Outdoor runs

Run 575: A new bridge, a new stink, knees and bonus running

Run 575
Average pace: 5:49/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:15 pm
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:17
Weather: Cloudy, some sun
Temp: 11ºC
Humidity: 64%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 167
Weight: 169.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 4460 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

Last week I did an elliptical/treadmill workout at the Canada Games Pool because the weather was poop and I didn’t feel like running in poop. That meant it’s been two weeks since my last outdoor run, so I was curious to see how it would go.

The weather was slightly cooler, but still mild and I ran counter-clockwise, but conditions were otherwise similar.

My average pace turned out to be identical–5:49/km. The knees held up, as before, and my mind was mostly mulling over where that thing called stamina went, as 5 km feels more like 500. Still, I got through without any issues and when I’d walked enough to cool off I began to run/walk the rest of the way to the trail exit, probably adding over 2 km of extra run time. Mt walking pace for the 9 km return trip was exactly 8:00/km, which is basically impossible at an actual walking pace.

The knees felt stiff during the walk back, which had the curious effect of making me want to run, as it was more comfortable.

My BPM was a bit higher at 167 but still below the 170 threshold.

The skunk cabbage has reached its stinky phase. Fortunately it never gets super-stinky, just kind of “yeah, wouldn’t want to be locked in a room with that” stinky.

The new bridge, which was in place but not open for the previous run, was now open and had a nice grippy concrete surface poured on it. The old bridge is mostly dismantled, with only some of the superstructure remaining. The new bridge feels very solid and has a sleek and sexy curve. We’ll see how it fares in slippery conditions.

Overall, I felt better than expected given the time off. I managed to keep to my previous pace, so that’s encouraging.

I make no promises now, but I will try to run before another week has passed.

Run 574: Geese, bikes, deforestation and a new bridge

Run 574
Average pace: 5:49/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 1:47 pm
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:20
Weather: Clear, some cloud
Temp: 12-14ºC
Humidity: 40%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 163
Weight: 167.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 4455 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

Today’s run can be divided into Good and Bad.

Good:

  • the weather was pleasant and mild, the sun actually felt nice
  • my knees surprisingly didn’t bother me
  • I didn’t experience any other issues, though I could feel a bit of that “not-quite-in-shape” burn
  • two geese standing right next to the trail at an especially narrow point did not react as I passed close by, apart from one shifting slightly. There was no hissing or pecking, from either the geese or myself.
  • the bugs at Deer Lake Brook were gone, possibly having already died from old age
  • the new bridge is in at Still Creek

Bad:

  • I had the first taste of dry mouth for the season, as it was rather breezy
  • my knees actually felt worse on the walk back after the run, though they’re fine now
  • I was surprisingly slow at 5:49/km. I think the weekly pace (ie. running only once per week) is catching up to me. I plan on running on the holiday Monday to start getting into regular runs, totally for real this time.
  • the new bridge at Still Creek is closed, so you still have to use the old one. For now they co-exist peacefully.
  • a weirdly large number of cyclists on the trail getting in the way and such. Also briefly a horse, though the rider stopped just short of moving onto the “no horsey” part of the trail.

Signs of spring were all around, too:

  • the water fountain by the dam was awakened from its winter slumber
  • the “Icy conditions” signs have been removed
  • general increase in green, with trees budding and blooming all over

The skunk cabbage is also on the verge of blossoming, too. This is the time of year when it looks pretty and isn’t stinky.

Pretty before the stink.

Four (!) trees have been cut down since my last run at the lake, including several that had been leaning rather precariously. A fifth that had a large branch angled over the path, requiring you to either duck under or go around has also been amputated. This past winter has probably seen more trees come down (via storm or chainsaw) than in the seven years I’ve been running here.

