Outdoor runs

The fading light run

Average pace: 4:36/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW), Brunette river trail, Lower Hume Park
Distance: 10.58 km
Weather: Low cloud
Temp: 16ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 718
Total distance to date: 1908 km

Ran Piper Mill trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

It was a pleasant 16ºC as I set out tonight, starting my run at Lower Hume Park and heading off to Burnaby Lake from there. The bridge on the Brunette river trail is finished and feels very sturdy. It also smells pleasantly woody, much like the new boardwalk at the lake.

The nice thing about tonight’s run is my glasses did not fall apart and only two bugs plopped onto them. Other than those, I did not notice any others land on me, unlike the previous run where they were festooned all up and down my arms and everywhere else.

As it turns out, I got back right around the same time the sun was setting so there was still plenty of light. In fact, the sky began to clear toward the end so it paradoxically got brighter as I was wrapping up the run. The parts of the trail where the canopy is thickest definitely had a gloomy aspect to them, though.

My only misstep was in terms of calculating distance. Once I hit 5K I jogged an additional 500m or so, hoping to end the run just over 11K. I goofed and came up about 500m short so next time I use this route I’ll run to the 6K mark before turning around and heading back. Other than that the run went well, with a fast 4:36 pace, showing that the soreness from Sunday’s power walk didn’t slow me down. I also passed the 1900 km mark and if I stay on track will hit 2000 sometime in October.

Chart (records are in pink)

Date Average Pace
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 first day of fall run plus BUGS FROM HELL

Average pace: 4:38/km
Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 11.36 km
Weather: Low cloud
Temp: 14-15ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 771
Total distance to date: 1897 km

Ran Piper Mill trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

Ah, the first day of fall. Temperatures were appropriately cooler and the sun was tucked away behind some low cloud. Conditions were actually quite nice for running.

And in terms of the actual running part, today’s run was fine. I expected to be a bit slower than Wednesday’s zippy pace and was but finished a respectable 4:38/km. I had a much slower start (off by seven seconds) as my body clearly preferred the idea of sleeping in on Saturday morning over getting up and jogging.

If you read the previous entry you may note I had complained about the proliferation of flies. Today was like that multiplied fivefold. I already complained about this at length on Broken Forum so I’ll just repeat it here in slightly modified form:

Have you ever wished for the extermination of an entire species? I haven’t — until now!

The last few runs at Burnaby Lake have been a bit buggy, with the occasional cloud of those itty-bitty black flies hovering in place across the trail in such a way that they are impossible to avoid. Except today the clouds were mega-clouds and instead of occasional they were omnipresent. At times I felt like I was jogging through a driving rain and the rain was flies. At one point I looked down to my right arm and more than a dozen flies had glued themselves to its sweaty surface. Every time I wiped at the sweat on my forehead my finger came back with the corpse of a fly stuck to it. I lost track of how many landed on my glasses, dancing around in front of my eyes in Blur-O-Vision. I ingested more than I’d like to have.

I audibly gagged. I thought of abandoning the run, finding the quickest escape route from the lake. But I pressed on.

Once I got out of the infested area and into the last few km where it was just pleasant woods and not some insect-flavored take on Hitchcock, I began to relax a little and focus back on the run. That’s when the left lens of my glasses popped out. The tiny screw holding the frame together simply decided it was not going to work anymore. The lens fell onto a section of trail that consists of mixed gravel and leaves, the perfect camouflage for concealing anything. I retraced my steps and to my surprise, I actually found the lens in less than thirty seconds. The screw remained lost so one can legitimately claim that I now have a screw loose.

I pocketed the errant (and undamaged) lens and continued for the last km of the run. I walked home sans music as the mood did not lend itself to such entertainment. I wanted to stew in silence.

I am quietly dreading the next run. My only hope is that the flies really hate late afternoon and early evening.

Sinnick over on Broken Forum found the perfect animated summation of my run, courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada. I present it below.

