Outdoor run-walks

Today was supposed to be a regular run day, but I have learned to listen to my body and today my body was saying, “You pushed farther on Monday–good job! Maybe one day off isn’t quite enough before pushing again.” So instead of a 5K, I did a walk on the river trail with the customary 2K run back.

I tried not to exceed the speed limit on the running part, but still turned in paces of 5:43 and 5:44/km respectively. Fortunately, the relatively zippy speed didn’t result in any issues at all, and may have helped keep me warm, as it was a wee bit on the brisk side. I wore my long-sleeved Nike shirt, but it’s pretty thin and the first thoughts of layering danced in my head, like non-edible, thermally sound versions of sugar plums.

Overall, it was a good effort despite the unplanned nature of it. I intend to do a full run on Friday, but as always, we shall see.

Stats:

Walk 62
Average pace: 8:11/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.70 km
Time: 63:01
Weather: Some high cloud
Temp: 8ºC
Humidity: 79%
Wind: light
BPM: 125
Weight: 176.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 474.05 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12

I had planned on running this afternoon, but had a headache prior to leaving, forgot to take anything for it and decided to just mostly walk. By the time I reached the end of the river trail I was feeling a bit better, so I ran part of the way back, resulting in a pretty decent pace for mostly walking.

Since my speed was generally slow, no issues were encountered. It felt a bit chilly, even with the long-sleeved shirt on, but was fine otherwise.

In all, still a decent workout, if not exactly pushing the envelope.

Stats:

Walk 61
Average pace: 8:41/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.46 km
Time: 64:48
Weather: Cloudy, light drizzle
Temp: 9ºC
Humidity: 75%
Wind: light
BPM: 121
Weight: 177.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 466.35 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12

I last ran on Sunday, so the flabby part is not doing any real running or walking/running in a week. I corrected that today.

It had been long enough since the last walk-run (I am officially calling the category Outdoor Walk-Runs now, because even though it sounds awkward, it’s more accurate. Lack of running will be noted.) that the temperature today was a full seven degrees cooler. Although it was cloudy, rain never threatened and the wind was minimal, so it really didn’t feel bad at all.

Although I ran a full 2K and was under 6:00 minutes for both, I didn’t do any other running (flabby), so my numbers are a bit off from the previous outing. Except for my weight and BPM–both up. Ugh.

But I am back in the saddle, or whatever metaphor works for you (or me). We’ll see if I stick to my plan and head out again on Wednesday, when it’s more likely to be damp out.

Stats:

Walk 60
Average pace: 8:24/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.8 km
Time: 65:31
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 10ºC
Humidity: 84%
Wind: light
BPM: 130
Weight: 181 pounds
Total distance to date: 458.89 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12

By which I mean I got so fully into run mode that when I hit the 6 km mark (and had two full km of run completed) I automatically stopped the workout, which I did not mean to do, as I still had 1.66 km of walking left (see Part B, below).

That said, this was another good effort and save for a few moments of creakiness right toward the end of the initial running stretch in my lower right back, I felt fine.

Well, I felt a little guilty. Today would normally be a run day, not a run/walk day, but I started rather late than intended, so opted for the combo instead. I can’t say I entirely regret it, as it was still a decent workout.

And it was very humid, showers having occurred earlier in the day. This assured there would be sweating, but no dry mouth. I can live with the trade-off.

My average pace of the combined efforts averages out to 7:38/km, which seems too fast, but is…possible. My running pace was 5:36 and 5:37/km, which is probably my best 1-2 so far this year.

Stats:

Walk 59
Average pace: 7:55/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 6.04 km
Time: 47:53
Weather: Sunny with some cloud
Temp: 17ºC
Humidity: 72%
Wind: light
BPM: 127
Weight: 178 pounds
Total distance to date: 451.09 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12

Part B:

Walk 59b
Average pace: 7:21/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 1.66 km
Time: 12:16
Weather: Sunny with some cloud
Temp: 17ºC
Humidity: 72%
Wind: light
BPM: 146
Weight: 178 pounds
Total distance to date: 452.75 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12

Today is the last day of summer, and it was downright pleasant for a walk/run combo.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do when I headed out (I missed yesterday’s usual run) but in the end I opted to stick to my run schedule and do a walk today (which always means running 2+ km, anyway). I felt pretty good, had no issues and overall it was a solid effort–almost identical to the last walk/run, actually. It’s always a little weird to match a previous effort with such precision.

The bonus old is this is the first running since my birthday on Sunday. I’m 57 now, and if you had asked me 20 years ago if I’d be running regularly at 57 I probably would have laughed, imagining myself with a cane and a long gray beard.

Well, maybe not the beard. Actually, not the cane, either. But I would have imagined myself creaky and docile, more likely to exercise by padding to the fridge and back to the recliner in the living room.

The reality is, I have no idea what 57 is supposed to feel like, but I feel pretty good. So that’s, uh, good!

The weather tomorrow is looking a little damp (though not like the downpour we had back on Friday), so this may be my first real test of getting out for a run, regardless of the weather.

