Yes, I made this post just for the awful title.
I did a quick survey outside after yesterday’s big dump o’ snow and determined that going for a run today would result in hijinks of an unmerry sort, with slipping and falling and such. By my estimate, there was about two times as much snow on the ground to make jogging viable. I was sad.
Afterwards, I hit the treadmill just long enough to complete my activity rings.
And now, that cat on ice. Yes, the classic, perhaps my favorite gif ever.
Today’s run was going to be chilly, with the temperature only 1ºC at the start, and 3ºC by the end, a difference I did not notice!
I dressed thus:
In the end I feel I could have worn two layers up top and shorts might have been okay. The only problem is the 4 km walk to the lake before. Near-freezing temperatures on my bare legs that long would probably lead to a lot longer warm-up period during the run, and it’s not like I was sweating a lot or something.
It was sunny and once again, the lack of any sort of wind was conspicuous and weird. In anticipation of getting that flickering effect from the sun shining through the now naked trees on the Cottonwood Trail, I opted to stick to a counterclockwise route. I did encounter some strobing on the south shore, but it was a lot more intermittent. There was frost in some shaded areas of the trail, but it wasn’t that bad as far as being slippery goes. Even the boardwalks were decent.
A bigger hazard may have been the Slightly Dim People out walking. Because it was sunny, there were more people out, which is fine, because it still wasn’t exactly crowded. I don’t know if the cold makes it harder to hear, but virtually no one heard me approaching from behind and most people were walking in pairs and hogging the trail, as people do. This didn’t lead to any situations, I just noticed everyone seemed a bit more oblivious today. Maybe it’s a Monday thing.
Unlike Friday, I had no weird heart rate spikes. At around the 7.5 km mark my BPM went up to 157 but it didn’t stay there and within a minute was back to the 150 range, which actually turned out to be my overall average. Nice!
As an experiment, I wore my Apple Watch on my right wrist, but locked the display so it wouldn’t record official workouts. I was hoping it would only track my move stats (steps) as these mysteriously don’t carry over from the Garmin watch, leaving a massive gap in my step total (on a lake run I usually put in about 20,000 steps). I was skeptical, but it actually worked. The Fitness app has my exercise accounted for by the Garmin watch, while the steps were tracked by the Apple Watch. I’m not sure if I want to wear two watches for every workout, but at least I know it does what I hope it would.
This was a solid start to the week, but there are portents of snow in the forecast. We’ll see what happens on Wednesday.
Stats:
Run 736 Average pace: 5:47/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 10:50 a.m. Distance: 10.04 km Time: 58:08 Weather: Sunny Temp: 1-3ºC Humidity: 56% Wind: light to nil BPM: 150 Weight: 161.5 Total distance to date: 5445 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (117 km)
It was déjà vu in reverse as I matched Wednesday’s pace of 5:49/km, but running counter-clockwise. This was my second workout with the Forerunner 255, and it worked fine. I adjusted the stats it shows while running to include average pace and active heart rate, which are both useful for me.
The addition of the heart rate allowed me to observe an odd spike where it jumped from an average of around 150 to 171. It then dropped to 165 or so and after a few minutes (and with me only easing up slightly on my pace) it jumped back down to the 150 range. The section where it spiked was near the first boardwalk and I was not running fast, so unsure if this was a glitch with the watch or my heart. I will monitor, obviously! My overall BPM was 152, which is perfectly normal.
Other than the mystery spike, the run actually went well, no other issues. It was raining before I headed out but looked to be easing up, so I went with:
This turned out to be more than I needed, as it was fairly mild and even though I felt AN ACTUAL SLIGHT BREEZE several times, it wasn’t really cold, so a long-sleeved shirt probably would have sufficed.
It’s rather amazing that I completed three runs in the third week of November and did not experience any rain.
The trail did require some minor puddle jumping here and there, and I got my feet briefly tangled up in a few twigs and debris from the rainstorm, but overall it was in pretty decent condition.
Overall, a solid effort and a nice way to end the week.
