Average pace: 5:03/km Location: Brunette River trail, Burnaby Lake (CCW) to Conifer Loop
Distance: 8.03 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 24ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 580
Total distance to date: 2273 km
Knowing that pizza was in the offing for dinner tonight I opted to run a little farther than the planned-for 5K. I walked to the Brunette River trail, relished that it was slightly cooler than yesterday and headed off, continuing to Burnaby Lake where I followed the Spruce Loop and Conifer Loop trails before heading back on the main one. I hit the 8K mark shortly after exiting the river trail.
To my pleasant surprise, my left foot did not get sore over the extended distance. My pace was a little slower than yesterday at 5:03/km but when the extra distance is factored in it works out to be nearly the same, so I’m not disappointed there.
The large dip in speed that happened during the 5-6K mark is something I actually noted during the run. I had just left Burnaby Lake and was running up the sidewalk leading back to the river trail. It’s mostly uphill and steeper than any other part of the run. I felt slower and made a mental note to check if that really was the case. Yes, it turns out gravity works just like the scientists say it does.
Other than that, my pace was pretty consistent, so I’m again pleased with the result.
This was my fourth day of running in the past five days (and fifth run) so I’m taking Thursday night off. I haven’t decided if Friday will be a short run, a long one or an in-betweener. I may not decide until I’m actually running because sometimes I’m nutty like that.
Average pace: 5:00/km Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.04 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 26ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 365
Total distance to date: 2265 km
Tonight was a short run on the Brunette River trail. Although it was still fairly warm it wasn’t quite scorching and there was even a little breeze blowing.
My pace of 5:00/km bested my best weekend time by six seconds, a nice illustration of how temperature really affects performance. The feet were fine so not much else to add.
Average pace: 5:06/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce and Conifer Loops and Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 5.1 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 32-30ºC
Wind: nil
Calories burned: 372
Total distance to date: 2255 km
Average pace: 5:16/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW), Brunette River trail Distance: 5.02 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 30-28ºC
Wind: nil
Calories burned: 363
Total distance to date: 2260 km
Today I deliberately planned to only run 5K, following the same route as yesterday. There were two changes. The first was starting time. I didn’t head out until about 6:50 p.m. and didn’t start the run until 7:24 p.m., hoping to avoid the sun and the worst of the day’s heat (despite it being even hotter than yesterday). The second was applying a liberal spraying of Off to my legs to avoid adding to my modest bug bite collection.
The change in time seemed to work, slightly. The run still felt more difficult than normal but I did finish with a better pace of 5:06/km, two seconds better than yesterday. I even saw a few other nutty types running. Given that it was 32ºC it actually didn’t feel as bad, again due to the higher than normal humidity.
The run otherwise was a match for yesterday and my feet held up nicely. I began walking back and along the way those same fee started getting itchy. I didn’t want to walk all the way back but neither did I want to cheese out by taking the SkyTrain when I exited the park. So after walking 2 km I set up another 5K run and took off again, running the rest of the lake trail, across Cariboo Road and back onto the Brunette River trail. I got maybe a third of the way up that when I hit 5K and then settled into a brisk walk for the rest of the way back.
The 2 km of walking between the runs didn’t really serve as a proper rest, as I kept moving at a good pace but it did allow me to catch my breath, cool down and settle my heart rate. I expected my time to be worse and it was, coming in at 5:16/km. On the other hand, I’m certain it would have been even worse if I had run the full 10K uninterrupted.
The forecast keeps changing hourly (“It’s going to be even hotter tomorrow! No, it’s not. Wait, yes it is! No, it’s going to be cooler. Wait, we were kidding. Hotter, definitely. Hahaha.”) so I have no idea what to expect come Tuesday but I suspect it will be about the same as it was yesterday–hotter than normal and probably too much to handle a full 10K. But we shall see.
Surprisingly, splitting today’s 10K in two seemed to work for the feet, with both still feeling fine afterward. The right tendon only twinged slightly on the second run while the left foot pretty much behaved itself.
I also managed to break 100 km for the month of June, which was nice and somewhat unexpected, given the number of shorter runs I’ve done. My stats:
103.94 km
5:06/km average pace
Compared to June 2012 when my feet were in much better shape:
Average pace: 5:08/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce and Conifer Loops and Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 5.2 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 28ºC
Wind: nil
Calories burned: 378
Total distance to date: 2250 km
My plan today was to do a regular run–walk to the lake, run around it then walk back. It was a nice plan. Then we got blasted with an unusually potent high pressure ridge for this time of year and when I headed out around 2 p.m. the temperature had soared to 28ºC.
The good news is my feet held up fine.
