I opted to do a sort of remedial 5K run today, basically to see how the legs/body would feel without putting as much stress on them as a full 10/11K run would.
For a change of pace and because it’s conveniently close, I ran along the Brunette River trail as seen in this BlurryTech™ iPod nano video still:
The run gently slopes uphill on the way in but it’s so gentle it hardly counts. It’s otherwise flat and mostly shaded by the trees. The sun was just coming out as I ran and in the exposed parts of the trail where the sun hit it was hot as all get-out. Other than that, it was comfortable enough.
The first km was fairly brisk — 4:47/km — but after that my times fell off a cliff. At the 2 km mark I felt like I was plodding along. Mostly just tired and still feeling the effects of the cold. I finished with a pace of 5:01 which, if extrapolated over a full 10K would probably have ended up as a decent 5:11 or 5:12.
The legs seem to be holding up after the run, which is the main thing I was looking for, so I rate this one a qualified success.
Distance: 11.66 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 22ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 815
Average pace: 5:18/km
Total distance to date: 1000.27 km
I didn’t run for a full week due to a persistent energy-sapping cold. I approached tonight’s run knowing that I was not going to be anywhere close to fast. I only wanted to reach Nike level Blue — 1,000 km logged. I needed to run about 11.39 km to do it.
I set out and was immediately struck by how very humid it was. Not good, since humid conditions tend to sap my energy and my reserves were already low. Despite a decent first km my time fell off in big chunks over the middle part of the run, due to both conditions and light cramping. The latter half was steadier as the cramps eased and I established a workable pace. I finished with a sluggish time of 5:18/km. It’s funny how a year ago that would have been a record-setting time and now it’s a disappointment.
By the end my shins, especially the left one, were tender enough to give me pause. But I did achieve two milestones as I evaluate whether I’ll be in shape for the next scheduled run:
1) I did my longest run to date at 11.66 km. My next goal, logically, is 12 km. That would only require a minor extension of my usual run, so it shouldn’t be difficult.
2) I reached the Nike level Blue, which means I’ve now tracked 1,000 km on my Nike+ sensor. Not bad for a lazy slob who didn’t run at all for over 20 years! The next Nike level is Purple at 2,500 km. It will be…awhile before I reach that.
Chart (All runs at Burnaby Lake except those in blue which are at China Creek):
Distance: 11.61 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 22ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 811
Average pace: 5:12/km
Total distance to date: 988 km
It was warm and a bit on the muggy side as I set out tonight. While I experienced no cramps or weird tendon issues, the heat and pace left me tired and dried out. You know it’s going to be a dry run when you start smacking your lips less than 1 km in.
My shins felt a bit tender after and I am now seriously considering strengthening exercises on my off-days, especially as I’m focusing more on distance and form for the next while rather than just improving my speed. To that end I ran my longest run to date tonight, coming in at 11.61 km. It was also my first run to come in at over an hour at 1:00:26 to be precise. Despite theextra distance and not running with the aim of setting a PR I finished with a decent pace of 5:12/km (5:11/km for 10K).
Chart (All runs at Burnaby Lake except those in blue which are at China Creek):
Distance: 11.41 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 19ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 798
Average pace: 5:14/km
Total distance to date: 977 km
With my shins feeling a bit tender after the last run I planned on a deliberately slower pace tonight. What I didn’t plan was a pulled tendon partway through that guaranteed a slower run and almost an early finish. I finished with an average of 5:14/km, which is perfectly acceptable given the conditions and as a bonus I did my longest run ever by taking on all three extra loops along the north side of the lake, coming in at 11.41 km. Joan even correctly congratulated me! The shins and in particular the right one, did start to hurt a bit partway through and you can see how my pace slowed down a notch or two when this happened but I persisted and as my legs armed up the soreness diminished. Stamina was never an issue. Somewhere between the 6K and 10K mark a tendon in the back of my left knee got pulled. There were a few times where it hurt noticeably as it stretched out again and I seriously considered stopping the run at the 10K point or even sooner. I risked giving it a bit to sort itself out, reckoning that it wasn’t a serious pull and happily it settled down and I finished without a precipitous drop in my pace. I’m going to focus less on speed and more on distance over the next few runs. Since I’m only 23 km from reaching 1,000 km (blue on the Nike+ site) I’ll need to cover at least 12K to do it in the next two — a reasonable goal, I think. It may also be time to start working on some leg exercises to give my calves extra strength.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise; purple= Burnaby Lake):
Distance: 10.07 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 17-20ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 704
Average pace: 5:08/km
Total distance to date: 965 km
My goal tonight was simple: run without cramping and beat the (now) pathetic time of my previous run, which averaged 5:17/km.
