View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Work was being done in the area, hence the Metro Vancouver vehicles.
Today was the third time in the past three days I’ve completed the loop at Burnaby Lake, though I wasn’t carrying my camera with me this time.
Instead, it was the start of my weekly set of runs and once again, it was partly sunny, though a bit cooler than Friday, so the two layers stayed on for the duration. Shortly after I ended my 5K I had a guy pass me who was obviously not as sensitive to the temperature, as he was going topless.
There are two kinds of guys that run without a shirt:
Guys who want to show off their six-pack
Guys who look like they’ve had a few too many six-packs
There is nothing in-between. Average guys seem topless-averse.
Today’s run was clockwise, and very similar to Friday, with only a one-second difference in the average pace and a one beat difference in BPM (both were a bit faster/better today). I didn’t experience any issues, the trail was relatively dry after a few blissful days of not-rain and only one dog was off-leash.
In all, a good start to the week.
Still Creek, post-run: Back to the stillness.
Stats:
Run 1,019 Average pace: 5:44/km Training status: Productive Location: Burnaby Lake (CW) Start: 11:15 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 28:50 Weather: Partly sunny Temp: 7-8°C Humidity: 62% Wind: light BPM: 148 Weight: 172.1 pounds Total distance to date: 6,920 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (190/291/481)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run. The sky cleared up substantially during the run.
It was my first run of Spring 2026 and as a bonus it was both partly sunny and unusually mild, a nice change after multiple days of torrential rains.
I wore two layers (hoodie and t-shirt), which actually turned out to be one too many, as I doffed my Echo hoodie about halfway through the run, meaning I got an early start to my 2026 tan. 😀
I missed Wednesday’s run due to said torrential rains and felt a little sloggy (that’s the best way I can describe it) today but kept up a fairly consistent pace throughout, with an average of 5:45/km and a BPM of 149. Neither is outstanding, but both are perfectly cromulent.
Strangely a lot of dogs were off-leash. Bad dog owners! Fortunately the dogs themselves were well-behaved.
The trail was in pretty good shape despite the heavy rain–or so I thought! It was actually fine right up till the end of the run, where the newly-resurfaced stretch was seeing water ingress:
It should be fine with more normal amounts of rain. I think.
Puddles aside, it was nice to return to the lake, get some sun and round off the week with a decent effort.
View from the bridge over Deer Lake Brook, post-run.
Stats:
Run 1,018 Average pace: 5:45/km Training status: Productive Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 11:24 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 28:56 Weather: Partly sunny Temp: 12-13°C Humidity: 89-85% Wind: light to moderate BPM: 149 Weight: 171.3 pounds Total distance to date: 6,915 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (185/278/463)
Brunette River, pre-run: Swollen like a Botox operation gone wrong. Or something.
We are in the midst of a four day “atmospheric river event” which means rain and plenty of it. I checked the forecast and tried to time today’s run during the one likely gap in the showers. And I mostly got it, woo. It sprinkled briefly around the 2K mark, but was otherwise dry for the run. It rained on the walk back, but it was more a steady drizzle, so I didn’t get drenched like last Wednesday. Nice, I sez.
As for the run, I started out a bit sluggish and flagged a bit on the second km, but picked up speed and finished with a pace of 5:43/km, a little slower than Friday, but also with a BPM of 147, which was appropriately lower. My max heart rate got adjusted on the Garmin watch to 165, so I have a goof amount of headroom.
The river trail was fairly quiet, though I did see a semi-regular out for a walk, all bundled up. Speaking of, I wore my three winter layers because it was around 5C when I was originally going to head out, but rose to 8C by the time I left, so I was a bit overdressed. Still, always better to be over than under in the winter. You can always shed layers, but you can’t magically manifest them out of nowhere (if anyone can do this, please teach me).
In all, a good start to what is likely to be a soggy ol’ week.
Post-run: The river banks are getting more green!
Stats:
Run 1,017 Average pace: 5:43/km Training status: Productive Location: Brunette River Trail Start: 1:17 p.m. Distance: 5.04 km Time: 28:50 Weather: Cloudy, some sprinkles Temp: 8°C Humidity: 87% Wind: light BPM: 147 Weight: 170.8 pounds Total distance to date: 6,910 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (180/265/445)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: It actually brightened up considerably after I took this shot.
The best thing about today’s run was the absence of rain. It was once again 5C, but for most of the run it was partly sunny, so it only felt cool at the start. Speaking of start, I ran in the early afternoon due to morning showers. There were still some puddles, but puddle-hopping was not too bad.
