Outdoor runs

Run 551: Deja vu, leaf cull and the return of sensitive nipples

Run 551
Average pace: 5:26/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:14 pm
Distance: 10.04 km
Time: 54:36
Weather: Cloudy, light showers
Temp: 9-10ºC
Humidity: 78%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 174
Weight: 156.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 4285 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

There was a threat of rain in the forecast today but at least the temperature was back to seasonal, hovering around 10ºC. I wore a long-sleeved t-shirt and shorts and was fine for the run.

The rain held off for about the first half but light showers persisted through the second half. Fortunately they were genuinely light, so I never felt I was getting drenched. The showers turned heavier for the walk home, which had two consequences I will get to shortly.

I was a tad concerned about the run because I missed both of my usual weekday runs but in the end my pace was the same–5:26/km–and the overall length of the run was nearly identical, with today’s being three seconds faster–again, that’s over a stretch of 10.04 km–than last Saturday’s. A little weird.

BPM is still higher than I’d like at 174, possibly a combination of being off form and the cooler temperatures. Or something.

Generally I felt fine, though the upper left leg started stiffening up in the last few km. It felt fine after.

There were more people out than expected (looked like something was happening at the rowing pavilion. Rowing, perhaps.) and this led to several traffic jams where I had to actually jog in place before I could get through.

I also had two near-collisions with other runners, which is pretty rare. The first came when I make a sharp left coming off the narrow feeder trail near the sports fields. A runner came up on my blind side and was dressed darkly. I scooted around him and all was well. The second runner was being naughty by cutting a corner, putting him in my direct path. He dodged out of the way on that one.

The trail was actually in good shape, the park workers having removed the five billion leaves that had been piled up all over.

On the walk home the rain picked up and this had a couple of undesirable side effects. The first was the return of the chafing on my ever-so-sensitive nipples. While they didn’t gush blood they got as close as possible and are still feeling unhappy now. Stupid nipples. If rain looks possible next time I will dutifully wear my nipple guards. As soon as I invent them.

The other consequence was tracking the 4 km walk home. I actually thought about locking the face of my Apple Watch, as it tends to get squirrelly and do its own thing when it gets wet. Sure enough, after 2.87 km (when I was walking along North Road) it managed to shut the walk activity off and change my default watch face. It then restarted the walk somehow for about five more minutes, stopping for good midway through Hume Park, so it got most of the walk recorded. Next time I’ll lock.

Overall, the pace of the run was better than expected, though the various complications were annoying. I give it three out of five chintzy jogging trophies.

Run 550: A billion leaves, cold and a little damn snow

Run 550
Average pace: 5:26/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:49 pm
Distance: 10.04 km
Time: 54:39
Weather: Cloudy, cold
Temp: 1ºC
Humidity: 67%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 175
Weight: 157.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 4275 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

With the temperature just above freezing this morning I took some extra time pondering how to dress, wanting to avoid both overdressing and underdressing (the former is usually a lot more likely). I initially settled on two layers up top and my usual shorts. I went outside and after maybe 20 steps turned around, went back in and switched the shorts in favor of my running pants, which I have not work for multiple years.

The pants are comfy and work well, but they lack pockets and a liner, meaning that without a jacket (I wore a sleeveless shirt as the base layer and my heavier gray long-sleeved running shirt as the outer) meant I had no place to keep my hands warm while walking to the lake. I debated gloves but again, had on place to put them if my hands got hot and sweaty. I was forced to wear undies but again lack proper running undies (something that wicks, unless my normal underwear) but I figured it was cold enough that it shouldn’t be a big issue.

Clothing verdict:

Top: Base layer and outer layer worked well. I stayed warm but did not get sweaty and yucky.

Bottom: Running pants were fine, though my tush felt slightly cool toward the end.

Gloves-free: My hands started to warm up a few km in but by around the 6-7 km mark they were getting cold again. It would have been nice to have had gloves.

I may look for a better running jacket (the one I have is fairly small and a bit snug for my liking) so I can wear gloves then stash them in the pockets if I want to take them off. New running pants with pockets and possibly a liner (or sexy sports undies) would be good, too.

The run itself stood out in a few ways. It was easily the coldest run I’ve done in quite awhile, which may also partly explain my really high BPM (175!). The leaves were so thick in some areas that you could not see the edges of the trail, just leaves and more leaves. Fortunately it was dry so it wasn’t like running on a field of banana peels.

