Outdoor runs

The waterworld run

Average pace: 4:42/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 11.05 km
Weather: Rain
Temp: 12-13ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 749
Total distance to date: 2042 km

Today’s run was done under a heavy rainfall warning for the area. As on Monday I donned my cycling jacket and this time it came in handy as it rained the entire run. I was lucky in that although it was a steady rain it also turned out to be light. It was also fairly mild. I stayed dry under the jacket except for the sweat again getting trapped in my shirt. It wasn’t as bad as on Monday, however.

My only goal was to do better today, knowing the Achilles tendon would still be sore. It was and again it slowed me down but I achieved my goal and finished with a pace of 4:42/km, five seconds better over Monday. The tendon again felt much improved after it warmed up and stretched. I am using some stinky Rub-A535 on it now to see if that helps post-run.

The trail was an interesting spectacle. I’ve never run around the lake at this time of year so this was my first time doing so not only after heavy rain but during rain as well. The puddles on Monday had grown significantly, many others had joined them and at least four to six areas were impossible to pass without dipping your toes in copious amounts of water. None of this bothers me as I’d experienced soggy conditions frequently at China Creek but it was fun (?) to see how the weather was reshaping the trails at Burnaby Lake. Notable sections included the recently shored-up section near the athletic fields. The parks crew had covered nearly the entire section with fresh gravel, raising it up. The raising was somewhat in vain as several broad swaths of water were running over top of the area, not unlike a river. Splish splash went I through it.

The section that always floods alongside the fields had the appearance of a small lake. I skirted wide around it, knowing that the field’s edge would be similarly soggy, just hidden by the grass. As it turns out the whole damn thing was soggy. Gloop glop went I through the water and mire. Numerous other spots presented similar if smaller hazards.

By the end my feet were thoroughly soaked but thanks to the gravel there was little mud on my legs (unlike China Creek). And in a small act of mercy the rain stopped for the walk home, so I was mostly dry by the time I got home. Yay!

Date Average Pace
October 31 4:42 (11K)
October 29 4:47 (11K)
October 25 4:34 (11K)
October 22 4:34 (11K)
October 19 4:38 (11K)
October 17 4:31 (11K)
October 15 4:36 (11K)
October 12 4:38 (11K)
October 10 4:37 (11K)
October 8 4:53 (11K)
October 2 4:33 (9K)

The puddle-jumping run

Average pace: 4:47/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 11.29 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 766
Total distance to date: 2031 km

Ran Piper Mill trail, Spruce and Conifer Loops.

With the Achilles tendon feeling a tad tender I decided to skip the last run of the week to get an extra day of rest. Today looked to be wet so I decided to wear my water-resistant cycling jacket to try to keep dry.

Naturally, the rain stopped and I didn’t need it. I’m not complaining, though it was a little warm with the jacket on and it ended up trapping sweat that would have wicked away otherwise.

The Achilles tendon did prove to be an inhibitor. It was stiff and sore and that acted as a cap on my run speed. As I progressed around the lake and it limbered up it started to feel better but I was still well below my current pace and finished at 4:47/km.

The other notable part of the run was the condition of the trail with a heavy storm having just passed through the area. I was doing some regular puddle jumping and both the Conifer and Spruce Loops had numerous twigs and branches strewn about. On the plus side, the collapsed section of trail on the south shore that resulted from a tree collapsing was finally shored up with fresh gravel.

I am hoping and expecting Wednesday’s run to be better.

Date Average Pace
October 29 4:47 (11K)
October 25 4:34 (11K)
October 22 4:34 (11K)
October 19 4:38 (11K)
October 17 4:31 (11K)
October 15 4:36 (11K)
October 12 4:38 (11K)
October 10 4:37 (11K)
October 8 4:53 (11K)
October 2 4:33 (9K)

The fastest 1K run

Average pace: 4:34/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 11.53 km
Weather: Sun with some scattered cloud
Temp: 8-14ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 782
Total distance to date: 2020 km

I had to run a day late after a pair of interviews on Wednesday gobbled up my jogging time. That turned out to be a good thing, weather-wise, as today was sunny and yesterday was not.

I headed out shortly after 10 a.m. and when I got to the lake I spent a minute watching a park employee use a net on the lake side of the dam to scoop salmon out of the pen where they end up after climbing the fish ladder and toss them into the lake proper for spawning/dying. Kind of neat and weird at the same time. Why would they block the access to the lake for the fish? Dying fish, no less! But I am not a fishologist so perhaps there is a sound reason to this method.