First, I broke my vow of not drinking Coke Zero before the run. I imbibed a glass but finished it a full five hours beforehand. If that was going to affect me, I’d need to have a serious talking to my digestive system.
Because Jeff was off to North Van for a bike ride I opted to return to China Creek and its dusty trail. I am happy to report no dog incidents, though there were dogs (and joggers and soccer players and plenty of other people) about. The soccer players presented the closest to a hazard, as several balls got punted onto the path ahead of me, none underfoot, fortunately.
One soccer guy who was mixing in some sprints came up and passed me on one lap. Shortly after passing he came to a stop in the middle of the path and began pinwheeling his arms horizontally because, you know, I totally wasn’t right behind him, even though he had just passed me. He didn’t seem to have much energy so the arms came down before one could bap me in the head.
The good news is I remained cramp-free for the entire run. This one was hard, though. I worked to keep on pace and the air at China Creek is very dry, so my mouth is parched pretty much the whole time. I felt myself flag slightly toward the end and that may have cost me a second or two but I still finished with my second best time overall — 5:08/km. I feel I’m back on track now after the last two crampaloozas.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise; purple = Burnaby Lake):
Distance: 11.03 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 21ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 771
Average pace: 5:17/km
Total distance to date: 955 km
Bleah: The Sequel.
Tonight’s run was pretty much a repeat of the previous, with a few minor variations that ultimately led to a near-identical result.
I got a cramp very near the start of the run and as a result the opening km was a (now) sluggish 5:04/km. To put this in perspective, this is only two seconds off my fastest overall pace. The cramp persisted for more than the first half of the run and returned in slightly milder form for the last 1+ km. I kept pushing steady through the cramping, though, and managed to hold myself to a time of 5:17/km when it could have been much worse.
On the plus side, it wasn’t quite as warm or buggy as the previous run. If I can get a decent start next time and avoid cramping up I should be in good shape. I had some Coke Zero in the afternoon before running but I didn’t think it was close enough to affect me. I’ll be skipping it altogether next run day, so I’ll find out then.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise; purple = Burnaby Lake):
Distance: 11.02 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 24ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 770
Average pace: 5:16/km
Total distance to date: 944 km
Bleah.
It was quite warm tonight and there was no wind at all at Burnaby Lake so the canopied sections of the trail were especially humid. This alone would have likely shaved a few seconds off my pace but what really did me in tonight was a cramp that showed up early and persisted through about 3 km. My start time was fine — 4:51 through the first km, then it dipped by 3, 5 and 5 seconds over the successive km, torpedoing any chance of finishing with a decent time. Once the cramp cleared my pace held up much better and in fact I generally only lost a second per km over the second half, which is pretty good, especially given that the southern part of the trail is more uphill.
Given the pleasant (for walking) weather, there were a few more people out but no incidents to report. The buggy section of the run was indeed super-buggy but keeping my head down managed to spare me ingesting a hundred gnats, though I felt a few plink off my forehead and face as I pushed through the clouds of ’em.
Here’s hoping the next run is a little more in-line with what I expect. Also, note to self: no Coke Zero an hour before a run.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise; purple = Burnaby Lake):
Distance: 11.18 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 22ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 781
Average pace: 5:10/km
Total distance to date: 933 km
Back to Burnaby Lake tonight. With the temperature still 22ºC at 7 p.m. I expected it to be warm and humid and it was. I also expected the bug-filled parts of the trail near the western tip of the lake to be especially bug-filled, given the rain from yesterday morning and the prevailing conditions. And it was very buggy.