In the week since I was last at the lake, it looks like the wind claimed a few more trail-adjacent trees, freshly cut up into log-size chunks. Pedestrian traffic was relatively light and only one dog was off-leash and he was being a good boy, walking directly in front of his owner (which made me wonder why he was even off-leash).
I started out at a similar pace to the previous two runs, but unlike those, this time I gained strength as I kept going, instead of flagging, finishing with an overall pace of 5:41/km and a BPM of 150, which is a bit higher, but accurately reflects the extra effort.
I didn’t experience any issues, which is always nice, and enjoyed the walk back, with the amount of green along the trail expanding significantly since my last run–and now including the reappearance of skunk cabbage, a sure sign of spring:
The skunk cabbage cometh. But it’s not actually stinky! Yet.
This was also the first time in a few weeks that I kept to my usual Mon-Wed-Fri running schedule, which I’ll hopefully be better at sticking to as we roll on into spring.
In all, a good wrap-up to the week.
View from ther bridge over Deer Lake Bridge, post-run.
Stats
Run 1,016 Average pace: 5:41/km Training status: Productive Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 1:07 p.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 28:35 Weather: Partly sunny Temp: 5-6°C Humidity: 77-72% Wind: light BPM: 150 Weight: 170.0 pounds Total distance to date: 6,905 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (175/262/437)
The forecast was calling for heavy (steady) rain today, so there was no avoiding it. I put on three layers, adjusted the belt that holds my phone (by removing the onion tied to it–OK, I just had it tightened up, as it had been growing slack) and headed out, bracing for a lot of wet.
I was not disappointed. Except by how it was much milder and nicer running in mid-January.
I saw one cyclist at the start and one guy out on a walk with a giant umbrella, but otherwise had the trail to myself. It was 5C, the weather app said it felt like 2C, which seemed about right, and the rain, though light, was constant. My running gear is tumbling in the dryer as I’m typing this.
Strangely, my stats ended up nearly identical to Monday, despite the change in weather. My BPM was a bit higher at 147, but my overall pace was the same–5:47/km. My total time was only two seconds off from Monday and that’s probably because I walked the first few steps instead of running. I am nothing if not consistent.
The only problem during the run was just the usual with wet weather–lower visibility, having to navigate around sometimes gigantic puddles and just generally getting soaked and cold. I’m sure it builds character or something.
Anyway, I’m on track for a regular week of running, we’ll see if it continues.
Post-run. Water gushes from a creek feeding into the river.
Stats:
Run 1,015 Average pace: 5:47/km Training status: Productive Location: Brunette River Trail Start: 11:52 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 29:07 Weather: Steady light rain Temp: 5°C Humidity: 90% Wind: light BPM: 147 Weight: 170.0 pounds Total distance to date: 6,900 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (170/249/419)
View of Brunette River, pre-run: Chilly, a bit breezy–but no rain!
After sussing out the weather this morning, I altered my running plan from the lake to the river, to better avoid potential showers. It worked! It was chillier than it has been lately at 4C, but didn’t feel too bad. I wore three layers, but the middle was just a t-shirt.
The river trail was pretty quiet, probably due to the rain earlier in the morning, and one young owner (her eyes glued to her phone) had a dog off leash, but the dog looked old and was moving slowly, so no issue there, other than being neglected by its owner.
My pace was a bit slower than my previous run at 4:47/km, but it’s fine. I didn’t have any issues and my BPM was quite low at 142, so apparently I put myself into EZ Mode without being consciously aware of it.
If the forecast is accurate, Wednesday is looking extremely soggy, but I’ll just have to endure, knowing March gets a spike in precipitation as depicted by this snippet from the Windows weather app showing historical trends for annual rainfall:
March showers, not April showers
As for the short mentioned in the title, let me provide a list because I like lists:
Last year I finally got new running shorts, sticking to the same brand as before–Nike Dri-Fit
As expected, they had tweaked a few things in the years since I’d last bought a pair
The drawstring moved from inside to outside, which is a negative for me
The waistband is thinner and has less cushioning–a regression, IMO
The side pockets have room for my phone, but the phone will always turn sideways because the pockets are cut differently. WHY? (My phone goes into a belt when I’m actually running.)
The zippered pocket has been moved to the back from the side. This is better for most people, it makes no difference to me.
They somehow changed the cut in the crotch area. Or maybe my crotch area changed. In either case, the shorts start to ride up on the inner part of my legs now, which causes the fabric to rub against itself and is annoying as all get-out. I have to keep tugging the shorts down, but they always start riding up again.
