:03 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 28:57 Weather: Cloudy Temp: 14°C Humidity: 76-74% Wind: light BPM: 145 Weight: 168.4 pounds Total distance to date: 6,995 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, Samsung Galaxy S26, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (265/473/738)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Calm and mostly clear.
I missed my run yesterday due to paving. Yes, paving.
So I set out early this morning, hoping to beat both the crowds and the heat. I did beat the latter, but not so much the former. It was especially clogged up near the dam, but the number of people thinned a bit as I headed out.
The unusually warm weather meant I saw not one, but five guys running shirt-free. The first one practically bumped me out of the way as I was just entering the park off Cariboo Road. I saw a pair that seemed mostly there to show off their lean, unnaturally hairless bodies, as they were running at what might be called a casual pace, all the better to show off their short shorts and flat abs, while conversing about whatever.
Not that I’m jealous.
I started out surprisingly brisk, then fell off unsurprisingly in the second km, but not too badly. Toward the end of that second km, I encountered an array of bugs and saw what looked like one heading right at me. Shortly after that I felt a catch in my throat and I believe I had ingested a bug.
This caused some coughing, which startled two birds in a nearby bush, causing them to fly off. I eventually had to pause the run to clear my throat without the distraction of running at the same time.
I later paused again, briefly, to grab a few shots of a detour in the route. It appears they may be doing work on the olde boardwalk, which has something like eight traffic cones on it currently. They replaced the entire railing on both sides last year, so I’m guessing more planks will be getting replaced this time around. The detour was not overlong and didn’t seem to affect my pace.
You shall not pass (until the coyotes are gone or repairs are made or something).
EDIT: I checked the Burnaby Lake website after and apparently this closure is due to…coyotes:
It’s the coyotes! And their pups. Or is it?
But the sign on the nearby post clearly states it’s for repairs:
Who to believe?
Heading out right at 9 a.m. proved to be smart, as the temperature rose from 16C to 18C during the run and humidity plunged 9%. My BPM was slightly higher at 148, but that seems fine for the effort, and my pace was 5:42/km, pretty good once you factor in the second km, which was 5:46/km.
Also, because it was Saturday, the sports fields were full of people playing sports, mostly with discs, it seems. The parts not being used were occupied by geese, some of which had their babbies in tow. They are still fuzzy and cute.
In all, a perfectly cromulent wrap to the week.
Still Creek, post-run: Very still, much creek.
Stats:
Run 1,033 Average pace: 5:42/km Training status: Maintaining Location: Burnaby Lake (CW) Start: 9:42 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 28:38 Weather: Sunny Temp: 16-18°C Humidity: 69-61% Wind: light BPM: 148 Weight: 168.5 pounds Total distance to date: 6,990 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, Samsung Galaxy S26, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (260/460/720)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: A nice breeze and warmer.
I got off to a later start this morning for reasons (I swear I wasn’t being lazy), but still managed to begin my run in the morning, which was important because it was yet again going to be warmer than usual and my body is still adjusting to early June temperatures happening in late April.
As it turned out, the run went fairly well, almost matching Monday’s pace, only one second slower on average at 5:44/km. My BPM was slightly lower at 145, which was nice to see as it was 16-17C on the run, so I do indeed appear to be acclimating to the warmer temperatures (vague warning about climate change here).
The trail was moderately busy, with an assortment of runners and walkers, though none of the regular runners. There was a walking group and a few OWs1Oblivious Walkers but I didn’t have any problem navigating around any of them.
I had one brief issue during the 3K stretch, where my right shin hurt just a wee bit. This resolved itself after 15 seconds or so, and did not come back, so I am thinking it’s just a kink working out and nothing more.
And this was one of the first runs of the year when I both put on sunblock and actually showed visible signs of sweating. Yuck to both, though at least the sunblock makes me smell pretty. Hopefully it doesn’t attract bees or anything.
Anyway, a good mid-week run.
The lake, looking north: Return of the Lily Pad Empire.
Stats:
Run 1,032 Average pace: 5:44/km Training status: Maintaining Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 11:24 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 28:49 Weather: Mostly sunny Temp: 16-17°C Humidity: 63-59% Wind: light to moderate BPM: 145 Weight: 168.9 pounds Total distance to date: 6,985 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, Samsung Galaxy S26, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (255/446/701)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Cloudy and cooler.