The view from the dam looking down the river, two gates open after the storm:
Stats:
Run 735 Average pace: 5:49/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 10:43 a.m. Distance: 10.04 km Time: 58:22 Weather: Overcast Temp: 8ºC Humidity: 86% Wind: light BPM: 152 Weight: 161.1 Total distance to date: 5435 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (107 km)
Previously:
The best and worst running conditions, 2022 edition (November 7, 2022)
The best worst running conditions: 2016 edition (April 27, 2016)
Bad weather running: the list (updated) (July 10, 2012)
Bad running weather: the list (July 13, 2011)
Yes, I’m updating this list mere weeks later because I finally ran in a new weather condition: fog. Let’s see where it ranks!
Reminder: This list is ranked from best to worst conditions. Really, only the top three are what I’d consider ideal for running.
Also known as the 1984 run, not because it had an Orwellian feel to it, but because the music was David Gilmour’s About Face and Hall and Oates Big Bam Boom, a pair of albums from 1984. If only I’d had a sweatband and legwarmers with me.
As it was, I wore two layers up top (long and short-sleeve shirt) and shorts, and they were fine for the conditions. It was actually pretty mild and again, virtually no wind at all.
Today was the first day I wore my shiny new Garmin Forerunner 255 running watch. It’s been quite awhile since I wore something other than my Apple Watch for a run, but after the recent glitches and with it not monitoring my heart rate for multiple kilometres, I decided it was time to try something else.
I set up the watch in the morning, connected it to Apple Health and my iPhone so the data from the runs would show up as activity. I set a few preferences, then off I went, tracking my usual walks to and from the lake and the 10K around it. I was originally going to just do a 5K at the river, but talked myself into going for the full deal. Probably residual guilt over all those Pringle pizza-flavoured chips I ate yesterday.
Happily, the watch worked exactly as expected, no hiccups or weirdness. The run synced quickly to the Garmin Connect app on the phone and better yet, I can view the copious details on the Garmin Connect website. Finally, a map that isn’t stupidly small and dark!
The embed doesn’t seem to work in WordPress, so it only shows as a link for now, but I’ll see what I can do.
The only odd part is the BPM was 150–which is good–but my pace was 5:49/km–which is also good!–but normally my BPM would be higher at that pace. We’ll see if it levels out over a few runs. It was milder today, so that may have helped, too.
Garmin embed:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/10026529411
As for the suicidal squirrel, I’ve noticed that the Piper Mill Trail seems to be a popular hangout for squirrels, and today I counted at least four of them. One, a small red squirrel, decided to panic as I approached (the squirrels at the lake tend to be skittish) but instead of diving into the brush, it dove…directly into my path. Thanks to some fancy footwork, I managed to avoid tripping on it. Silly squirrel. That would have been embarrassing, though.
“How did you hurt yourself running?”
“A squirrel.”
“I see.”
The run itself felt good again, no issues at all, other than the two boardwalks being a bit slippery. There was a woman curbing her German Shepherd just past the bridge at Deer Lake Brook, and the dog was sitting obediently beside her, but he had an eye on me. She pulled on the dog slightly as if to draw him closer to her. I knew what was coming. As I ran by, the dog immediately lunged toward me and I deked successfully, keeping myself out of the WSZ (Wet Snout Zone). No other snout incidents occurred.
Overall, another solid effort and I got 11 badges and apparently ascended to Badge Level 2 on Gsrmin Connect. Go me!
View from the dam:
Stats:
Run 734 Average pace: 5:49/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CW) Start: 1:08 p.m. Distance: 10.04 km Time: 58:26 Weather: Overcast Temp: 9ºC Humidity: 93% Wind: light to nil BPM: 150 Weight: 161.0 Total distance to date: 5425 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (97 km)
The forecast called for mostly cloudy/cloudy today, which was fine by me, as I wanted to avoid the strobing effects and glare of Friday’s run. Just as I got to the lake, the sun started peeking out from behind the clouds and I cried out in my heart, “No!”
But then it clouded up again for the actual run. Also, I started the run over two hours earlier than Friday, to avoid the sun being higher in the sky. Anyway, it worked. No strobing! No glare! Just a nice, uneventful run.
Because I ran counter-clockwise, it was easier to keep control of my pace and my overall BPM dropped back down to 154, while my average pace fell to a still perfectly cromulent 5:57/km.