As for the run itself, it started out brisk at only 8ºC but I had vowed to stick to my long-sleeved t-shirt and shorts and that was fine. I did keep track of how cold my hands were, though. It went something like this:

2K: hands are cold, feel like ice
4K: hands are cool
6K: hands are edging toward feeling neutral
9K: hands are warm, starting to sweat slightly
1K after run: hands are cold, feel like ice

As I started clockwise I got that extra bit of momentum from the small hill on the south side of the dam. As I headed down the Avalon Trail I decided to step on the gas a little. I’m not sure why, really, it just seemed like the right thing to do. I ended up having my fastest 1K ever at 4:15/km.

The rest of the run also went well and unlike most runs the latter half was remarkably even, with no notable dips anywhere from 6-10K. I ended with the usual upward blip in speed. The overall pace was exactly the same as Monday — 4:34/km. Talk about consistent. Joan also came on to congratulate me on another 500 km completed, only 20 km late. Thanks, Joan!

One minor note of discomfort, though it didn’t slow me down: the Achilles tendon on my right foot felt a bit sore. It is still a bit sore today if I am not walking around and keeping the muscles limber. It isn’t a serious issue and I also don’t think it’s from running but rather something weird going on with my feet when I’m in bed. I’ve actually woken up to find my feet sore. I have no idea why. I’m almost afraid to find out what’s happening. 😛 In any case, I note it here in case it becomes an issue.

Date Average Pace
October 25 4:34 (11K)
October 22 4:34 (11K)
October 19 4:38 (11K)
October 17 4:31 (11K)
October 15 4:36 (11K)
October 12 4:38 (11K)
October 10 4:37 (11K)
October 8 4:53 (11K)
October 2 4:33 (9K)

The 2,000 km run

Average pace: 4:34/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 11.42 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 774
Total distance to date: 2008 km

Similar temperature to Friday’s run but it felt a little more brisk today. In fact, the temperature actually dropped a little before I headed out. I managed to duck the rain again, with only a few drops hitting me as I came back home. My luck on that count probably won’t last much longer.

There was also snow on the North Shore mountains for the first time this fall. Damn snow. But pretty…as long as it stays up there.

With my hip feeling fine today the run went a lot better than the previous and I cruised to a nice pace of 4:34/km, only three seconds short of my record. I also hit a milestone by passing the 2,000 km mark. Normally Joan would pipe up and congratulate me for completing another 500 km (as she often does erroneously, bless her) but today I got nothing. This is only the fourth time it would have been legit but Joan was strangely silent. I’m wondering if a silent update to the Nike+ software on my iPod may have nuked all the celebrity athlete voices after Nike severed their ties with Lance Armstrong last week for winning the Tour de France seven times through the miracle of drugs. I guess I might find out the next I set a PR.

Other than that, everything on the run went well. The cool temperatures make for a curiously pleasant run experience and so far I have not committed the errors of under or overdressing (currently going out in shorts and a long-sleeved t-shirt).

Date Average Pace
October 22 4:34 (11K)
October 19 4:38 (11K)
October 17 4:31 (11K)
October 15 4:36 (11K)
October 12 4:38 (11K)
October 10 4:37 (11K)
October 8 4:53 (11K)
October 2 4:33 (9K)

The not-hipper-than-thou run

Average pace: 4:38/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW) including part of Freeway trail
Distance: 11.66 km
Weather: Variable cloud
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: moderate to strong
Calories burned: 791
Total distance to date: 1998 km

Since my bladder demanded attention just as I was ready to start my run, I started a bit short. To make up for it I voluntarily took the Freeway Trail detour I had to use back in July and August while the one boardwalk was being replaced. This helped extend my run and alleviate any guilt for not pushing 11K+. The detour looked a fair bit different, with a large swathe of land reshaped, seeded and cut through with streams as part of the environmental upgrades being done alongside expansion of Highway 1. In short, the area looks nicer. One of the streams is currently cutting across the trail and is eroding it. I’m not sure if that’s nature taking its course or if they’ll change it later. I’ll run the trail again in awhile to see what’s happened.

That was the good part of the run — along with no rain.

The bad part is my left hip was feeling cranky (I think it’s related to the office chair I use at the computer, coupled with my posture, which apparently goes into the worst position possible automatically) and this dragged down my time as it formed a hard cap on my speed. Slow and steady is a good way to describe it. My left foot also acted up more than usual for a time, worsening the effect. By the end I finished with a pace of 4:38, perfectly respectable, but disappointing coming off the record run of Wednesday.