UPDATE: A kind fellow at Visions Optical at Lougheed Town Centre fixed my glasses for free. Nice! They have decent prices so I may look there for a new pair of glasses soon and pay it forward.

Chart (records are in pink)

Date Average Pace
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 bouncing birthday run

Average pace: 4:34/km <– personal record (for runs over 10K)
Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.50 km
Weather: Sunny, warm
Temp: 17-20ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 780
Total distance to date: 1886 km

Ran Piper Mill trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

I had two goal for today’s run:

  1. Start earlier to beat the heat (for real, this time).
  2. Improve my sluggish pace of 4:44/km on Monday’s run.

Related to #2 was the fact that today is my birthday and I wanted to reverse the trend of getting slower over the past four runs to prove that turning one year older did not mean I was actually slowing down.

The good news is that I not only beat Monday’s pace, I came in at 4:34/km, my fastest 10K+ time to date, besting my previous best of 4:45 on September 9th.

I set records for:

  • fastest 1K: 4:19
  • fastest 5K: 22:15
  • fastest 10K: 45:23
  • fastest mile: 6:57

It was already warm when I started out but fortunately the earlier start meant it only got as high as 20ºC by the time I completed the run. My energy level remained fine throughout.

My only real issue again was bugs, specifically giant clouds of them that are impossible to avoid. I actually lost count of how many landed on my glasses or got stuck to my sweat-covered face. Bleah. Why can’t these things find a nice pile of poop to socialize on?

I also came close to crushing a dog under my foot. A woman was walking a tiny black ball of fur that on closer inspection turned out to be some kind of dog. As I jogged by the unleashed dog decided it wanted to playfully run alongside me. I didn’t see it until it was beside my right foot. If, at that point, a root had appeared in front of me, I would have automatically stepped to the right and smooshed the dog. Dear dog owners: the leash bylaw is not there because the city hates dogs or enjoys being mean to dog owners. It is there to protect everyone — including the dog itself!

Other than that, the run hummed along nicely, with a low, steady decline instead of a lot of hills and valleys.

Chart (records are in pink)

Date Average Pace
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 possible bear run

Average pace: 4:39/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 11.71 km
Weather: Sunny, warm
Temp: 20-25ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 794
Total distance to date: 1875 km

Ran Piper Mill trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

I got off to a later-than-intended start for my morning run and didn’t get started until 11 a.m. By then it was already 20ºC and climbing rapidly. Rather than risk getting blocked by construction equipment on the Brunette river trail, I opted to take the SkyTrain to Production Way and walk to Burnaby Lake from there (it’s 11 minutes from the station). I headed off counter-clockwise and the only hitch during the run was a close encounter with a trail-hogging Metro Vancouver mower. The driver kindly gestured for me to go around on the side without the whirring blades of death. I did so.

The first half of the run felt fairly close to my pace as of late, somewhere in the 4:35-39 range but the second half I began to really feel the growing heat and started to wilt like the delicate flower I am when it comes to running in warmer temperatures. By the end my pace was 4:44/km. That would have been a personal record in July. Now it’s decidedly average. Such is the way of progress. On a more positive note the soreness in my legs is all but gone now.

This was also the first run in awhile where I actually stopped and drank at the end. The well water near the Cariboo Dam is always cool and yummy after a run. Less yummy were the huge numbers of bugs once again. I had four hit and stick to my glasses and one refused to budge even after I blew hurricane force wind on it. That ain’t easy when you’re running, either! I’m pretty sure I swallowed a few, too and had a couple more glue to my face for good measure. I can definitely do without them.

The bear mentioned in the title is because the bear signs have reappeared along the trail, like so:

I did not and do not wish to see any bears while running. The bugs, birds, squirrels, snakes and occasional coyote are already enough.

Chart (records are in pink)

Date Average Pace
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 bridge not too far run

Average pace: 4:39/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.47 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 16-20ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 778
Total distance to date: 1863 km

Ran Piper Mill trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

Knowing that the bridge on the Brunette river trail would still be out, my plan today was to walk as far as the bridge, cut right, head over the train tracks and down another path that eventually loops back to Cariboo Road and the entrance to Burnaby Lake park. All told I estimated it would add about 15 minutes of walking each way.

