Outdoor runs

The early Africa Hot and also under the weather run

Average pace: 4:38/km
Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 6.01 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 25-28ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 433
Total distance to date: 2103 km

On Friday afternoon I felt a scratchiness in my throat. By Saturday my sinuses, throat and chest were all in agreement–I had caught the same bug as Jeff, just as he is recovering from his bout. On the plus side I got a handy preview of what to expect.

Saturday was fairly mellow, with lots of napping and then a long night’s sleep, so I decided to still head out for my run today and go as far as I could manage, hoping optimally for a complete loop around the lake.

My first tactical error was doing the full 30+ minute walk to the lake instead of cheating and riding the SkyTrain. Combined with the unusually warm weather (it started close to 25ºC and went up nearly three degrees while I was out) meant that I was already at a somewhat low reserve right from the start.

I headed off and the left foot was annoying me again but was bearable. The heat was less so. I was feeling parched not too far in and it only got worse. I maintained a decent pace despite this but could feel my strength ebbing away. As I neared the five km mark I decided I’d push to Still Creek, the unofficial halfway point, then walk to the Burnaby Lake SkyTrain station.

As I neared the bridge on the creek I momentarily toyed with the idea of continuing but quickly tossed it aside because my mouth was cotton and my stamina was gone (collapsing spectacularly over the last half km). I still managed 6 km and an average pace of 4:38/km so I’m pleased at the effort, given the conditions.

The fastest 5K run

Average pace: 4:35/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 10.39 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 10ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 733
Total distance to date: 2097 km

I was a bit concerned going into tonight’s run, given that it was my second 10K and only two days after the first. The results were unexpectedly pleasant.

First, my right tendon: it felt more noticeable at the start of the run–not a good thing. But it eased up dramatically and by the end of the run was a non-issue. A good thing and a consistent pattern so far in my runs this year.

Next my left foot did start to hurt again but not until later in the run and not nearly as much. While I did run 1 km less than on Sunday it was still much less of an issue comparatively.

I avoided a noticeable sag like the one I had at the 9K mark on Sunday, though there were more peaks and valleys. Strangely my fastest km was the 5th one. I wonder if I’ll eventually get back to the first km being the fastest (which it was probably 99% of the time last year).

Speaking of fast, I got informed that I ran my fastest 5K tonight at 22:09. That seems kind of nutty but I’ll take it.

The first 10K of the year run

Average pace: 5:04/km
Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Ran optional Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 11.4 km
Weather: Partly sunny
Temp: 13ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 790
Total distance to date: 2086 km

My first run over 10K for the year was overall a success. The weather held out, was mild and even partly sunny early in the afternoon. I ran Burnaby Lake CCW and added in the Piper Mill Trail but skipped Spruce Loop and Conifer. I stopped just past the yellow stanchions outside the parking lot, so a bit short of a full loop, for reasons I will explain below.

The Good: Stamina was not an issue. This was my main concern and it turned out to be pretty much a non-factor. The 5Ks have given me enough of my stamina back that I never felt like I couldn’t keep going. Quite the contrary, I found a comfortable pace early on and maintained it for most of the run.

Run-time was 5:04/km, which a good 30+ seconds off what my pace had been last October but considering the six months off, I find it’s perfectly acceptable. It also compares better to the same time last year when I started running earlier (March) and ramped up to 10Ks after only a few runs. The closest day to compare is April 27, 2012 and my average pace on that day (with a distance of 11.02 km) was 5:26/km.

The right foot was the usual — I could feel the spot in back when I started out but it quickly faded as I warmed up.

The Bad: My left foot was hurting quite a bit by the end of the run and is responsible for a huge dip in my pace between the 9 and 10K mark where I kept flexing the foot, trying to iron out the kinks or whatever is going on down there. I managed to finally flex it in a way that provided some relief and picked back up to my regular pace for the rest of the run. I did elect to walk to the Production Way SkyTrain station (1 km) instead of walking home (4 km).

I’ll be having this checked out as part of my annual physical next month.

The Pretty: I wore a handsome new orange shirt today, along with a new pair of shorts and my newish cap and I must say I cut a dashing (ho ho) figure.

Despite the Crazy Foot™ the run was a success. I suspect my leg muscles will be reminding me of it tomorrow but the plan is to stick to 10Ks going forward.

The ‘This is spring!’ run

Average pace: 4:31/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.06 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 355
Total distance to date: 2075 km

The weather was about perfect for today’s run and it was my first of the month where I wore a short-sleeved shirt (and didn’t feel cold, to boot).

I was again mindful of how my stamina is not quite there yet and paced myself deliberately for the first km or so. The last few again felt much better and I finished with my best time to date of the four 5K runs this month, coming in at 4:31/km.

The only note of caution was my right ankle feeling a bit tweaked. This isn’t related to the tendon and I’m pretty sure it was just strained because I had spent a lot of time today at work crouched down while working on computers. Everything feels fine now that I’ve rested and there was never any pain, just soreness. Still, worth noting now in case it does become an issue. Heck, I’ll even add the ‘stupid ankle’ tag just for the heck of it.

