Outdoor runs

Run 369
Average pace: 5:42/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:44
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 14-16ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 385
Total distance to date: 3055
Device used: iPhone 6

I missed last Sunday’s run due to a flu-like virus that made bed more appealing than jogging, but was ready if not exactly raring to go today.

Conditions were once again terrific, with sun and mild temperatures. I expected the pleasant weather, combined with the holiday, to result in crowded conditions but while there were plenty of people about, it wasn’t bad at all navigating the trail.

However, I saw so many cyclists I lost count. The first was at the park entrance, contemplating the map of the lake while surrounded by conspicuous NO BICYCLES signs. I later saw him just after I’d finished the run, about 5 km in. Oddly he was off the bike and taking a  photo of what seemed to be nothing in particular. The second cyclist was also at an entry point looking at a map. I didn’t see him again so maybe he got taken down by an off-leash dog.

A father and young son nearly plowed into me at a corner. Thanks for teaching your kid to be a Jerk, pops!

A pair of bikes were parked at Still Creek but I think they belonged to a couple of guys that were kayaking, so I give them a pass. A family of six starting in as I was heading out of the park I offer no such benefit of the doubt. May they all have suffered flat tires and collisions with each other.

There were probably more I’m forgetting but you get the idea–it was biking madness like I’ve never seen it before. Blergh.

As for the run, it went about the same as last time, only a few seconds slower. A stitch in my lower left side popped up to annoy me like a biker about the 3K mark but I pushed through it. There were no other issues to speak of, just the usual early season rust. I will start regular runs soon.

Run 368
Average pace: 5:39/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.06 km
Time: 28:34
Weather: Sun and cloud
Temp: 15ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 394
Total distance to date: 3050
Device used: iPhone 6

Another mild day and a bonus weekday afternoon run due to an at-home online course that ended at 1:30. The main advantage of running during the week is the relative lack of people/dogs/renegade cyclists on the trail and such was the case today.

My only goal again was to improve my pace and I did, woo! My pace of 5:39/km was seven seconds better than my previous run and my best time so far this year (only four runs in, but I’ll still take it).

The only complication was a cramp in my right shoulder. This has never happened before and is odd as I don’t run on my shoulder. The cramp threatened to spread down to my right side but never quite did.

I started out fairly strong and this predictably led to a big drop-off at the 2K mark. I gained time on the third and fourth km, though, before falling back a bit on the last km. I did manage to pick up the pace on the last 200 m or so (the Nike phone app doesn’t do the countdown like the iPod app, which makes it harder to judge when to put on the gas for the final stretch).

In all, another small improvement on my way to a regular running schedule.

Run 367
Average pace: 5:46/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:02
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 16ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 392
Total distance to date: 3045
Device used: iPhone 6

For the previous two Sundays I gave into the allure of sitting on my duff come Sunday and did not run. This weekend was shaping up to be a repeat, especially since I did a brisk 16 km walk on Saturday, burning plenty o’ calories and thus justifying a burst of non-activity on the following day. But on Sunday the sun part of the day lived up to its name and then some. It was too nice to stay inside, so I changed into my jogging clothes and headed out.

That’s the good news. The better news is this run was an improvement on my previous run in pretty much every way.

I went out early afternoon and the temperature was an unusually balmy 16ºC (about five degrees higher than the monthly average). I ran counter-clockwise, shaved three seconds off my previous pace (a still-slow 5:46/km but these are early days in the running year). I did not suffer any stitches, cramps or foot weirdness. The only real issue was just generally being out of shape. After the first km the rest of the run was manageable but not exactly pleasant.

And even though it’s only the first week of March, I could already see the yellow bulbs of skunk cabbage starting to appear along the lake edge, ready to stink to high heaven any day now. Many trees are already unfurling freshly green leaves, weeks ahead of the start of spring. It’s nice but also a little odd given I half-expect to still need mitts and instead find myself wearing t-shirts.

As I mentioned previously, I did in fact practice putting the iPhone into my new large pocket spibelt and found it worked best without the case. I was able to get it into the pocket on the run without the comedy of errors that was my previous run’s experience. These little details matter when you are setting out to light your lungs on fire for the next half hour.

All told, it was a solid effort for the third run of the year. Here’s to each run getting a little faster, a little sleeker, a little sexier.