Oh, and it snowed. Sure, the flakes were tiny and they didn’t stick, but there was actual snow falling during a run for the first time in years.

Damn snow.

My pace was 11 seconds faster than the last 10K at 5:26/km but I’m feeling a bit stiff now. Hopefully once I’m into a regular routine again for a bit my legs will revert back to normal runner legs.

Overall, a good run in cold conditions.

Run 549: A short run through an unexpected river

Run 549
Average pace: 5:23/km
Location: Langara Trail
Start: 12:32 pm
Distance: 2.62 km
Time: 14:10
Weather: Heavy rain
Temp: 5ºC
Humidity: 96%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 160
Weight: 158.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 4265 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

With a cold front and rain in the forecast I was a bit wary about today’s run. Indeed, by the time noon rolled around it was raining heavily and the temperature had gone from 8ºC down to 5ºC. This was my first big test running around the golf course–would I let bad weather scare me off?

The answer is both yes and no.

No, in that I did indeed go out and run.

Yes, in that I only ran one loop, about 2.62 km, before abandoning the run. Why did I do that?

I am used to running in the rain. I am used to running in the cold. I am used to running around puddles and occasionally through them.

What I am not used to is doing all of these things with each condition turned up to a ridiculous degree.

It was raining so hard at times that it felt like hail. The low temperature felt even cooler because of the heavy rain assault. Adding to this was the extremely poor condition of the trail. On the east and west sides it slopes, so during rainfall you get run-off streaming down the trail. (more on the steeper west side). The volume of rain water was so heavy, though, that the bulk of the west side of the trail, spanning a length of about eight blocks, was more akin to a shallow river than a trail. At points it was so wide it was unavoidable. Puddles of water were pooling so wide and deep that they were merging together to form virtual ponds along long stretches of the trail, with no room to bypass them.

For a few moments it was almost fun to just surrender and start dashing straight through these monster puddles. But after nearly 15 minutes of the relentless storm assault I was drenched, cold and in no mood to continue.

I was actually boggled at how poorly the trail handled the rain. It’s simply not fit for use when precipitation turns heavy. I imagine all the patch work done on the gully carved down the center by previous rainfalls has been washed away.

Anyway, it sucked. It was the coldest and wettest run I’ve done since…I can’t even remember. Bleah.

I’m actually halfway considering getting some road runners (beep beep) and planning an alternate route on the sidewalks for days like these. Maybe, maybe.

Run 548: Halloween on the golf course

Run 548
Average pace: 5:20/km
Location: Langara Trail
Start: 12:36 pm
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 26:50
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 10-11ºC
Humidity: 71%
Wind: light
BPM: 156
Weight: 156 pounds
Total distance to date: 4262 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

With the days already too short to keep running after dinner, I made the decision to resume running along what is officially known as the Langara Trail, the 2.74 km path that loops around the Langara Golf Course. Today I rented a locker at the school gym and was given the combination to the lock. I think the last time I used a combination lock was in high school. I got the lock open right on my first try, unlocking an achievement. I’m also kicking in an extra $5 to use the towel service, saving me from having to take stinky damp towels home every week.

The run itself went perhaps a bit better than expected given how long it’s been since I ran the trail. I managed to skirt around the tree roots and some patch work has made the trail a bit smoother–at least until The Rains return. It was cool but not uncomfortable so shorts and t-shirt were fine, with minimal sweating. Predictably, my pace on the west side (downhill) was notably brisker than my pace on the east side (uphill). I don’t expect that to change.

In all, it was a decent start. Plus, no cyclists!

Run 547: Balmy, leafy, tricky

Run 547
Average pace: 5:37/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:04 pm
Distance: 10.02 km
Time: 56:22
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 14-17ºC
Humidity: 61%
Wind: light
BPM: 163
Weight: 156.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 4257 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

This was a bit of a strange run in that it was both slow and good, like rich Corinthian maple syrup.

Wait, that’s not right.

But the run was still fine. I started out briskly then fell into a much more relaxed pace and in fact from the third to the seventh km my time kept getting slower and slower, even though I wasn’t feeling tired or experiencing any discomfort. I was definitely not pushing as I’m still off peak form and working my way back up. It wasn’t until the final km when I began to step on the gas again and my pace did indeed pick up a fair bit. The average, though, was still 5:37/km.