The ‘Is this spring?’ run

Average pace: 4:36/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Overcast, light rain
Temp: 8-6ºC
Wind: moderate to strong
Calories burned: 355
Total distance to date: 2070 km (adjusted to what Nike+ is reporting–this may be taking into account a few walks that were uploaded)

I skipped the planned run on Thursday because I got home a little late and the weather at the time was a torrential downpour and with only two real runs in this year I couldn’t muster the desire to go out and get soaked to the butt. I also don’t have a proper weather-treated top yet, which I should probably do, since the chance of having rain-free runs for the rest of the year is approximately zero (times infinity).

As for the run itself, I charged out a little faster than I should have and as a result the second km left me feeling a bit more winded than I would have liked. I moderated my pace and felt fine for the remainder, though. It was rather brisk and the temperature actually dropped 2 degrees over the course of the run. It was warmer three weeks ago in March but April is often a blah month when it comes to weather.

I ended with a pace of 4:36/km, two seconds better than the previous run, so it’s nice to see I’m at being fairly consistent. The right foot is still not presenting any issues, also a plus.

I plan on doing two more 5Ks this week on Tuesday and Thursday, then I may try my first 10K on the weekend.

Amusingly, the iPod Nike+ app is still using Lance “Yes, perhaps I used steroids a lot” Armstrong’s voice to offer congratulations but they’ve surgically removed the bit where he identifies himself. If you don’t know his voice, it seems like some random guy saying “Good job!”

Tiger “I’ll trade my wife for 12 of yours” Woods, by comparison, still identifies himself because his transgression was outside the actual sport he plays in. If he starts cheating in golf Nike may have to start canvassing for new voices for the Nike+ app.

The let’s see what happens two days later run

Average pace: 4:38/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.02 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 14ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 354
Total distance to date: 2043.5 km

Today was the first time this year I followed up a run with another two days later, as per my normal running schedule. After getting home from work I donned my jogging duds and set off for a 5 km run down the Brunette River trail. The weather was sunny and pleasantly mild.

Foot-wise it was similar to Sunday, with the right foot feeling a bit sore early on but improving dramatically after warming up and feeling fine afterward.

Stamina-wise I ended up a bit slower — 4:38/km instead of 4:34/km, but I think that was mainly due to my body adjusting to the shorter gap between runs (or rather, doing runs plural at all). I again avoided any outright discomfort from cramping and whatnot.

Overall, a good stepping stone on the road to running recovery. Mmm, mixed metaphors.

The beware of trees run

Average pace: 4:34/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.02 km
Weather: Partly sunny
Temp: 7-9ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 357
Total distance to date: 2048.5 km

Today was my first official™ run of the year. With the wind light, the sky nor threatening rain and no handy excuses for not heading out, I donned shorts, t-shirt and cap and set off for Burnaby Lake. My plan was to walk to the lake, run 5 km (or make a brave attempt) then walk the remainder of the lake and back home.

The one warning sign I had heading out was a certain level of discomfort in my left foot, where the pad and the toes join up. This is also the part that hits the ground when walking. It was sore because without my footrest I sometimes stupidly slouch in the computer chair and press the foot into the wall in a way that is, shall we say, sub-optimal.

I arrived at the lake, set the shiny new iPod to 5 km and set off on a pace that was deliberately deliberate. I was going to be extra-careful about overdoing it.

Much to my surprise I kept up a consistent pace and reached the 5K mark in a little under 23 minutes, finishing with a pace of 4:34, impressive even for 5 km. While my chest felt like it was going to cramp for most of the run it never did and though each incline felt like tiny anchors were suddenly attached to my feet I kept up the pace. Overall I’m pleasantly surprised and pleased by the performance.

The right foot also felt fine. While the bump where the tendon was hurt can be felt it’s not at all painful and was fine before and after the run. My left foot (not to be confused with the movie) hurt like almighty heck on the 10 km or so walk back home, though. Holy cats it was bad. I may need to set up some kind of electro-shock thing to make sure I never ever slouch and press my foot against the wall again.

It feels mostly fine now.

The most notable thing about the run was probably the debris left over from yesterday’s storm (which featured rather intense hail at one point). On the top stairway leading down to Lower Hume Park a tree had collapsed, smashing through the railing but thoughtfully landing in such a way that it didn’t block the stairs. At about the 8 km mark of the Burnaby Lake trail another tree had snapped and managed to plunge itself top-end first into the trail itself (probably a good 20-30 cm into the earth), the rest sticking up at about a 45 degree angle. It was a rather bizarre sight. A number of other trees look like they are set to give way and some recently chainsawed pieces were evidence that more still had recently come down.

My next run is set for Tuesday after work and I’m planning on another 5K to see how that goes. Excelsior!

The longer calibration run

Today under sunny skies and with the temperature a positively balmy 15ºC I headed back to Mercer Stadium to do one more calibration run.