Overall, I am left a bit nonplussed by the run. I was hoping to get a pace in the 5:30s range, but at least the knees were fine. Well, I shouldn’t say fine. I’ve come to realize that for awhile now (several years, at least) my knees have been very tender whenever I have to use them, like when I kneel on the floor to tie a shoe or scrub something off the kitchen tile. They feel weirdly sensitive. I can replicate this by going into a crouch. I have no idea if running caused this, or if it’s hereditary (my dad had bad knees) but I’ll keep running for as long as I’m able to or possibly get bionic knees.

One other positive was the BPM holding at 163. It’s been remarkably stable, which seems like a good thing. As I get in better shape it should go down. I just need to do more stuff to actually get in better shape. 😛

Run 573: A jiggly body part

Run 573
Average pace: 5:27/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 5:25 pm
Distance: 5:05 km
Time: 27:34
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 6ºC
Humidity: 75%
Wind: light
BPM: 162
Weight: 166.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 4450 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

I had another weird glitch with the music before starting my run. I told Siri, though my watch, “Hey Siri, shuffle R.E.M.” It processed the command and then…no music. I look and instead of R.E.M. it’s showing…Supertramp? I bring out the phone and there’s a pop-up that says something like “Ruh roh, where’s the internet??”, which was odd because I had a couple bars on my cell signal. I make sure the AirPods are connected and they are, so that’s good. The music app doesn’t show the Supertramp song, although the watch does. Instead it just says “Music”. No song title, nothing else. When I press play it actually plays. But it’s Supertramp.

So I just issue the command through the phone again and then…it works. No other issues after that.

Technology is weird. I wonder if the iPhone is hinky. Or maybe it’s cosmic rays.

It was also chilly out, so maybe it was that. The chill was making the phone cold and afraid to work properly.

It rained hard in the morning and I was not enthused about running, so I waited and all of a sudden it was 4:45 p.m. and I’m thinking I should go or I’m just going to slump on the couch, getting up only to use the bathroom and to fill my face with food (not from the bathroom). I wore my long-sleeve shirt, which was a wise move, but shorts were fine. It wasn’t windy, so that helped to keep it from feeling as unseasonably cool as it was.

I ran the river trail, again by first walking to the far end, then starting from the end. The left knee was fine, the right knee was a bit sore but not too bad and for the second half of the run it settled down much more than in the last run. But I did notice that at times it seemed to jiggle a bit–the actual kneecap. I’m thinking more than a compression sleeve is worth getting.

I tried not to push on the run, but did at one point when I was catching up on another jogger. She was on the left so I moved to the right. She had a giant phone strapped to her left arm. I don’t think I could ever do that, it just looks so awkward. Plus I’d feel like I was constantly tipping very slightly to the left. As I caught up to pass she suddenly looked over her shoulder, as if she intended to move over to the right. This created an awkward moment because I was in the space she wanted to move into. I turned on the afterburners and increased my pace for a few hundred meters. My lungs felt the fire. I mostly eased up after that and was pleasantly surprised by the final result, a 5:27/km pace, with the BPM at 162, no different than my much slower previous runs. Yay.

Here’s how the last three have gone:

5:57 > 5:38 > 5:27

So it’s a good trend. I should note that the river trail is not really a trail at all, but a very compacted gravel road. As such it’s a lot wider and smoother than the trail at Burnaby Lake, so I always tend to be faster on it. Still, an improvement is an improvement and I’ll take it.

I will once again promise myself to run during the week now that there is daylight to do so. We’ll see how it goes.

Run 572: Bugs, living and electronic

Run 572
Average pace: 5:38/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 12:56 pm
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 29:37
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 11-12ºC
Humidity: 56%
Wind: light
BPM: 163
Weight: 167.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 4445 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

So close to having a total of 4444 km.

Today’s run had me filled with trepidation before heading out. The weather was gorgeous, with mild temperatures and sun, so it wasn’t that. It was those pesky knees.

