Outdoor runs

The detour-be-gone run

Average pace: 4:47/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.15 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 18ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 791
Total distance to date: 1625 km

Continuing this week’s theme of wild temperature swings, today’s run was done under a cloudy sky and a high of 18ºC. With a light breeze blowing conditions were about perfect for a run.

After a brief meeting with an odd cyclist (more on that later) I headed out clockwise, again opting for the detour first so I could gauge later and extend the run if I felt up to it. My goal was to improve on my previous run’s pace of 5:04 but again to not push too hard.

As I approached the familiar temporary yellow fencing on the blocked part of the trail I noticed the fence was pushed aside and all construction equipment was gone. I tentatively headed down the regular trail, thinking it wouldn’t be accessible if they didn’t want me to be here.

A lot of new fill had been brought in to shore up the trail after the equipment had been running back and forth over it. I arrived at the boardwalk and it was new! And finished! (ave for the bench, which will be added back soon, no doubt) The straight stretch seemed a bit longer than before but I’ll have to check my photos to see for sure. As expected, the planks had their orientation switched to match the other boardwalk, now set down left to right  instead of parallel to the path. This reduces the springiness of the boardwalk and probably extends the life of it. A final bonus was the path being built up to the boardwalk on both ends, eliminating the small step from before. Runners will especially appreciate this, as it lets you maintain your pace.

I was unsure how my pace was going, exactly, but I knew it was going much better than the last two runs. I didn’t push, except to maintain my pace as best as possible. Along the way I encountered a lot of Bs — a bicyclist (grr, though he stayed well out of the way), a bug (it flew into my lower lip and got glued there. I had to wipe it off, which was mildly yucky) and branches — specifically a large clump of branches off a tree that covered the entire section of the Cottonwood Trail. I had to dip off the trail to get around it. Although park workers were out trimming and such this didn’t look deliberate so I’m not entirely sure what was up with that.

With the detour no longer extending the run I ran all three optional loops and end at just over 11K. My time turned out to be a zippy 4:47/km, tying my second best-ever pace. Woot. I also set a new pace for fastest mile at 7:19 which was a nice bonus.

Overall, very pleased by this return to form. The knee remains fine and no other notable issues showed up, apart from a very mild stitch around the 8-9K mark that didn’t last long.

Chart

Date Average Pace
July 27 4:47
July 25 5:04
July 23 5:07
July 18 4:55
July 16 4:55
July 13 4:59
July 11 4:55
July 9 4:54
July 6 4:58
July 4 4:54
July 2 4:47

The sunny and hot recovery run

Average pace: 5:04/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.5 km
Weather: Sunny, warm and humid
Temp: 25ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 816
Total distance to date: 1614 km

Nothing like a 10º jump in temperature to make you say, ‘Yep, it sure is warm!’

Last night I felt a bit of creakiness in the right knee that concerned me as I head out for today’s run under a clear sky and slightly warmer than normal temperatures. By the time the run started it was 25ºC and felt warmer due to the humidity. I again chose to run clockwise.

Just as I was preparing to start another jogger ran by. This automatically triggered my incipient competitive streak and I knew that I would have to keep it in check for at least the rest of the week, not wanting to risk pushing things while I’m still sussing out how my knee and right leg are feeling.

The other jogger began pulling ahead and established a comfortable lead on me through the detour part of the route. Because the section is fairly straight and has excellent LOS it was easy enough to keep an eye on him. I kept resisting the urge to pick up the pace. My goal today was to simply take it slower than normal and if possible to beat Monday’s pace by some modest amount.

Once the other jogger reached the regular part of the trail he disappeared around a corner and I assumed I had lost sight of him for good. And it was good, as he’d no longer distract and tempt me.

However, just as I was crossing the zigzag bridge I spotted him on the path up ahead. It seemed his pace had flagged enough to close the distance by a good margin. But as we headed toward the parking lot for the rowing pavilion, he turned right into the parking lot. As far as I know there are no trails leading out from it, so perhaps he had parked there, around the corner. In any case, I declared myself the victor and kept running on.

I opted to take the Piper Mill Trail. It would add length to the run but it would also provide better cover that the main trail. I came in at 11.5 km, roughly 300m more than Monday and an average pace of 4:54/km, three seconds better than Monday’s outing. Mission accomplished.

