Outdoor runs

The weirdly cool and incredibly wet early May run

Average pace: 5:15/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Ran Spruce and Conifer Loops and Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 11.05 km
Weather: Heavy rain
Temp: 10ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 876
Total distance to date: 2609 km

The Weather Underground site cheerfully described today’s weather as “light rain”. Perhaps they define light differently than most people. When I stepped outside for my run today a steady rain was falling. It continued to fall on the walk to the lake, the run around the lake and the walk up to the SkyTrain station because there was no freaking way I was walking all the way back home, even though it was impossible for me to get more drenched than I already was.

The rain actually got heavier as the run progressed. The trees around the trail roared as the fresh spring leaves got continuously pelted by the drops. Because it was raining before I even headed out I opted to put my fare card in a plastic baggie and wore my water-treated running jacket.

By the third block from the condo I could already feel the rain soaking through the sleeves. In the end I’d have been no worse off to just wear my long-sleeved t-shirt.

It was also unseasonably cool, around 10ºC for the run. This wasn’t a problem once I got started but my hands felt legitimately cold at the start. After the run, the cool temperatures turned my damp skin clammy and cool. I was glad to get home and into a nice warm tub.

The run itself went fine. Stamina was not an issue with the cooler temperature, and the only small issues were my right hip feeling a bit sore midway, though it worked out (still no idea how I tweaked it) and the left foot was just starting to get a little cranky at the end but never became a problem.

My pace for the 11.05 km was 5:15/km, three seconds better than the previous 7K run and only five seconds slower than my best 7K. Not bad for my first full loop around the lake.

The weirdly summer-like early May run

Average pace: 5:18/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 7.03 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 27-29ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 557
Total distance to date: 2597 km

I love to complain about the heat when I’m running. Heat is bad. It makes you sweat excessively, slows you down and makes a normal run feel much harder (because it is). But during the summer of 2012 I found that by sticking to my routine I was able to acclimate to the hotter temperatures and while I can’t say I’m a fan of running when it’s in the high 20s or around 30 degrees, it no longer makes much difference to my pace.

But the process of acclimation is one that has to build up each year. This normally happens naturally, as temperatures slowly rise through April, May and June. By the time summer officially begins we are near maximum temperature, barring a few token heatwaves lasting a couple of days.

Such acclimation has not been possible with the temperature freakishly high the past few days. While it was much warmer than usual for Tuesday’s run, today’s was downright uncomfortable, with the temperature ranging from about 27 to 29ºC. I would normally expect to have two more months to build up to these sorts of temperatures.

All of this is to say tonight’s run was yucky.

My feet and legs behaved themselves but I felt sluggish. The air along the trail had that mid-summer thickness in places, where just breathing seems harder than it should be. For the first time in a long time I simply wanted the run to be over. When it ended my pace was 5:18/km, a full eight seconds slower than the previous run.

It looks to be cooler for the weekend so my time should improve. On the other hand I’m planning on a full loop around the lake so my time will probably be worse. But at least Mother Nature will not be to blame this time.

The weirdly summer-like late April run

Average pace: 5:10/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Distance: 7.03 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 25ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 558
Total distance to date: 2590 km

We are in the middle of a strange mini-heatwave, with temperatures climbing into the mid-20s. I wore my long-sleeve t-shirt tonight and felt way overdressed. The strangely warm weather didn’t slow me down appreciably as I ventured out on my second 7K run, this time tackling a combo of the Brunette River trail and the northern (CCW) side of the trail at Burnaby Lake.

Overall, the run was very similar to the previous one, with the average pace one second faster at 5:10/km. After the usual faster start then dip in the second km I actually picked up the pace on the third km and was otherwise steady the rest of the way out, with the customary final km sprint-like part.

The legs and feet behaved themselves, so endurance was more of an issue, though it wasn’t too warm to affect me much.

Thursday is another 7K, probably matching the same route.

My stats for the month of April 2014:

  • 12 runs
  • 64.52 km
  • 5:11/km average pace

Not bad for my first full month of running for the year. Hopefully the second and third stats will improve in May. Excelsior!

The not-the-Sun Run run

Average pace: 5:11/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 7.03 km
Weather: Partly cloudy
Temp: 11-12ºC
Wind: light to breezy
Calories burned: 558
Total distance to date: 2576 km

In celebration of today’s Vancouver Sun Run I went for a run.