Still, it makes it easy to improve for Monday’s run.

Date Average Pace
October 19 4:38 (11K)
October 17 4:31 (11K)
October 15 4:36 (11K)
October 12 4:38 (11K)
October 10 4:37 (11K)
October 8 4:53 (11K)
October 2 4:33 (9K)

The salmonpalooza run

Average pace: 4:31/km <– new personal record
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 11.41 km
Weather: Variable cloud
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: moderate to strong
Calories burned: 774
Total distance to date: 1985 km

For some reason I was very unmotivated for today’s run. There was a 50% chance of precipitation and the sky did not look threatening but I held off, skipping the morning. I had lunch then finally changed and headed out around 1:15 p.m. It was only 12ºC so I wore my long-sleeved t-shirt, which has been extremely stinky since last Friday’s soggy run–even after being washed. It’s slightly less stinky now, having been aired out for the run.

En route the Brunette River had gone back down after the heavy rain of the weekend and was once more quite shallow in parts. This made for good salmon-spotting and as the title of the post indicates, they were coming upstream in serious numbers. I counted at least a dozen at one point, which more further up. I feel kind of bad for them. They stop eating, struggle upstream, spawn then die. That’s got to be the suckiest reproductive cycle out there.

The first half of the run went fairly well. I could tell I was slightly off my best pace so I stepped up a bit for the second half and was duly rewarded by setting a new personal record of 4:31/km, beating my previous best by two seconds. Woo!

I got a closer look at the new signs put up on Monday:

Canine Code of Conduct
Canine Code of Conduct

It’s interesting that Metro Vancouver specifies fear as one of the reasons to keep dogs leashed. Implicit in this is ‘if your dog is not leashed, you can’t control it and it will go over and terrorize that little kid, whether by design or accident’. Of course, about 100 m after jogging by one of these signs I pass a man with a large German Shepherd mix off-leash. The sign obviously doesn’t apply to his well-behaved canine! Sadly, the fine for an off-leash dog is only $50 so it acts as little incentive to get people to comply. If I was King of All Metro Vancouver Parks, I’d make the fine at least $250 and do a two week enforcement blitz multiple (and variable) times a year. I am 100% confident the fines issued would more than pay for the expenditure of the enforcement.

Back to the run to wrap up. My left foot (the cranky one) felt a bit crankier than normal to start but fortunately it settled down quickly and didn’t have a big effect. What I did notice was that despite my record pace, I only broke my 10K mark, coming in at 45:20. The reason for this is that my first half was good but not great while the second half I was unusually strong for the last two km. Definitely different but ending strong is no bad thing.

Date Average Pace
October 17 4:31 (11K)
October 15 4:36 (11K)
October 12 4:38 (11K)
October 10 4:37 (11K)
October 8 4:53 (11K)
October 2 4:33 (9K)

A surprisingly mild and pleasant fall run

Average pace: 4:36/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 11.50 km
Weather: Sun and variable cloud
Temp: 15ºC
Wind: moderate to strong
Calories burned: 771
Total distance to date: 1974 km

In a surprise twist, the weather was pleasant for today’s run, with the temperature a mild 15ºC and the sun even poking out periodically. I ran clockwise around the lake, establishing a strong pace up front. This turned out to be important as I flagged during the 6-7K stretch for no particular reason I can discern. Or maybe it was that strong pace up front wearing me out. Oops. The last four km was one of the most consistent I’ve had in a long time and that helped bring my average pace down to a zippy 4:36/km.

The run was otherwise unremarkable. Everything ticked along, there were no issues with wayward dogs, people hogging the trail or any of the other stuff that sometimes comes up. At the end of the run I noticed a park employee putting up a new sign at the entrance to the park. I couldn’t read all of it but the top said Canine Code of Conduct. Considering how often dogs are running around unleashed, I suspect the park’s received increasing complaints about them, hence the new sign. I’ll see what the rest of it says on the next run.

Date Average Pace
October 15 4:36 (11K)
October 12 4:38 (11K)
October 10 4:37 (11K)
October 8 4:53 (11K)
October 2 4:33 (9K)

The first rainy fall run

Average pace: 4:38/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 11.36 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 11ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 771
Total distance to date: 1962 km

This was a tough one to get motivated for. Monday’s run, also done in the early afternoon, was in conditions that would have been applicable in June or July — sunny and warm. By contrast, today’s run came after a low pressure system moved in, finally bringing real rain to the area. As such, I headed out with a heavy drizzle falling, the kind that makes you feel like you’re not getting that wet even as you get completely drenched.