The better news is the knee held up fine and even the right thigh that bothered me on Monday behaved itself. I felt some minor twinges in my right calf and ankle but nothing more than that.

My plan for Friday is much the same — improve my time slightly but otherwise take it easy. 25ºC is probably the highest temperature I can run at where it doesn’t feel too hot. It’s still pretty dang warm, though. The current forecast for Friday calls for a high of 20. We shall see.

Chart

Date Average Pace
July 25 5:04
July 23 5:07
July 18 4:55
July 16 4:55
July 13 4:59
July 11 4:55
July 9 4:54
July 6 4:58
July 4 4:54
July 2 4:47

The more than slightly damp recovery run

Average pace: 5:07/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.18 km
Weather: Overcast, drizzle
Temp: 15ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 793
Total distance to date: 1602 km

A change in the weather as I prepared for my first run since Wounded Knee Wednesday. With the temperature an unseasonably cool 15ºC and the sky threatening rain, I set off, nervous but cautiously hopeful, as my knee had not experienced any pain or discomfort since Wednesday, perhaps due to my diligent and quick icing.

The walk to the lake went fine and the rain held off. I opted to go clockwise and started out on a deliberately slower pace — the first km coming in at 4:39 then tapering way off to 4:56 by the second km. My knee wasn’t bothering me but I did start to feel some soreness in my right thigh, perhaps due to a slightly shifted gait due to my slower than normal pace. That was a minor inconvenience, though and I pushed on. By the 4K mark it started to drizzle and it kept up for the remainder of the run but that’s all it was, drizzle.

I still got soaked but it was a gentle soaking rather than a complete drenching.

There were several times during the run where I wanted to pick up the pace. With the cooler conditions and slower speed I was feeling comfortable and felt like I had room to spare. But I was not going to push harder and risk anything. I finished with my slowest run in a few months with an average of 5:07/km but the important thing is the knee held up fine.

I’ll continue to keep to a more deliberate pace for the rest of the week, although my times are bound to naturally improve and hopefully all will be well at week’s end.

One thing I noted is that the planks for the new boardwalk currently under construction have all been moved from their resting place to the boardwalk area itself. I wonder if that project is ahead of schedule. Part of me wants to sneak in there one day and have a look but the more sensible part of me knows I’d a) get yelled at and b) probably twist my ankle or have something else equally stupid happen.

All in all, I was pleased by today’s run. The knee seems to have recovered and if I don’t push too hard I should be able to get back to my usual pace soon.

I also hit another new milestone, passing the 1600 km mark, woo.

Chart

Date Average Pace
July 23 5:07
July 18 4:55
July 16 4:55
July 13 4:59
July 11 4:55
July 9 4:54
July 6 4:58
July 4 4:54
July 2 4:47

Stupid knee update #1: Less stupid

The day after my weird knee issue and it is not hurting so yay! If I flex it I can feel where it was hurt but it’s now more of s stiffness so I am hoping this is a muscle bruise and nothing too serious.

I am regretfully planning on skipping the usual Friday run but planning a tentative return on Monday. That will give me five days to heal and rest. If this is insufficient I am ordering a replacement bionic knee from the Internet.

The stupid right knee run

Average pace: 4:55/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 11.03 km
Weather: Hazy sun, high cloud
Temp: 20-22ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 782
Total distance to date: 1591 km

The day started overcast but as run time approached the sky continued to brighten, so I knew conditions would be improving rather than deteriorating. On the plus side the temperature was noticeably lower, even slightly below seasonal and this made for a much more comfortable run, despite it being perhaps even more humid than Monday. The sun started breaking through the clouds but for the most part all I got was hazy sun and cloud until the final km or so when the cloud cover finally burned off completely. And by then I had other things to be concerned with.

My pace started out decently and I felt pretty good. I was confident I could knock at least a few seconds off Monday’s Africa hot pace. Somewhere between 7 and 8 km I felt an odd twinge on the side of my right knee. Other than noting it was odd (I had done nothing to the knee or leg that might have caused some kind of strain) I did nothing and kept running. The twinge grew more prominent and turned to what I would describe as discomfort. Something was clearly not right. By the 10 km point it was just plain old-fashioned pain and I mustered along to the 11 km mark and ended my run there through sheer will, even picking the pace up slightly as I hobbled through the final 400m or so. My pace bottomed out at 5:20 at one point and the final km was a sluggish 5:14. Considering how the knee felt by then that was actually pretty good.