The less good news is because after a few km in I decided there was no way I was going to run 10+ km in this crazy heat. On the one hand it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. The old saw is “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” but in this case the high heat was matched with more humid conditions than normal and while that, coupled with the lack of wind, made the run much more difficult, it also meant that I felt far less dehydrated than I have on runs with lower temperatures.
Nonetheless, I got to Still Creek, the unofficial halfway point and then walked the rest of the way home. The pace was quite a bit slower than Wednesday at 5:08 but I can’t say I’m surprised or disappointed.
The heat also stirred up the bugs, apparently. For the first time in about two years I got bit, coming home to find a big red bite right in the middle of the right shin. A little Calamine worked wonders and kept me from scratching like mad.
Because I only ran 5K I am tentatively planning to run again tomorrow, either earlier in the morning or, more likely, later in the evening.
Average pace: 4:48/km Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.02 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 19ºC
Wind: nil
Calories burned: 363
Total distance to date: 2245 km
The conditions, time and course were virtually identical to yesterday’s run and the results were nearly so, though I managed to cut two seconds off my pace, bringing it down to 4:48/km (or 15 seconds faster overall, 24:07 vs. 24:22). The left foot held up perhaps even better than yesterday and the Achilles tendon was fine until I overextended a bit maneuvering around a large puddle and even then it was no more sore than it usually would get, even less so.
I’d elaborate but just read the previous entry. My next run will probably be Friday as I’m not keen on trying three days in a row, at least not yet. I’m undecided on whether Friday’s run will be another 5K run or something longer. The reduced discomfort of the 5K runs is rather appealing, even if the distance seems that much wimpier compared to my usual 11Ks.
Average pace: 4:50/km Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 19ºC
Wind: nil
Calories burned: 364
Total distance to date: 2240 km
I’m trying an experiment where at least one of my weekly runs will be split into two shorter 5 km runs, to help reduce the stress on my left foot and (to a lesser extent) my right Achilles tendon.
With the cushy new shoes on I found that I was able complete the full 5K without my left foot experiencing any kind of discomfort and I ended with a respectable 4:50/km pace. With the unfinished gravel path in Lower Hume Park being rather lumpy, my fastest stretch was actually during the second km.
The only real discomfort take from the utter lack of wind. Once the temperature starts warming up a small breeze makes a big difference. Without it the air feels dead and breathing feels harder, even if it really isn’t.
Not much else to report. A short, decent run.
Oh, one more thing–I’ve decided to retire the “______ run” shtick. I’m just going to use whatever title comes to mind, whether it’s blah (like tonight), zany or just plain ordinary.
Average pace: 5:18/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran optional Piper Mill, Spruce Loop and Conifer trails
Distance: 11.05 km
Weather: Cloudy, light sprinkles
Temp: 22ºC
Wind: nil
Calories burned: 798
Total distance to date: 2235 km
With my left foot still being stupid and my new Merrell shoes feeling more barefoot than my other pairs of minimalist shoes, I decided it might be better to run for awhile using more traditional trail runners and so yesterday I picked up a pair of Nike LunaryFly +3’s. Image:
I tried my usual size 8.5 first but they felt a little snug for my liking. The size 9’s seemed better while not feeling at all loose. As a bonus my toes had a little more wiggle room, something that was an issue with the MT 1010s.
Unfortunately my test of the new shoes was somewhat invalidated by my left foot being sore before I headed out, mainly due to doing a lot of household chores in the morning. Nonetheless, the more cushiony feel was apparent immediately and the walk and first 3 km or so of the run were not bad.
The right tendon was rusty and it and the left foot fought for attention for awhile but as always the right tendon settled down once I was warmed up and was a non-factor for most of the run.
Speaking of warmed up, it was 22ºC, which is not that hot, but it was also very humid and there was no real breeze at all. The muggy conditions had their usual energy-draining effect, most obviously seen in the second half of the run where I settled into a very steady but slower pace. That was also aided by the left foot, of course.
Some hours after the foot doesn’t hurt to walk on but I can still feel it. It’s starting to bug me that it’s not getting any better, though I have to admit running regularly is probably not helping a whole lot. I’m quietly hoping the doctor says it’s okay to run and am toying with the idea of splitting one of the weekly runs into a pair of shorter 5K runs to minimize the impact (ho ho) on my feet.
Given the weather and the foot, I can’t say I’m surprised or disappointed by the 5:18/km pace. I do wonder if/when I’ll break the 5:00 minute mark on a longer run again. Thumbs up for the Nike shoes, however. They probably helped, even if only a little, on the walk back with the extra support over a minimalist shoe.
