Here is a list of the worst types of weather to run in, according to me (since I’m the one who has to run in it), from least worst to worst worst:
14. Overcast and light breeze. This is actually ideal conditions. It is usually never too cold or warm when the weather is like this.
13. Moderate wind. Moderate wind can be a tad annoying, especially if I don’t have my cap on securely.
12. Warm sun. If it’s warm, I get hot and sweaty but it’s manageable.
11. Light rain. The only issue with light rain is that sometimes my iPod gets wet straight through my shorts’ pocket.
10. Snow. I’ve only run once in light snow and it was fun. I’m thinking a foot of snow would probably be less so.
9. Cold rain. Cold rain means cold hands and if you wear gloves they need to be waterproof.
8. Hard rain. Getting soaked to the skin is kind of refreshing. Unfortunately if it’s raining hard, it’s almost always cold, too. Not so refreshing. iPod also gets drenched.
7. Hail. I’ve never run in hail. I imagine getting pelted with little ice rocks is less than pleasant.
6. Extreme cold. I’ve run in sub-freezing conditions and been fine. I’m thinking Arctic tundra-type cold here.
5. Heavy wind. The resistance means you work a lot harder to achieve the same result and my cap has to be on tight enough to cut off circulation so it doesn’t fly away.
4. Hot sun. I wilt on hot days. My body feels like a furnace and I’m left parched as all get-out. Dry mouth and lips are yucky.
3. Hard rain and heavy wind. Likeliest weather to make me wonder to myself, ‘What was I thinking?’ when on the run.
2. Hot sun and heavy wind. Heat dries you out, the wind makes it harder to run and dries you out even more. Bleah.
Distance: 11.21 km Weather: Sun, cloud, light shower Temp: 17ºC Wind: light breeze Calories burned: 784 Average pace: 5:10/km Total distance to date: 878 km
UPDATE, November 7, 2025:
Yes, I am updating this post over 14 years later after randomly coming across it. In particular, I wanted to make note that back in 2011 I ran using a pedometer strapped to one of my running shoes--the Nike one that worked with an app on my iPod nano. This was never as accurate as GPS-based tracking, but it was off more than I realized at the time.
In 2011, the Burnaby Lake loop did not have any distance markers. When they were added a few years after this run was recorded, it revealed that starting and ending a run at the 0K marker would be a total of 10.3 km, much less than the 11.21 km I thought I'd run.
Using the description of where I started and stopped the run, I am reasonably confident I began the run at what is now the 0K marker and ended it just shortly past the 10K marker. This means, with a total time of 58 minutes, my overall pace was not an amazing 5:10/km, but actually closer to 5:48/km, which is slower than my usual runs as of November 2025. The copious slugs remain accurate, however.
After more than two years of running at China Creek park I finally tried something new. Tonight, Jeff and I drive to Burnaby Lake and I did my run on the trail that circumnavigates the lake, a distance of approximately 11 km. I started at the parking lot near the Burnaby Equestrian Centre and ran counter-clockwise, finishing with a total distance of 11.21 km and a time of one second under 58 minutes.
There are two remarkable things about this run. The first was the huge number of black slugs on the trail. It was like a 1950s science fiction movie where black slugs invaded the Earth, except the slugs were normal-sized and not really invading. I successfully dodged all of them.
The other remarkable thing was my time. I finished with an overall pace of 5:10/km. This is a full seven seconds better than my previous best pace, and it was also the only time I’ve come in under 5 minutes on the first three km (and the fourth was only one second over). I’m not really sure why my pace was so much better. Was it running in the early evening after three full meals? Was it the excitement of a new course? The variety on not looping around the same path a dozen and a half times? Alignment of the planets? All of these things?
I did my usual — keeping the pace steady and there are several long straight stretches that made it easier to maintain speed (the northern Cottonwood Trail stands out in that regard), but I also had my share of miscues. One time I mistakenly turned down a path to a viewpoint and had to swing back onto the main trail. When the trail turns south it enters a stretch I hadn’t anticipated where it crosses a road, parallels another, goes over a parking lot and generally looks very un-trail-like. It also doesn’t help that most of the trail affords no view of the lake at all, so you can’t use it as a navigation aid except to know that it’s ‘somewhere over that way’.
The trail itself is fairly good for running. It’s not too hard-packed and the stretches over concrete and pavement are brief. There are a couple of points on the southern side where you have to run along wooden boardwalks built over top of the bog but they’re in good condition. It’s all very scenic and woodsy.