It hurt on the walk home — not a good sign. Once home I iced it 15 minutes on/off for 1 hour and 45 minutes. An hour after the last pack the side of the knee is still cool to the touch.

My best guess is I pulled one or more tendons. How this happened is a mystery as it happened without any warning. before or during the run. I went from twinge to OW MY KNEE.

I’m going to see how it feels when I get up tomorrow and go from there, possibly having the doc check it out or just rest it for the remainder of the week.

I seem to be jinxed. Whenever I hit a new milestone something always happens. I’m hoping this is fairly minor and although I probably won’t be running Friday I still hope to be back out there ASAP.

I ended up tying monday’s pace, which is decent considering how I felt for the last couple of km. If the knee had behaved I would have beaten it, I’m sure.

Chart

Date Average Pace
July 18 4:55
July 16 4:55
July 13 4:59
July 11 4:55
July 9 4:54
July 6 4:58
July 4 4:54
July 2 4:47

The very briefly damp run

Average pace: 4:55/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.29 km
Weather: Sunny, hot and humid
Temp: 28-29ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 801
Total distance to date: 1580 km

Early yesterday the forecast for today was looking like partly cloudy, cooler and a chance of showers. Instead it was sunny, hot and humid, just like Friday! In fact it seemed even hotter than Friday and once again only a merciful wind tempered the run.

I opted to run clockwise to get the detour out of the way and despite having to fiddle with the cord of my iPod at least four times to keep it from flopping out of my pocket I turned in a stellar first km, coming in at 4:29, only one second off my best-ever pace.

I came back to reality shortly after that. The low point came between the 8-9K mark, about where it normally hits me. I had a good finish, though, which always pleases me. This was the first run where getting a drink at the faucet near the dam had to be done a bit cautiously. I was very warm and the water was very cold so I only took a few small sips to acclimate a little, then drank like the proverbial man in the desert.

This was a run in which my senses were hit in different ways. There was the smell of fresh cut grass, which was pleasant. The giant tractor hogging the entire width of the trail that forced me to carefully make my way along the dubiously spongy grass along the edge was less nice. Then there were several times where I could taste the tangy scent of manure in the air. Hot weather and manure on the wind is not an ideal combination but fortunately the aroma passed quickly.

My favorite part of the run came at the fields. For some reason some of the sprinklers were running and two of them were hitting the path so I got two brief but refreshing splashes of water along one of the most-exposed parts of the trail. I was tempted to divert and traipse through all of them.

I skipped all three trails again but comfortably finished above 11K, as per usual since the detour went into effect. It’s been nearly a month now and I’m curious how close they are to on-schedule. I’ll find out in about four weeks.

Also, I achieved a new milestone today. My best year for runs was 2010 when I completed 513 km. Today I surpassed that by coming in with 516 km and I have five and a half months to improve on that. Joan was so excited she congratulated me on another 500 km. Thanks, Joan!

Chart

Date Average Pace
July 16 4:55
July 13 4:59
July 11 4:55
July 9 4:54
July 6 4:58
July 4 4:54
July 2 4:47

Scary (hot) Friday the 13th run

Average pace: 4:59/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 11.62 km
Weather: Sunny, hot and humid
Temp: 27ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 824
Total distance to date: 1568 km

It was hot again and there was a decent breeze at times but early morning showers meant it was also humid. Hot and humid is not a good combo for me.

I ran counter-clockwise which is the ‘hard’ way because it leaves the shadeless detour part of the run for the end when I am most tired. But as often happens I got my second wind around the 10K mark (at the start of the detour) and actually picked up the pace for the last 1.6 km. I managed to just squeak in under 5:00 minutes with a pace of 4:59/km but I consider that a win given how thick the air felt. I was sweating even before I began the run.

Looking at the splits my times lagged most during the 8 and 9 km sections, which makes sense given the conditions. I was five seconds off the starting km, too. I just got plain pooped, right from the beginning and then throughout. It was the level of poopedness that was the only variable. Not surprisingly, there weren’t many other runners out today.