My plan was to do four laps or 1.6 km and I completed the run with a corrected pace of 4:59/km. Pretty slow compared to a typical pace but being able to clock under five minutes after four months off is not too bad. The little Achilles tendon lump in my foot could be felt for the first lap or so but I didn’t notice it for the rest of the laps. My stamina felt a wee bit improved over the last calibration and this time I was able to calibrate to the actual distance I ran so in theory it should be accurate as all get-out.

The only incident of note was when a small kid (maybe 3 or 4) stood by the inner lane on the playing field. I watched as he was poised to directly enter my path. He father, a distance away, was calling for him to come over. The kid did exactly what you’d expect–he stepped off the field and into my path just as I approached. Fortunately I had expected the worst case scenario and scooted by in the next lane over without incident.

It still amazes me that any kid survives long enough to become an adult.

My next planned run is on Monday and will probably be a 2 km gate-to-gate dealie at the Brunette River trail. This will be my first official™ run of the year.

The second (mini) run of 2013

Take 2 of my calibration attempt was made under sunny skies at Mercer Stadium again. Once more, I opted for 800 m (two laps) and reminded myself to not screw up the calibration like last time.

In a hopeful sign, my lungs, while still burning fiercely, took ever-so-slightly longer to do do. Even better I actually set the calibration properly. The only point of concern is that calibration can only be set within a certain range. I ran exactly 800 m (on the inside lane, just as they recommend) but I could only adjust the calibration up to 770 m. This is still fairly accurate and I can probably boost the accuracy by running farther so I may adjust it again sometime in the weeks ahead. I was a bit surprised that it was off by as much as it was, reporting 200-300 m to go as I finished. My pace was 4:43/km, not bad for 4+ months off, except my fastest km is 4:15/km. Rusty!

The right foot is still sore from the injury (meaning if I press a finger into it I can feel it) but it seems to be a build-up of some sort and my doctor is convinced that stretching and running should be okay. It doesn’t hurt while I’m running so I’ll keep ramping up for now. Next time I’ll see if I can run for over five whole minutes!

The first (mini) run of 2013

Today was the day I finally started my road back to jogging regularly. Which is somewhat ironic, given that I don’t jog on roads.

Instead Jeff took me up to the zany looking track at Mercer Stadium (pictured below courtesy Google Maps, as I lack a blimp with which to fly over the track to take my own photos).

Mercer Stadium track

After four months to nurse my right Achilles tendon back to health my goal tonight was simple: don’t break anything and complete a couple of 400 m laps to calibrate my new iPod nano.

Some observations:

  1. It felt great to be running again.
  2. The actual running felt like agony, with my lungs on fire after a piddly 400 m lap.
  3. I defeated the entire purpose of the run by screwing up the calibration at the end. I had set the distance to 0.8 km (two laps) and at the end of the run when it pulled up what it thought I’d run vs. what I’d really run, I adjusted it to 0.40 km, exactly half the intended total. I couldn’t bear the thought of running again to fix it so it will have to wait until the next time, probably in a few days. My real pace was around 4:20/km, which is remarkably good for a four month layoff (and probably explains the lungs of fire, too).
  4. The problematic right foot did not hurt, though I could feel where it had been hurt. Ominous sign? Perhaps. The good news is it feels perfectly fine now.
  5. No more clickwheel. Woo!

Here’s hoping that the next run goes smoothly, that I calibrate my iPod properly and that the properly-calibrated data uploads to the Nike+ site without blowing everything up.

The Big 2012 Running Summary Thing

The good news is I should be running again in about a month, with my Achilles tendon all healed up and ready to go.

The bad news is that means a lot more boring posts about running for everyone to read! At least I’m honest enough to admit I’m the only one fascinated by them.

Despite ending on an injured note, 2012 was by far my best year for running. I improved in every area and ran every month except for December. My only regret is that I missed hitting 1,000 km by a single measly run. So close!

The stats, as pulled from my Nike+ profile:

988.96 km total distance
4:57/km average pace
68,844 calories burned

73% of runs in the afternoon
15% in the morning
12% in the evening

Number of months I ran 100+ km: 7

Month when my overall average pace dropped below 5:00/km: June

Best month: September (4:38 average)

I don’t know why I added the random bold. I just like it.

Here’s to 2013 besting 2012, running-wise!

No runs plus Nanaimo bars = fat

After my run on Halloween I decided that heading out for another run in two days would be even scarier than the ghosts and witches I’d seen decorating the neighborhood, mainly due to my right Achilles tendon still being sore.

I’ve decided to rest it until at least this Saturday, November 10th. That will give me a week and a half for the tendon to recover. I think that may be enough time but we’ll see. If I still feel I am not up for a full run on Saturday I’ll probably at least do a walk as the low impact nature of that shouldn’t aggravate the foot.

The combination of not running and snacking has seen me inch above my maintenance weight for the first time in months. Granted it’s only by 0.2 pounds so far but still, it took me weeks to gain back the three pounds I’d lost from the flu. Now I seem to be having no trouble at all with the whole gaining thing. I’m trying to exercise (ho ho) a little more restraint when it comes to nibbling on calorie-laden goodies.