Average pace: 5:01/km Location: Brunette River trail Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 18ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 364
Total distance to date: 2224 km
With my new shoes on and my right tendon feeling better, I decided to risk a short 5K run. The first km or so was not exactly comfortable but once I warmed up I found the right tendon actually felt fine and it remained so afterward. I finished with a respectable 5:01 pace, slower than the last few runs but pretty decent given my condition after the previous one.
I’m writing this post a day later (though posting it to the actual run date) and will say that the muscles in both legs are a bit stiff and the feet are as well. The Merrell shoes are a lot more minimalist than my previous pairs and feel a lot closer to running barefoot. I’ve decided that while this will make them completely groovy for when my feet are no longer sore or ailing, it’s less than ideal while they are.
So in a move that would make Imelda Marcos proud, I am going to buy another pair of shoes, specifically a pair of more traditional trial runners with better support. I’ll wear these until I’m comfortable with the condition of my feet then will switch back to the Merrells.
Average pace: 4:35/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Ran Freeway Trail
Distance: 13 km
Weather: Hazy cloud, sun
Temp: 22-24ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 940
Total distance to date: 2219 km
This was a weird run.
I bought new shoes — the Merrell Trail Gloves, a minimalist trail running shoe. The construction of the shoe is immediately noticeably superior to the 1010s I’ve been using, with fabric, stitching, laces and tongue all better. The soles are not as chunky, though they are also made by Vibram, like the 1010s. They retain a lot more of the slipper-like feel of me beloved MT110s. The only downside is they are a bit tight to get the feet into but are cozy (and not too tight) after that.
I was a bit concerned about how the run would go because my left foot was already warbling even before I set out. When I got to Hume Park I noticed that I’d placed the Nike+ sensor up a little higher than I’d meant to on the laces. This meant it would not lay as flat, possibly affecting accuracy.
The weather was warm and with little wind there was a mugginess for much of the route around the lake. It wasn’t horrible but it definitely contributed to leaving me feeling worn out. Also for some weird reason I went clockwise and decided to throw the Freeway Trail detour into the mix, to see how it had changed since the last time I’d run it.
This helped stretch the run out longer than normal, probably not a great idea with the left foot already acting up, but my curiosity has now been satisfied. As it turns out, fresh gravel was poured along almost the entire stretch that I ran along, taking care of all the dips, squishy dirt and uneven surfaces. This was good. Because the trail is not used nearly as much as the others, the gravel was still loose and felt quite lumpy under my minimalist soles. This was less good.
Having already stretched the run out, I opted to skip the three optional loops I normally take on the north side of the lake. I finished at just over 59 minutes and with a pace of 4:35/km, having run a shade over 13 km.
This is the suspicious part. I went back to some of the detour runs I did last June when the first boardwalk was being replaced and compared distances. One run, in which I had included the optional loops, came out to 13.06 km, a scant 60 m more than today’s. It seemed the Nike+ sensor was being a bit generous with the distance, probably by a factor of at least a few hundred meters. However, the time of that run last year was about 64 minutes, so even taking into account the extra distance, my pace was still apparently faster today (back then it was 4:58/km).
But 4:35/km seems way off. I felt fairly springy to start but definitely did not toward the end. I felt hot, sweaty, tired, the left foot was achy (but tolerable) and the right tendon was occasionally pinging, though it ended up fine for the majority of the run.
When I uploaded my data I was informed that I had set four new records for fastest 1K, 5K, 10K and mile:
1K: 3:53
5K: 21:56
10K: 45:47
mile: 6:39
Even more bizarrely, the 1K record apparently came during the 7th km. That’s often been where I’ve started running out of gas, not magically conjuring it. My pace allegedly shot up by 11% then plunged by 13% for the next km. I’m trying to remember where the 7K mark hit and it may have been near Still Creek. A couple on bikes (grr) were there and heading the same way as me. I silently pointed to the two (1) No Bikes signs as I went by but picked up my pace to give myself a little extra distance. The last thing I wanted were a pair of cyclists at my heels on a fairly narrow stretch of the trail. They may have heeded the signs, though, because I didn’t see them again. If they did turn around and leave the trail, they’d be the first cyclists to do so and I offer my e-thanks to them for doing so!
So while 3:53 seems absurdly fast, it is at least possible that it was still my fastest km. I’m going to move the sensor down lower on the shoe and see how it compares on Tuesday. I may calibrate it at the track, too.
For the record, here’s the splits as seen on the Nike+ site:
The one lingering concern is that my right tendon, which did not bother me much at all during the run, is still feeling sore hours later. I suspect I simply overworked it (especially if the times are actually accurate) so I’m hoping it will be okay tomorrow after some rest. I’m going to start icing it after runs, I think.