Other than the heat and humidity, everything else seemed okay — no pain or discomfort, just dry lips and a grateful stop at the faucet by the dam at the end of the run.

Chart

Date Average Pace
July 13 4:59
July 11 4:55
July 9 4:54
July 6 4:58
July 4 4:54
July 2 4:47

The ‘it finally synced!’ run

Average pace: 4:55/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.73 km
Weather: Sunny, hot
Temp: 26-28ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 832
Total distance to date: 1557 km

Today’s run was similar to Monday’s though I skipped the Piper Mill Trail.

It was hot — moreso than on Monday — but there was again a decent breeze blowing that made things tolerable. I hydrated (fancy talk for ‘drank water’) before heading out and again when I arrived at the dam (not at the dam itself as that would require a fair bit of finesse without plunging into the river but at a nearby faucet). Then I had to use the port-o-potty but even in the heat the chemicals it uses have kept it smelling remarkably un-port-o-potty-like. Science is amazing. I ran clockwise to beat the heat of the detour and skipped all three optional trails.

The start was again fairly brisk but the increasing temperature as I progressed was noticeable. By the time I got to the Nature House (roughly 2 km from the dam) I elected to make a quick pitstop to refresh myself at the faucet there. It helped, especially as the wind had settled down by then and I had another good finish. My pace was one second slower than Wednesday at 4:55/km but given the hotter conditions that seems reasonable. I am pleased that I am regularly clocking in under 5 minutes with the temperatures as warm as they’ve been.

The legs and feet both felt fine throughout the run. The main barrier right now is definitely the weather. It’s challenging to maintain a good pace with the warm weather but I’m satisfied with my efforts so far.

And thanks to some detailed instructions from Nike I was able to get today’s run and the other missing ones properly synced to the Nike+ site. Yay, all my precious stats are updated. I love stats.

Chart

Date Average Pace
July 11 4:55
July 9 4:54
July 6 4:58
July 4 4:54
July 2 4:47

Bad weather running: the list (updated)

If you have a look at this post from July 13th of last year you will see me list off my 14 least-favorite running conditions. I figure it’s time to update the list, so here we go. Changes are noted accordingly.

As before, the list is presented from least worst to just plain bad. The four options outside the top 10 aren’t really bad at all.

14. Overcast and light breeze. This is actually ideal conditions. It is usually never too cold or warm when the weather is like this.
13. Moderate wind. Moderate wind is fine. I have a cap that stays in place now.
12. Warm sun. Warm is no big thing. I’m talking about 20ºC or thereabouts.
11. Light rain. The only issue with light rain is that sometimes my iPod gets wet straight through my shorts’ pocket. If rain looks likely I put it in a plastic baggie.
10. Snow. I’ve only run once in light snow and it was fun. I’m thinking a foot of snow would probably be less so.
9. Cold rain. Cold rain means cold hands and if you wear gloves they need to be waterproof. Cold rain is never fun.
8. Hard rain. Getting soaked to the skin is kind of refreshing. Unfortunately if it’s raining hard, it’s almost always cold, too. Not so refreshing.
7. Extreme cold. I’ve run in sub-freezing conditions and been fine. I’m thinking Arctic tundra-type cold here.
6. Heavy wind. The resistance means you work a lot harder to achieve the same result and my cap has to be on tight enough to cut off circulation so it doesn’t fly away.
5. Hot sun. My body feels like a furnace and I’m left parched as all get-out. Dry mouth and lips are yucky. I’ve improved my stamina to where it has to be close to 30ºC to really affect me, though.
4. Hard rain and heavy wind. Likeliest weather to make me wonder to myself, ‘What was I thinking?’ when on the run.
3. Hot sun and heavy wind. Heat dries you out, the wind makes it harder to run and dries you out even more. Bleah. This combination is, however, very rare.
2. Hail. Getting pelted by little ice rocks is unpleasant! I’ve been caught in hail twice now and did not like it either time. Hail has moved from #7 to #2 on the list as a result.

And the worst weather to run in is:

1. Dogs. See here. I’ve had a dog knock me down while running. The weather has never done this.

The itchy run

Average pace: 4:54/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.7 km
Weather: Sunny, hot
Temp: 27ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 826
Total distance to date: 1546 km

Another rather warm day today so I opted to take the detour route and get the fully-exposed-to-the-cruel-yet-welcome-sun part out of the way up front. This seemed to work reasonably well.