The weather promised a high of 18C and mostly sunny, but the reality was clouds, the possibility of a shower and a temperature of 12C when I set out for my run. In other words, it was actually better for running.
I opted to go clockwise, continuing my alternating pattern. Lately I’ve been developing an affinity for the clockwise route, even if it means crossing through the marshy bits at the west end of the lake where water is now streaming across the path in at least five places. Hopefully something is done about this before boat rentals are needed to complete passage.
I didn’t have any plan for the run, but started out a bit slow. I picked up the pace on the second km and was slightly less slow. After this I got my footing and established a faster pace, ending with an overall of 5:43/km and a BPM of 146, a fair bit lower than Friday. The cooler temperatures really do seem to treat me better.
Hangdog was out, but no other regular runners. I got to see the four goslings and their parents post-run, which was fun. No hissing, even!
I didn’t experience any issues, though I encountered an issue deep into the third km. Specifically, there was a parks vehicle puttering along the trail ahead of me. The driver seemed to be going at a respectable pace and I didn’t think there’d be an issue, but it soon became obvious that I was catching up and this would become a problem at some point. I definitely did not want to pass. I began to slow my pace a little to establish more distance when the vehicle suddenly stopped and the driver stuck out one of those pickers for grabbing litter out the left side, as if signalling…something.
I could not interpret what it meant. Did he mean me to stop? Was he signalling a left turn (into the bushes?) I did not know. This seemed to be a good time top just plain pause the run, so I did. Once I deemed him sufficiently ahead, I resumed running, only to see there was an intersection in the trail ahead and he was, indeed, turning left.
I encountered no further putt-putt cars and the rest of the run was fine and dandy.
In all, a good start to the week.
Still Creek, post-run. Gloomy but green.
Stats:
Run 1,031 Average pace: 5:43/km Training status: Maintaining Location: Burnaby Lake (CW) Start: 10:47 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 28:45 Weather: Cloudy Temp: 12°C Humidity: 75-72% Wind: light BPM: 146 Weight: 169.5 pounds Total distance to date: 6,980 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, Samsung Galaxy S26, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (250/433/683)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Calm, sunny, other than some errant clouds.
Despite a last-minute shoelace incident (specifically, my hack job of temporarily fixing a snapped lace coming undone just as I was heading out), I still managed to get out just past 9 a.m., with the intended goal of getting in my run before the temperature started getting above normal.
In the end, I achieved this, as it was 14C and the high for today is forecast as 18C. Humidity was much lower than Wednesday, but still high enough to prevent dry mouth, which was nice.
My watch was advising a recovery run–shorter time/slower pace. I opted for the slower pace, though by the second km, where I came in at 5:54/km, I felt it was maybe too slow. I picked up for the last km and had an average pace of 5:48/km, with a slightly higher BPM of 151, a minor increase from Wednesday, but fine.
Despite a lot of walking yesterday and the harder workout on Wednesday, I didn’t experience any issues. The trail was not too busy, mostly just dog walkers and other joggers (no regulars, though).
It was sunny, though it was strangely more theoretical than actual, because despite a mostly clear sky, there was one cloud that managed to park itself in front of the sun for most of the run. This isn’t a bad thing, but it did feel a bit weird. It made for a few dramatic post-run shots, though.
And this concludes the first week in a while where I managed to run all three days. Woo. Go me.
Sun and shadow looking toward the rowling pavilion, post-run.
Stats:
Run 1,030 Average pace: 5:48/km Training status: Productive Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 9:49 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 29:10 Weather: Sunny (except for the cloud that persistently blotted out the sun) Temp: 14°C Humidity: 63% Wind: light BPM: 151 Weight: 170.6 pounds Total distance to date: 6,975 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, Samsung Galaxy S26, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (245/420/665)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Cloudy and cool, just the way I like it (for running).
I thought it might be breezy today, so I wore my long-sleeved Echo hoodie (which is pretty much a light shirt with a light hood attached). This turned out to be unnecessary, as there was little wind, but it was fine all the same.
