Outdoor run-walks

Today the sun could not penetrate the smoke haze but paradoxically, the smoke was lighter and less obnoxious, enough so that I opted to run on my return up the river trail.

My stats were still a bit slower than a typical walk/run because I kept to a more deliberate pace. While the air quality was better, it was still not exactly mountain spring fresh.

It was a bit cooler–and the breeze, when it rose, has a decided fall flavor to it–but the biggest difference other than less smoke was the humidity, which was significantly higher. That meant sweating was copious.

Also, after posting signs back in August and then doing nothing for more than a month, they have finally started moving in equipment for the remedial work on the river. They were shut down when I went by, so hopefully the work won’t disrupt my workouts, though I can’t imagine it will be near as active a worksite as it was back in the summer of 2012.

The stats are in line with a typical walk/run split, with a higher but fine BPM and a much better pace than yesterday.

Walk 11
Average pace: 8:00/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.6 km
Time: 1:00:46
Weather: Light smoke haze
Temp: 23ºC
Humidity: 66%
Wind: light
BPM: 123
Weight: 170.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 84.15 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8

The wildfires along the west coast have pumped enough smoke into the Lower Mainland to make our air quality some of the worst in the world. Adding to this, the massive old pier in downtown New Westminster caught fire two days ago and has been belching smoke laced with creosote since. They expect to have it put out today or maybe tomorrow (the fire continues to burn underneath the pier).

Despite having the sun blotted from the sky for days, we got a smidgen of rain yesterday and today a smidgen of blue sky and actual high cloud appeared, not just more smoke.

I decided I’d try a walk, but figured I would just walk and not run, because sucking that noxious air into my lungs is probably not a good idea.

The parking lot outside the condo complex smelled so bad I almost turned around right there, but I figured the air would be better down at the river.

And it was! It was quite warm for the time of month and the air felt thick, but the actual smoke level was a fair bit lower. I did run a bit on the way back, but more like doing intervals, always switching back to a walk before I started breathing too hard.

In the end I was glad to get out. I will be even more glad when the fires are out and the air becomes genuinely breathable again. (One of the most disconcerting parts of the current smoke is this is the third of four summers where this has happened–and the smoke has come from both the north and the south. This does not bode well for the future.)

The stats:

Walk 10
Average pace: 8:45/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.67 km
Time: 1:07:10
Weather: Smoke haze
Temp: 26ºC
Humidity: 46%
Wind: light
BPM: 114
Weight: 171.2 pounds
Total distance to date: 76.55 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8

My pace was a whopping 21 seconds slower today, as I once again struggled to get my walking pace under 9:00/km–which I finally managed by the fourth km, just before switching to running.

The first running km was over six minutes, but the second was a pretty zippy 5:35/km and I was satisfied with the fact that I was able to keep running the whole length of the trail, as it was 31ºC at the time. I was once again saved by low humidity (only 32%), the trail being mostly in the shade and the occasional breeze actually feeling a slight bit cool, almost fall-like.

The lower strain also meant a lower BPM. I actually felt pretty good overall, despite the heat.

I will probably try for another full 5K run the next time I am out. Excelsior!

Walk 9
Average pace: 8:15/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.55 km
Time: 1:02:16
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 31ºC
Humidity: 32%
Wind: light
BPM: 122
Weight: 169.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 68.88 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8

For the second day in a row, my walking pace was curiously slow, never dipping below 9:00/km on the way down the river trail. On the other hand, when I did the run back, both km that I clocked came in at very respectable times of 5:50 and 5:38 (side note: I am noticing multi-second discrepancies between what my watch reports on the fly vs. what the app on the phone later reports, with the phone usually reporting longer times. This makes no sense as the phone GPS is doing the tracking, but oh well. Software!)

In the end my overall pace was a bit slower but still respectable. It was quite warm but humidity was actually quote low, so sweating was minimal and I was able to maintain pace without any difficulty.

Based on the results, I don’t feel yesterday’s loop around the lake had any negative impact. The heel still feels no worse for wear and so far everything else is holding together.

Stats:

Walk 8
Average pace: 7:54/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.55 km
Time: 59:40
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 28ºC
Humidity: 25%
Wind: light
BPM: 127
Weight: 171 pounds
Total distance to date: 61.33 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8

My original thought today was to do my first full loop around Burnaby Lake after The Heel Incident, but as I headed out I began thinking it might be too much too soon and I could have another Heel Incident or some other random part of my body could act up.

So I did my usual 7.5ish walk/run along the river. I might try the lake loop for real on Sunday.

It was warmer but less humid today, so I was faster, which I guess makes sense because humidity bad. I thought on the return back up the trail I wouldn’t be able to run the full length, but it ended up going fairly well and I beat yesterday’s pace by two seconds. My BPM was also down a bit, but the overall numbers are pretty close. I’m just glad I could keep my stamina up when it was starting to approach 30ºC.

Stats:

Walk 7
Average pace: 7:42/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.67 km
Time: 59:03
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 28ºC
Humidity: 45%
Wind: light
BPM: 126
Weight: 172 pounds
Total distance to date: 53.78 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8

It sounds like porn, but it’s true! Despite being hotter today, I actually found it cooler during the walk, especially the running part where I sweated far less. This was due to that whole “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” thing, as it was noticeably less muggy.