My trepidation grew when I got to the lake. I could feel where the knees had gotten sore on last Saturday’s run. I put that aside and started up some jogging music…only to find the right AirPod was not playing. I did a few things to no avail. The right AirPod was running in a virtual cone of silence. I finally decided to try unpairing the AirPods. Just as I did this I remembered that pairing requires the charging case, which was sitting at home 4 km away. Oops.

And so began a rare music-free run. I could feel the knees almost immediately. Not good.

The left knee quickly settled down, though. I felt some of the usual stiffness toward the end, but it was fine otherwise. The right knee was definitely sore–not enough to stop or slow me down, but enough to notice. Then it spread down my shin and for a few minutes my whole lower right leg ached. This passed quickly and eventually even the right knee hit a point where it didn’t feel that bad. A bit sore, but no more.

I finished feeling less dread than when I started. I may try a compression sleeve on the right knee on the next run, as I’m fairly certain the soreness will persist unless I take a good long break from running. If it doesn’t get worse than it is now, I may be okay.

For the run itself, it again felt hard, but not as hard as last week. The start and end I pushed and felt the ol’ lung burn, but during the middle section my breathing settled (I kept the AirPods in my ears since that was the logical place for them, but could still hear my own rasping until the breeze picked up). Overall, it was a mix of struggle and Zen. Zuggle.

A sure sign of spring was in the air today, too. Specifically, clouds of bugs as I approached the bridge at Deer Lake Brook. I’d forgotten what fun it is to run into huge swarms of horrible little insects. I’ll be better prepared next time.

My BPM was the same as last week at 163, which was good. My time improved noticeably, going from 5:57/km to 5:38/km. Still on the slow side but under the circumstances pretty good.

I counted six people on bikes, but since I’ve forsaken complaining I will say nothing else about that, except to note there were no bike-related incidents.

In the end I am left a bit nonplussed. The improved performance was nice, the fact that my knees didn’t explode was good, but that fact that they hurt at all when they haven’t in over 4,000 km of running is concerning, because it’s unclear if this is the start of a trend or something temporary. I also wonder if my weight is a factor, since I’m not as svelte as I would normally be (167.8 now but finally starting to trend back down. This is still 14 pounds more than last October, before The Fattening began.)

With Daylight Saving Time underway, I may aim for a post-dinner run on Tuesday. We’ll see if the flatter, friendlier Brunette River trail is more forgiving on the knees.

Run 571: It’s all in the knees

Run 571
Average pace: 5:53/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:29 pm
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:37
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 9-11ºC
Humidity: 43%
Wind: light
BPM: 163
Weight: 168.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 4440 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

This is what happens when you take five days off between runs. You get sore knees. Actually, the sore knees is kind of new (both being sore, that is), which is a tad worrisome but we’ll see if they’re just creaky from lack of use or getting ready to fall apart when I resume a more regular running schedule.

Which should start happening soon as we switch to Daylight Saving Time tomorrow. Yay!

The bridge replacement at Still Creek is still being rescheduled so I took advantage and ran counter-clockwise. The mild conditions meant I wore my usual–t-shirt and shorts–and apart from the arms being a bit chilly early on, it was fine.

This run was curiously hard. I mean, I’m not in peak condition, obviously, and five days off between runs is not great, but still, it just seemed like more of an effort. The topper was ending up over two minutes slower than last Sunday’s run. Oy. I opted out of doing a full 10K as it seemed like it might be a special agony, but ended up jogging on and off regularly for the 9 km walk back home. The average pace of that walk was 8:33/km, which is approximately impossible at an actual walking pace.

While I didn’t suffer any issues during the run, I could feel my leg muscles already getting sore on the walk, home, much like the previous run. The knees also seemed achy, though that diminished significantly once I got home.

As good as I felt with the last run, this one has left me with more of a “Hmm” feeling. But I am going to try running more often now and that should help (?).