But not in Vancouver.

Instead I went on my first official 7K run of the year, clockwise around Burnaby Lake. The weather was a mix of sun and cloud and was a bit cool with a fairly good breeze blowing. I had to go like no one’s business by the time I got there and after relieving myself I felt oddly indifferent about the actual run.

I headed off, pulling back a bit deliberately on the first km to make sure I had enough gas for the extra 2 km and overall the run went fine. A stitch threatened around the 5K mark but never fully materialized and the tendons on both feet were a bit sore to start but warmed up nicely and were fine after.

The only negative was again the left foot being sore on the walk after. It is annoying but so far is not affecting the runs themselves.

My prediction of a 5:18/km pace was off as I came in at 5:11/km. I’m satisfied with that for my first longer run. The plan now is to do another 7K on Tuesday and Thursday, then move on to an actual 10K next weekend.

The old man hip run

Average pace: 5:05/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.05 km
Weather: Partly cloudy
Temp: 11ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 400
Total distance to date: 2576 km

I think it would probably scare me to watch video footage of what I do in bed.

I mean while I’m sleeping.

The reason I say this is because I woke up with what can only be described as old man’s hip. For whatever reason my right hip was sore, a ghostly premonition of what it might feel like when I’m 85. If it was a hint that I’ll make it to at least 85 I’m okay with that.

But for a run an old man hip is not hip, not at all.

Fortunately I was able to work it out and managed to maintain a decent pace along the river. My left calf was feeling a bit tender/sore around the shin so I’m not sure if I’m unconsciously shifting my weight to it or if it’s also going through some other old man thing. The right leg and foot continue to be fine.

With the allegedly energy boosting shoes remaining firmly tied I managed an average pace of 5:05/km, one second off the previous run and a bit short of my best but still second fastest for the year.

My next run on the weekend should be an uninterrupted 7K. I’m expecting the average pace to shoot up with the longer length and will venture a prediction now of around 5:18/km.

The 2 + 5 = 5K run

Average pace: 5:06/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.05 km
Weather: Partly cloudy
Temp: 11ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 401
Total distance to date: 2571 km

I decided to try a 7K run on for size with my spiffy new shoes today. The plan was to run the Brunette River trail then continue to Burnaby Lake and run to Still Creek. From there I’d walk to the Sperling SkyTrain station and catch a ride back home.

And I did do just that, yet I only ended up with a 5K run.

On the weekend I bought a SPIbelt because I wanted to test out using my phone and its GPS for my runs. I opted to just carry the phone and use my iPod and use the run as a chance to see how securely the belt would hold the phone in place.

I changed my mind and used the phone. The good news is the belt worked great. The phone didn’t budge and I barely noticed it there. The not-so-good news is my times were suddenly and drastically slower. It paced my two km along the river trail at around 5:25/km. This leads to a few possibilities:

  • the phone is way out of whack
  • the iPod/Nike sensor is way out of whack
  • I suddenly became much slower despite not really feeling it

While I think it’s possible the iPod may be overly generous on times, it has been calibrated and it’s nothing if not consistent. I’m going to calibrate the phone/Nike app at a track to see just how accurately it is gauging distance. It seems like it may be off.

Horrified at the prospect of suddenly having pokey paces posted, I switched off the phone app and returned to the iPod once I got to the lake. This meant my run was split in two, with several minutes of walking (about 200-300m) between the first 2 km and the last 5 km.

The “real” run went well. A stitch threatened but never manifested so I was able to keep a good pace. The last two km my left shoe came untied, which is disappointing with the new shoes. but the lace did feel a little loose on the walk down, so it’s partly my fault. My overall pace for the 5K was 5:06/km, my second-best of the year.

I’ll do a calibration run on the weekend with the phone but my next one or two runs will be using the iPod as per usual.

