Exercise

Today’s run was the opposite of Monday’s: hot and gross. Monday it started out at 19°C, which was nice. Today it was 24°C and I felt every one of those five extra degrees.

It started out seemingly well, with an initial pace of 6:08/km, but I slipped to 6:18/km and after that it was Slog City™ to the end. I stopped twice, once at the Nature House to hydrate at the water fountain and again just after entering the Conifer Loop, because I was tired. I didn’t stop for long either time and I don’t think they had any real effect on my overall result, except for allowing me to push on just a bit longer.

I also did a short loop and made it tighter than usual so I’d have less walking to do on the way home. That part worked well!

No particular highlights on the run, of course, and near the end some dope passed by on an electric scooter. I told him they weren’t allowed on the trail, but he probably heard it as, “Why does that sweaty man who looks like he’s dying mumbling at me?”

Anyway, I started late and paid the price. Lesson learned (in theory). I’ll start earlier on Friday, I totes promise.

Stats:

Run 1,053
Average pace: 6:20/km
Training status: Productive
Performance Condition: +0
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 11:39 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 31:50
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 24°C
Humidity: 55%
Wind: light
BPM: 151
Weight: 170.0 pounds
Total distance to date: 7,070 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, Samsung Galaxy S26, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Scarpa Golden Gate ATR 2 (50/108/158)

Music: Shuffle play

Today, the difference was all in the timing and weather.

Once again, it was sunny and warm, but the max temperature today is expected to be 25°C, which is a bit cooler than it’s been on recent run days. That helped, because it meant it would not be as hot, no matter when I headed out.

But I also left much closer to my usual start time and it was a mere 19°C at the start of the run, which feels almost comfy at this point in the summer.

The result is a much better pace (6:10/km), better BPM (147) and even a lap (the fifth) where my pace almost dipped below the six-minute mark (it was right on the nose–6:00/km).

The trail was pretty lightly occupied, probably due to the earlier start, and I didn’t experience any issues. The higher humidity was not a factor, given the lower temperatures. I still got all sweaty up in the hizzy, but not as much.

I went clockwise and this time decided to go up Roberts Road if the Trail Closed sign was out. But it was not, and it appears the trail work is complete, so I was able to finish my run without any puddle jumping. Neat.

A good start to the week. I implore everyone to go out and touch trees. Or at least get near them. You don’t have to run, I just do it because it’s cheap exercise.

Stats:

Run 1,052
Average pace: 6:10/km
Training status: Productive
Performance Condition: +1
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 10:27 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 31:00
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 19–21°C
Humidity: 68–63%
Wind: light
BPM: 147
Weight: 169.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 7,065 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, Samsung Galaxy S26, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Scarpa Golden Gate ATR 2 (45/100/145)

Music: Pyramid, The Alan Parsons Project

Today’s run was mostly a replay of Wednesday’s, with almost every stat and condition being very similar to the last run:

• Similar temperature and humidity
• Similar pace and BPM

It was marginally better overall (and air quality was much better), but mostly it’s a rounding error. I started out stronger with an initial pace of 6:09/km, but that dropped off after the 2K mark. I detoured to the Nature House and got a drink at the fountain. This revived me enough to improve my pace…for exactly one km. After that, it was slow again, but in the end the watch declared the run Productive, so who am I to argue?

I minimized the overall workout by doing a short loop, running about 2.75 km CCW, then turning around and heading back. I originally planned to skip the side trails on the return, but the main trail is a lot more exposed to the sun and the shade was very inviting.

I feel there were a few more runners out today, but maybe that’s just a Friday thing.

Other than sweating a lot and feeling like the whole thing was a bit of a slog, I experienced no real issues. In all, a perfectly okay run, but I’m really feeling that six-week gap when I was recovering from surgery and the weather went from pleasant to kind of hot. 25 feels like 30 to me. At least it’s not actually 30.

Stats:

Run 1,051
Average pace: 6:23/km
Training status: Productive
Performance Condition: +1
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 11:00 a.m.
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 32:05
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 24–25°C
Humidity: 54–51%
Wind: light
BPM: 152
Weight: 169.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 7,060 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, Samsung Galaxy S26, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Scarpa Golden Gate ATR 2 (40/92/132)

Music: Private Eyes, Hall and Oates

Canada has a colour-coded weather alert system and when weather is fine, it is colour-free. When it is bad, it can be Yellow, Orange, or Red. Today it is Yellow.

Environment Canada described today’s alert thus:

Issued By

Meteorological Service of Canada, CA, Environment and Climate Change Canada

Affected Area

Metro Vancouver - central including the City of Vancouver Burnaby and New Westminster

Description

Smoke is causing or expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility.

Yellow Air Quality Warning in Effect (High Health Risk)

Limit outdoor activity. Reduce activity duration and intensity.

The weather app on my phone described the air quality as “unhealthy”:

I ran anyway.

Did I regret it? Not exactly, but I can also say the run did not make my socks roll up and down in excitement, either.

It was not as hot as Friday, but humidity was significantly higher and I sweated like crazy. The first few km were fine, but the heat/humidity/haze triple combo began wearing me down just past the midway point. I kept going because to the west the sky looked more blue than yellow, and I was running toward the west.

Along the way, I noted precious few other people out jogging, so most were smarter than me. I didn’t experience any specific issues while running–no cramps, creakiness, or whatnot, the whole thing just started feeling like a long, sweaty slog.

Which it was.

In the final km, I reached the rowing pavilion parking lot, crossed over and was greeted by a Trail Closed sign. The last time on this stretch there was only a Trail Closed sign on one end and no sign (ho ho) of any work activity. I paused to contemplate whether to turn back, ignore the sign and assume no work was actually being done (which was the case last time), or go up Roberts Road and reconnect with the trail somewhere over yonder. I couldn’t recall where Roberts Road came out in relation to the trail, so decided against that and could not hear any activity, so I decided to continue running past the Trail Closed sign, telling myself I’d turn around if I saw any people and equipment.

I saw people and equipment right at the very end. Whoops. I felt bad, but at least they were working on the little spur of the official Burnaby Lake Loop and not the part of the trail I was defying the sign on. Ironically, my run ended about 20 seconds later, anyway.

Despite the conditions, I ended up being only four seconds slower than Friday, which surprised me. I guess that’s good. And the watch, which does not know anything about air quality, declared the run productive, so also good.

Now I am off to drink three kegs of water.

Stats:

Run 1,050
Average pace: 6:24/km
Training status: Productive
Performance Condition: 0
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 10:40 a.m.
Distance: 5.01 km
Time: 32:11
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 22–24°C
Humidity: 62–57%
Wind: light
BPM: 153
Weight: 170.0 pounds
Total distance to date: 7,055 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, Samsung Galaxy S26, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Scarpa Golden Gate ATR 2 (35/84/119)

Music: Accelerate, R.E.M.