Compared to Monday, it was six degrees cooler (12C vs. 18C) and humidity was about twice as high (87 vs 44). This made for significantly better running conditions. The only downside was increased slug-dodging, due to showers earlier in the morning (the trail was dry by the time I started my run).
I did start a little slower for some reason, maybe out of a sense of caution. I also walked the first few steps instead of running, as if I’d suddenly forgotten why I was there. But it really clicked in when I came across a couple running ahead of me. They were running a bit slower, but I wasn’t sure if I had the pep to advance past them. It turned out I not only did, but I maintained that faster pace going forward, coming in under the 5:40 mark for the rest of the run.
My BPM was also down to 149, again reflecting the more favourable conditions. The clouds and earlier showers were probably the reasons why the trail was sparsely populated today, though a decent number of joggers were out, including Hangdog again.
I did the thing I mused about months ago where I stretched my stride a little and picked up the pace especially for about the last half a km or so. It’s actually showing orange/red on the map for a change!
This is the 5th km. It starts near the bottom, just before Deer Lake Brook.
It was a good effort without any issues and I feel I actually gave my leg muscles a little bit of an actual workout, so woo.
Still Creek, post-run:. Going green.
Stats:
Run 1,029 Average pace: 5:41/km Training status: Productive Location: Burnaby Lake (CW) Start: 10:25 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 28:33 Weather: Cloudy Temp: 12°C Humidity: 87% Wind: light BPM: 149 Weight: 170.0 pounds Total distance to date: 6,970 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, Samsung Galaxy S26, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (240/408/648)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Sun and summer-like conditions.
Yes, a run of contradictions (seemingly). Also, lots of coyote alert signs, but so far no coyotes.
My plan was pretty basic: Knowing it would be unusually warm today (and it was–18C for the run) I was going to go slow and steady. I achieved both, though the slow part was maybe a bit slower than expected, with an overall pace of 5:58/km. You’d think my BPM would be lower, too, but no, it was the same as Friday, when I had a pace of 5:43/km: 152.
The difference, of course, is that it was 7-8 degrees cooler on Friday.
Still, I’m not disappointed. It’s challenging to suddenly run in conditions your body isn’t used to and I didn’t experience any complications on today’s run, other than it just being a lot warmer than usual. Humidity was low at 44, but the lack of wind helped keep my mouth from drying out. I was licking my lips a lot, though, like a nervous suspect in a whodunit.
Near the start, some smartypants ran by shirtless, with a big grin on his face, like he knew how awesome his abs were. He didn’t even seem to be wearing proper running shorts, so maybe he just spontaneously decided to show off. And I did see one regular jogger, plus a bunch of other runners I didn’t recognize. All dogs encountered were good boys or girls.
The incipient snow I encountered around the 8 km mark, which was the first bit of “snow” starting to fall from the cottonwood trees. This feels early, but it tracks with the warmer weather.
In all, a decent start to the week.
Still Creek, with the green starting to overtak the yellow.
Stats:
Run 1,028 Average pace: 5:58/km Training status: Productive Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 10:52 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 28:57 Weather: Sunny Temp: 18°C Humidity: 44% Wind: light BPM: 152 Weight: 169.0 pounds Total distance to date: 6,965 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, Samsung Galaxy S26, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (235/395/630)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Calm, mild and sunny.
Temperatures were a bit warmer today, but still seasonal and I posted a slightly better run vs. Wednesday, basically flipping my pace on the first and second km, but hewing closely otherwise. I didn’t experience any issues and didn’t try pushing hard or anything. BPM was up slightly to 152, but more effort, so it’s fine. The peak was 158, so it stayed within a pretty narrow range throughout, even when I was running harder.
I ran clockwise, starting at the mysteriously re-locked water fountain by the dam. I stopped to check the water fountain at the Nature House post-run and it was working, so they seem to have singled out the one at the dam for some reason. The flow of water at the Nature House fountain was a bit low, as if it was set for the world’s least thirsty person. It was still nice.
Just before I started my run, a young guy dressed all in black ran by. This meant when I started he was within sight of me, not far ahead. No biggie, I assumed that the benefit of youth would see him dash off and out of sight soon enough. But this did not happen.
