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.
I wanted to get some photos of the detour on my run route so today Jeff and headed out on a partial walk around Burnaby Lake, covering the south shore. The total distance was around 7 km and despite the temperature peaking at 30ºC it didn’t feel too hot thanks to a moderate breeze.
We started by walking from Production Way SkyTrain station to Cariboo Dam then headed to Still Creek, the approximate midway point of the lake trail. Normally we’d head out of the park and up a street to the Burnaby Lake/Sperling SkyTrain station but I had seen an unofficial trail just a little ways up where the Cottonwood Trail starts that looked like it would be a good shortcut — you can see the pedestrian walkway that’s near the station just beyond it. So we took it.
The trail quickly petered away and changed from a discernible path to ‘I knew I should have brought my machete’. The brambles and thick vegetation his stumps and other hazards, though the frequent prickly bushes were hard to miss. When we finally emerged onto the train track (fortunately there was no train parked on that section) we were bleeding, had bug bites and multiple welts from the prickly things. I was itchy as all get-out initially but the itchiness mercifully faded after a little while.
We agreed to not take that ‘route’ again — the same decision everyone else had made based on how quickly the trail came to an end. I’m not sure it was any faster, either.
Here’s one of the photos I took before we lacerated our legs. This is part of the detour I am taking on my runs now and as you can see the name Freeway Trail is apt.
It’s fun for running because there is absolutely no shade.
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.
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.
Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 11.52 km
Weather: Mainly cloudy, some light rain
Temp: 16ºC
Wind: light to none
Calories burned: 817
Total distance to date: 1511 km
Ran: Spruce and Conifer loops.
I was waiting and hoping that the light rain that was falling this afternoon would stop — and it did! But only after I started my run. Fortunately it was light so I had pretty much dried by the time I finished the run. With temperatures significantly cooler than Friday and a weekend of rest I was more energetic and able to maintain a steady pace more reliably. The left foot and shin also behaved enough to not be factors. This allowed me to clock my second best pace to date at 4:47/km as well as my fastest 5K at 23:16. I also passed 1500 km tracked, woo.
Near the start of the counter-clockwise run I had a Fitness Dude with armband iPod run past me. It happens, I’m not the fastest guy out there. I took two of the three optional trails, spotting him some extra distance. When I hit the Cottonwood Trail (which is a very long straight stretch) I spotted him a fair distance ahead of me. He disappeared where the trail turns back toward the lake and I did not see him again. At this point I assumed he stopped at 5K or was chased off my a wily coyote.
For the final km I found a reserve of energy and picked up my pace significantly. This was nice. Then I saw Fitness Dude coming out of the parking lot (basically the 10K point of the run), heading past me. I am now assuming that he was some kind of running robot with fully charged battery. Or maybe a clone.
In all, I was quite pleased by today’s effort. The cooler temperatures are definitely better for runs but it would still be kind of nice if summer showed up at some point.
Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.79 km
Weather: Sun and cloud
Temp: 20ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 836
Total distance to date: 1499 km
Today was planned as a maintenance run. With my left foot and shin bothering me to varying degrees on Wednesday’s run I wanted to run today at a slower but steady pace to help reduce the risk of injury and to see if the left foot and shin would react positively. I still wanted to finish under 5:00/km if possible because I am at least a little addicted to always getting a bit faster.
I managed to achieve all of my intended goals. I finished with a pace of 4:58/km and the left foot was not unduly bothersome. More importantly, perhaps, the left shin did not act up during or after the run. I am now hoping that my shifted gait on Wednesday was responsible for it feeling tweaked. Two full days of rest over the weekend should also help out.
It was cloudy to start (99% coverage according to the weather site) with a 30% chance of showers so I was prepared for rain. 30% often equals 100% around here. Surprisingly, the opposite happened and it partially cleared while I was out. Typically the sun would shine when I was on a part of the trail that offered no shade and would then duck behind a cloud when I was back to running under a heavy canopy. It was quite humid and the stretch along the athletic fields was especially stifling, with no real breeze to speak of.