Interestingly, the bear warning signs have been taken down. I’m not entirely convinced the bears know this, but I didn’t spot any notable wildlife on the trail.

The pending work on the bridge at Still Creek is still pending, as there was no activity there. The lack of rain over the last few days also meant no puddle jumping, today, but a new hazard was in play–the gorgeous yet slippery fall leaves.

The leaves actually weren’t too slippery–though I still have to be careful on the boardwalks because they definitely take on a banana peel quality when laying atop a damp set of wooden planks–but they still present a danger in that their currently copious number means they can fill up large puddle holes, making them appear deceptively non-hole like. They also tend to obscure a lot of the exposed roots, especially along the Cottonwood trail, which, as you might guess, has a lot of cottonwood trees along it.

It’s very pretty, though.

I started out a bit later but in doing so it appears I missed the morning rush, so yay. There were runners and walkers and people with dogs, but everyone was friendly and aware, possibly because it was so dang nice out. It was 14ºC when I started my run a few minutes past noon, already quite warm for October 28, but it then rose to 17º by the end, which is downright comfy for running. This turned out to be a record-setting high temperature, so thank you global warming!

I’ve purchased a knapsack with the plan to rent out a locker at the school gym, so I can run at lunch hour during the week. It’s pretty much too dark to run after work now, which makes me sad in a weird way I can’t quite put into words. Though I’m not crazy about the trail around the golf course, it will have to do. Maybe if I stick to shorter runs I could even consider increasing the number of times I go jogging. We shall see.

Run 546: Warmer, faster, drier

Run 546
Average pace: 5:20/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 11:02 am
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 26:57
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 10-12ºC
Humidity: 77%
Wind: light
BPM: 160
Weight: 157.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 4247 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

I felt un-good in the early morning so I took the day off work. By mid-morning I felt well enough to venture outside and then risked a run, because while my stomach was upset, my legs seemed fine.

Because I wouldn’t normally be running at this time my usual prep routine was a bit off. As in, I was over one km into my walk to the lake when I realized I’d left my AirPods at home. I briefly toyed with running sans music, decided no, I didn’t want to listen to my own breathing for upwards of half an hour, and went back, thus adding about 2.5 km to my walk.

I opted to wear the old-fashioned EarPods instead of the shiny new AirPods. I hate to admit it, but having the inline controls on the wire is very handy when running.

With milder temperatures and sunny skies, there were more people than I was expecting out on the trail, including two massive walking groups, one of which was not going to accidentally startle any bears as you could hear them gabbing from 20 km away. Very excited about nature, I guess.

I was surprised to find parts of the Avalon and South Shore trails partly-collapsed along the northern edge. Apparently the base layer in some sections was insufficiently made, and recent rain has started sloughing swaths of gravel off to the side. I’m curious to see how quickly repairs are made.

Speaking of repairs, the corner near the sports field that had water lapping over half of it in Saturday was being worked on by an earth mover. Once done it should be shored up enough to prevent further flooding. Ironically, to get around the machinery and piles of loose gravel I had to duck onto the field, which is still a water-clogged soup.

Now if they can just fix that one other stretch that floods, it will be possible to do a dry run (so to speak) even under the wettest conditions. A boy can dream.

As for the run itself, I opted to do a 5K and walk out, rather than risk 0ver-extending myself so soon(ish) after the 10K and I was faster at 5:20/km, though that’s still a fair bit off my best 5K pace. It’s funny how slacking off just for a week or two basically kills your fitness level. The run went fine, though, with no problems encountered. It felt colder despite actually being warmer, primary due to a) wearing a t-shirt (one of my old silky-style shirts I stopped wearing a few years back–they’re still in good condition and feel sexy) and b) it being drier gave the air more bite. It was fine, though. Other people are practically jogging in parkas.

I am undecided on what to do for Thursday. The sun will be setting at 6 p.m. on the dot, meaning even if I head out as soon as I can after getting home, the sun will still set about ten minutes into the run. It should be clear, though, and last light is just after 6:30 so I should be able to complete the run before it gets dark for real and the vampires come out. But this is probably the last chance to do a post-work run until late January (assuming we’re not up to our armpits in snow like we were this past January).

Run 545: Colder, slower, wetter

Run 545
Average pace: 5:27/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:38 am
Distance: 10.04 km
Time: 54:44
Weather: Rain, rain showers
Temp: 7ºC
Humidity: 94%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 163
Weight: 156.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 4242 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

It only got up to a chilly 7ºC on today’s run (the normal high for today is 14ºC) but I actually only felt a bit cold when walking back after the run, when my body cooled off and suddenly it really felt like 7ºC. I wore my long-sleeved t-shirt and do not regret doing so.