Okay, I’ll settle for faster.

Run 366
Average pace: 5:49/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 5.09 km
Time: 29:38
Weather: Foggy early then clear
Temp: 5-8ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 397
Total distance to date: 3040
Device used: iPhone 6

It was foggy and chilly heading out this morning so I opted for a long-sleeved t-shirt and was glad I did as the mist was not the sort of thing you’d cuddle up on the couch with.

Today’s run was a mix of good and bad. On the good side, I actually improved my pace over the last two km and my post-run recovery was much faster than the previous week. Additionally, my drop-off from the first to second km was not as steep (11% vs. 16%).

On the bad side, my overall pace and time was slower. This was mainly due to developing a stitch in my lower left side during the first km. It stubbornly persisted through most of the run and instead of going away it migrated up into my chest where it hurt in a different way. My first km in particular suffered, being much slower, before I managed to pick things up a little. Still, it was a decidedly unpleasant run. Here’s hoping I can run stitch-free next time and see some real improvement.

The other thing of note was the complete bobbling of the new large-pocket Spibelt™® at the start of the run. Purchased to accommodate my larger iPhone 6, I not only failed to stuff the phone into the belt before the run timer started, I managed to get the run paused, restarted and paused several times before it finally seemed to sort of work. I say sort of because while it did indeed track the run, the sound coming from the phone sounded like something you’d hear from a speaker with a loose wire, with a weird cutting out/fuzziness. My guess is a clash between the earphone connector on the phone and the zipper of the belt. Oddly, I never had the issue with the iPhone 5c.

I may need to practice with the belt before the next run.

Run 365
Average pace: 5:45/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 29:01
Weather: Sun and cloud
Temp: 14ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 393
Total distance to date: 3034
Device used: iPhone 6

The last run I did was on October 26, 2014. According to my superb math skills and calculator, that was 104 days ago. My pace on that day was a not-great 5:25/km. How would I fare some three months later?

The results were pretty close to what I expected. My pace was worse still at 5:45/km but for the first run back that’s actually very close to what I would have predicted.

The conditions were downright spring-like, with a mix of sun and scattered cloud and the temperature climbing over 14ºC. This is while the eastern half of Canada is buried under a half mile of snow. Due to recent heavy rains I chose to run clockwise because I expected the trail to be nicely flooded around the athletic fields, which would have meant navigating through giant mud puddles if I’d gone counter-clockwise.

This turned out to be true. I finished my run about 100 meters away from The Great Flood. Then I either had to turn around and walk back or just march straight through it. I chose the latter as I hate going back the way I just came.

The ever-problematic left foot behaved itself for the run but felt a bit sore after. I walked home and it never got as bad as it’s been in the past but that foot still ain’t right. Getting it checked is on my 2015 fitness to-do list.

The first km was the usual “hey, it doesn’t feel like I haven’t run for 104 days!” (a very nice pace of 5:05/km) while the last four km was the usual “everything hurts, make it stop, make it stop!” I felt a few cramps threaten but held them off and while the tendons felt on fire at times, by the end everything seemed pretty much fine. My pace after that first km was remarkably steady, with almost no variance at all. I hit a wall and stuck to it. Or something like that.

I’m not sure when I’ll run next as it’s still getting too dark for me to run after work but we’re only a month away from the return of Daylight Savings Time, so I’ll try to squeeze in a few more. It’s nice that I could come back after months off and emerge intact, at least.

This was also my first run using my iPhone 6. It behaved well, though I will need a larger Spibelt™® as the current one I use is too small for it. The case I use is grippy so it wasn’t at all uncomfortable holding it. It’s just nicer not having to.

Run 364
Average pace: 5:25/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 27:13
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 8-11ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 365
Total distance to date: 3029
Device used: iPhone 5c

Various factors contributed to me missing both runs during the week so today’s effort was the first in a week and the first after my appalling tortoise time of 5:38/km. I was confident that unless I got eaten by a bear on the trail I could manage to beat this slothful pace, even with a week of stuffing potato chips into my face.

And I did! My pace was still very slow for a 5K at 5:25/km but it was still good enough to knock a lucky 13 seconds off last week’s run. I had no issues on the run and though my left foot started getting cranky after the run I still managed to walk the rest of the way home (about 9K) at a brisk pace.