I headed off to the lake and to no surprise the fire danger signs have been removed (except for one that appears to have been missed). With it being good and soggy, I managed more than 4 km before spying someone else on the trail and was closer to 5 km before actually meeting and passing the person. Most of the people I encountered were out walking. Only a few others braved the elements for a run.

I started out with the hands chilly as expected but they warmed up after a few km and my pace was pretty much equal to Wednesday’s. The one second difference could be a rounding error. I was actually hoping to be a little faster so although the pace was good, I came away a bit disappointed.

Weather-wise, the rain only affected the run in one stretch where a few puddles in close proximity required a bit of deft puddle-jumping. I expect the next run to be worse in this regard, as it looks like there will be copious amounts of rainfall between now and then.

Still, I gritted my teeth and did it. The only thing I’m thinking now is I need something better for my upper body because my current gear gets drenched. A little more water-resistance would be nice.

Date Average Pace
October 12 4:38 (11K)
October 10 4:37 (11K)
October 8 4:53 (11K)
October 2 4:33 (9K)

The fishy morning run

Average pace: 4:37/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 11.51 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 8-10ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 781
Total distance to date: 1951 km

I headed out at 9:30 a.m. for today’s run and it was a brisk 8ºC, rising to a still cool 10ºC by the end. Low cloud gave the lake a socked-in feeling, with the mountains and surrounding area blotted out.

As expected, my pace was much better. It took me a minute or so to step up but once I did I finished out the run without difficulty, coming in with a pace of 4:37/km, a full 16 seconds better than Monday’s effort. It didn’t hurt that I had to move just to get my hands warm initially.

En route to the run I was walking along the Brunette River trail and noticed several park employees with cameras by the river. I couldn’t see what they were looking at, moved on and a few steps later saw a couple down at the edge of the river, looking over it. Then I heard a huge splash and assumed it was the couple’s dog mucking up the recently rehabilitated stream. But no, upon closer inspection I could see several salmon heroically working their way upstream through an especially shallow stretch of water. Neat.

There were no fish sightings on the run, which is for the best because any fish I’m likely to come across there would be dead and stinky. There were quite a few people, though, including one group that looked to be a photography outing and another that seemed to be a big, spread-out group of walkers. They were a bit annoying, often arrayed in a way to completely block the entire trail. Some people never seem to think about the possibility of others existing in the same space as they do.

The cold seems to have also gotten rid of the flies as this was my first fly-free run in awhile. After nearly gagging on clouds of the buggers recently I can say I am glad they have moved on/disappeared/gone to a better place.

I am a bit wary of Friday’s run. It looks like temperatures will remain low and rain is quite likely. I don’t mind running in the rain that much but the iPod has been a pain to use lately and having to tote it around in a plastic baggie to try to keep it functional makes it that much worse. I must ponder possible solutions.

Date Average Pace
October 10 4:37 (11K)
October 8 4:53 (11K)
October 2 4:33 (9K)

The post-flu turkey day run

Average pace: 4:53/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 11.45 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 18-20ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 777
Total distance to date: 1940 km

It is fitting that today is Thanksgiving because I ran a bit like a turkey. And when I got home from the run (and Jeff from a day of dirt biking) we were both too tired to cook anything except a big frozen chicken lasagna. So technically we did have some bird, anyway.

Two days ago I was just coming out of 17 hours in bed after being struck Friday evening by one of those flu bugs that drops on you like a piano. I had chills (no thrills), no appetite, no energy and no desire to do anything but lay there, still and sweaty (despite the chills). By the end of Saturday I was feeling human again, yesterday I felt mostly normal so today I went on my run as I had planned.

I started out a bit slower than I have of late at 4:35/km then dropped an impressive 5% for the next km, something I’d repeat two more times during the run. By the 7 km mark I was coasting on fumes and save for a blip of energy in the latter half of the 10K stretch, muddled through to the end and a sluggish pace of 4:53/km, a full 20 seconds off last Tuesday’s run (which was admittedly a record-setter for me).

On the plus side, I did complete the run and I had a rare mid-run spike when another runner caught up from behind. She appeared to my left and a few paces back and this immediately kicked in my competitive side. I found a reserve of energy and slightly picked up the pace. She was not deterred. As we raced neck and neck along the Cottonwood Trail she eventually pulled beside me and said, “I like the pace you’re keeping!” We ran together to the bridge at Still Creek, where she cut left (the short way) and I went straight (the less short way). This gave her the official lead and I was out of gas. About a km later she turned a corner and was out of sight for good. I felt good for keeping up as long as I did and bad because I simply lacked the stamina today to keep keeping up.