Run 570: Hello legs

Run 570
Average pace: 5:27/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 2:06 pm
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 27:29
Weather: Cloudy with some sun
Temp: 5ºC
Humidity: 72%
Wind: light
BPM: 162
Weight: 169 pounds
Total distance to date: 4435 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

Answering the question, “How well will a run go if I take three weeks off?” with “I’m pretty sure my legs are going to be super-stiff tomorrow but otherwise not bad!”

The only runs I’ve done since February 10th were three on the treadmill ranging from about 12-120 minutes total and the last of those was almost two weeks ago. Since then I’ve done almost no exercising at all while battling a cold.

The cold is largely vanquished now and I actually wasn’t feeling bad at all after yesterday’s unplanned 16 km walk, so I set off to the river under a semi-cloudy sky, bundled up with two layers up top because it hovered around 5ºC.

I had no expectations, I just wanted to get through and keep my BPM under 170. I ended with a pace of 5:27/km, only a few seconds off from February 10th’s run, which is pretty good, and my BPM was actually lower than that run, coming in at 162. I was also tubbier today, a fairly chunky 169 pounds. That’s like 500 stones or something. A lot of stones. The weight was a not-insignificant factor in prompting me to get out.

Along the way I felt a few minor creaks but nothing really of note. The left knee was fine. I experienced a bit of cramping right near the end, but that was probably a combination of me pushing to end the run and also an impending bowel movement. I swear my bodily functions are now wired directly to running.

Overall, a pleasing result after a long stint off. With Daylight Saving Time starting next week, I should be able to start doing runs after work pretty soon, too, so woot for that. 150 (pounds) here I come! (And also no more snacking, I swear-ish.)

Run 569: Short and chilled

Run 569
Average pace: 5:25/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 1:53 pm
Distance: 5:02 km
Time: 27:15
Weather: Sunny with high cloud
Temp: 5ºC
Humidity: 54%
Wind: light
BPM: 174
Weight: 166.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 4430 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

Due to a very late start and being naughty again by not running during the week and also recovering from a pulled muscle in my mid-back, I opted to skip the full 10K run at the lake today for a 5K at the river. I did get some extra walking in by starting at the end of the trail first.

It was a rare sunny day but a brisk 5ºC so I wore two layers up top, but stuck to the shorts. It worked out fine.

I briefly experienced two issues: a cramp near my right shoulder that sorted itself quickly, and my left knee started feeling a bit stiff about 3.5 km in. The knee never got really sore and was not a factor, really, as my fastest pace was in the last km.

My overall pace was 5:25/km, which is not bad for a pudgy, out of shape 5K run. The BPM was 174, which is again too high, but perhaps understandable given the combination of cold, flabbiness, and exertion.

I may run again tomorrow, assuming I don’t wake up in the morning feeling like a broken pretzel.

The gate to gate distance on the river trail is said to be 1.9 km, so after I started my run, I checked when I got to the second gate and it was, to my surprise, showing 1.9 km. What’s weird is that the 5K ended with around 610m left. If you add up the two full lengths I ran–3.8 km–then add what is needed to hit 5K–1.2 km–that means there should have been about 700m left when I stopped running. Now, there was a delay of a few seconds after I stopped the run and started the walk, but not enough to account for 90m of walking. Still, it’s actually better than I expected, so maybe the GPS is in the iPhone 8 is magically improving or something.

Anyway, here’s to more runs and staying healthy in 2018.

Also no snow. Thanks.

Run 568: Like a bear in the woods

Run 568
Average pace: 5:57/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 12:29 pm
Distance: 10.03 km
Time: 59:41
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 8-10ºC
Humidity: 86%
Wind: nil
BPM: 161
Weight: 166.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 4425 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

I was bad and did not run last weekend–but I was also good because I used an elliptical trainer for half an hour on both Saturday and Sunday. While the combined calorie burn is similar to a 10K, there is no doubt that it’s an easier experience, so I was ready for today to be a bit tougher.