Stats:

Walk 58
Average pace: 8:00/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.75 km
Time: 62:04
Weather: Sunny with some cloud
Temp: 21ºC
Humidity: 50%
Wind: light
BPM: 131
Weight: 177.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 445.05 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12

Some showers in the morning meant it was once again quite humid, but for the walk it was sunny and the temperature around 19C, so perfectly pleasant.

As has become my custom, I am now running an even two km on the way back from the end of the river trail and the pace for these two km was 5:50/km and 5:51/km, so I found a good pace and stayed with it. I actually kept running most of the way back after that–through Lower Hume Park and then along Fader Street (my shins especially notice the difference between running on a gravel trail vs. a concrete sidewalk and the difference can be summed up mostly as, “Don’t run on this really hard stuff.”

As I neared the condo, I experienced the first real taste of “I could keep going” since resuming my runs. It was nice.

I also just squeaked under the 8:00/km mark for overall average pace–not that I need to keep going faster and faster, but it’s still a fun thing to see.

The rest of the week looks a bit soggy. We’ll see how the runs go.

Stats:

Walk  57
Average pace: 7:59/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.78 km
Time: 62:13
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 19ºC
Humidity: 62%
Wind: light
BPM: 128
Weight: 176.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 437.30 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12

It was a beautiful summer day today–sunny and 27C. Probably the last summer day we’ll have that is this warm. It’s all showers and snowstorms after this.

Or at least the high teens and low 20s for the next few weeks.

It was a nice day for a walk.

My left foot felt a little creaky heading out. It doesn’t really feel like the plantar fasciitis of yore, so maybe the foot is just perpetually dumb now. Maybe I can get it encased in titanium.

As I walked and then ran it did feel better and seems to have warmed up to a state that is more or less fine.

The run part went well, with both km coming in under the six-minute mark. The premature exit came when I doubled back to round out the second km and instantly ended the workout–because that’s what I do at the end of a run, and I’ve been running more than walking lately. But I still had 1.6 km to go. Whoops. So I started a second walk, and you get double the stats, but not really double the fun.

My pace was even zippier than last time, though if you add it to the extra 1.6 km it probably works out about the same. I’m not using any extra math to find out, though.

Interestingly, my heart rate is higher after the running parts–probably due to the stairs and hills I climb near the end. At least, I hope that’s what it is.

Stats:

Walk  56
Average pace: 8:01/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 6.01 km
Time: 48:16
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 27ºC
Humidity: 42%
Wind: light
BPM: 122
Weight: 177.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 427.92 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12

Walk  56b
Average pace: 9:09/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 1.60 km
Time: 14:41
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 27ºC
Humidity: 42%
Wind: light
BPM: 131
Weight: 177.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 429.52 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12

Somewhat, in that Thursdays are not normally run days, so it makes sense to walk instead.

Today was a return to actual summer-like weather, but not scorching hot like early summer, more like a nice, “Hey, it’s still summer” sort of thing, not “Why does the air make my eyes feel like burning?”

The walk was fine, and although I briefly wondered if I would run the full length of the river trail coming back, I knew I had no excuse, since I’m now running 5Ks again. And not only did I do that, I even turned around again to make sure I got in a second full km–and that one at a brisk pace of 5:43/km (5:52/km for the first).

Stats:

Walk  55
Average pace: 8:06/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.78 km
Time: 63:04
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 26ºC
Humidity: 42%
Wind: light
BPM: 131
Weight: 178.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 421.91 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12

Since I started running again, the outdoor walks will likely become less frequent. Today’s was not exactly planned out in advance, but I wanted to close my activity rings, so off I went, with no intention of doing any running bits (I did run a tiny bit here and there but not enough to affect the overall pace).

We saw a return of more seasonal weather today, with it being around 25C and sunny, which was fine for walking. I went partway up the river trail to hit my goals, then came back, coming in at a little over 6 km total. Overall it was fine, and only slightly sweaty.

Stats:

Walk  53
Average pace: 9:16/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 6.06 km
Time: 56:11
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 25ºC
Humidity: 38%
Wind: light
BPM: 107
Weight: 178 pounds
Total distance to date: 405.72 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12

Today was a change of pace with the temperature in the mere high teens after a break in the weather finally arrived yesterday, along with the first showers in almost two months. It was humid, but the lower temperature offset that (though I did sweat a bunch, of course).

After pausing to fix another bugged song on the iPhone (Apple has definitely borked something since enabling both lossless and spatial audio options recently), I made it to the end of the trail and ran without any difficulty to the beginning. I could see I would fall short of getting in two full km of running, so when I got to the gate I turned around and ran back until I hit that second km, hinting at farther runs to come. My pace for the two km of running was decent:

• 5:50/km
• 5:53/km

I also ran the majority of the way back once off the river trail, putting in a total of 7.75 km in total. The cooler temperature makes a huge difference in how easy it is to keep moving because I’m fighting my own limits instead of fighting my own limits and also fighting hot/muggy/smoggy/smoky conditions. And my BPM was only slightly higher, despite being much faster than the previous outing.

Overall, a pleasing result.

Stats:

Walk  51
Average pace: 7:53/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.75 km
Time: 61:08
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 17ºC
Humidity: 82%
Wind: light
BPM: 135
Weight: 177 pounds
Total distance to date: 392.08 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12