I started the run feeling itchy as all get-out after yesterday’s misadventure exploring trails that don’t actually exist. I estimate at least 20 bug bites to go along with a number of minor lacerations from unkind plants. I was hoping the run would be a suitable distraction from this and it was!

I am still unable to sync data through the Nike+ website but have dispatched an e-mail calling for help (update: all missing run data has now been synced. Thanks, Pete from Nike!).

A big help with today’s run was a moderate but merciful breeze. It’s amazing what a little wind can do to help out on a hot day. I did not feel creaky starting out and in fact clocked my first km at a zippy 4:32/km. The shin also felt fine during the run and after. With the wind at my back I managed to lop four seconds off my previous pace. My body may be starting to get slightly used to the warmer temperatures. Woot.

Chart

Date Average Pace
July 9 4:54
July 6 4:58
July 4 4:54
July 2 4:47
June 29 4:58
June 27 4:58
June 25 4:53
June 22 4:45
June 20 4:59
June 18 4:49
June 15 4:51
June 13 4:52
June 11 5:02
June 6 4:49
June 4 4:54
June 1 4:57

The pasty white chest run

Average pace: 4:58/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 11.03 km
Weather: Sunny, hazy sun, hot
Temp: 26-28ºC
Wind: light to none
Calories burned: 782
Total distance to date: 1534 km

Today it was summer for real, no foolin’. Temperatures started at 26ºC and peaked by the end of the run at 28ºC. There was little wind to offset the heat, though the sun was blunted slightly by a thin haze across the sky.

I decided to go counter-clockwise and just suffer through the exposed detour route at the end. I also skipped all three optional loops.

And it was very warm. I was sweating a little just on the walk to the lake. Once there it didn’t take long to feel like the energy was being sucked out of me, packaged up and shipped off elsewhere. I had to pause twice to catch a few seconds of rest, one time in particular because I felt like I was pushing too hard (somehow) and overheating. I did manage to finish with a pace of 4:58, though, so it seems that I have made enough of an adjustment to keep my times under 5 minutes even when it is Africa hot (for the Vancouver area).

I felt creaky at the start, with my right ankle feeling a little sore (I twisted it in a less-than-optimal way the other day) but after about the first km the kinks were worked out and both legs weren’t causing any notable problems — stamina was definitely the main barrier today.

The title of this post refers to the first time on a run this year that I’ve encountered multiple men with their shirts off and save for one they all looked like prime candidates for a nice burn given the very white skin they had exposed.

I also had two people ask me questions during the run. This has never happened before. The first question was from a possible fellow runner, though neither of us were running at the time (this was during my second brief pause). We were around the midway point of the detour and he wanted to know if the trail picked up again and I assured him it did. He seemed satisfied. But he kept walking. I resumed my run and a short time later a woman asked if I had seen a man with a beard wearing shorts. I said no and continued on, though I honestly didn’t know if I had seen such a person or not. I don’t pay close attention to the other people on the trail unless they a) get in my way b) do something unusual/stupid or c) are dressed so outrageously that they leave an image seared into your brain. If I did indeed pass by man in shirts with beard, he fit into none of these categories.

Note that some of the stats/splits are missing for this run because I am not attempting to upload any more runs until the one from Wednesday is restored. I did get through to Nike support and after a bit of back and forth have supplied all the info they need to manually add the run (or so I hope). I am a bit concerned because I was asked for my Nike+ user name as part of the info, did so and then was asked to supply it again in a later tweet. Which I did, again. It hadn’t changed in the meantime!

Since it looks to be warm for the next little while I may look into taking some water with me on the next bunch o’ runs. That should help a decent bit, I’d reckon.

Chart

Date Average Pace
July 6 4:58
July 4 4:54
July 2 4:47
June 29 4:58
June 27 4:58
June 25 4:53
June 22 4:45
June 20 4:59
June 18 4:49
June 15 4:51
June 13 4:52
June 11 5:02
June 6 4:49
June 4 4:54
June 1 4:57

The unofficial first day of summer run with bonus odd ending

Average pace: 4:54/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.66 km
Weather: Mainly sunny, some cloud
Temp: 22ºC
Wind: light to none
Calories burned: 826
Total distance to date: 1523 km

Cool and damp. Sunny and warm. Cool and damp. Sunny and warm. MAKE UP YOUR MIND, MOTHER NATURE.