With the forecast abruptly changed again, the temperature was rapidly climbing, from 14C when I got up to 16C as I began the run an hour later to 20C by the time I returned. Summer is really giving it for the last week. Still, the shady parts along the Brunette river were pleasantly cool. When I reached the bridge I suddenly changed my mind and instead of turning right, I turned left, following a short trail down to the river bank. There had to be a similar trail past the bridge that would lead me back up. Due to the lack of rain for some weeks the river is quite low so I had no problem walking along the bank while keeping dry. I got to where a large pipe was emptying water onto a concrete slab that funneled it down to the river. The flow was just narrow enough for me to hop over. On the other side was another trail, though it was steeper and took a little more mountain goat-like maneuvering to climb up.

This change of plan ended up shaving close to half an hour off my walk. Nice!

The run was clockwise and I set off on a strong pace but eased off and this time I meant it. I even thought to myself at least once how the run felt relaxed. Knowing my pace would be slower I was hoping to still break 4:40 and I did, coming in at 4:39/km. The soreness in my legs eased up considerably, too.

After doing a reverse of the bridge two-step to get around it I realized I really didn’t want to walk the nearly 2 km of the river trail back to East Columbia Street. Not because I was lazy or tired but simply because of the time it would take. I the, all unofficial-like, began running again and ran right to the end of the trail. This is the first time I’ve ever resumed a run like this. It felt zany and good. I may do it again.

Chart (records are in pink)

Date Average Pace
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 pre-alpha code (buggy) run

Average pace: 4:37/km

Location: Brunette river trail, Lower Hume Park
Distance: 11.49 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 23-19ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 779
Total distance to date: 1851 km

Tonight’s run was a virtual repeat of Tuesday’s, with my pace being virtually identical (the one second difference could be a rounding error). I had intended to ease off a bit and indeed my right calf and ankle both felt a bit sore starting out but once I’d warmed up they felt fine.

Speaking of warm, tonight saw a late summer surge with the temperature a balmy 23ºC at the start of the run and a still-mild 19ºC by the end. This higher than average may also explain why the run was so buggy. It felt like running though the alpha code for Ultima IX. At certain points along the trail it even felt a bit like rain except instead of drops of refreshing water splatting against my face, it was tiny bugs. Yuck.

There were several other joggers out and because of the bridge closure, we would pass each other as we looped back and forth. Except for one girl — I watched her make her way past the fence and onto the bridge. Remember, it’s just narrow support beams right now and while it’s now towering hundreds of meters above a gorge, you would still do some decent damage if you fell into the shallow water below. Since I was running I never saw if she made it across safely but I’m going to assume the lack of bloodcurdling screams and/or ambulance sirens means she did.

I passed another fellow jogger several times and we did that polite jogger nod each time. After the third pass, he looped back and I looped behind him, putting us on the same side of the trail. This is where I abandoned my slow and steady pace as I strove to catch up and hopefully pass him. It took probably the better part of a km but I eventually did. The point where I was catching up shows plainly on the Nike+ chart, with my pace nearly matching that of the first km (and this at the 7K mark). After I passed him it dropped off by over 5% before rising back up to my usual level. I’ll find out tomorrow how much I’ll regret turning on the turbo charger.

Chart (records are in pink)

Date Average Pace
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 brisk back and forth run

Average pace: 4:36/km

Location: Brunette river trail, Lower Hume Park
Distance: 11.18 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 15-12ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 758
Total distance to date: 1840 km

With the sun setting at 7:31 tonight I decided to skip Burnaby Lake altogether and try my luck on the Brunette river trail. Fortunately the crane truck that had been blocking the way was gone and I was able to get to the bridge, which is now securely fenced off and has its deck removed. This gave me a little under 2 km of running room before having to loop back. I initially planned on a 5K run but ended up changing my mind mid-run and decided to keep going until I hit 10K or it got too dark, whichever happened first. By the time I got back to Lower Hume Park I came in just a bit over 11K and with a brisk pace of 4:46/km, only one second short of my record pace on Sunday.