Because there was a chance of rain I wore a long-sleeved shirt, but it stayed dry and was quite mild.

The iPhone 8 again was consistently reporting distances as shorter. Suddenly 4 km was not really 4m so to walk 4 km I had to walk more than 4 km. Kind of annoying but no so far out of whack that I feel compelled to spend time researching the issue. Plus a little extra walking and running is fine, anyway.

I was unsure of the status of the bridge at Still Creek–the original end of the replacement project is this month and as of two weeks ago they’d done essentially nothing–so I chose a clockwise route. This would allow me to get to 5K regardless, and allow me to turn back to get the other 5K. This didn’t prove to be necessary because while the project has advanced (new additions to signs note that Phase I began on January 25) the only change was several large piles of dangerous-looking rocks near the bridge, along the river bank.

Surprisingly, my legs felt pretty much fine, though I had a few moments of creakiness in my right knee (the good one). The lack of running may be having the side benefit of healing. I did feel some cramping in the abdomen and it persisted for awhile, though it wasn’t too severe. It was hard to imagine it was from running too fast because I did not feel too fast. Or fast.

Still, I kept going and there was no doubt I’d complete a full 10K, so even though the pace was pokey–5:57/km–the BPM was fine (161) and I generally felt okay.

The bear in the woods part came around the 9.27 km mark. I had used the bathroom before heading out (I’ve learned my lesson) and even took a quick whiz upon arrival, but a little over halfway through it became clear that I would have to commit to number 2. Just past the 9K mark the urge to go was becoming, let’s say, a force of nature. It would take me 6-7 minutes to finish the run and get to the Jiffy John™ and those minutes felt like hours. I made a bold decision.

I paused the run and leapt off the trail like a deer spooked by a poopmonster. Then I committed the deed behind a large tree. Just in time, as I passed someone shortly after resuming the run and frankly the big tree didn’t really provide as much cover as you would expect from a big tree.

The rest of the run felt much better.

I should also point out that my weight loss regime has gone completely bonkers and I weighed 3.2 pounds more at the start of today’s run vs. the last one. Yeesh. At least I finished lighter (TMI, I know. sorry.)

Overall I was glad to get back out again, and doubly glad to do so without being in the rain. Triply so for the BPM staying reasonable.

I can feel the legs already stiffening up. There will be a reckoning for all those regular runs I’ve skipped. Stiff legs, basically.

Still, progress! This time last year I was still not able to run outside at all due to the Snowpocalypse and the mild temperatures means there is little chance of a sudden repeat this year. Yay.

Run 567: The storm before the storm

Run 567
Average pace: 5:51/km

Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 11:40 am
Distance: 10.05 km
Time: 58:51
Weather: Rain
Temp: 5ºC
Humidity: 91%
Wind: light
BPM: 168
Weight: 163.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 4415 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

I was bad and did not run during the week, so this was my first run since last weekend’s 10K. The good news is I’m still in decent enough shape to continue running 10Ks.

I dressed today expecting rain: two layers on top, nipples secured and shorts instead of running pants as the temperature was hovering around 5-6ºC.

Surprisingly, the walk to the lake was dry, though the sky looked somewhat ominous (the forecast called for winds up to 70+ km/h in the afternoon as a storm over Vancouver Island made its way east, but I was confident I’d be finished my run before it hit).

Also surprisingly I didn’t have to immediately relieve myself upon arrival at the lake. I set my music, started off…and the first few drops of rain began to fall. I pressed on, unconcerned. Within a few km it was a downpour and remained as such for the rest of the run. It was fine, really, though running in the rain is not my favorite thing.

The only issue was the condition of the trail. I’d noted on the river trail that the river was perhaps the highest I’ve ever seen it. It looked almost menacing. At the lake the trail had a lot of water on it. In the areas resurfaced over the past few years it wasn’t too bad but elsewhere there were plenty of trails-spanning puddles and mini-lakes. It felt more like a technical run, often having to carefully choose the rout forward. Or maybe it was more like a jumping puzzle in a video game. It kind of sucked in the same way that most of those do, too.