Due to the last item, I am now actively looking for new shorts again. The previous Nike shorts were fine, and I’d happily buy them again forever, but retail being what it is, they have to constantly change things up to keep them “fresh” and just as often make things worse. Alas.
Still, even with the crotch riding issues, this was a decent if unspectacular start to the week.
The river, post-run: Looking a bit full at the moment.
Stats:
Run 1,014 Average pace: 5:47/km Training status: Strained Location: Brunette River Trail Start: 11:18 p.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 29:05 Weather: Cloudy Temp: 4°C Humidity: 75% Wind: light to moderate BPM: 142 Weight: 171.6 pounds Total distance to date: 6,895 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (165/245/410)
It’s my first regular follow-up run in about a hundred years, woo (meaning a run two days after the previous). The well-timed is in reference to carefully watching the forecast and heading out early in the afternoon after morning showers ended. Not only did I get to skip the rain, the trail was in pretty decent shape, other than the occasional easily navigated puddle.
I flipped the course today, doing another short loop, but going counter-clockwise this time. I shaved five seconds off my pace, which is not bad. BPM was a bit higher, but fine at 150. I definitely felt I was pushing harder than on Monday.
Likely because of the earlier rain, the trail was largely empty, though more people appeared toward the end of the run.
I didn’t experience any issues at all and a single layer would likely have sufficed, but I wanted two in case the showers came back while I was out and aboot.
In all, a fine mid-week effort. Friday is currently looking wet, so we’ll see if I can squeeze in another run between showers.
The view further west of the dam, post-run.
Stats:
Run 1,013 Average pace: 5:42/km Training status: Productive Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop) Start: 1:18 p.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 28:38 Weather: Cloudy Temp: 10°C Humidity: 81-80% Wind: light BPM: 150 Weight: 169.7 pounds Total distance to date: 6,890 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (160/241/401)
I opted to revert to a 5K run after three days off, to allow myself to warm up a bit before trying 10K again, but I will do 10K again soon™.
In the meantime I ran a short loop at the lake and it was downright spring-like, with a temperature of 11C, little wind and lots of sun. My stats were decent, but not earth-shattering, as my running schedule has been a tad erratic lately. Besides, it’s probably better to not shatter the earth, anyway. Still, BPM of 148 and a pace of 5:47/km is perfectly fine.
I also experienced no issues, though midway through the run I felt a bit tired–perhaps related to my “non-restorative” sleep last night. In any case, I picked up in the last few km.
Overall, a decent start to the week. The weather forecast suggest The Rains are about to return, but hopefully I can find a few patches of dry(ish) conditions to run during the rest of the week.
Brunette River, post-run.
Stats:
Run 1,012 Average pace: 5:47/km Training status: Productive Location: Burnaby Lake (CW, short loop) Start: 12:41 p.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 29:06 Weather: Sunny Temp: 11°C Humidity: 64-61% Wind: light BPM: 148 Weight: 170.3 pounds Total distance to date: 6,885 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (155/233/388)
View from Cariboo Dam: The water is uncharacteristically ripply.
Today’s run was notable for two things:
It was windy as heck, which is quite unusual for Burnaby Lake
I did my first 10K in over two years!
After doing the 7.5K run on Monday, I knew it would feel like a regression to go back to a 5K, and I was curious to see how a 10K would feel. The weather looked decent–8C and dry–so I headed to the lake and like Monday, started at a slower pace, heading clockwise, with the idea of a 10K in mind.
I knew by the time I approached the 5K mark (oddly, my slowest lap) I would keep going, so then it was a question of 7.5K or 10K. That got answered when I hit 8K and knew I’d keep going. I even had enough pep to offset my slow pace at the halfway mark.
The last time I did a 10K was on November 6, 2023 (Run 826). Weirdly, there is only a one-second difference in the average pace then vs. today, so I’m apparently pretty consistent.
I had no difficulty doing 10 km today. At no point did I start wishing the run was over or shift to WHY IS THIS RUN STILL HAPPENING GOD I WANT TO LAY DOWN. In fact, my stats were perfectly cromulent, with a faster pace than the 7.5K run and an average BPM of 151.
In all, I’m very pleased knowing I can still pull off 10 km.
The other notable part of today’s run was the wind. Burnaby Lake is usually pretty calm. It’s often dead calm, as the water at Still Creek illustrates. But not today. At one point near the start of the run I had to tug my cap down to keep it from getting blown off my head. Even though I only wore two layers again, it was still sufficient, even with the wind.