I look forward to doing it again, though I suspect it will be awhile before I can beat my 5:10 pace.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):
Distance: 10.02 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 20ºC
Wind: light breeze
Calories burned: 701
Average pace: 5:20/km
Total distance to date: 867 km
The unexpected part of this run is how it turned out much better than I had hoped.
I decided to wait an extra day after Wednesday’s run because my right shin, though not hurting at all to walk, was a bit sensitive when pressure was applied in the right (or wrong, according to my shin) spot. I have been erring on the side of caution this year to prevent injury so instead of running on Friday I ran today.
Because I had plans in the evening, I broke my usual rule and ran in the mid-afternoon sun. It was 20ºC so not hot but when the breeze died down it still felt plenty warm. I knew after the first two km that I had started out too fast and was concerned that I would lag in the middle part of the run and have a slower overall time as a result. I had also made the mistake of not eating lunch beforehand (I was thinking of having it after the run), which meant I was running with minimal fuel. This, combined with the warmth, made the run feel much harder. By the time I got to the last km I really wanted it to be over.
My hunch on the start was correct — I posted a brisk 4:58/km on the first km and then did the exact same on the second. I then dropped five seconds from 2K to 3K and another four going from 3K to 4K, so I did indeed start flagging in the middle. However, I managed to find a steadier rhythm after that and ended with an overall pace of 5:20/km, a quite good result (third fastest 10K, only 3 seconds off my best run) and a full 11 seconds better than my last effort.
A group of people doing some kind of weird orienteering/weigh-in/whatever thing were annoyingly clustering on one part of the trail a number of times through the run but other than that there were no other unusual events to report.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):
Distance: 10.02 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 25ºC
Wind: light breeze
Calories burned: 700
Average pace: 5:31/km
Total distance to date: 857 km
Hot.
I waited until early evening to run and it was still 25ºC in the shade when I set out. As a result I started out sluggish, with a first km of 5:08 and maintained that slow-but-steady (and sweaty) pace throughout, finishing at a little over 55 minutes and with an average pace of 5:31/km. Normally I’d be disappointed but I’m actually pleased I kept at it and did the full 10K.
My calves were feeling sore toward the end and if I misstepped I could feel a twinge in my shins but the legs feel fine now. Complicating matters further were two near-identical insect bites, one each on the back of each calf — twins! They itched like mad but I couldn’t stop to scratch them and had nothing at the house to kill the itchiness before heading out.
Since I ran counter-clockwise I didn’t spend the majority of the run bobbing and weaving around others and the warmer temperature seemed to have frightened off most of the runners, anyway.
I had to take a whiz before the run and risked using the port-o-potty. Much like last year, it was strangely odor-free. However, being essentially a giant plastic tub sitting all day in the sun it was hot as all get-out inside and I had fleeting horror story thoughts of the door jamming and getting stuck in there, so I tinkled briskly.
Post-run there was a stupid bee at the water fountain. A few splashes seemed to convince it that it was raining and it left or perhaps it just went to gather the rest of the hive for revenge. I scooted off after taking a few sips before I could find out the answer.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):
Distance: 10.02 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 18-22ºC
Wind: light breeze
Calories burned: 700
Average pace: 5:21/km
Total distance to date: 847 km
Tonight’s run was frustrating for several reasons.
On the plus side, there were two ball games in progress and I did not get bonked by a baseball at any point. Yay! I also finished with a pace of 5:21/km, a time that a few weeks ago I would have considered awesome and now think of as merely good (it’s still my fourth fastest for a 10K and only four seconds off my previous — and fastest — run).
On the not-as-positive side I developed some cramping early on that really threw off my pace. It lasted for a few km and if you look at the chart below it’s remarkably clear where they hit. For the first 2 km my pace was actually better than my previous run but then I drop by a huge six seconds going into the third km. I drop another four seconds after that and it’s only after the cramps ease off midway through that I find my natural rhythm and finish stronger than I would have otherwise. I knew I’d regret eating those chicken samosas.
This was one of my clockwise runs but I didn’t actually run clockwise the entire way due to the heavy traffic on the trail tonight. There were people walking, people walking with dogs (on and off leash), people jogging, people jogging with dogs (on and off leash), a mother and her wee son, the latter of which was wobbly riding a similarly wee bike, plus a few bonus dogs just generally running about all dog-like.