There were a fair number of cyclists on the trail and I ended up seeing most of them twice — once as they rode past me then again as they came back, almost certainly unaware that the bridge was closed and no one shall pass (pending repairs). Only one well-behaved off-leash dog, too!

I got home four minutes before the sun set but thanks to clear skies I had plenty of light for the entire run. My hands were actually cold for the first km. It’s been quite awhile since that happened. I also turned up the hot water a tad in the shower afterward. The passing of summer always leaves me a little sad. And cold.

I haven’t decided the rest of my run schedule for this off-kilter week but Thursday seems likely.

Chart (records are in pink)

Date Average Pace
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 many joggers everywhere run

Average pace: 4:35/km <– personal record (for runs over 10K)

Location: Burnaby Lake
Distance: 11.49 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 16-17ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 779
Total distance to date: 1829 km

Ran Piper Mill trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

Success!

It’s pretty rare for me to do runs on consecutive days as I like the day off to rest and recover but given my short, botched run yesterday I was determined to get in a proper run today.

Conditions were in stark contrast, as if two entirely different seasons had bumped up against each other. Yesterday the air was thick and warm, with the temperature soaring to an unseasonably high 30ºC. Today it felt more like an early fall day, with the sky cloudy and threatening showers and temperatures only into the mid-teens for the morning.

I headed off with a simple plan:

  1. Ride the SkyTrain to Production Way/University station.
  2. Walk to Burnaby Lake from there.
  3. Reverse the process to complete the run!

It took approximately 22 minutes to get to the lake vs. 38 minutes if I had walked the whole way. Definitely faster but not remarkably so. Although the morning sky was gray it did not rain, which was nice. The cooler temperature was ideal for running and I sprang off to a zippy start, noting a Running Room sign placed beside the trail. Apparently there was an event taking place. This turned out to be the Rhythm of Life run sponsored by the Burnaby Hospital. It had begun an hour before I started my run, at 8:30 a.m.

The first tangible sign of the run (apart from the Running Room signs) came around the 2K mark when I arrived at Piper Spit. There was a water station there replete with cups of water. Tantalizing as they were, I was not a participant and went on by. By now I was starting to encounter some of the official entrants, with their numbers pinned to their shirts. Many looked pretty casual and some walked rather than ran. The walkers in particular tended to cluster in groups that hogged the entire width of the trail, which was a minor irritant. I also saw very little of the usual runners etiquette–the waves, the nods, things like that.

As I got to the athletic fields it became clear that the eun was primarily moving clockwise– opposite to me. It was a little awkward having so many joggers constantly streaming toward me but also kind of fun, too. Less fun was a wobbly cyclist on one of the boardwalks. Boo to you, cyclist, I say!

I knew my initial pace was decent and kept pushing to maintain a good pace. The only bit of discomfort was a little soreness around my right ankle, which I believe is a remnant from running on the rail ties. It was slight and didn’t slow me down.

By the end I came in with a best-for-over-10K average of 4:35/km and a bunch of new personal records:

  • Fastest 1K: 4:19
  • Fastest 5K: 22:29
  • Fastest 10K: 45:44
  • Fastest mile: 7:01

While I wish the total round trip time for the run had been shorter I am very pleased with the performance on the run itself. I am not keen on running three days in a row so my next run will likely be on Tuesday.

Chart (records are in pink)

Date Average Pace
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 Inception run

Average pace: 4:33/km

Location: Brunette river trail, Lower Hume Park
Distance: 5.32 km
Weather: Sun, high cloud
Temp: 20-22ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 361
Total distance to date: 1817 km

This morning’s run sucked.