I’m pretty sure I inhaled more than one. At one point it felt like I got something lodged in my windpipe and I tried clearing my throat. That didn’t seem to work so I coughed a few times. As I passed over a bridge I suddenly was taken with the urge to retch. This is not what one would call optimal running conditions. Fortunaqtely I did not retch, my stomach settled down and I finished thew run without further incident.
At times my shins felt a bit tender but I believe it was a combination of form (as the feeling went away when I concentrated on my form) and another five day layoff. This one was unintended, as other events ended up squeezing out my running time. I should be good to go again in two days, though.
Despite the mid-run glitch (between 6-7 km, — you can see my pace fall off by three seconds there) I turned in a solid 5:10/km average — identical to my last run, which was also after five days off. I got that consistency thing going.
And I must commend a polite and observant dog owner. She was walking two dogs, one on each side of her. The one on her left was stretched out on its leash, effectively blocking the path. I had to clear my throat as I approached and it served as a cue to her. She glanced back, saw me and neatly pulled the one dog close to her so I could pass. I waved and offered thanks as I did so. Why can’t all dog owners be like this? Thank you, nice lady!
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise; purple = Burnaby Lake):
Distance: 11.15 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 17ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 779
Average pace: 5:10/km
Total distance to date: 922 km
After 5 p.m. and after five days off, to be exact.
I hadn’t planned on five days off but my shins were feeling tender (though it’s never hurt for walking or post-run) so when my schedule didn’t line up for a run at the usual time I decided to give myself a little extra recovery time.
I returned to Burnaby Lake under a dreary gray sky (standard fare this summer). There was some slight humidity but nothing like the last run. My legs felt a big creaky, I had some light, persistent cramping but stamina was not an issue and overall I did about as expected given the time off, finishing with a 5:10/km pace — my second best time overall.
Prior to the run I had received two new mosquito bites on my left calf. I think these were from Amazonian mosquitoes or something because these suckers (ho ho) itched like nobody’s business. Jeff slathered the bites with calamine and then dusted both legs with some Off to insure further bites would not occur. The good news is the number of bites did indeed remain constant. The bad news is each step taken with my left foot jarred the calf and the bites and was a source of irritation. Now imagine how many times you step over the course of 11.15 km. Yeah.
The trail was sparsely populated, no surprise given the weather. I had one encounter with an IEDO (ill-educated dog owner). Ahead of me was a couple with their dog — unleashed (bad!) on their left. Normally I pass on the non-dog side but this time there was more room on the left and the dog seemed to be moving on a steady, predictable course. As I got close the woman turned to the dog and, seeing me, suddenly called its name. The dog immediately froze in place, which happened to be directly in front of me. I nearly ran into it but managed to nimbly skirt to the left just in time. Had the woman said nothing I would have passed without incident. Had the dog been properly leashed nothing would have happened. People!
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise; purple = Burnaby Lake):
Distance: 10.02 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 17ºC
Wind: light with occasional gusts
Calories burned: 701
Average pace: 5:06/km
Total distance to date: 911 km
After three fast runs at Burnaby Lake I returned to the familiar stomping grounds of China Creek park for today’s run. With the temperature in the early evening hovering around 17ºC and the sky overcast, there was no chance of overheating. As is usually the case in summer (technically it is summer, despite the weather) there were dual baseball games in session. Ominously as I started the run the very first ball struck landed close to the trail. Fortunately that would be the only one.
I started out strong but was curious to see if my improved pace was the change of scenery or if I was really just running faster. Due to possibly sleeping funny last night my left leg felt a bit janky in a few spots it normally doesn’t, around the hip and upper thigh but it was very minor. My calves and shins both felt it during much of the run but it was more ‘yep, those are my muscles getting worked out’ than ‘OMG the flesh is tearing from the bone and I shall soon crumple in a heap’. I was walking fine after the run so I’m hoping I am still working the legs hard without actually injuring them.