As an experiment, I overdressed to see if I would be overdressed.
I was overdressed.
Let me explain. I was expecting it to be 4-5C, but it turned out to be 6-7C. The difference might seem small, but it’s right at the border between what feels most comfortable to wear. I opted to err on the side of caution to see if overdressing a bit would actually feel a bit uncomfortable, but it was fine.
Even though it was Monday, everyone on the trail, whether running or walking, seemed to be all smiles and happy to be out. I mean, I don’t blame them. It was dry, relatively mild and no wind at all, so great conditions for a mid-November walk.
What I wore:
What would have been fine (especially with no wind):
Wednesday’s conditions so far are looking very similar, with a decent chance of rain but similar temperatures on Friday. I will dress with my refined weather knowledge.
A shot of the Avalon Trail looking in the clockwise direction. I didn’t curse the distant cyclists because they are allowed on this part of the route (I also realized that they are very distant, so you may not even be able to see them).
And a shot from Cariboo Dam, illustrating just how little wind there was:
Stats:
Run 733 Average pace: 5:57/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 10:13 a.m. Distance: 10.03 km Time: 59:48 Weather: Cloudy, some late sun Temp: 6-7ºC Humidity: 78% Wind: light to nil BPM: 154 Weight: 161.7 Total distance to date: 5415 km Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (87 km)
Who knew the sun would be my nemesis again in mid-November?
I was very unmotivated to go out for a run today and started late as a result (I have been running in the morning even with the summer heat long gone, as I prefer having the afternoon clear for other stuff). This proved to be an interesting decision.
After talking myself into doing a 5K on the river trail, I then upgraded that to doing a short loop at the lake. After initially thinking of running counter-clockwise, I decided to go clockwise instead and started off, dressed in two layers up top and shorts, which proved sufficient (I had gloves but didn’t wear them).
As I was nearing the 3K mark and thinking about turning around to head back and finish off my loop, I passed a man who mysteriously batted at the branch of a pine tree. To be clear, the branch was hanging over the trail but was well above him. He seemed a bit odd. Then a putt-putt car with a park worker appeared, and I navigated around that. For some reason, these two things suddenly convinced me it would be a bother to turn around, so I just kept going and ended up doing a full 10K.
The start of the run along the Avalon Trail was a bit tricksy due to much of the path being slick and shiny. This effect was further enhanced by a near eye-level sun glaring straight onto it. It was painful to look at, but that segment is not too long and I was into the shady woods soon after. The shady woods felt noticeably cooler.
Many sections of the trail had frost or slick stretches of water, but I kept my footing throughout. The real fun started on the back 5K along the Cottonwood Trail. By now the sun was shining from the south to the north (coming from my right side) and the trees, now sans leaves, contributed to a distinct strobing effect as I ran past them. It made it very hard to even see where I was going as my vision was filled with a constant flashing. It would probably have been actually seizure-inducing to light-sensitive people. I tried putting up a hand to block it, but this made it nearly impossible to actually run. Try it sometime!
After the Cottonwood Trail, it wasn’t so bad, but there would be one more bit of fun and it involved my least favourite four-legged animal to encounter on a run after bears. I was nearing the very end of my run, on a twisty section of trail past the Spruce Loop. Ahead of me, a woman was throwing something down the trail for her dog to chase after, which was already dumb, because she was throwing toward a blind corner. I eyed the dog, who seemed very energetic. I knew an incident™ was in the making. Sure enough, as soon as the dog turned around and saw me, it made a beeline for me, ready to pounce in that “friendly” sort of way. I did my best to pull away, and the woman called the dog. As it turned toward her, I looked back and said, “Leash your dog!” My tone was not particularly neighbourly.
She leashed the dog.
My run literally ended moments later, so I walked to the turtle nesting area, took a few photos, then gave myself a minute to calm down, let her go by, then exited the park.
I only looked at the watch once during the run and saw a pace of 5:55/km for the 5th km, which seemed about average and expected. But my overall pace was a wacky fast 5:44/km. For three of the ten km, I came in under 5:40/km. My BPM was up, unsurprisingly, at 160, which is okay given the speed and cold, but well above what I aim for. I guess if I’m not actively monitoring my speed I tend to just go really fast, a runaway runner.
