Outdoor runs

I decided to walk 36 blocks before running today.

No, wait, my iPod actually decided for me.

The conditions on today’s run were similar to the previous day — about -2ºC and a mix of sun and cloud. I headed down to China Creek Park and selected my workout on the iPod (35 minutes) then went to choose a playlist. Curiously, there were no playlists available. A message said to sync the iPod to transfer music over. Chagrined, I figured I’d just use shuffle instead and got the same message. In fact, the iPod wasn’t showing any of the 2,000+ songs I had stored on it. I debated whether to do the run voice-only (the nice Nike woman just announcing the time intervals without any music) but the thought of listening to my own breathing for 35 minutes convinced me to go back and try to fix whatever issue it was.

I plugged the iPod in and it synced in just a few seconds. I checked after unplugging it from the PC and it looked good — everything was back. So I returned to the park and did my run. Going there and back twice meant I walked 48 blocks in total. That’s a fair bit of walking I hadn’t planned on. The only real downside was being a little extra chilly at the start of the run.

Still, I shake my fist at Apple. Now I know to check the iPod before heading out instead of just crazily assuming it will work.

The run itself went well and as I closed in on 35 minutes I decided to go for 40. This gave me my best overall distance yet and I only lost six seconds on my overall pace from last time. Not bad. The one downside was my upper back started to feel a bit sore by about the 38 minute mark. That may mean I need to work on my stride or posture, so it may turn out to be a good thing in the long term.

Results:

Total distance: 7.11 km
Average time/km: 5:40/km
Best time/km: 5.14/km

Today’s run was 35 minutes and I continued to improve my performance:

Total distance: 6.32 km
Average/km: 5:34
Best/km: 5:11

It was also officially™ below freezing but I am finding these temperatures to not be a problem. I heat up quickly and the sweat keeps me warm, if stinky.

There were three other joggers out this afternoon. A woman was running in a very casual manner and was easily passed. A male jogger with a nice red cap was also passed — twice! I assume he was doing the walk/run thing. The third jogger actually passed me around the 30 minute mark. I knew better than to try to catch up but I did notice his speed leveled off once he was safely by me and I kept pace for the rest of the time he was on the trail.

A guy was flying a small radio-controlled helicopter at one of the baseball diamonds, adding another potential threat to the list that includes soccer balls, dogd and gravel-throwing fat kids. I imagine the list of people who can claim to have been struck by a helicopter while jogging is a fairly short one.

The smashed VCR or whatever it was had been cleared away but the microwave was still sitting beside the trail. Curiously, the brown paper bag that had been sitting inside it was gone.

I contemplated going for 40 minutes but I think I’ll wait till next week for that. There was an unpleasant diesel or tar-like smell hanging in the air for the last 10 minutes or so that made the final stretch a bit unpleasant.

There is always something new to see when I go jogging in China Creek Park.

Today it was litter.

At one corner of the path was some kind of electronics device that had been smashed so all that was left were bits of black plastic and other unidentifiable parts. It may have been a VCR. Why would someone bring a VCR to the park and smash it to bits? I don’t know. Maybe it was an homage to Office Space.

There was also a microwave abandoned along the southern stretch, its door left open and, curiously, inside was a plate holding a brown paper bag. I shall not speculate on its contents.

As expected, today’s run was the coldest yet, with the temperature hovering right around the freezing mark. To spice things up further, wind gusts up to 24km/h were blowing. The trail, especially in the shade, has now become near rock-hard, which means the uneven muddy parts are like trying to navigate mini-stalagmites.

When is the only time you are surrounded by girls and yet have to watch for balls? When they’re playing soccer. Fortunately, none of their kicking sent the ball my way. The spectators were shouting mostly to keep warm, I think. At one point I smelled an odor that was very much reminiscent of a pulp mill and there are no pulp mills anywhere around so the only thought was that it was coming from the port-o-potty at the NW corner of the trail but there was no way someone using it could make it smell that bad. After I ran by the smell diminished, so I was wrong. They may want to put a biohazard sign on the door. Yikes.

The run went well and I kept going for 35 minutes instead of the planned 30. As expected, my pace is still well off what it once was but we’ll see how the next few runs stack up.

Notable stats:

Average pace: 5.42/km
Overall distance: 6.2 km
Best km: 5:18/km

3ºC again for today’s run but a bit of a breeze made it feel colder than that. By the time I got to the park I was looking forward to generating a little sweat to keep warm.

The run went well and I noted a small group of teens sitting on the playground equipment. The guys had their jackets off and were just wearing t-shirts. One had shorts. Several looked like they were ready to audition for the part of Jabba in Star Wars: The High School Musical, so I’m guessing they didn’t feel the cold quite the same way as me and my skinny ass.

They also had a very cute dog and the guys both found it so hilarious to pretend to throw the ball and watch the dog run out in the field and stand there confused that they did this repeatedly, including my final lap when one of the knuckleheads stepped right in front of me to throw it after another incredibly funny fake-out.

Still, I posted my best 30 minute run since returning and the right calf presented no issues. My distance for the last three 30 minute runs, with average speed/km (first to latest):

5.17 km, 5:50/km
5.25 km, 5:45/km
5.40 km, 5:35/km

I’m still well off my pre-injury pace but as long as I slowly improve I’m fine with that.

The first half of my run had me seriously considering a toque as my ears got a wee bit chilly but the second half they warmed up sufficiently. We’ll see what they say in my first sub-freezing run.