I ended up running the entire back half of the trail, which was nice. The lace on my right shoe came untied, which was less nice, but it was really my fault. I’m not used to having to tie my running shoes after using the lacing system on the Saucony shoes for so long.

Overall, I was faster, with attendant increase in BPM, but still perfectly normal for the activity.

It occurred to me today that I am now, to some degree, running every day, something I’ve never actually done in 11 years of running. I don’t know if I will ever start doing full runs every day, but I can dream of the impressive calves that would result.

Stats:

Walk 6
Average pace: 7:44/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.58 km
Time: 58:36
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 26ºC
Humidity: 50%
Wind: light
BPM: 129
Weight: 172.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 46.11 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8

The day after my first 5K in three months I was expecting to be sore/achy and all that. To my surprise and delight, I was not!

But I am still taking at least a day off before doing another 5K. A day off from running, that is, because I am still sticking to my daily 30 minute exercise minimum.

The weather was pleasantly warm, but it was also rather humid, which meant a lot of sweating and energy depletion. I didn’t run as much, but I still ran for good stretches.

My pace was 7:56/km vs. 7:43/km on the previous walk, so a bit slower, but still generally speedy.

Overall, a solid effort.

Stats:

Walk 5
Average pace: 7:56/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.57 km
Time: 1:00:07
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 23ºC
Humidity: 59%
Wind: light
BPM: 122
Weight: 171.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 38.53 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8

I almost decided to do a run today, but by the time I got to the river trail, I changed my mind. But then as I walked the trail I changed my mind again and ended up with a compromise. I walked past the end of the river trail so I would have at least a clear 2 km stretch before hitting the exit to North Road. Then I started to run, and kept running until I exited the trail.

I only have one full km segment of full-on running that was tracked, but in that one km I averaged a pace of 5:26/km, which kind of shocked me, because that’s a really good pace.

The heel held up fine, though it is, as it has been, a bit sore, especially if I have ironically stayed off it for awhile.

Because of the longer stretch of running, my total average pace was down to 7:43/km. BPM was up a bit, but to be expected with the extra running. Oddly I didn’t feel overly exerted. Maybe these daily walks are actually making me more fit. Who knew! I might also have been helped by the temperature, as it was 21ºC–not exactly frigid, but also not exactly hot, either.

Stats:

Walk 4
Average pace: 7:43/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 8.07 km
Time: 1:02:19
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 21ºC
Humidity: 42%
Wind: light
BPM: 130
Weight: 171.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 30.96 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8

I didn’t get a good night’s sleep on Wednesday night and was still feeling some effects of this today, so my overall energy level was down a bit. Stat-wise I was still pretty close to yesterday, though. BPM was down a bit (good), pace was up a bit )less good, but still fine).

On a more positive note, I still ran a bunch of the way and did it in my new trail running shoes that showed up way earlier than expected. I was thinking I’d get them by the middle of next week, but they came today. Thank you, MEC and Canada Post!

They are the Brooks Caldera 4 and they are the lightest, springiest pair of Brooks I’ve worn. I had the laces tied too tight, but that’s easy to adjust. The cushioning and support are great, though, and I’m already looking forward to running in them again.

Stats:

Walk 3
Average pace: 8:03/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.62 km
Time: 1:00:24
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 25ºC
Humidity: 48%
Wind: light
BPM: 125
Weight: 172.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 22.89 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8

When I headed out for my post-work walk today I felt I probably wouldn’t run as much, I just wasn’t feeling it.

I ended up running more than yesterday and had a best pace of 5:50/km, even better when you consider I walked the first 25% before switching to running. Woo, I say.

Although I don’t show the comparison to the previous walk’s stats, my pace was four seconds faster, though everything else was pretty close to yesterday’s effort.

The heel seems to be surviving the abuse so far.

I am eager to get new trail runners so I can try running for even longer stretches.

Walk 2
Average pace: 7:54/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.64 km
Time: 1:00:21
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 23ºC
Humidity: 48%
Wind: light
BPM: 128
Weight: 174 pounds
Total distance to date: 15.27 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8

Okay, so here’s the thing: my left heel is still a bit sore but it strangely gets less sore when I walk or run on it for awhile. Eventually it starts getting sore again, but I haven’t tested the outer boundary of this yet. I’ve done a 10 km walk so far and had no issues.

So I really have no idea what happened or is happening. I suspect my doctor would not know, either. I’m not sure an x-ray or ultrasound would reveal anything, either. I suppose if I minimized my walking as much as possible that it would eventually heal (ho ho) to the point where it would not be sore at all, but realistically, that’s not going to happen.

Maybe one day it will just feel better as suddenly as that day it suddenly started to hurt.

Anyway, it’s dumb and I have decided I am not going to let it stop me from resuming running, because I’ve been running more as part of my post-work walks. And I’m going to start logging these walks as workouts, which they are, because I sweat and stuff.

What I have been doing for the last month or so is walking to the end of the Brunette River trail and back, a route that covers a little over 7 km. It takes just over an hour when walking.

Today I ran more than I have since starting these walks, including a stretch where I clocked in at a pace of 5:58/km–on the slow side for running, but basically impossibly fast for walking, unless I was five meters tall, maybe.

Here are the stats of my walk, which I will include going forward (also the heel feels no worse for having done this):

Walk 1
Average pace: 7:58/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.63 km
Time: 1:00:53
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 23ºC
Humidity: 50%
Wind: light
BPM: 128
Weight: 173.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 7.63 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8