Annoyingly, my watch failed to measure my heart rate for both the second and third km. Since this is early in the run, I don’t think the missing BPM would have resulted in a higher average. I am about ready to trade my Series 5 Apple Watch in for the 25 cents or whatever Apple will give me. Except then I’d have to buy more Apple stuff. I could buy four polishing cloths, I guess.
Overall, a nutty sort of run, both good and bad. I’m glad I got out, though.
And here’s a shot of the duck pond again, now fog-free, with actual ducks in it, and a patina of ice forming over half of it.
Stats:
Run 732 Average pace: 5:44/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CW) Start: 12:34 p.m. Distance: 10.03 km Time: 57:30 Weather: Sunny Temp: 6ºC Humidity: 55% Wind: light BPM: 160 Weight: 160.2 Total distance to date: 5405 km Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (77 km)
I woke up to a severe weather alert this morning that didn’t involve rain. I was intrigued!
Fog Advisory Severity: Moderate Possible threat to life or property Alert in Effect From 3:26 AM (PST), November 16, until 4:59 PM (PST), November 16 Description: Near zero visibility in fog is expected or occurring. Where: Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria. When: Now until late this morning. Hazard: Hazardous travel due to zero visibility in fog. Remarks: Dense fog has developed due to a ridge of high pressure that is trapping moisture near the surface. The fog is expected to dissipate late this morning.
I can’t recall the last time I ran in dense fog. I thought it might be fun, so I headed out early to make sure it wouldn’t dissipate before I could get to the lake.
It turned out to be slightly horrible!
On the plus side, I dressed for the cold (it was 0C when I headed out and 1C when I started the run) by wearing three layers up top and my running pants. I was not cold at all. It also helped that there was virtually no wind at all.
Visibility on the trail was actually fine, the fog would only be a hazard for people driving 80-100 km/h on the highways. I don’t run quite that fast and never on a highway, so I was good.
However, what is fog? It’s low level fine mist. When you walk in it, you don’t really think about it. When you run in it, that mist will adhere to things like glasses–which I wear!–and start obscuring your vision.
When I reached the bridge at Deer Lake Brook, I stopped to take a quick photo and to use the soft part of my gloves to wipe this misty residue off my glasses, because it was having the effect of making the fog seem about five times thicker than it was. I managed to turn the mist into a smeary mess, but with a clear bit at the top of the right lens, allowing me a tiny window to navigate through. I did this for about a km, then stopped on the next bridge at Still Creek, and gave the glasses a more thorough wipe. This fixed the smear and reduced the enhanced fog effect to about two times, which was good enough to finish the run.
Knowing this, I will not knowingly run in the fog again. Time to update my running conditions list again! But now I’ve done it and have the knowledge and experience to share and cherish.
As for the actual run part, I went clockwise and just maintained a steady pace. This was made easier by the reduced visibility.
Around the 2K mark a man walking the other way warned me of ice past the bridge. I thanked him and indeed there was a rather slick stretch. I tread carefully, remained upright, and encountered good conditions for the rest of the run.
My pace was 5:57/km, which given conditions, is pretty good. BPM was 154, also fine, considering the temperature ranged from 1-4C. Summer it ain’t.
Here’s that view from the bridge at Deer Lake Brook:
And a bonus photo of a spooky-looking pond, often occupied by not-so-spooky ducks:
Stats:
Run 731 Average pace: 5:57/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CW) Start: 9:07 a.m. Distance: 10.04 km Time: 59:44 Weather: Foggy Temp: 1-4ºC Humidity: 84% Wind: light to nil BPM: 154 Weight: 160.2 Total distance to date: 5395 km Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (72 km)
Today was chilly! It was actually freezing when I headed out, but was a balmy 2C when I started (and ended) my run. I opted to wear three layers up top (jacket, long sleeve and sleeveless shirts) and shorts. This proved fine and I didn’t feel I was overdressed once I warmed up. The extra layer was especially nice for the walk to and from the lake.