The weather was the coolest it’s been since early spring, starting around 8ºC and rising to 11ºC by the end. It didn’t feel particularly cool, though. It was actually kind of nice and though I wore my long sleeve t-shirt, I think I would have been fine in a regular one.

With the rain of late there was a certain amount of puddle-dodging required, though the run itself remained dry. I also remained dry until the very end and I mean this literally. Just moments before I hit the 5K mark I hit the tree-lined section adjacent to the athletic fields. The drainage here has basically stopped functioning so when we have heavy rain it tends to flood from the edge of the field and across the entire width of the trail. I tried skirting the edge but the water and muck was unavoidable.

It didn’t actually matter because farther up the trail was again flooded in an impossible-to-avoid way. Such is the way of running in the fall once The Rains have started.

I also nearly had a dog incident just prior to the first boardwalk (about 1.5 km in) when a couple had let their spastic canine scamper off ahead of them. Judging by the insane way it was capering about I surmised that they keep it locked in the basement most of the time and now that it was out it was determined to enjoy its precious freedom to the full. I keep a wary eye on it but sure enough it abruptly changed direction and cut right in front of me, causing me to do a sudden detour. Had this happened on the boardwalk the detour would have been into the swamp and I would have been rather displeased.

As it was I turned my head back and barked (ho ho) a curt “Leash your dog!” I have no doubt they thought I was rude and some kind of rules Nazi to boot. the rest of the run was free of further incidents of either a two or four-legged nature.

I’m not sure what will happen on Tuesday. It looks like we may get the remains of the season’s first hurricane rolling in, which will make things very windy and wet, plus the sun is now setting before 6 p.m., making it a challenge to complete even a 5K before darkness descends. If I had a mutant power I would want super-awesome night vision. Plus the ability to fly. And invisibility. But only those three. Yes.

If Tuesday looks like a no-go I may try running on the treadmill (bleah) at the Canada Games Pool, try the elliptical there instead or see if the track at a nearby high school keeps the lights on in the early evening.

Run 363
Average pace: 5:38/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce and Conifer Loops and Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:19
Weather: Partly sunny
Temp: 18-22ºC
Wind: moderate with occasional gusts
Calories burned: 366
Total distance to date: 3024
Device used: iPhone 5c

For today’s run I wore my Brooks Cascadia 9’s since they would offer a little more support in case my left foot started crying early. It did start wailing but was nice enough to wait until after the run.

Way back three days ago I said this:

The bad parts resulted in a sluggish pace of 5:15/km, a big drop from last week’s under-5 minute triumph. Improving on this during the weekend shouldn’t be too challenging but you never know.

As it turns out, not only did I not meet this supposedly not-too-challenging challenge, I didn’t even meet it in the first km of today’s run when my pace was already a lolwut pace of 5:20/km.

The one bright spot came at the 4K mark when my pace improved by 9% to 5:21/km. This occurred on the Cottonwood Trail, a stretch that is straight for the better part of a km. That may not seem like an improvement but my pace for the third km was 5:54/km. I undid the improvement by wrapping up with a “please let it end” pace of 5:41/km.

So why was today’s run so terrible? I didn’t experience any cramps but I think I ate and drank too much before heading out and the threat of cramps probably acted as an inhibitor. But I was slow right from the start. I wasn’t feeling especially tired, though my previous night’s sleep was a bit restless. It was as if the totality of the week just left me without gas.

Strangely, this horrible turn has me eager to go on Tuesday. I’ll be back on the river trail and racing against the setting sun and probably getting soaked to the butt if the forecast is accurate, but I’m anxious to get back on track while I still have some time to run after work before the winter dark descends.

Run 362
Average pace: 5:15/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 26:26
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 17ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 365
Total distance to date: 3019
Device used: iPhone 5c

The good parts about today’s run:

• I ran 5K without stopping
• I did not fall on my face
• I was at no point handed a crying baby to carry with me
• No cyclists
• No rain

The bad parts about today’s run:

• I hadn’t run for a week (ie. was slower)
• I was feeling less than 100% due to sinuses/throat (ie. was slower still)
• my left foot was sore before I headed out (ie. slower plus bonus hurting)

The bad parts resulted in a sluggish pace of 5:15/km, a big drop from last week’s under-5 minute triumph. Improving on this during the weekend shouldn’t be too challenging but you never know.