Instead, it seemed his pace was very close to mine. I faced a dilemma: On the one hand, I don’t like having a “pace car” person running in front of me, and on the other, I didn’t particularly feel like turning on the jets to get past him. The solution, as it tutned out, was to do nothing. I was actually running slightly faster than him, so it took minimal effort to pass him, which I did.
The weather, being pleasant and mostly sunny, brought out a fair number of people–many of them fellow joggers–but I only once had someone almost walk into my path when her partner moved to let me by–and she then tried to take over his spot because maybe she was secretly coveting it?
The stretch of trail between the rowing pavilion parking lot and sports fields is getting increasingly flooded and in several spots has water more or less permanently pouring across it. I am hoping it gets resurfaced soon.™.
In all, a good finish to the week. It feels nice to be back to my normal self, running-wise, after last week’s weirdness.
Looking south across the lake from Phillips Point, post-run.
Stats:
Run 1,027 Average pace: 5:43/km Training status: Maintaining Location: Burnaby Lake (CW) Start: 10:46 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 28:43 Weather: Mostly sunny Temp: 10-11°C Humidity: 60% Wind: light to moderate BPM: 152 Weight: 168.1 pounds Total distance to date: 6,960 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, Samsung Galaxy S26, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (230/385/615)
Music: Synchronicity, The Police (I didn't even skip "Mother")
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Sunny, with the trees in bloom.
I missed Monday’s run due to phone-related shenanigans (I got a new phone on Monday but the shenanigans were not related to the new phone itself). This meant I had four days off between runs so if nothing else, I’d be well-rested.
I headed to the lake and adopted a slower starting pace to see how I felt. I felt OK, so I increased my pace and went on to keep increasing it, for a rare graph where every km was faster than the one before, with the last one coming in at a spiffy 5:30/km. My overall pace was 5:45/km, much better than last week and while my BPM was up a bit at 150, that’s still perfectly cromulent and expected with the extra exertion and having taken some extra time off.
So it seems whatever hit me last week has moved on, at least for now. Yay. I didn’t experience any issues, the run just felt like a normal run. One young guy (seriously, there are people running on the trail that are probably 40 years younger than me now) passed me wearing a t-shirt that said “10K run division” on the back, so I didn’t feel too bad about him getting ahead. I assumed he’d just keep expanding his lead and disappear ahead of me, but either he slowed down or I sped up as we reached a kind of equillibrium and he stayed ahead but within sight for the rest of the run (he kept going after I hit 5K).
The trail had a decent number of people out and the weather was significantly cooler than Friday’s 17C. 9C was fine for the run and the sun was out much of the time, which felt nice. I’m not sure how much the more seasonal temperature helped today, except that I’m sure it did.
And the new phone–a Samsung Galaxy S26–worked without issue playing music from my AirPods and relaying the laps from my Garmin Forerunner watch. My current gear is a Frankenstein mix-n-match that works surprisingly well together. This pleases me.
Oh, and the water fountain was back in service, hooray! Long enough for me to get one drink from it, then it was locked down again. I am not kidding. By the time I went down to the 0K marker to start my run and ran back past the fountasin, a park worker was there locking it down again, for reasons unknown. They’ll probably open it up again in July.
Before: I got a drink from the fountain. Yummy cool water!After (literally a few minutes later): Locked down again.
Still, In all, it was nice to get back out and return to my normal running ways.
Looking toward the rowing pavilion, post-run.
Stats:
Run 1,026 Average pace: 5:45/km Training status: Maintaining Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 11:32 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 28:52 Weather: Partly sunny Temp: 9°C Humidity: 54% Wind: light to moderate BPM: 150 Weight: 167.9 pounds Total distance to date: 6,955 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, Samsung Galaxy S26, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (225/374/598)
View from Cariboo Dam: Sunny and once again weirdly warm.
The stats and conditions for today’s run were remarkably similar to Monday’s (I did not run Wednesday because my Garmin watch recommended a rest day), but the title of the post still makes sense, because while Monday felt like a horrible slog, today’s near-identical pace was a more deliberate choice and my performance was pretty steady throughout, with a slightly faster start and finish.
I’m still not entirely sure what is dragging my performance down this week. It may be a combination of things:
Spring allergies
Maybe a virus of some kind?