One worrisome note before my jog (which I delayed a day because of it): a few nights ago I woke up and felt a minor twinge in my right calf. It didn’t seem to be the same area that got hurt and forced me to sit out on running for four weeks but it’s the same calf so I was mildly freaked. I waited an extra day and when I ran today there were a few times that I felt the twinge again. It didn’t exactly hurt and it feels fine now, so I’m hoping that maybe I just pulled a random muscle slightly while having one of my increasingly weird dreams.

The run itself was under a clear sky with the temperature a crisp 3ºC. I wore the tights today and feel it was the right call. Because of the colder weather the trail had firmed up and was mostly navigable again. I ran 30 minutes and improved my distance and time/km vs. the last run, so I’m slowly coming back to speed. Definitely not pushing it this, though. 😛 I felt pretty good for most of the run, mostly evidenced by my relaxed breathing. It’s pretty much the canary in the mine for me now. If my breathing is labored, I slow down.

The graffiti on the playground equipment had been mostly removed, too. Nice to see that sort of stuff get dealt with quickly.

After buying a replacement Nike sensor, I was able to successfully revive my original one. Thank you, Murphy.

Today’s run was done under an overcast sky with the temperature a brisk 5ºC. I still went triple-layered up top and the verdict is two is definitely sufficient for this weather. I opted for shorts this time and though it was a bit chilly en route to the park, I was fine once I’d started running.

It looks like Tiger Woods won’t be whispering me sweet nothings through my nano for awhile yet. I ran for 25 minutes and not surprisingly, my pace was pretty slow. I could definitely feel the stiffness in my legs holding me back but I (wisely) chose not to fight it. I stretched before and after the run. It will be interesting to see how my performance improves after such a long layoff. One thing I’ve noted is my stamina is still quite good — I don’t feel exhausted after these shorter runs. I may try for 30 minutes next. Excelsior!

My thighs are sore but the calf is still okay. Since I was expecting some post-run stiffness, this is not a surprise to me.

After a one-day delay I finally hit the trail again after more than five weeks of non-jogging (or walking, if you prefer).

Conditions were 8ºC and overcast, with the threat of rain. By the time I got to China Creek Park it was misty, which is enough to thoroughly soak you without actually raining. The mist persisted throughout the run. I discovered my jacket is less than watertight.

I had dressed in three layers — t-shirt, long-sleeve shirt and light jacket, plus tights instead of shorts. I also wore a pair of running gloves. There was one other jogger at the park and all he was wearing was a t-shirt and shorts, both white. He looked like he had escaped from the set of Chariots of Fire. In retrospect I was probably slightly overdressed, especially considering there was little wind but it wasn’t bad. I warmed up all over but never got hot. Two layers would have sufficed up top and shorts are probably good until the temperature drops to at 5 degrees.

After a near steady month of rain large sections of the path at China Creek had become bog-like and pretty much impassable, forcing me to run inside on the grass for much of its length. Not a big deal, though. My pace was deliberately steady — no bursts of speed anywhere along the way — and I ran for a planned 20 minutes or so. I think I completed six laps, though I wasn’t keeping strict track.

I would have kept strict track except the Nike sensor apparently died during its long spell of inactivity, even though I turned it off specifically to save the battery. This just makes me hate Apple even more because they always pull this kind of crap (and yes, it’s an Apple product made in conjunction with Nike). Boo Apple! Boo, I say! Until I can find a decent alternative I’m stuck with getting a new sensor, though. I picture Steve Jobs rubbing his hands together with glee.

I’ll be running again in a couple of days and may extend the distance a little bit. We’ll see how it goes but I feel pretty good now. No real soreness and the injured calf seems to be fully healed.

Tomorrow is the day marked on my calendar as “I may run again!” It has now been four weeks of non-running as I recover from my sprained calf. Actually, it’s been more than five weeks as I took a few days off before going to the clinic but who’s counting? The answer is I am, dammit. I hated not being able to run.

The last time I did a complete run I was wearing a t-shirt and shorts and it was dry. Tomorrow the forecast is calling for rain and 7 Celsius for the high so it’ll be interesting to see the difference. I am planning on returning to China Creek for a nice easy 20 minute run. I imagine the trail is a bit soggy now, though running in the rain is something I find kind of refreshing. Watch as I eat these words soon!

Today I ran early due to a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon (early in this case meaning noon). Despite general rain forecasts for the week, the sky cleared up and it was sunny for nearly the entire jog. Should have left the jacket at home.

My tender right calf proved most vexing and I slowed my pace to reduce the chance of aggravating it. I was certainly successful in slowing, posting my worst times for a 35-minute run. A wiener dog puppy out in the field was chasing a ball and his barks sounded like they were filled with helium. This very cute fellow added +1 to my spirit. There was also a riding mower out cutting the grass alongside the trail, creating noise and belching diesel as I ran by it. -1 to spirit. There was also a road crew just up the hill next to the park and they were drilling with water, resulting in a highly unpleasant hissing noise. -1 again. The pleasant aroma of fresh-cut grass barely offset this. Overall, a bit of a wash.

I passed one person who was jogging so slowly I could have passed her if I’d been walking. It was some weird anti-jog. Maybe she was trying to run in place and not getting it quite right.

There was no burst of speed for the last five minutes, just quietly bearing it until the Nike lady told me to stop. When she did I hit the wrong command to end the run and it continued for another five seconds as I stood there fumbling with the iPod controls. I’m beginning to hate that sleek, sexy but difficult-to-use thing.