The trail was a mix of dry, wet and frosty, but because there’s been no rain for a few days, there was no ice buildup. I did approach stairs with caution. The new grid mesh on top of the dam prevented any ice capades there. Sadly, the fountain has been locked up until spring. No post-run sips until March or something.
I chose to run at a deliberate pace to keep the BPM down, and it sort of worked. My overall BPM was higher than Monday at 155, but only slightly. My overall pace was slower, naturally, at 6:05/km, but I’m fine with that. I experienced no issues during the run, though I think the general cold was starting to tucker me out by the final km. There was no big final push here, just a steady roll to the end.
Overall, I’m happy with the result.
I’m less pleased that the watch once again failed to track my BPM for an entire km, though. /me scowls at Apple Watch.
Stats:
Run 730 Average pace: 6:05/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 10:24 a.m. Distance: 10.03 km Time: 61:05 Weather: Sunny Temp: 2ºC Humidity: 69% Wind: light BPM: 155 Weight: 159.4 Total distance to date: 5385 km Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (62 km)
We had a big storm on Friday, with torrential rains, high winds and all the fun things you associate with big storms. While one now ex-tree on the Avalon Trail had already been cut up, the trail was still littered with twigs, smaller branches and other bits of debris. I wonder how terrifying it would be to run in the middle of a storm like that?
Today, I opted to run clockwise (the “easy” route) for my first Pacific Standard Time (boo) run of the season. It was my coldest run of the year at 4C and I opted to wear my windbreaker running jacket and a long-sleeved short underneath. I still wore shorts. And it was fine. I probably could have opted to wear a shirt underneath, which would have made it easier to check the watch.
I actually had no issues during the run, other than having to take an unplanned loo break at around the 3 km mark. I kept my hands tucked into the sleeves of my jacket until around the 4K mark, then they were sufficiently warmed up for the rest of the run. My pace was better than expected, though overall BPM was higher, too, at 153. Not surprising, given the much cooler conditions.
Still, better than doing the same in the rain!
Special bonus: At 4C, I barely generate any sweat. I didn’t even realize this until I got home.
A shot showing the relative calm at the lake (no wind is nice, too):
Stats:
Run 729 Average pace: 5:52/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CW) Start: 11:31 a.m. Distance: 10.04 km Time: 58:57 Weather: Cloudy Temp: 4ºC Humidity: 63% Wind: light BPM: 153 Weight: 159.9 Total distance to date: 5375 km Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (52 km)
Previously:
The best worst running conditions: 2016 edition (April 27, 2016)
Bad weather running: the list (updated) (July 10, 2012)
Bad running weather: the list (July 13, 2011)
Due to climate change and certain incidents, I feel it’s time to update the list again. Here are the best/worst running conditions. Unlike the previous entries, I’ve numbered them from best to worst, to keep things more positive or something. For the record, only the top three are really what I’d call “good” running conditions.
I was running (ho ho) behind schedule today, so opted to cheat a bit and do a 5K at the river instead of a 10K at the lake. I may do another 5K tomorrow at the river to make up for the loss of the 10K if I’m feeling spicy.
With the walk to the river trail and back coming in around 4 km, this was almost exactly a half-10K, but faster.
I dressed in two layers, which felt right given the temperature was around 8C. Arctic air is supposed to be coming in next week. Good news–my old running jacket (which works well as a windbreaker, not so much for keeping me dry in the rain) still fits!
I made an effort to not push, given that it was cold, and a light breeze was blowing, but because the river trail is so wide and flat I couldn’t help but put in a better pace, overall at 5:41/km, with a best of 5:33/km on the fourth km. I had no issues, not even the one unleashed dog I saw (curse the owner). 5K runs feel weird now. I felt like I was really just getting warmed up when it was over. I guess in a way that’s good. It means I’m indecent shape or something.
Plus, it was sunny, so I got a chance to work on my mid-fall tan, woo!
Stats:
Run 728 Average pace: 5:41/km Location: Brunette River Trail Start: 12:59 p.m. Distance: 5.04 km Time: 28:38 Weather: Sunny Temp: 8ºC Humidity: 69% Wind: light BPM: 152 Weight: 159.3 Total distance to date: 5365 km Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (42 km)