Today was one of those tricky days, motivation-wise. I’d miss running during the week for various reasons, so I knew I’d be off my form (I once read that more than three days off will see some deterioration in form, however minor), plus it was raining steadily even before I headed out.

But head out I did, confident, at least, that there wouldn’t be too many people out on the trail on such a dreary, cold day. There were still more than expected–but most were runners, with a few scattered dog walkers and a couple of those “I love walks in the rain” types. And no cyclists, so that was nice.

I felt fine throughout the run, with the left leg holding up well, with only an echo if the stiffness I’d experienced recently. I wasn’t exactly a blur of speed to start but by around the 4K mark I began to pick up the pace and the last few km, when the rain started to at least ease up a little (but not entirely stop) I significantly improved on things. Maybe I was just eager to get home and get dry.

The trail was a mess of puddles so I was constantly running along the edges and switching from one side to another. At the sports field the usual floody spot was flooded. I tried skirting it on the left but the narrow lumpy, grass-covered hump you have to traverse looked a bit more questionable than usual, so I backed out and went around. The field, of course, was completely saturated, so my feet got thoroughly soaked, no different than going straight through the puddle, really, just less splashing.

The resurfaced part of this stretch is holding up so far. Water pooling up at the edge of the field is not yet high enough to start lapping over onto the trail. Right around the corner, the last part that borders the fields, there is a large swath that has flooded, with water carving through the fresh gravel, forming a semi-hazardous uneven surface. A strip along the left was still bare, so I was able to get by without taking another plunge.

There were new signs all over the place but not telling people to GET OUT. Instead, these were warning that from October 2017 to February 2018 a project to replace the bridge at Still Creek would be underway. It’s the largest bridge on the trail and there is no detour route that can be used, so it would seem that running a full loop would not be an option for some time–except the sign says that the period of no access should only be three weeks. I’m curious to see if the new bridge closely matches the current one.

The bridge at Deer Lake Brook still seems more rickety and in need of replacement, but I’m not a bridgeologist, so what do I know? It actually felt a little more stable today, possibly because I ran over it slower, to avoid slipping.

Overall, a perfectly decent run in less than decent weather. I don’t miss the heat, but I can’t say I’m overly fond of running in the rain, either.

Run 544: Bob, there’s a cat or maybe a lynx

Run 544
Average pace: 5:16/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:28 am
Distance: 10.02 km
Time: 52:57
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 9ºC
Humidity: 72%
Wind: light
BPM: 169
Weight: 155.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 4232 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

It was actually a bit chilly on today’s run, with the temperature never climbing into the double digits. I do not regret wearing the long-sleeved shirt.

With clouds, cool temperatures, and a small but real threat of showers, I expected the trail to be fairly quiet, but it was actually almost as busy as a stat holiday, with several incidents of traffic clogging up.

The walk to the lake was a bit slower than normal, maybe because I was still trying to get warm. I noticed a commentary of sorts on one of the new STAY OUT signs along the Brunette River trail:

Fine, I’ll just publicly consume alcohol right here.

I chose to run counter-clockwise upon arrival to the lake and was uncertain how it would go with a four-day layoff (I missed a run on one of my usual days due to illness). The first km didn’t feel sluggish, exactly, though my pace was not exactly like greased lightning at 5:23/km. I really think it was cold enough that it took me awhile to warm up and find a rhythm. My pace would prove to seesaw throughout the 10K, with the fastest stretches coming at the third, fifth and tenth km marks. In the end I finished with an average pace of 5:16/km, my best 10K of the year, so I’m pleased with that.

The extra time off seemed to help with the stiffness in the left leg. It did feel a little stiff, but only a little, and it took much longer to get there. The walk after was faster and I had no issues.

The trail, as I mentioned, was busy. There were some runners, but mostly it was people bundled up in parkas determined to enjoy the outdoors. I salute them for that, as long as they don’t get in the way, which for the most part they didn’t. The clogging incidents mentioned above were mainly just people converging from different directions at the same time.

