Outdoor runs

I was thinking about skipping today’s run after feeling some stiffness in my left knee following Wednesday’s effort, but in the end I could not resist the siren song, and headed out.

This run was a bit more conventional in terms of speed, starting out strong (this is fairly easy going clockwise, as the Avalon Trail is flat and straight) at 5:45, gradually getting slower (5:50/km by the third km) before finishing strong again (5:38/km). I had extra incentive to pick up the speed on the last km as some young guy jogged past me. The nerve. Sure, he was probably 25, but still. I tried to keep pace for a bit, then remembered “don’t destroy the knees”. Also. I was pretty close to the end, anyway.

Speaking of knees, they were fine for the run, but both felt a little stiff on the walk back. I will monitor over the weekend, and they will get at least two days off to rest and recover. The left hip, which I am thinking is acting up probably in relation to the knees, continues to make its presence known, but was again more muted, more an annoyance.

Although I headed out later than I wanted, it was still morning and the weather was perfectly cromulent. The trail was busy-ish, maybe a bit more than usual for a Friday, but there were no incidents.

In all, a good run to end the week with.

Stats:

Run 806
Average pace: 5:49/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 10:56 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:15
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 18-19ºC
Humidity: 67-64%
Wind: light
BPM: 155
Weight: 167.0
Total distance to date: 5910 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (45/82/127 km)

It’s Labour Day and running counts as labour, so I’m good.

I ended up having a not-great sleep last night, so slept in a bit to try to salvage what I could. This meant that I’d be running later than desired–and on a stat holiday, to boot.

On the plus side (except for people hoping to tan or have picnics in the sun before school resumes), it was cloudy and cooler today, never getting above 17C and with the sun only briefly threatening for a few minutes. This made for much nicer running conditions.

What didn’t make for nicer running conditions were the huge crowds clogging up the trail as people go on their once-a-year trek for fitness or something before winter sets in. Generally this is not a problem, as most will either see or hear me approach and make room. The worst, somewhat ironically, are those walking toward me, because many of them seem to think I will somehow make room for them.

Somewhere between the 2 and 3K mark (this becomes significant later) a large, sprawling group approached, spread out into about three groups. The largest blob of people approached, with a young and apparently very happy young woman on the edge. As I neared, she seemed to remain oblivious, somehow, to my presence, giggling and carrying on with the others. There was a tree right on the edge of the trail as I got nearer. This meant that even if I wanted to, I would not be able to duck off the trail if she failed to give me room to pass. She gave me enough room to pass if I weighed half as much and was twice as tall. I put up my left hand to act as a kind of cow catcher (I’m not casting judgment, it’s what they were called!) As it turned out, I made contact with her shoulder and gently pushed her slightly away as I ran past. I’m pretty sure she was still unaware of me.

By this time, I was annoyed with two things:

1. My pace. The first km, where I admittedly have been taking it easy lately (somewhat paranoid) was a slow 5:59/km. The second km was worse–6:07/km. The dream of getting a pace under six minutes seemed unattainable.
2. All the damn people getting in the way. In reality, most were fine, but that one young happy woman irked me enough to make up for all the others.

These two things made me just want to get the run over with as quickly as possible and get out. This meant that, opposite to what usually happens, I got faster as the run progressed. My fourth km was 5:45, my last was 5:34–the fastest since hurting my knees a thousand years ago.

This meant my overall pace was below six minutes, at 5:52/km. Woo!

Better, my knees and legs survived. The left hip was being its dumb self again, but a little more muted, and the knees seem no worse for the extra speediness. No doubt the conditions helped, too, because despite the time, my BPM was back to a nice, round 150.

Overall, I am pleased with the run, and annoyed with the people.

Run 804
Average pace: 5:52/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:12 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:35
Weather: Mostly cloudy
Temp: 17ºC
Humidity: 75-70%
Wind: light
BPM: 150
Weight: 166.8
Total distance to date: 5900 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (35/65/100 km)

I opted for a “full deal” (5K) run today, going counter-clockwise around the lake. The daily weather forecast curiously mentioned humidity, which it almost never does:

And it was indeed humid, though since I ran later in the morning, not overly so. It meant a little more sweating, but was actually kind of nice. Goldilocks humidity, if you will.

I pondered what sort of run to do as I walked toward the lake along the river trail, when three young women (probably early 20s) went zipping past me in the opposite direction, all merrily conversing because they have endless youthful energy. I hate them.

I decided to go CCW because after drinking at the fountain by the dam, I was in the ideal position to start, so I did. I was somewhat shocked when my first km came in at 6:03/km. I mean, I was trying to ease into things, but not quite that much. I pressed a little harder and managed to keep every km after under the six-minute mark, with the last again being my fastest at 5:47. My final pace of 5:55/km was only a second faster than my previous, but that was on the river trail, so this one was a harder run, but also going the easier route on the lake, so…basically, it was OK, but I’ve been a bit sluggish all week. Maybe my times will improve as my knees heal more and temperatures start to come down.