Today it was sunny and warm, with the temperature up to a relatively balmy 22ºC. I opted to run clockwise to get through the shade-free detour part of the route first. Once again, with the constant flipping between cooler and warmer days, the warmer ones are still harder to adjust to, but I finished with a decent pace of 4:54 so that’s not bad. I skipped all the optional loops as the second half of the run I was feeling tired and just wanted to drink any sort of cold liquid as soon as possible.

The left leg generally behaved itself, with the foot being a minor issue and the shin not hurting but after the run the entire lower left leg was a bit achy, mainly just the calf itself. Maybe this is from shifting my weight around because of the foot, as I’ve speculated before. It feels okay now, a few hours later.

I can’t break down my performance any further than the basic stats above because the Nike+ site is refusing to sync the data. Grr. I will update this post later when the sync works.

As for this being the unofficial first day of summer, see my previous post re: the Hume Park pool. Also if those wacky meteorologists are to be believed we are set for our first real stretch of sunny, warm weather. We shall see.

It may also be a full moon (edit: checked, negative) because just as I was about to exit the Brunette River trail onto East Columbia Street a guy on a bike motioned to me. I pulled out my earbuds and he proceeded to tell me this story about his youth, intermingled with current events in a random, stream-of-conscious sort of way. To the side of the trail there is a large clear space, sometimes occupied by park service vehicles but recently filled with a collection of boulders that are being stored for purposes unknown. They apparently sparked a recollection in this man of how he and some friends had moved the stones (other ones, I assume) to the river (he gestured behind him to the Brunette burbling away in the background) to create a pond for swimming. He further went on about how they would steal kegs of beer from the Labatt’s brewery over yonder because they’d just leave the back door of the place wide open. With kegs in hand and their little pool all that was left to do was ‘drink and bang girls’. It was great, he told me. I smiled politely.

He switched several times to the present and explained how a kid at the river had been hurt falling off a log so he took his axe and chopped some branches off the log or maybe he chopped the whole thing up. Anyway, all kids in the future would be safe. At this point I noticed that he still had the axe with him, attached to a strut on the bike. The entire handle was covered in duct tape because ‘it had broken’. He said he was a professional hatchet thrower and came down here to practice. Hopefully on non-human targets. He didn’t specify. He pointed to a still-fresh gash on his right leg as proof that he needed the practice. (My partner later confirmed that there is indeed a practice target for hatchet-throwing somewhere in the area.) The sight of the axe made me a little nervous. Was he going to demonstrate his technique or would he go on about the stones some more? Maybe the beer stealing? He asked if I’d been down to the river. I said no. He said it was a great place for kids (if they stay off the logs) and asked if I had any. I said no. He asked if I had any nephews or nieces and I said yes, but on the island. How many more questions was he going to ask?

By now I was starting to mull over excuses for leaving in a hurry. I didn’t have my phone so I couldn’t fake a call. I had just finished an 11.66 km run but what’s a few more hundred meters to get out of axe-throwing range? But then this man with the strange grin realized he had to get moving. He mounted the bike and started riding slowly in the same direction I was heading. I began walking behind, slowly. He picked up the pace and headed down the sidewalk, coming up to the crosswalk that I would normally take. Instead I waited for a break in traffic and scooted across the street ahead of the crosswalk. I watched the man and he wheeled past the pedestrian walk signal and kept going down the road. I would be heading into the park and a steep hill with concrete barrier and woods would separate us. I headed down into the park, he rode up the street and was gone from sight.

When I climbed up the wooden stairs to the upper half of the park he was waiting with the axe in his hands. Okay, it was actually just a bunch of kids playing in the pool. But he could have been there! I’m afraid of what my subconscious will do with this when I fall asleep tonight.

Anyway, it was a…different end to my usual run.

Chart

Date Average Pace
July 4 4:54
July 2 4:47
June 29 4:58
June 27 4:58
June 25 4:53
June 22 4:45
June 20 4:59
June 18 4:49
June 15 4:51
June 13 4:52
June 11 5:02
June 6 4:49
June 4 4:54
June 1 4:57