The Easter bunny hopping along on new shoes run

Average pace: 5:01/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 5.06 km
Weather: Overcast, occasional light shower
Temp: 11-13ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 401
Total distance to date: 2565 km

Yesterday I went to the Running Room and spent about an hour or so trying on lots of different shoes after determining that the minimalist shoes were being cruel and unusual to my feet and legs. The staff member I dealt with was very helpful and in the end I settled on a pair of Adidas Energy Boost 2.0 shoes. They feature energy boost, as you may have suspected.

boost™’s energy-returning properties keep every step charged with an endless supply of light, fast energy

I hate to say this, but the shoes do not actually supply endless energy. If they did I’d use them to power the toaster. However, they did apparently provide a nice boost to my energy during the run because I went from a slog-awful pace of 5:18/km two days ago to my best run of the year today, coming in at 5:01/km.

No stitches, no cyclists, no discomfort to speak of.

The only downside came on the walk back when my left foot once again was sore as heck. If I could replace it with a sleek robot foot I probably would.

I think I may try transitioning to longer runs now by stretching from 5K to 7K and then to 10K.

But for the moment I shall bask in the warm fuzzy feeling of coming so close to breaking the 5:00 minute mark, something I never did last year (not counting the goofy mis-calibrated runs before I started using the sensor again).

Minimalist shoes, maximalist time. Bonus: more annoying cyclists

Average pace: 5:18/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce and Conifer Loops and Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 5.05 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 13-14ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 400
Total distance to date: 2561 km

After avoiding a run yesterday due to the day-long downpour, I ventured out today under sunny skies and in mild conditions. I once again wore my New Balance MT100s, hoping to improve on my previous pace with the minimalist shoes.

As I walked along the Brunette River trail I noticed something odd on the trail up ahead. After a few moments I realized it was a tree. Trees are not normally found on the trail. Along the trail, yes. Right across them, not so much.

Apparently a combination of soggy soil and perhaps just enough wind was enough to cause a very tall tree on the other side of the river bank to topple over. It was tall enough to reach across the rover, the opposite bank, the trail (which is actually a gravel service road) and then some. It had cracked apart in several places after thudding onto the ground.

I hopped over and hoped it was not a sign.

It wasn’t. But I had a lousy run, anyway.

I started out slower again but the first km was actually three seconds better than the previous run–a good sign! Then at exactly the 1 km mark (it was just announced on the iPod) I was struck by a nasty stitch in my left side. I slowed but it persisted and by the end of the second km I was six seconds off the previous pace. Later I developed a stitch in my right shoulder, of all places.

I ended up with a mediocre pace of 5:18/km. The last four runs look like this:

  • 5:07
  • 5:12
  • 5:14
  • 5:18

This is not a good trend. I dislike it.

The shoes didn’t feel too bad, actually, but clearly my legs and feet are still adjusting as I could feel my upper leg muscles getting worked out, no doubt due to the different stance I was using/forced into.

The walk home was less than pleasant as the pad of my left foot acted up and without sufficient support from the shoe it was fairly cranky most of the way back.

I’m going to put the MT110s back on the shelf for now and get a nice pair of regular trail runners to replace my wearing-out Nikes. Eventually, maybe after I’m comfortably doing 10K runs again, I may try going back to the minimalist shoes.

Re: the cyclists. I am seeing multiple cyclists pretty much every time I run at the lake now. This annoys me because more of them are riding fast, which is the perfect way for collisions to happen, as cyclists ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE TRAILS AROUND THE LAKE.

Clearly the many signs saying “No bicycles” are no longer working. My concern is that as word gets around that you can bike around the lake without consequence, more people will do so. I don’t think the Parks Board is doing any actual enforcement or they’re busting people (“Set your bike down and put your hands on that tree!”) when I’m not there.

Anyway, it’s annoying. There are very few places where bikes are not permitted and this is one of them. It’s one of the things I like about Burnaby Lake–I never have to keep an eye out for some idiot madly whizzing by on a bike. It seems that’s come to an end now. Alas.

A slightly slower slightly damp minimalist run

Average pace: 5:14/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 5.05 km
Weather: Light showers
Temp: 14-12ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 401
Total distance to date: 2556 km

Today I switched to my New Balance MT100 minimalist shoes, as my Nikes are starting to show visible wear in the heels. I was a little concerned how it would go having not run in minimalist shoes for so long but overall it was fine. My left foot was a little sore even before heading out (the usual with the pad) but during the run it felt fine and while a bit sore after it actually got better the closer I got to home.

My pace was two seconds slower compared to Sunday, not a big surprise since switching shoes is usually a good way to slow yourself down. Interestingly the biggest drop came in the first km when I was clearly re-adjusting to having less cushioning.