By the sports fields there appeared to be some kind of informal run competition of sorts happening. I say this because I saw no special markers, banners, flags or anything else. I also saw, upon just rounding the corner where I head onto the part of the trail bordering the fields, about a dozen runners heading straight toward me at high speed. A wall of runners. I scooted over to the right to avoid being stampeded and they flew by in a blur. About halfway along the stretch here–so a minute or so later–another similar group came barreling at me, including a young guy cheekily running topless and pretending to not feel the cold. He was not pretending that his upper body was perfectly chiseled, however. Oh to be young and, well, perfectly chiseled. I got about 50% of that when I was his age.

There was one other thing I came across on my run, but it wasn’t a pedestrian or a runner or even an accursed cyclist (none were in view today). I was maybe 20 or 30 meters along the Piper Mill Trail when I rounded a corner and saw on the trail ahead of me a dark orange cat. Not someone’s pet, though, as it was about three times too big. It was a bobcat, making this the second time I’ve come across one at the lake. As soon as it spotted me it darted off into the bush, so I never felt threatened by it. It just looked like a really big housecat without much of a tail, kind of like this:

I sent off an email to the Metro Vancouver Parks people, just in case. I’d hate to have a bobcat eat someone’s baby.

This was the first run at the lake where I’ve used the AirPods and playback was fine until just near the 6K mark when it abruptly stopped. I checked the music app on the watch and it looked like it had paused for some reason. I tapped Play and the music resumed and continued without incident through the rest of the run.

I’m going to blame Siri, just because.

While the double-tap on the left earbud at the start of the run properly paused play, I was never able to get the double-tap on the right earbud to skip to the next song, though it’s worked before. I tried once using Siri instead (“Hey Siri, next song”) and still nothing happened.

I definitely blame Siri on that one.

It’s possible that I may not have held the watch up high enough to turn the face on (which Siri requires before it will listen). I can use the actual music app controls to skip ahead–this requires bringing the watch up, swiping left to get to the music controls, then tapping the Forward button. None of this is difficult, but it takes a few seconds to do and you have to look at the watch when you do it. Taking my eyes off the trail while running is something I’m really hesitant to do, as I’ve got direct experience in what can happen in the span of one or two seconds (it involves falling and bleeding and picking gravel out of your skin). In the end I just listened to everything that came up and thanked myself for not having completely awful taste in music.

I may reverse the control scheme on the AirPods and see if that works better.

Overall, though, this was an unexpectedly brisk run on a rather brisk day.

Run 543: Annoyed

UPDATE, August 21, 2022: The update is just to fix minor typos I noticed when reading through this post years later. I do have to LOL (as the kids say) when I refer to my pace being "plodding" at 5:20/km, when today that would be blazing fast. Good ol' aging!
Run 543
Average pace: 5:20/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:01 pm
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 26:48
Weather: Party sunny
Temp: 12-13ºC
Humidity: 63%
Wind: light
BPM: 173
Weight: 153.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 4222 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

Note to self: NEVER RUN ON A STATUTORY HOLIDAY

I didn’t feel like running today, but by late morning, a combination of guilt and rainy skies predicted for tomorrow prompted me to head out.

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada, a stat holiday. It is also a day I normally don’t run.

I started walking down the river trail, undecided on what to do, but leaning toward some kind of 5K. As I entered the river trail, I noted a couple with a lovely small dog. The dog was leashed. What smart and responsible dog owners, I thought! They stopped for a moment by the Canine Code of Conduct sign and the woman unclasped the dog leash, freeing her mutt. I was still 20 minutes from running and already annoyed. Later, I watched a pair of people look at one of the new STAY OUT signs posted at the entrance to one of the unofficial trails, then promptly take off down it. They probably had no idea where the trail led, but no sign was going to boss them around! I predict traffic on these trails will increase as a result of these signs (UPDATE, August 21, 2022: All the signs were vandalized and removed within about a month of going up and were never replaced).

I ended up doing a rather plodding 5K, sticking to the usual counter-clockwise route. The first three km were strangely sluggish, despite an equally strangely high BPM of 173. By the fourth and final km my pace improved significantly, but I opted to end it there rather than continue, netting an average pace of 5:20/km. If I had done a full 10K I probably would have finished with a decent pace rather than a mediocre one.

The left leg’s tendon felt a little tight toward the end, but was otherwise manageable. Conditions were also fine–dry and cool, temperatures hovering around 12-13ºC throughout my non hour run time.