Overall, I am happy with today’s result. We’ll see if the legs/knees are also happy in a few days.
Still Creek, post-run: Not still!
Stats:
Run 1,011 Average pace: 5:56/km Training status: Productive Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 10:30 a.m. Distance: 10 km Time: 59:30 Weather: Cloudy Temp: 8-9°C Humidity: 85-81% Wind: light to strong BPM: 151 Weight: 169.8 pounds Total distance to date: 6,880 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (150/225/375)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Blue sky! (It didn’t last)
My last run was only 2.5 km, so to address the OCD of having my total run distance end in a decimal, I either had to do another 2.5 km or up the proverbial ante and do 7.5 km, which I haven’t done since June 25, 2025.
I chose to do the 7.5K. It went fine!
To make sure I’d have enough stamina, I set off at a deliberately slower pace and finished with an average of 6.01/km–so close to coming under the six-minute mark! My BPM was a bit higher, but despite being milder (7-8C), it was also breezier, so 151 seemed acceptable.
I didn’t experience any issues, though a stitch in my side threatened but didn’t fully materialize after the 5K mark. As a minor boost to my ego, I even passed another runner around 7 km in (she was running very slowly).
The trail was a bit damp after yesterday’s showers, but the newly resurfaced section along the sports fields is still holding up. The section past this, before you get to the rowing pavilion parking lot, is pretty floody and required a few dextrous leaps past some large puddles. Hopefully they resurface this bit soon.
Overall, a fine start to the week, and it’s nice to know I can push past 5K without any trouble (though I suspect my legs will be a bit stiff tomorrow).
Still Creek, post-run. The sun was hitting the area in a weird, focused way.
Stats:
Run 1,010 Average pace: 6:01/km Training status: Productive Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 10:26 a.m. Distance: 7.5 km Time: 45:12 Weather: Clouds and sun Temp: 7-8°C Humidity: 83-79% Wind: light to moderate BPM: 151 Weight: 170.9 pounds Total distance to date: 6,880 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (140/217/357)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Chilly, with a side of sun.
My watch wanted me to do a recovery run at a pace of 7.1 km/hour for 18 minutes.
I decided to sort of follow this by doing half of a 5K, which I did at my normal pace, finishing in 14:07 minutes. The run was shorter and ergo, easier, but it still went well, considering it was a chilly 2C out. Some factors:
I slept well last night, so I was well-rested
It was sunny (yes, it makes a difference!)
The humidity was low–only 47%
I started out to the right of the dam, on a nice flat surface–no early hills to slow me down
I dressed appropriately, so I didn’t feel cold starting out
Anyway, not too much to add–my first km matched my overall pace of 5:38/km, which is a whopping 16 seconds better than my previous run (doing the same route, even), and despite the cold, my BPM was also back down to 147.
I even saw a Lucky Heron™.
The only bummer is needing to do another 2.5K run, so my OCD doesn’t drive me bananas.
Brunette River, post-run.
Stats:
Run 1,009 Average pace: 5:38/km Training status: Productive Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop) Start: 12:41 p.m. Distance: 2.5 km Time: 14:07 Weather: Sunny Temp: 2°C Humidity: 47% Wind: light to moderate BPM: 147 Weight: 171.3 pounds Total distance to date: 6,872.5 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (132.5/209/341.5)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Cooler than recent runs, but still very calm.
Going into today’s run, I was facing the following:
Four days off (one more than I’d like)
Several nights of mediocre sleep and stress
Still not back into a regular running cadence
And the proof was in the running, with a slower average pace of 5:54/km, my BPM weirdly spiking to 167 at peak around the 2K mark and my average BPM being 154, higher than normal (though the cold might account for some of this).
Despite the mediocre stats, I didn’t have any issues, but I felt the lack of energy in the final km. I wanted to push, but the tank was already empty. Still, considering my worst km was 6:03 (!), the overall average was not that bad.
I also saw my first regular in a while–the spitfire!
Conditions were fine. It was cool, but dry and with little wind. In fact, I almost felt overdressed wearing my running pants and three layers, possibly because the humidity also remained fairly high.
Anyway, it was good to get out. I will try to stick to a more regular routine and hopefully see better stats going forward.
View from the turtle nesting area, post-run.
Stats:
Run 1,008 Average pace: 5:54/km Training status: Productive Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop) Start: 10:33 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 29:37 Weather: Mostly cloudy Temp: 4°C Humidity: 79-77% Wind: light BPM: 154 Weight: 170.1 pounds Total distance to date: 6,870 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (130/201/331)