Also I caught a glimpse of a snake slithering into the grass along the Cottonwood Trail, first snake of the year. It’s not a good thing or a bad thing, just a thing. Plus snakes are cool.
Average pace: 4:46/km Location: Brunette River trail Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Sunny, some cloud
Temp: 18ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 363
Total distance to date: 2206 km
I was originally going to look for running shoes tonight and run tomorrow (Friday) but the weather was nice, the body was willing and so I went out anyway and did a 5K run on the Brunette River trail.
As is usually the case with shorter runs, my time was a good bit faster, with my average pace 4:46/km. As a bonus my left foot normally doesn’t start to really sing until the 5 km mark, so it only made its presence known just as I was wrapping up.
I drooped a little after the first 2 km–something that tends to happen more often than not so far this year–but recovered and improved my pace for the rest of the run.
There’s not much to add. It was quick, relatively comfortable and helped work off the guilt of eating an apple fritter. Mmm, apple fritter.
Average pace: 5:09/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Ran optional Piper Mill, Spruce Loop and Conifer trails
Distance: 11.06 km
Weather: Sunny, some cloud
Temp: 20-17ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 796
Total distance to date: 2201 km
My left foot was not bothering me before the run and for the first half it lay dormant, only to come active not unlike a foot version of Vesuvius. Around the 5K mark the pain began and unlike previous runs there was a certain rigidity to the foot, where I could not feel any movement in the bone/muscle when flexing. This changed after a few more km when the flexing returned.
By that point the foot remained sore but it was no worse than it’s been before. After the last run I was hopeful that it was genuinely on the mend but it appears to be lingering on awhile yet.
I impressed myself by maintaining a steady pace and pushing through, though, coming in two seconds ahead of the previous run for an average of 5:09/km.
In reference to the title of this post, I am fairly unimpressed with the New Balance MT1010s I started wearing this year. While they aren’t responsible for my foot problems I still don’t care for the fit and feel. The top half is cheap, almost flimsy and the weird stitching of the tongue to the top of the shoe makes lacing difficult and seems prone to tearing. The shoes generally feel more snug than they should and the laces (since replaced as per a previous post) are crappy and cheap — even though the shoes themselves cost more than the awesome MT110s I wore last year.
I’m going to check out a pair of Merrell minimalist trail running shoes this week and if I like them I may ditch the 1010s long before they wear out. They’ve already worn out their welcome, I think.
Average pace: 5:11/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran optional Piper Mill, Spruce Loop and Conifer trails
Distance: 11.06 km
Weather: Cloudy, some sun
Temp: 15-20ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 799
Total distance to date: 2190 km
In this case the goose-stepping was done by actual geese, as described below.
I was going to run on Thursday but logistically Friday was better so I moved the run back one day. Unfortunately I came home from work on Friday, laid down for a quick nap and conked out for several hours, using up all the daylight in the process. This is why you never lay down for a quick nap when you have other things planned.
I set out today during the lunch hour under a dull sky that didn’t really threaten rain. The temperature was a mild 15ºC and rose steadily to 20 over the course of the couple of hours I was out.
As I crossed Cariboo Road to the entrance to Burnaby Lake park I looked to my right and saw what will probably be the cutest thing I’ll see all month. Possibly all year. A family of geese — mom, dad and three goslings, were waddling quickly in single file across the road, with traffic stopped to allow safe passage. Once across they shifted over to the very path I was taking to the lake. I didn’t want to spook them (or worse, be attacked by a couple of hissing adult geese) so I walked slowly a reasonable distance behind them. In the parking lot of the complex to the right was another line of geese, dozens in all, with many a gosling, again marching in single file, all heading back to the lake after an adventure somewhere else.
Once the geese got to the dam I thought about running clockwise but nixed it and instead just gave them a wide berth as I started off.
After Tuesday’s dismal run I was concerned about today, doubly so considering my left foot was already acting up right from leaving the condo. I pressed on, though, feeling more energetic, whether due to the extra days off, more food in my system or just having seen a bunch of incredibly cute baby geese waddling along.
From the first few km I knew I was ahead of my pace and even better that held right to the 10K mark, which came much sooner than on the previous few runs. This was validated when I hit the 11K mark and had a reported time of 57:24 and an average pace of 5:11/km, easily besting my prior times of 5:25, 5:28 and 5:27. It was also a boost over the 5:17 and 5:18 times from a few weeks back.
Overall I felt much better. The knee was not an issue at all, the right tendon made its presence known a few times, but only for moments and not in any way that impacted my run. As for the left foot, it was sore but stretching it out on the run seemed to help. This was the first time in awhile where it didn’t feel like it was holding me back. Maybe it’s actually starting to get better!