Wednesday’s run should be both faster and slightly cooler. Our freakish summer weather is continuing but it looks to be closer to seasonal by mid-week with actual normal weather (cool, damp) possible by the end of the week.

Date Average Pace
October 8 4:53 (11K)
October 2 4:33 (9K)

The nippy and zippy run

Average pace: 4:33/km <– ties record for personal best (under 10K)
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW), Brunette river trail, Lower Hume Park
Distance: 9.28 km
Weather: Clear
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 630
Total distance to date: 1928 km

This past week has been a bit of a bust for running.

I missed my usual Saturday run because I went to the island to visit the family. I had planned on doing a Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday schedule the following week. Tuesday (today) I ran as scheduled but come Thursday I was feeling tired and unmotivated and opted to ksip the run. I felt like I had been on the go all week with no time to relax.

Late Friday afternoon I was struck by a 24 hour flu bug that left me in a weak, kitten-like state and I ended up missing Saturday’s run as well (it is Sunday morning as I write this, though I’m, posting it on the day of the run, October 2).

I’m now planning to go back to a Mon/Wed/Fri schedule this week. We shall see how it goes.

As to today’s run, I didn’t quite plan the route as efficiently as possible so I came in a little under 10K. My ankles also felt a little sore around the 7K mark, what I believe is lingering issues from the uber-walk. On the plus side, I finished with a record-tying pace of 4:33/km, my best for under 10K and I believe I would have maintained that had I been able to push the small distance needed to get over 10K. I think I may have been running faster to stay warm. 😛

It was only about 12ºC for the run, the coolest since before summer. It actually took a few km before my hands warmed up. I also wore my long-sleeved t-shirt and didn’t feel that was a bad call (although a short one probably would have been fine, too). The sun had set before I finished the run and despite the clear sky the light faded fast.

My runs this week should be different, as for now it appears I will have the option of running in the day. I’m actually curious to see what Burnaby Lake park will look like after being away for a week or so. I predict many fallen leaves.

Speaking of the park, one thing I’ve neglected to mention is that back in August they put up temporary signs at key points on the trails that read thusly:

FIRE DANGER
STAY ON TRAIL

No Smoking

It is interesting to note that a week into October those signs are still in place, there has been no precipitation this month, almost none last month (driest September in Vancouver in over 100 years) and just a few days ago — again, in October — the forest fire danger has been elevated from High to Extreme, the highest level in goes to.

I am expecting winter to be unusually unpleasant as payback for this very dry summer and early fall. It shall make for interesting runs.

Chart (records are in pink)

Date Average Pace
October 2 4:33 (9K)
September 26 4:37 (10K)
September 24 4:36 (10K)
September 22 4:38 (11K)
September 19 4:34 (11K)
September 17 4:44 (11K)
September 15 4:39 (11K)
September 13 4:37 (11K)
September 11 4:36 (11K)
September 9 4:35 (11K)
September 8 4:33 (5K)
September 5 4:40 (5K)
September 3 4:39 (11K)
September 1 4:43 (17K)

The getting downright spooky dark run

Average pace: 4:37/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW), Brunette river trail, Lower Hume Park
Distance: 10.83 km
Weather: Clear
Temp: 15ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 734
Total distance to date: 1919 km

I forgot to post this run so details are a bit sketchy. Going from my notes on the Nike+ site, I headed out around 6 p.m. and by the end of the run it was getting dark enough to be downright spooky. Such is the way of fall. The weather continues to be unusually pleasant, though, so it remained clear. The difference now is that the sun is now low enough on the evening runs that I never actually see it. It’s also a bit cool starting out, so the warm-up is really a warm-up!

I was still a bit stiff from the uber-walk but it didn’t seem to affect my time much. I came in at a relatively peppy 4:37/km pace.

As it turned out, this was also my last run of the month as I visited the island on the weekend and missed my usual Saturday run. I still managed 13 runs for September, though two of them were only 5K. Still, the monthly total was a respectable 140.99 km.

Chart (records are in pink)

Date Average Pace
September 26 4:37 (10K)
September 24 4:36 (10K)
September 22 4:38 (11K)
September 19 4:34 (11K)
September 17 4:44 (11K)
September 15 4:39 (11K)
September 13 4:37 (11K)
September 11 4:36 (11K)
September 9 4:35 (11K)
September 8 4:33 (5K)
September 5 4:40 (5K)
September 3 4:39 (11K)
September 1 4:43 (17K)