The trail was dry, so no puddle jumping, but was surprisingly busy for a weekday. For a time I was trailing behind a putt-putt car on an especially windy part of the trail. It would keep appearing and disappearing ahead of me. I wondered what would happen if I actually caught up with it. That ended up not happening, though. At some point, it either reached its destination or disappeared into the alternate dimension where all the putt-putt cars live.

Speaking of passing, though, that trio of young women passed me on the lake trail. Yes, they apparently ran to the end of the river trail, back to the lake, up the trail, caught up to me, then continued past, zipping by like a bunch of hummingbirds, except if they were hummingbirds, they would be chasing each other and trying to stab each other to death. They were still having a lovely, full conversation. I consoled myself by noting they were probably less than half my age. I wonder what sort of times I’d have put in if I had run in my 20s? Something to ponder should I ever wake up and suddenly find myself a 20-year-old again, all Twilight Zone style.

Anyway, the run was fine, but not great. I did all three without anything falling apart or off, so that’s a plus. We’ll see how next week goes!

Stats:

Run 803
Average pace: 5:55/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:04 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:45
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 21-22ºC
Humidity: 63-61%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 153
Weight: 167.1
Total distance to date: 5895 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (30/52/82 km)

I pondered what sort of run to do and as often happens (in a good way), I ended up going for a full loop around the lake, though I’m still doing 5K. I may start ramping up next week if my knees don’t scream in protest.

Speaking of my knees, they were fine during the run, and a tiny bit stiff after, though I was also feeling the stretching pre-run in various other parts of my legs, too. Also, the left hip is still being annoying.

The run itself was a bit odd. Humidity was similar to the last run, but it was about six degrees warmer, and I was running later (in early afternoon), and this seemed to affect my speed and overall drive. I didn’t actually break the six-minute mark until my last km. On the plus side, my BPM was also significantly lower at 152. I wasn’t running hard because it was warm, basically. I can live with that. Also, it’s Monday. Could I really expect more? I say no! Apart from the temperature, it started out mostly sunny, but got increasingly cloudy toward the end, so the sun per se was not a big factor.

Overall, then, a middling but not unexpected result. The weather looks to be getting unsettled this week, so there may be actual precipitation on a run soon!

Stats:

Run 801
Average pace: 6:08/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:58 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 30:49
Weather: Partly cloudy, smoke haze
Temp: 23-24ºC
Humidity: 64%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 152
Weight: 167.2
Total distance to date: 5885 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (20/35/55 km)

Woo, I have now officially tracked 800 runs and a total of 5880 km. That’s pretty decent for someone who didn’t do any running at all until age 44.

Today’s conditions were different, but not dramatically so. It was slightly warmer and sunny, though it looks like some smoke haze is starting to return. It was still quite humid, so no issues with a dry mouth or anything.

I saw the same pattern as the previous run, where my pace got progressively slower, then turned it around with a strong finish and an improved pace of 5:50/km. This came with a higher BPM of 159, which is not ideal, and I’m not sure why it was higher. It’s not high enough to be worrisome, it’s just higher than I expected, given the overall pace. My opening and closing paces were pretty fast, though, at 5:39 and 5:42 respectively. Probably too fast until I am more confident about my knees, really.

Speaking of knees, They held up again. The right one had the tendon flicker like the previous run, but less so. Likewise, the left hip made itself known, but not so much as the previous run. There was some general stiffness, which again felt like the after-effects of stretching. One day I’ll be flexible enough that it won’t be a thing anymore.

I also had enough pep after to do a little bit of running mixed in with the walk back home. And I didn’t sweat like a hog.

Overall, I’m mostly pleased by this run. Maybe in the next week or so I’ll start increasing the distance and see how it goes.

Stats:

Run 800
Average pace: 5:50/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 9:33 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:20
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 17-18ºC
Humidity: 69-65%
Wind: light
BPM: 159
Weight: 166.8
Total distance to date: 5880 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (15|26|41 km)

Whoops, I accidentally took more time off between runs than intended (four days, one more than my preferred max), but it didn’t seem to affect my performance, as I actually improved over last Thursday’s effort.

Conditions were quite different, too. Over the past three days, we’ve had smoke haze from wildfires blanketing the sky, blotting out the sun and filling the air with the distinct smell of smoke. It’s not ideal for physical activities like running, as you might imagine. I decided to postpone Monday’s usual run, as there was a chance a shift in winds could move the smoke away. And it did!

Today we’re seeing a mix of cloud and some sun, cooler temperatures and, best of all, the smoke is gone, at least for the present. I headed out early, spoiled by not needing water or sunblock. The temperature was near my ideal–15?, with a light breeze and no sun beating down. Humidity was high, but with the lower temperature, sweating was still minimal.