As is always the case on a stat holiday, lots of people were out, especially people who like to clump awkwardly and block the trail. Multiple times I had to slow down, divert (in one case entirely off the trail) or even briefly stop. As I was coming out of the Conifer Loop trail, I saw three people ahead of me. Two moved forward to study the map at the intersection of the trails. The third–who clearly saw me–hesitated, then moved forward at precisely the right time to get in my way. How do people pull off these inept moves with such precision? I do not know.

Likewise, I continue to be baffled by my amazing ability to flip small rocks into my shoes now while running. I’m not sure if my gait has changed or if it’s the newish Brooks Cascadia shoes I’m wearing, but I have become expert in the whole “flip a small sharp piece of gravel into the air and have it land on the back of your shoe and then promptly slip down into it and lodge uncomfortably under your foot” thing. This time the gravel was sharp enough that I had to pause the run to fish it out of my shoe and toss it aside while muttering colorful metaphors.

By the end of the run I just wanted to leave, so I turned and headed back to the Burnaby Lake SkyTrain station instead of walking out. I don’t regret my choice.

Overall: bleah.

Run 542: Unplanned, fast and Friday

Run 542
Average pace: 5:22/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:16 am
Distance: 10.03 km
Time: 53:54
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 12ºC
Humidity: 70%
Wind: light
BPM: 170
Weight: 154.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 4217 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

I booked today off to get an extra-long Thanksgiving weekend, so I could make the most of resting and relaxing.

The relaxing started early as I opted to skip my usual Thursday evening run. I compensated today but heading out this morning for a run at the river or lake. I really didn’t know, I just headed out.

It was 12ºC the whole time but with little wind, so it felt cool but not cold. Still, this was one of the first days where the weather had a much more tangible feel to it. The sky threatened rain but the forecast said it likely wouldn’t happen until the afternoon, so I figured I’d probably be good.

Save for a few drops right at the end of the run, I was.

I opted for the lake and originally thought I’d stick to a 5K but instead did a full loop and turned in a pace of 5:22/km, shaving three seconds off my previous best. I was not expecting this.

The trail was pretty quiet, with only a few other runners and a couple of walkers present, one of who I passed twice as she rounded the lake clutching a giant paper cup of coffee and wearing a big jacket with a fur-lined hood pulled up over her head. She looked comfy.

No bears again. They should be heading off for hibernation soon, I think, if they even do that here.

A bunch of new signs have been posted at the entrance to unofficial trails that literally say STAY OUT. I predict they will have minimal effect. Since most of them lead to a pair of railway lines, I suspect Metro Vancouver is trying to cover itself for liability in case someone gets taken out by the Rocky Mountaineer or a 150 car coal train en route to whoever still uses coal for energy.

I started out the run telling myself to stay steady and indeed the first two km were the slowest. In fact, the whole run was strangely reversed, with the first km pace being 5:35/km and the last being 5:04/km (which is fairly blazing for the end of a 10K–maybe I was concerned about the rain starting and my nipples exploding). The fifth km was always weirdly faster than most at 5:12/km. I think for that one I was maybe thinking of only doing a 5K and wanted a strong finish then found myself going on, anyway (my average pace would have been about 5:26/km if I had).

Around the 6K mark the tendon in the left leg started getting stiff, but it leveled off again as it had on the last 10K, and after about five minutes or so it felt much better, as the back half of my run illustrated.

Overall, a perfectly cromulent run and it stayed dry on the walk home, too, which was a nice bonus. I opted not to use the AirPods today because of the potential rain. While I’ve never had a pair of EarPods damaged by rain, it only costs $30 to replace them should they get damaged. The AirPods cost about seven times that, so I’m a bit reluctant to expose them to precipitation. I’m willing to bet they’d be okay, but I need to spend more time using them before I can get past the idea of potentially wrecking them. Get my money’s worth first, you know. I listened to two Tom Petty albums for the run (Full Moon Fever and Into the Great Wide Open) and while I’m bummed that he’s gone, it still seems a little surreal at the same time. Tom Petty dead of a heart attack at 66 just seems off, somehow.

But it’s good music to run to. Thanks, Tom!

Run 541: Wireless and fancy-free

Run 541
Average pace: 5:00/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 6:04 am
Distance: 5.05 km
Time: 25:15
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 16-14ºC
Humidity: n/a
Wind: light
BPM: 172
Weight: 155.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 4207 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

With the sun setting at 6:46 p.m. I headed out as quickly as I could for tonight’s run. With clear skies it was only slightly gloomy by the end but it’s pretty clear there’s probably only another week or so left before it’s going to be getting downright dim and then dark for after-dinner runs.