I started out with a good pace but eased off and maintained a slower but steady pace as intended. I also skipped the optional loops to reduce the total distance, though with the detour that still came in at 11.79 km.
The run was unremarkable save for an annoying pair of cyclists who crossed my path three (!) times. The woman was especially wobbly at the wheel and I kept expecting her to tip over as I passed. They got a wide berth — and bonus mildly dirty look.
And the return of the chart, showing overall pace:
Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 13.06 km
Weather: Sun, hazy sun
Temp: 22ºC (feels like 25)
Wind: light to strong
Calories burned: 926
Total distance to date: 1488 km
Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.
It was warm and humid today, with a mix of sun and hazy sun. On the plus side the humidity helps to keep you from feeling overly parched/thirsty while running. On the negative, it tends to wear you out.
It didn’t help that my left foot acted cranky fairly early on. Even my left shin felt not exactly sore but I could definitely feel it. This is worrying because it may mean it’s past the breaking point but it seems all right now, so I’m hoping that my likely shifted gait during the run was making it hurt (sort of) in a way it normally wouldn’t.
In better news, I once again opted for distance over speed and stretched out to beat last year’s previous best of 12.7 km. I did it, finishing at 13.06 km. Even better, my average pace was 4:58 vs. last year’s 5:21, a 23 second improvement. I approve!
I also experienced some other discomfort, notably some gas. I took a Tums before the run just for the heck of it and I think that may have actually caused the gas. Oops. Other that that the rest of the run went fine. I did a complete loop and came up just short of Spruce Loop before turning back to the dam to get past the 13K barrier. Fine, except for bugs. There seemed to be several new clumps hovering along a few spots on the trail, possibly hatched because it’s all cozy and muggy out. I’m pretty sure I ate a few.
I’m going to bring back the chart for the next run but will only record my average pace instead of the pace for each km. That will at least make it easier to see overall trends.
Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 12.5 km
Weather: Sun, hazy sun
Temp: 22ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 890
Total distance to date: 1475 km
Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.
The last run was soggy and cold so today’s was the opposite, warm and sunny. This is June.
Because it was warmer I opted to run clockwise, taking the detour first, my logic being that this section, which is entirely open and exposed, would be easier at the start of the run when I had lots of energy than at the end when I might be feeling a little pooped.
The logic was sound but halfway through the sun became hazy sun and the hazy sun was cloud by the time I finished.
My first km was strong then I dropped off quite a bit as the heat hit me. I maintained fairly well after that, though and finished with a respectable 4:53/km pace. I also squeezed out as much distance as I could and ended up with my second longest run to date, 12.56 km. Legs fine, left foot was tolerable.
Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.93 km
Weather: Steady rain
Temp: 14ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 846
Total distance to date: 1462 km
Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.
By coincidence I finished today’s run with the exact same distance as Wednesday — 11.93 km. It was not supposed to be as long but thanks to the iPod click wheel that’s how it ended up. I’ll get to why shortly.
The forecast for this afternoon was for a 30% chance of precipitation and less than 1 mm. A 30% chance pretty much means 100% so I went prepared, bringing along the plastic baggie that would keep my iPod dry and functional. The sky was overcast and while one part of it looked fairly non-threatening the other had the look of imminent rain. I walked through Hume Park and to the Brunette River trail and as I approached the overpass there the first few drops began. By the time I got to the lake it was pouring steadily and it kept raining for the entire run and the walk back. By the time I got home my hands were almost numb from the cold. Our brief summer tease of two days ago turned out to be just that, a tease.
I ran clockwise to get the detour part of the trail out of the way as soon as possible and it seems I misremembered how it sloped because there are three distinct hills going down this way, meaning it is a bit easier to run clockwise, rather than the other way around as I had noted previously. Because I was not burdened by warm temperatures and needed to keep moving just to keep from freezing I kept up a good pace throughout. I even picked it up a bit as I came out of the Spruce Loop and another runner whisked ahead of me. I had seen her prepping earlier near the halfway mark and had expected her to already be well past me as she would be only a few km in vs. my 9 km or so. I took up the challenge to keep up but she pulled ahead. I valiantly gave it my best and reached a point where she was ahead but no longer gaining ground, so I consider it a moral victory.