I felt stronger in the second half of the run, with my stamina holding up nicely and that’s reflected in the times as I only lost five seconds between 5 and 10 km. In the end I matched my best pace to date at 5:06/km — 11 full seconds than my previous best at China Creek. I am tentatively ready to say my overall pace has just plain improved, though maybe the runs at Burnaby Lake provided incentive/inspiration to pick up the pace.
There was a guy doing a pretty intense workout that showed up about halfway through my run. His face reminded me of a young Clark Kent and he had man boobs that looked like they had been sculpted from granite. I was a little jealous.
Irony: ball players sitting around and smoking after their game has ended.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise; purple = Burnaby Lake):
Distance: 11.29 km
Weather: Overcast, light drizzle
Temp: 19ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 789
Average pace: 5:10/km
Total distance to date: 901 km
Today I completed the third part of my Burnaby Lake loop trilogy after a couple of days’ rest and achieved two new milestones (or kilometerstones as we call them in Canada):
I officially passed 900 km on the Nike+
Had my longest run to date at 11.29 km
The conditions were a fair bit different for today’s run vs. that of Thursday. To wit:
I ran in the early afternoon (1 p.m.) instead of the evening
I ran on only one meal instead of three
There was absolutely no wind at all
It was extremely humid
The slugs had mysteriously vanished
I ran past a horse
The run was much harder than the previous one and at times I really felt myself laboring to continue but I pressed on and even ran an extra (but short) leg just to make sure it would be my longest run to date, if not the quickest.
I still finished the 10K portion with a second best-ever pace of 5:09/km and an overall pace of 5:10 (or 5:11 depending on which part of Nike+ you believe), so my performance was still good despite the struggle. My shins are feeling a bit tender now but I am unsure if it’s due to the intensity of the runs or if they’re getting hurt. I’ll know better tomorrow on my day off.
One of the important things here, I think, is to not run after just a single meal (breakfast). After the run my caloric intake for the day is actually negative as I burn off all the calories from breakfast and then some. This would be handy if I was trying to lose weight, but I’m not. I’ll also keep in mind the conditions at Burnaby Lake for future runs there. There was a heavy rain yesterday and today the air was thick, warm and heavy — very unappealing for a run. I sweated not unlike the proverbial pig.
Interestingly, I had a rare instance of my second km being faster than my first. No idea how that happened.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):
Distance: 11.05 km
Weather: Overcast, light drizzle
Temp: 16ºC
Wind: light breeze
Calories burned: 772
Average pace: 5:06/km
Total distance to date: 889 km
I look forward to doing it again, though I suspect it will be awhile before I can beat my 5:10 pace.
As it turned out, ‘awhile’ ended up being three days later, as I repeated the Burnaby Lake loop under similar conditions (overcast, early evening) and ended up shaving another four seconds off my average pace, bringing it down to a spiffy 5:06/km. This is also the first time I’ve finished 6 km with a pace of under 5 minutes.
I successfully dodged another army of black slugs. Apparently they project some kind of field that repels feet because I have yet to see one that has been squashed.
The highlight of tonight’s run, apart from the general zippiness, is that I successfully avoided the wrong turns of the first run, meaning the only pavement I saw was the brief mandatory sprint across a small parking lot as you come around toward the long southern stretch of the trail. Toward the end a light drizzle began to fall but it was kind of nice run-wise, even if it served to remind me that summer has been off to a hobbling start around these parts.
Just before the 1 km mark I had a USI (Untied Lace Incident) and shortly after addressing that I had a SBI (Swallowed Bug Incident). I’m pretty sure I swallowed a bug. Maybe even a couple of them. For the next few km I tried clearing my throat, coughing and carrying on to dislodge whatever got lodged in my windpipe. Fortunately this was on the part of the trail that moves away from the bog so I did not ingest yet more bugs as I worked to remove the ones already inside.
I did not pass any other joggers running the same way this time, though I did pass by a number of others running clockwise, including a large group of young guys that reminded me of those junior high P.E. runs where you had the few hardcore up front, a large middle group and a few stragglers usually walking far at the back with that ‘What, me exercise?’ attitude happening. The part that bugs me is even the guys in the latter group have incredibly toned bodies. No fair, I say.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):