After having a convenient detour pointed out to me by Jeff, I headed out at 9 a.m. It was already 20º C so I knew an afternoon run would have been all kinds of Africa hot, possibly for the last time this summer. My plan was to run Brunette river trail to the fenced-off bridge, take the trail up to the train tracks then cross over all three sets to the other side, where a (unknown to me) trail continues on, following a road that loops back to Cariboo Road. This would add some distance to my run but would otherwise be no big thing. Best of all: no running on railroad ties.

The first sign of trouble was a construction guy standing at the entrance to the river trail. I asked him if I’d be able to get to the bridge. He said a flatbed truck with trailer would be arriving shortly and backing down the trail (!) but other than that I was good to go to the bridge.

It turned out I misunderstood him. He was explaining that the overpass that is part of the Highway 1 expansion would be as far as I could get and it is some ways before the bridge. Indeed, as I approached it I could see the mega-crane truck positioned squarely across the trail and further fencing insuring there would be no passage. My detour route was blocked by another detour.

There is an access road that leads north off the trail a few hundred meters back from the overpass so I ran back and climbed up it. The rail tracks were here but to their left was a nice flat area suitable for running. Some construction equipment was off to the side. I could see the overpass in the distance and as I got closer it became obvious that the construction around and on it would block any attempts to get through. It makes sense that they wouldn’t want Joe Pedestrian waltzing (or jogging) through, so I turned back and simply headed off the trail, passing the flatbed truck and construction guy on the way out. The slow speed of the truck at least saved me from another mega dust cloud.

I stopped the run at Lower Hume Park, covering 5.32 km. My pace was a zippy 4:33/km but a 5K run seems kind of short these days so I didn’t really revel in it. The pool at the main Hume Park was already drained, which looked odd on a day when it would have been packed, another reminder that summer is winding down.

My new new detour plan that I’m going to try out tomorrow morning is to take the SkyTrain to either Production Way or Sperling, walk to the lake, run the loop then head back to the SkyTrain station. I’ll be timing the route to see how well it will work with the fading light of early evening. Now I just have to hope they don’t suddenly decide to take the entire SkyTrain offline tomorrow for maintenance or something.

Chart

Date Average Pace
September 8 4:33 (5K)
September 5 4:40 (5K)
September 3 4:39 (11K)
September 1 4:43 (17K)

The shortened on-a-rail run

Average pace: 4:40/km

Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW), Brunette river trail, railroad tracks (!)
Distance: 5.21 km (official), 10K+ unofficially
Weather: Sun, high cloud
Temp: 15ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 353 (official), closer to 700+ unofficially
Total distance to date: 1812 km

Ran Spruce Loop.

Tonight’s run sucked.

Pace-wise it was fine and I had no difficulties in terms of stamina or with muscles being sore or strained.

The problem arose at the start of the Brunette river trail. A large new sign indicated that a month-long construction project was underway and the trail would be closed. The small bridge near the western entrance was also being replaced. Since no fences or gates were visible, I continued on.

A construction pickup then drove by me, leaving behind it a dust cloud that stretched back hundreds of meters. And because there was no wind at all the cloud hung there, forcing me to run through it. It was less than pleasant.

When I reached the bridge I saw that it had indeed been fenced off. To its immediate right is a trail that leads up to the train tracks. I couldn’t recall if there was another trail leading back down past the bridge but it seemed worth investigating. Up I went and I gingerly ran along the ties (on the outside edge, lest a train appear) and running on rail ties is not exactly an easy thing to do. My gait is longer than the spacing of the ties, making things awkward at best.

I finally made it to Cariboo Road and crossed over into Burnaby Lake park. By this point I decided to just do 5K and call it there. I ran to the Spruce Loop, came back and hit 5.21 km just before the lake exit.

I didn’t want to walk the rest of the way back so I ended up retracing my route over the tracks and down the Brunette river trail. And that stupid construction pickup rolled by me again going in the opposite direction, forcing me once more to wade into a mega dust cloud.

I ran at least 10 km in total but only half of it counted. In hindsight I should have kept the Nike+ going for the whole thing. My pace would have been decent, I think. Oh well.