As I came in toward the dam for the finish I pulled out the plastic baggie and reached in to end the workout on the iPod. Although it was dry my hands were not and wiping them on my drenched shirt and shorts wasn’t helping. Even a tiny bit of moisture on my fingertip was enough to render the click wheel useless. I could bring up the workout options but not scroll down to the fourth one, End Workout. I kept running and trying, adding about 300 or 400 m to the run and was finally able to get it to shut down just as I reached the literal end of the trail (at Cariboo Road).
I then tried to see if I could get the music to at least resume for the soggy walk home but gave up after numerous attempts. I now officially hate the iPod and the click wheel. I’m seriously considering using the much heavier iPhone for my runs. Stupid click wheel.
On the plus side, I finished four seconds ahead of my previous best pace, finishing with a new record of 4:45/km. Woo! I also set records for the following:
1K: 4:28
5K: 23:31
10K: 47:23
I didn’t experience any notable pain or discomfort. Even the left foot behaved itself, more or less.
Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 11.93 km
Weather: Hazy sun, warm
Temp: 20ºC
Wind: light to none
Calories burned: 846
Total distance to date: 1450 km
I checked the Metro Vancouver Regional Parks web page before the run today and found an update regarding the blocked access on the Burnaby Lake trail. I quote:
Southshore Trail Closure
A portion of the Southshore Trail will be closed beginning June 18, 2012 for about two months to replace the boardwalk. During this time, the rest of the trail will remain open and visitors can complete the lake loop by using Freeway Trail. Access along Avalon Trail may occasionally be affected by construction equipment and vehicles. Visitors are reminded to follow posted detour and safety signs. For more information, call Metro Vancouver at 604-520-6442.
This is both good in that I know what is going on and bad because it means for two months I’m going to have to use the serviceable but generally unfun Freeway Trail detour until the new boardwalk is in place. I am curious to see what the new fancy boardwalk will look like, though. The old one didn’t seem to be in bad shape, thought it was a bit springy, which is probably not a good quality to have.
I knew today’s run was going to be more challenging with the warmer conditions. Since the weather keeps changing back and forth it’s difficult to adjust to the warmer days because there’s never enough of them to adjust to. Stupid June. Knowing I was unlikely to be setting a blistering pace, I set myself two goals: to run all three loops and try to come in under 5:00/km.
I finished with a pace of 4:59, completed all three loops and ended with a distance of 11:96 km. Since I never check distance before ending runs I didn’t realize I was so close to 12K. I would have pushed on for the smidgen extra had I known.
I ran counter-clockwise today so I didn’t get to the detour until I was past the 9K mark. I came in at 10K just as I passed the electrical tower. The Google maps image below shows the Freeway trail. I’ve highlighted where it connects to the parts of the run I normally take.
The hazy sun kept things tolerable but after a good start through the cooler woods of the northern trail I found my pace flagging some as I moved onto the more exposed southern side. Worse, the entire detour is completely exposed, though going CW the route is more downhill so it’s a little easier to manage.
My left foot started to complain around the 6K mark but eased up fairly quickly and was not a significant issue. I think it must change with the weather.
A solid, lengthy run overall. I think this will be the last time I use the same chart format.
Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.59 km
Weather: High cloud
Temp: 16ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 822 Average pace: 4:49/km<– tied personal record
Total distance to date: 1437 km
Conditions were good today, with high cloud and mild temperatures well-suited for running. I opted to go clockwise and noticed something a bit different as I approached the fork where the Avalon Trail splits off to form the South Shore Trail to the right. Specifically there was a big honking yellow temporary fence blocking the South Shore Trail. On it was a sign that read DANGER NO ACCESS. I had to think on my feet and quickly decide what to do, which basically meant guessing at how far along the trail was blocked and whether it was worth taking the detour by continuing along the Avalon Trail, knowing I could eventually get back onto the lake trail at some unknown point.