I will have to decide what to do soon.

But not right yet.

Tonight’s run was a bit different, technology-wise, as I picked up a pair of AirPods, Apple’s wireless ear buds. I also synced a bunch of music to my Apple Watch and so headed out without my phone for the first time in a good long time, relying on my Watch’s GPS to track the run and the AirPods to play entertaining music from the Watch. It all went surprisingly smoothly, with no hitches in the sound, the AirPods staying firmly in-ear and even the battery of the watch surviving without taking a big hit. It felt weird to not have the phone, which shows how dependent we’ve become on the infernal devices, yet nice at the same time to just pop on the AirPods and go, no belts or cords to mess with.

A side benefit is the AirPods carry the Workout app’s sounds. I almost never notice the haptic feedback from the watch when running and only occasionally hear the sound that plays at each km interval. It was nice to actually hear all of them clearly for a change, taking me back to the days of using the Nike+ app (maybe one day I’ll try that again, too).

The only real downside is without any cell/internet connectivity the run couldn’t record the weather conditions, but that’s a fair trade-off since I’m actually in the weather and everything while running.

And speaking of which, it was a pleasant clear evening so I felt rather spry. As a bonus, only minimal sweating and it didn’t start until after the 3K mark.

Now, I have no idea how accurate the Watch GPS is vs. the one on the iPhone, but tonight’s pace was a year’s best 5:00/km, with three km coming in under five minutes. This beats my previous best of 5:09/km. If I had known I was so close to breaking the five-minute mark I would have pushed just a tiny bit more but still, it’s a nice round number.

The left leg is still feeling a little stiff but it’s entirely tolerable and recovered quickly after. As long as I don’t go all crazy and start sprinting I think it will be fine.

Overall, a pleasing result, both in terms of the new set-up and the performance. Here’s to getting at least a few more runs in before The Long Dark Winter with guest star Long and Almost as Dark Fall, sets in.

Run 540: Into a running event, awkwardly

Run 540
Average pace: 5:25/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 10:22 am
Distance: 10.03 km
Time: 54:24
Weather: Partly sunny
Temp: 14ºC
Humidity: 82%
Wind: light
BPM: 169
Weight: 154.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 4202 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

Because I last ran counter-clockwise at the lake, today I ran clockwise. However, I started my run a little after 10 a.m., which turned out to be around the time a running event was beginning at the lake. The runners, as tradition dictates, were heading in a counter-clockwise direction.

And so it was that between the 3-4 km mark I noticed someone dashing by wearing what looked like an event jersey. The design was too elaborate for me to read as he whizzed by, but then I noticed a few more and thought there must be a small running group out and aboot.

It was when I approached the bridge at Deer Lake Brook that I could see dozens of people in a slowly-spreading out formation, all moving toward me. I managed to barely stay on the edge of the trail and for a moment wondered if I should just switch direction and go with the flow. After another moment I figured they’d pass soon and all was well after that until I rounded the sports fields and about five young women sped past me like a bullet train toward what looked like a finish line. At this point I had no idea how many events were going on or where or how or why, I just quietly hoped I’d be off the trail before hitting the next batch of eager participants.

And I was.

With the forecast promising rain, I headed out with the temperature hovering around 14-15ºC, nearly perfect for running. I didn’t even notice any sweat until I was nearly three km in! The sky was a mix of cloud and sun but this was one of those days where the sun felt like a fall sun, unlike two days ago when it got weirdly warm (27ºC in Vancouver) and very much felt like a summer sun. I prepared for possible rain by protecting my nipples (I wish I could come up with a cute nickname for them. “The boys” seems wrong.) but the rain obligingly held off until two hours after I had finished the run.

I kept up a nice pace and the cooler weather made it easier to maintain the pace. Somewhere between the 5-6 km the left leg began to feel stiff but I waited it out for a bit and it leveled off quickly, so I was able to finish the full run and even felt a little spry in the last stretch (I wasn’t really any faster, but I did keep up a very consistent pace throughout). The walk home was fine and as I write this the leg seems to have recovered nicely. My overall pace was my second-fastest for a 10K this year at 5:25/km. I am provisionally prepared to say I am safe for running 10Ks on the weekend.

Which I will probably do in a counter-clockwise direction from now on.