My pace still ended up slightly faster than last weekend, 5:51/km vs. 5:53/km and the iPhone 8 still seems to be messing up distance, though this week it was maybe a touch better. Still not sure what’s up with that. My BPM was also up (possibly due to the effort needed to maintain pace while navigating the puddles) but still below the 170 threshold at 168.

My knee didn’t bother me, possibly because my legs were sort of red and numb by about the mid-point of the run. The knee still didn’t hurt after I got home and thawed, so it seems the lack of running and walking in general may have given it some time to heal. Oddly, it got a bit creaky when I was slumping in a chair at home, but I shouldn’t have been doing that, so I consider the knee just acting as an EWS.

Overall, I am content with how the run went. Conditions were not nice, but I pressed on and got through without any problems.

Run 566: Sun, fog and the miracle knee

Run 566
Average pace: 5:53/km

Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:51 pm
Distance: 10.02 km
Time: 59:04
Weather: Sun and fog
Temp: 7ºC
Humidity: 86%
Wind: light
BPM: 156
Weight: 162.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 4405 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

I got off to a late start today, waking with a headache and unsure whether I would run at all. I took some Advil, had a bath and by noon had changed into shorts and a dual layer up top. I thought I’d do a 5K at the river but on the way changed my mind and instead did a full 10K at the lake.

In hindsight I probably would have been okay with a single layer, possibly even just a regular t-shirt, but certainly a long-sleeved one. Having two layers did not leave me excessively warm, though. I did sweat more than I normally would given the cooler temperature.

Conditions were interesting. The temperature hovered around 6-7ºC, but with little breeze I was fine wearing shorts. The first three km it was quite foggy, with everything in the distance obscured by mist. Kind of cool. Also literally kind of cool. Beyond that the sun burned through and it remained sunny for the remainder of the run. Puddles were minimal. The occasional goose honked.

This was the first run with my new iPhone 8 and while I assumed the GPS would be pretty close to that on the 6, it seemed off, as I had to run well past my usual stopping point and didn’t hit 10 km until I was at the dam–nearly a full loop around the lake. A full loop is officially 10.3 km and I run three side trails that extend it even more, so it seems the phone was still calibrating or some such. We’ll see how it compares over the next few runs.

Because of the extra length my run extended to 59 minutes and my pace was 5:53/km. I don’t think it would have been blazing fast otherwise, as I was trying to keep to a more moderate pace, but it would have been a bit speedier.

The run went fine, with the left knee feeling mysteriously untroubled. Perhaps the Advil worked its dark magic on it. Regardless, it was nice. The left butt muscle got a little stiff well into the run, but proved only a mild issue at best.

Due to the later start the trail was fairly busy, with lots of walkers, joggers, dogs, kids and flitting birds, but there were no problems with navigation at all, even when on the boardwalks with multiple people.

One saucy young guy did run past me early on. I stuck my tongue out at him as he went by, my way of wishing him well in his jog.

The more moderate pace did have a notable effect on my BPM, which dropped to a downright calm 156. Other than wondering briefly if I’d have to complete more than a full loop to hit 10K, the run went well. I am pleased.

Run 565: Creaky and speedy

Run 565
Average pace: 5:14/km

Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 1:18 pm
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 26:23
Weather: Cloudy, some sun
Temp: 7ºC
Humidity: 92%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 170
Weight: 163.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 4395 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 6

I wore close to my summer gear today: shorts, but a long-sleeve rather than short-sleeve t-shirt. Even with a bit of a breeze it was fine at 7ºC. The longer sleeves helped to keep my hands and arms warm.

I managed to beat the rain, with the sun actually poking out a few times. A couple of hours later the sky turned gray and scary and The Rains returned. It’s always nice to dodge the rain bullet.