Now I must contemplate how to work around the construction for the rest of the month.

Chart

Date Average Pace
September 5 4:40
September 3 4:39
September 1 4:43
August 29 4:39
August 27 4:40
August 25 4:44
August 22 4:37
August 20 4:47
August 18 4:51
August 15 4:46
August 13 4:55
August 10 4:48
August 8 4:45
August 6 4:58
August 3 4:56
August 1 4:50

A Labor(ous) Day run

Average pace: 4:39/km <– ties personal record (for runs over 10K)

Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 11.54 km
Weather: High cloud
Temp: 16-17ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 782
Total distance to date: 1807 km

Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

After Saturday’s Mega-Run™ I opted to do a more conventional run today and stick to a clockwise loop around the lake. It was warmer than the previous run to start at 16ºC but the high cloud kept it cool and it was only one degree cooler by the end.

I felt just a little sluggish getting started but picked up the pace after and ended up tying my best 10K+ pace at 4:39/km (and on a longer run, too). Apparently a lot of people choose to labor by running on Labor Day as I encountered quite a few joggers and people out walking this morning. Everyone courteously stepped aside to let me by and I in turn politely offered thanks and that little Queen wave as I ran past.

Although I had no issues with the run — save for wishing I had gone to the bathroom before leaving — I did feel, appropriately, more labored than the past few runs, possibly a side effect of Saturday’s long outing coupled with pushing harder when I sensed I was on or near a record-setting pace. It was one of the few recent runs where the urge was not there at the end to keep going. Ironically, my pace shot way up for the last 500 m. I don’t know why that happened, exactly. Maybe I just really had to go at that point and the faster I ran the sooner I’d be able to. I can’t remember the last time the line tracking my run on Nike+ ended up green.

Having said that, I did get the urge to start jogging again on the Brunette river trail. That particular walk seems very long now after having run it a few times. 😛

Overall, another solid run. I also broke the 1800 km mark and dropped my average pace (for all 202 runs) to a new low of 5:17, too. Woo!

Chart

Date Average Pace
September 3 4:39
September 1 4:43
August 29 4:39
August 27 4:40
August 25 4:44
August 22 4:37
August 20 4:47
August 18 4:51
August 15 4:46
August 13 4:55
August 10 4:48
August 8 4:45
August 6 4:58
August 3 4:56
August 1 4:50

The 17.26 km run!

Average pace: 4:43/km

Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW), Brunette River trail and Lower Hume Park
Distance: 17.26 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 12-17ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 1170
Total distance to date: 1796 km

Ran Piper Mill Trail, Confer and Spruce Loops.

I had it in mind to do a longer run today. I headed out in the morning and with the temperature at 12ºC it was cool enough that I kept my hands in my pockets on the walk to the Brunette River trail. My plan was to run that trail, run the lake (with all three optional loops) then run back down the river trail. I did all this and hit 17.26 km just before reaching East Columbia Street. My pace was a perfectly respectable 4:43/km (which would have been a record for my usual 11K runs a few weeks ago) and my pace actually improved between the 14 and 15K mark.

By the end of the run it had warmed up to 17ºC but it remained completely comfortable, even with the sun out. I felt pretty good the entire way once again, which was especially nice given the extra distance.

The Nike+ site was having a fit after and would not upload my data. When it eventually did it got the stats right but it did not note some records I broke so I’m recording them here:

  • fastest 1K: 4:20
  • fatest 5K: 22:30
  • fastest 10K: 46:04

It’s possibly I may have set a record for fastest mile but there’s no way I’m inflicting the math for figuring that out on my brain. 😛

Overall, an excellent start to the month.

Chart

Date Average Pace
September 1 4:43
August 29 4:39
August 27 4:40
August 25 4:44
August 22 4:37
August 20 4:47
August 18 4:51
August 15 4:46
August 13 4:55
August 10 4:48
August 8 4:45
August 6 4:58
August 3 4:56
August 1 4:50