The weather was cooler and light showers peppered the run from time to time. It didn’t actually start to come down steady until I was two blocks from home–enough distance to get reasonably soaked. I anticipated this and wore my weather-proofed run jacket and it sufficed in keeping the wet stuff on the outside.

I am pondering a 10K run for Thursday but am still undecided.

The warmer and slower run

Average pace: 5:12/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.06 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 14-17ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 402
Total distance to date: 2551 km

Today the temperature climbed to a nigh-freakishly high 19ºC. Since I headed out late morning for the run it ranged from 14-17ºC. This is far from being too hot for running, it just feels weird for mid-April.

I also decided to finally wear a proper t-shirt. Wearing the long-sleeved one would have been a nice trip to sweat city, so I don’t regret that.

Yesterday I did one of those power walk thingers where I do my run route but walk it instead. After completing the route I then walked to Lougheed Town Centre, some 17 km or total in all. It took about 2 hours and 40 minutes and I definitely felt it by the end. I figured this might impact my run today.

Another warning sign was being slightly up in weight this morning–usually a sign I’m packing water and water tends to make me heavier and slower.

And I was. The good news is the pace of 5:12/km still ties my second-best of the year. The bad news…well, there isn’t any, really, other than the disappointment of not meeting my last zippier pace.

The first km started out about the same but I’d already dropped two seconds by the end of the second km. The last km also saw me starting from a slower point to the typical faster finish. I nearly felt a stitch at one point and may have held back a little to ward it off.

The heels of my Nike runners are starting to noticeably wear so I’m contemplating new trail runners or busting out my New Balance MT110s again. I’ve been leery about using minimalist shoes since the Achilles tendon injury but I figure once for testing may not hurt (much).

Annoyance of the run: half a dozen on bikes, including one couple with a baby seat (equipped with functioning baby) who were riding fairly fast. Idiots.

Unexpected delight of the run: The Running Room was having some kind of event (I had no idea and saw no signage before starting out). As it turns out, the end of their circuit happened to be the Still Creek bridge–the exact spot I am currently ending my runs. There was a big electronic board showing times (I didn’t pay much attention to it) and a bunch of people gathered around, including one who looked like he might be the timekeeper. He and the others cheered enthusiastically as I crossed the apparent finish line. That’s the first time I’ve had anyone cheering me at the end of the run. It was weird but nice.

The annoyed and faster run

Average pace: 5:07/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 399
Total distance to date: 2546 km

Tonight I came home tired, hungry and irritated. I wanted to work out my stress and at the same time get the run out of the way so I could take care of the hunger.

The result was my fastest run of the year, coming in at 5:07/km, a full ten seconds off the previous run and three seconds better than my best previous run.

I didn’t suffer any stitches, which was nice, and though I felt the burn in my legs I was able to settle into a comfortable pace and then push a little harder fairly early on.

With three runs this week the plan is to take two days off for the “weekend” and tackle my next run on Sunday. If my times keep hovering consistently closer to the 5:00 mark I may try a longer run in another week or so.

The halfway run

Average pace: 5:17/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce and conifer Loops and Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 13-12ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 398
Total distance to date: 2541 km

With a little more time than usual to run tonight I opted to walk to Burnaby Lake, run to Still Creek (5K) then walk to the Burnaby Lake SkyTrain station and ride home in (sweaty and stinky) style.

I figured my pace would probably fall somewhere between the slog of Sunday’s run and the zippy pace of last Wednesday’s and I was right, coming in at 5:17/km. I was a bit concerned at the start when my legs were feeling a little creaky just from the walk. There were times during the run that the muscles started to burn nicely. Bu nicely I do not mean it was a nice sensation.

It got better as I kept going, though.

There seems to be a pattern in these early runs. I either end up battling endurance and/or getting a stitch or I find my pace and as a result find my muscles and tendons really feeling the extra bit of exertion. I have yet to discern what triggers each particular pattern (I’ll take the latter over the former, though–getting a stitch while running sucks).

In all I am pleased with the run. Faster would be better but I’m improving slowly and it’s only early April. I’m sure I’ll be reasonably zippy by the time I’m complaining about it being too hot (it was over 13ºC to start the run, downright balmy for the early April).