The first few minutes the left knee was creaky again and even the right ankle briefly joined in providing a sort of stereo effect of pain. The ankle cleared up quickly, though, and the left knee was fine after a few minutes of warming up. I think stretching may be beneficial as it occurs to me that the relative inflexibility of my legs may be contributing to the issue or at the very least slowing potential recovery. And maybe I’ll toss in a compression sleeve, as I mentioned previously.

Looking at my splits, I started out at my finishing pace of 5:14/km–much faster than I was planning or expecting–but really took off for the second km where the pace dipped to 5:03/km. Looking back, I can’t think of what inspired me to turn on the afterburners here. I eased up for the next few km before finishing with a zippy 5:07/km for the last stretch. The higher speed also meant a higher BPM, though I managed to hold it right at 170.

The run even inspired me on the walk home, resulting in my first walk under 9:00/km in awhile.

Overall, a good run, though I should probably be a little less zealous and focus more on stamina, a lower BPM and all that. It’s always so weird to run so much faster than I plan to, like my legs have little minds of their own and these minds are all, “RUN FASTER LOL!”

Run 564: Creaky and a little stinky

Run 564
Average pace: 5:39/km

Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:27 am
Distance: 10.03 km
Time: 56:47
Weather: Cloudy, light mist
Temp: 6ºC
Humidity: 92%
Wind: light
BPM: 164
Weight: 163.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 4390 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 6

Today’s run was overall a positive experience, with better-than-expected results.

The stinky part refers to what must have been a leaky sewer line in the area as a couple of stretches along the trail were rather stinky, with the piquant order rather distracting, albeit short-lived. Either that or a bunch of skunk cabbage spontaneously erupted.

On the plus side, the combination of milder temperatures and rain meant the last traces of snow are gone and the trail was mostly dry, so I was no longer actively fighting the conditions.

It was hovering around 5-6ºC and I wore running pants and two layers up top. Given that there was little wind, I would have been fine with a single layer up top (long-sleeved) and shorts would probably have been okay, too, though I didn’t feel too warm with the pants.

A very light misty rain fell during the second half of the run but it wasn’t enough to cause any chafing issues with my delicate chest. The dual layers may have helped there.

The threat of rain meant the trail was lightly populated, though pairs of people proved a bit vexing at times, with joggers and walkers both providing the bare minimum amount of room to get by. On the second boardwalk I encountered two couples, the men in back and the women up front. I clomped loudly on my approach from behind to signal my imminent arrival and the guy on the left moved slightly to accommodate me. For the women I actually said, “On your left” which got no response. As I nearly bowled the women on the left, I added, “Coming through!” which got their attention but minimal movement all the same. At least the boardwalk wasn’t still decked out like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. I guess some people just get really wrapped up in their conversations or something.

My left knee was sore to start and while it isn’t slowing me down (that I can tell) it’s got me thinking more seriously about at least trying a compression sleeve to see if it helps. The second half of the run the knee did feel better, though. It was at the midway point that ailment number 2 arose, though: my right ankle started to hurt. I’ve actually felt this while walking or just ambling about in the last few days. It is random and as was the case on the run, intermittent. It persisted on and off from about the 5K to 7K mark, then cleared up after that. I’m unsure what caused this–bad posture while sitting, weird foot shenanigans while sleeping. I’m not expecting it to be a continuing issue like the left knee, but it may persist for another week or so.

As for the actual running itself, I purposely slowed down three or four times to calm my breathing and bring my heart rate down. My goal was not to improve my pace, but to get the BPM below 170. In the end I did both–my BPM was 164 and my pace improved to 5:39/km, better than expected.

I am going to try to run around the golf course this week and hope that the rain doesn’t turn the trail into a big stretch on nonsense.

Overall, I’m happy with today’s run, especially considering this time last year I wasn’t running outdoors at all due to the piles and piles of snow.