Probably not Spring Fever
Definitely not Boogie Fever
The much higher-than-normal temperatures could be a factor
Speaking of, it was 17C for the run. The normal daily high this time of year is 12C, to give you an idea of how much warmer it was. Humidity was 50% and while I didn’t experience DMS1Dry Mouth Syndrome I could sense it beckoning. I did a short loop today and didn’t experience any issues, nothing at all like Monday. I was slower, but didn’t struggle, because the slowness was more a choice.
I saw one guy jogging with a jacket. I almost started sweating spontaneously just looking at it. Seriously, you do not need a jacket when it is sunny and 17C, unless you have, I dunno, translucent skin or something. Maybe he did.
In all, not a stellar week for running (other than the great early summer-like weather), but I got through it.
Sun shining on forested area just past the end of the run.
Stats:
Run 1,025 Average pace: 5:54/km Training status: Maintaining Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop) Start: 11:32 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 29:39 Weather: Sunny Temp: 17°C Humidity: 50% Wind: light BPM: 147 Weight: 167.1 pounds Total distance to date: 6,950 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (220/360/580)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Unusually warm and clearing.
Spring as in the weather was suddenly not just spring-like, it got up to 17C during the run, which is more than twice what it was on Friday’s run.
Without the spring because I felt weirdly off. It’s hard to describe, but even though my first km was decent at 5:41/km, the metaphorical wheels started coming off shortly after. I even paused the run at the halfway mark and walked a bit (but only for 10-15 seconds). The best way to describe how I felt is, imagine how you feel if you haven’t eaten for a long time and you start to feel a bit wobbly or weak? It was like that. Except I ate breakfast before going out.
Anyway, it meant the run was a slog, as I got progressively slower until the final km, where I managed a pace of 5:47/km. It’s possible that while it was not hot, the temperature difference might have still affected me. My BPM was even higher, despite the lower output at 151. In all, not an auspicious start to the week.
On the plus side, it was my first run in months when I went out wearing just shorts and a t-shirt, so that was nice. I even dabbed a bit of sunscreen on the back of my neck just to be safe.
The trail was a bit more crowded than normal, but wasn’t too bad, and much less crowded than Friday. I saw a man jogging with a puppy in his hand. No topless runners, though, which was odd, given the weather.
Anyway, I’m still intact, so that’s good.
The lake, post-run.
Stats:
Run 1,024 Average pace: 5:54/km Training status: Maintaining Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 12:16 p.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 29:38 Weather: Mostly sunny Temp: 16-17°C Humidity: 63-59% Wind: light BPM: 151 Weight: 169.1 pounds Total distance to date: 6,945 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (215/347/562)
Today is Good Friday, which is a holiday for many people, but the day was also cloudy and threatened showers through morning and early afternoon. Holidays usually mean the trails are more crowded, but the threat of rain could keep people away.
The threat of rain did not keep people away. As a bonus, it also didn’t rain.
But the trail was packed with joggers, walkers, people with dogs and the occasional robin.
It was so crowded, in fact, that when starting on the Avalon Trail, I kept going past the turn-off onto the Southshore Trail and connected with the Freeway Trail, which is about as sexy as it sounds. I tried to stay on it as long as I could but turned back onto the main trail a bit too soon. I’ll know better next time!
While on the Freeway Trail, my left AirPod made some kind of noise and abruptly stopped working. I paused the run, put both buds in the charging case, then popped them back in my ears and everything was good. I am concerned that this means the AirPods are getting close to self-destructing, forcing me to find something else.
As for the run, I started out decently, but this was apparently overdoing it after some recent bad sleep and stress, as my pace collapsed in second km to just under six minutes. I picked up a bit after, but remembered my watch had recommended a recovery run, so never really pushed. My BPM was 149, which felt right for the condition I was in and my pace was 5:48/km, a lot slower than Monday, but again, given my current state of being, this was perfectly cromulent.
A moody-loooking Still Creek, post-run.
In all, a decent wrap to the week and dodging the rain was a nice bonus.
Stats:
Run 1,023 Average pace: 5:48/km Training status: Productive Location: Burnaby Lake (CW) Start: 10:56 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 29:12 Weather: Cloudy Temp: 8°C Humidity: 87% Wind: light BPM: 149 Weight: 168.8 pounds Total distance to date: 6,940 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (210/334/544)