I actually had a decent pace for the first two km and had a good finish (despite the left foot saying “lol stop running on me!”) but lagged on the 3rd and 4th km, tired from all the aforementioned items above.

The only other notable part of the run was seeing the huge number of salmon gathered outside the Cariboo Dam, all eager to get to the other side so they could spawn and die. It’s inspiring and depressing all at once.

Run 360
Average pace: 5:16/km
Location: Brunette River trail and Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce and Conifer Loops
Distance: 5.11 km
Time: 26:53
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 19ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 371
Total distance to date: 3009
Device used: iPhone 5c

With daylight rapidly becoming a precious commodity, I can no longer walk to the lake to run unless I walk very fast to the lake. Like, running fast.

And that’s what I did.

Tonight’s route started on the Brunette River trail, continued to Burnaby Lake and counter-clockwise through the Spruce and Conifer Loops, then back until I hit 5K, just short of the foot bridge at Silver Creek.

The first half of the run, which was pretty much everything leading up to where I’d normally start my lake runs near the dam, went decently enough. After that I fell flat. Pancake flat. For whatever reason I had no energy and plodded along to finish with an average pace of 5:16/km, which would be okay for a 10K run but is lousy for a 5K.

Is it because I didn’t wear my lucky shorts? A poor sleep? Planetary alignment? Perhaps all of these things.

Also my left leg and foot all hurt at various points, which was weird and annoying. I’m not talking about actual pain, just soreness that turned off and on through the later stretch of the run, like a bunch of faulty lightbulbs.

The goal for Thursday will be to better tonight’s run. This should be easy.

Run 359
Average pace: 5:14/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce and Conifer Loops
Distance: 10.05 km
Time: 52: 31
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 19-22ºC
Wind: nil
Calories burned: 729
Total distance to date: 3004
Device used: iPhone 5c

This was a weird run if you look at the map made from the GPS.

But first, I must mark the momentous metric occasion (Nike uses Imperial units to award milestones, what with them being miles and all, so what they consider a big deal differs from what I consider a big deal) as this run I hit 3,000 km. I started using the Nike+ system to track my runs in September 2009 so it’s taken five years to get to this point or an average of 600 km per year. I’m still full intact, too, woo.

As to the weirdness of today’s run, I expected to be slower due to a later start (11:50 a.m.), warmer temperatures (19-22ºC so not really bad) and, as it turned out, very muggy conditions. The mugginess was the main villain here.

My first km was a sluggish 5:11/km, though I at least didn’t have to slow to duck under the sagging trees on the Conifer Loop, as they’ve been chopped to bits and tossed into the brush for the mushrooms. The second km saw a huge 14% drop-off to 5:53/km. I regained some form for the third and fourth km then–at the same point where the GPS has wigged out before–my time actually got improbably faster, with the 5K and 6K pace being 3:52 and 3:10. I got awards for fastest mile and km ever.

I do not think these were my fastest km ever, based on how I felt at the time.

On the seventh km my pace dropped 85% (!) to 5:52/km before pulling up again to 5:26 for the final stretch. Even more weirdly, the overall pace of 5:14/km actually makes sense given the total time of the run and distance covered. I think the trees along the field make the GPS go cuckoo. I’ll have to lobby for their removal.

Here’s how the map looked at the nutty bullet train section:

Given that I went in without much confidence, I am fine with the results, dubious recors notwithstanding.

The only negative was the left leg, which at one point or another hurt from the top down. That included the left buttock, upper thigh, Achilles tendon and foot. All of these were brief, however, and none affected my pace. I was fine after the run, though the foot remained a bit sore. It held up for the walk home.

I am thinking I may switch to earlier runs on Saturday because I’m finding the trail a little too crowded on Sundays (even if part of today’s crowd consisted of a group of seven young men running topless and in black short shorts; I both admire and hate them for being svelte, young and spry). There are an awful lot of people with seemingly no situational awareness when in public (these are the ones who stop at the top of an up escalator for no apparent reason) and they like to spread themselves out on the trail, block the way, suddenly stop and do other neat tricks.

By heading out early and on Saturday I’m thinking the worst I’ll face is other runners, who generally have excellent situational awareness. I know I’m setting myself up for a collision on a blind corner by saying this but I’ll take the chance.

At least there were no cyclists today. Hooray.