I decided to keep going and ventured along the Avalon Trail as it turned into the Freeway Trail, so named because it parallels Highway 1 for a ways. As you might guess this is not especially scenic or quiet but you’re at least far enough from the traffic that you don’t feel like you’re part of it.
The trail is more on an actual dirt road here and is softer, probably because it gets used a lot less often. It’s also very uneven, with lots of dips and the dips often filled with especially squishy dirt. After some time the trail rounded an electrical tower and headed back into the woods and I reconnected with the lake trail. The other end of the South Shore route was also blocked here.
I had no idea whether the detour had added to or shortened my usual run. It was like my brain simply couldn’t do the math while I was still moving. I completed a couple more km before I figured I had run farther. I opted to skip the three optional loop along the north shore and when I finished had covered 11.59 km.
The one negative of the run was again my left foot. It bothered me a little more than usual and I also felt a small stitch starting to develop but I pushed all minor pain and annoyances aside and came in tied for my best pace ever, 4:49/km. I additionally set new personal bests for 1K, 5K, 10K and the mile. They key here may have been the detour, as I was almost feeling winded while running along it. I was mildly paranoid that a construction crew would come along in a truck (I passed one on the way) and the road really has no shoulders so I’d be plunging into the scrub to get out of the way.
Also my per km times are bouncing all over the place. I don’t know if this is due to the way the times are being calculated on the updated Nike+ site or if the sensor is going wacky (it’s nearly three years old) but I may stop listing the individual km times, especially since they are still available on the Nike+ site.
Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 11.3 km
Weather: High cloud, somewhat humid
Temp: 20ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 802 Average pace: 4:51/km
Total distance to date: 1426 km
Ran: Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loop.
June continues to be Random Weather Month. Where Wednesday was unseasonably cool and drizzly, today was warm and humid. The only common factor was no real sun to speak of (we’re at about half the usual sun for the month, apparently).
I maintained a decent pace for the first half of the run and may have bested my record but the second half felt a lot harder with the humidity. There was a point where I definitely felt I was pushing hard to maintain the stamina needed to keep up the pace. It was the kind of condition that I would probably adapt to fairly quickly except, as I said, June runs give you something different weather-wise every time you go out.
The left foot felt better overall today and was reduced again to mild irritant for just the last stretch of the run.
The title comes from the model airplane guy who was flying his plane again out in the athletic fields. I’ve seen him a number of times but while running by I’ve never managed to catch sight of the actual plane — until today! I watched as he circled it low and brought it in for a landing. It touched down on the grass, rolled forward slightly then flipped over, tail over nose. Since it was almost at a standstill I’m going to guess it was not damaged at all by this. Had it been a real plane mayhem and death would have been much more likely. What’s odd is that as I was walking down Fader Street en route to the lake, a mere block from home, I noticed someone putting a large model plane into the back of an SUV and driving off. Unless New West has a sudden influx of model airplane fliers I’m pretty sure it was the same guy down at the field. The plane itself appeared to be based on a WWII fighter, though I couldn’t ascertain the actual model. Something British or American seemed likely based on what I was able to glimpse. The wingspan was probably over a meter.
Apart from the model aircraft the run was otherwise unremarkable. Several stretches of the trail have been transformed into Cottonwood seed hell (or heaven, depending on how you regard cottonwood seeds). Let’s just say if each of those seeds successfully grew there would be a strong lobby to change the name of the planet to Cottonwood. Fortunately the zany high number of seeds did not cause a repeat of the mysterious throat incident of the last two runs and I finished with my second best pace to date at 4:51.
Tiger Woods also piped up at the end of the run: “This is Tiger Woods. Congratulations, you’re faster than me being chased by my ex-wife!” I may be paraphrasing a little but apparently I put in (or tied) my fastest mile at 7:29. I also noticed my fastest 5K is now under 24 minutes at 23:54.