In terms of my body, here’s what I experienced:

• The left hip was stiff again and although I don’t think it affected my pace, it was still annoying and noticeable
• A tendon near the right knee flared up on and off, never getting painful, more of a “Remember me?” sort of thing. For the last part of the run it pretty much faded away

As I type this, the knees seem okay, but we’ll see how they feel later. I did push harder on this run, hence the higher BPM of 156 (vs. 153 on the previous run, under much warmer conditions). I was keeping under 6:00/km and on the final km I really wanted to make sure I kept to that, so I got a bit zany and actually posted my best lap of the run at 5:42/km, probably the fastest I’ve run since my knees started acting up. I promise to be more sensible next time!

As for the title, yes, there were bunnies! I came across one sitting on the gravel along the Piper Mill Trail (it hopped off as I approached, as expected), then two more later on, all of them brown, fuzzy and cute. There were probably a hundred others I didn’t see.

Overall, I’m pleased by the pace, the new shoes, the conditions, and my early start–I was back before 10:30 a.m.!

Now I need to figure out how to handle the rest of the week, run-wise, since my schedule is off-kilter.

Stats:

Run 799
Average pace: 5:52/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 9:13 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:33
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 15-16ºC
Humidity: 72-68%
Wind: light
BPM: 156
Weight: 165.6
Total distance to date: 5875 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (10|17|27 km)

The biggest change with today’s run was new shoes. I have returned to wearing HOKA Speedgoats after skipping several generations, and even though they come in an array of colours, the ones I ended up with are exactly the same as my original pair–but now with no colour bleeding!

The shoes were fine. I retied them after arriving at the lake and had no issues. They don’t feel as dreamy/cushy as I remember, but still offer noticeably more support and cushioning than the Peregrine 12’s. I think my knees and legs in general will appreciate this.

The run was very similar to Monday in terms of conditions, but I ran clockwise (the “easy” way) and watched as my pace slipped every km, then pulled it out for the last one and came in under the six-minute mark at 5:56/km. I sweated a lot, but my BPM was actually lower than Monday, too, at 153.

I did pass a shirtless runner again, though it was post-run and he had one of the strangest patterns of body hair I’ve seen, Hair on the stomach, then a line to the chest and more there, kind of like an hourglass. I couldn’t tell if it was intentional or nature just having a cheap laugh. But it was distinctive!

I drank at nearly every water fountain I could–the dam, the playground, the Nature House, Hume Park. I’ll have a more detailed ranking–with pictures!–soon.

The other notable change is my post-run stamina is starting to improve. I notice this on both the walk out from the lake and the walk home atfer. If my knees continue to improve, I may start running longer–not jumping directly to 10K, but ramping up a bit.

Overall, I am satisfied with today’s effort and happy to have shoes that don’t scoop in gravel.

NOTE: I have changed how I track distance with the shoes, going from one number to three, with the split being run/walk/total, to better reflect how much wear the shoes actually take.

Bonus shot:

Stats:

Run 798
Average pace: 5:56/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 10:32 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:50
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 24-25ºC
Humidity: 65-62%
Wind: light
BPM: 153
Weight: 166.8
Total distance to date: 5870 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (5/13/18 km1The split is run/walk/total)

Conditions were back to normal, so I slathered on the sunblock before heading out today, though I skipped the water bottle, as humidity was still sufficiently high (and remained so for the duration). I opted to go clockwise and started stronger than expected with an opening pace of 5:45/km. This fixed itself shortly after. 😛

I was somewhat concerned going in, but not because of the knees. My left hip was acting up just walking to the lake, but it actually didn’t prove to be a factor in the run. Various tendons and muscles protested a bit during the run, mostly from stretching, I think, and as I type this the knees themselves seem to be holding up.

My shoes both have conveniently gravel-sized holes in them. The left one has a hole that is becoming more of a rift, and after the run I emptied a lot of small gravel from it. The right shoe has a single, smaller hole, yet a sizeable chunk of gravel managed to perfectly negotiate the hole and get under my foot. What I’m saying is it’s time for new shoes.

I felt okay during the run, though my pace dropped with each km, until I finally reversed in the last one and came in under at 5:55/km, a bit slow for the “easy” way, but I’ll take it. OTOH, my BPM was a mere 149, so maybe I was just slacking!

I saw a family of four on bikes post-run near the athletic fields. They were resting alongside the trail when I started my walk out, and I never saw them again, so maybe they did not actually attempt to further ride on the trail like the bad, very wrong people they were!

A few dogs were off-leash, too, but fortunately well-behaved. I guess it was Rules-free Friday or something. I also had to dodge both a guy with a weed whacker and another with a full-size mower thingie on a tractor. So much dodging.

Surprisingly, after the run, I had enough pep to keep up a decent walking pace. This is encouraging!

Anyway, the run was overall fine. Next week is looking to be very hot, and I am not looking forward to it, but we shall see.

Stats:

Run 796
Average pace: 5:55/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 11:05 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:43
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 21ºC
Humidity: 64%
Wind: light
BPM: 149
Weight: 167.0
Total distance to date: 5860 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (530 km)