None of this would normally be a problem, but in running clockwise I was heading toward the majority of them and nearly every one seemed baffled as to how to share the path with someone moving in the opposite direction. They would drift across the path, making it hard to pass. They would move directly into my way, they would stop for no apparent reason, they would toss balls across the path so their dogs could become tripping hazards. Shortly after the 5K mark and with the cramps cleared up, I pivoted around and changed direction, doing the second half counter-clockwise. It was a lot more relaxing. By coincidence, or perhaps feeling that they had won, most of the people disappeared at the same time.
My knee was a bit cranky but is fine now and my legs likewise felt a bit tired but seem to be recovering normally afterward.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):
Distance: 10.02 km
Weather: Sun and cloud
Temp: 18ºC
Wind: light breeze
Calories burned: 700
Average pace: 5:17/km
Total distance to date: 837 km
What better way to celebrate the nation’s birthday than with a stinking long run?
As expected, it was pretty quiet when I got to China Creek late in the afternoon. It had been cloudy for much of the day but was clearing up as I got to the park and most of the run was done under the sun, though it was not warm enough to be a bother.
My initial km was a whopping six seconds shorter than my previous run, which surprised me as I didn’t feel I was that far off my pace. However, I felt good and kept my pace consistent. In the end the consistency paid off as I ended up beating my previous best of 5:19/km by two seconds (three on my iPod but the cursed Nike+ site rounded up, as usual). As you can see by the chart below it wasn’t until the halfway point that I caught up to Tuesday’s pace but then I did a better job of maintaining my pace. I stopped at 10K despite feeling good because my right shin had been feeling tender (hence the two day layoff since the last run) and I didn’t want to push it. Both legs held up fine, though.
Joan congratulated me incorrectly for my farthest run yet. Oh, Joan, you silly but well-meaning person!
Nothing unusual at the park today, which is kind of a change of pace.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):
Distance: 11.04 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 17-18ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 772
Average pace: 5:19/km
Total distance to date: 827 km
Tonight I felt like Goldilocks. With the temperature a comfy 18ºC, a light breeze from the east and the cooling of the night air, conditions were just right for today’s run. My biggest worry was getting conked by a baseball by one of the two games in progress. Fortunately none of the balls turned into noggin homing missiles.
Obligatory odd thing on the run: An old white lab was strolling and sitting about for most of my run and until the very end I never saw the owner. In fact, I’m still not sure the person I saw the dog with at the end was the owner. In any case, toward the end of the run the dog decided to lay down square in the middle of the path. From a distance he looked like a large white rock that had been dropped into place. On my first lap past him I hooked right. He stirred slightly. On the second lap I hooked left and he stirred not at all. Dogs are weird.
The other thing that stood out tonight was the large number of runners. There were half a dozen out at once and more than that over the length of my run. Nearly all were running counter-clockwise, so I felt a bit like someone driving down the right side of the road in England. No collisions to report, though I do roll my foot over an exposed root once as I dodged a fellow jogger.
The run itself went very well. I had a good start and a much better pace than the last run and felt no discomfort. Toward the end my second wind had kicked in nicely and I opted to do what I have never done before and go for that extra km. I finished with 11.04 km on the run and an average pace of 5:19/km — my best pace ever for a 10K. I am pleased. So was Joan, who, instead of giving me congrats for yet another phantom 500K completed, instead accurately acknowledged my farthest run to date. Thanks, Joan!
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):
Distance: 10.02 km
Weather: Sunny, hazy cloud
Temp: 20ºC
Wind: breezy
Calories burned: 701
Average pace: 5:27/km
Total distance to date: 816 km
It seemed like half the people at the park today had soccer balls and many of them went shooting off in random directions, like the Whitecaps desperately trying to tie yet another game. Fortunately I was never in any real danger of getting bopped — this time. The oddest use of a soccer ball was probably on the slide in the playground area. The slide is enclosed in a tube and a young father was tossing the ball up the tube so it could shoot out the top. His son would then attempt to catch it below. A couple of kids later tried a variation on this where one kid sat inside the top of the tube. This did not work so well. It worked even less well when the other boy, wearing a ribcage t-shirt, started tossing handfuls of gravel up the tube instead of the soccer ball.
Kids are weird.
Speaking of weird, I saw one of the weirder things at the park. A large group were apparently filing some thing that involved copious numbers of beachballs being jettisoned down the large hill at the west end of the park (this was also the site of last summer’s waterslide) while running down dressed as wizards or possibly monks. They had big beards so I’m thinking wizards. Or possibly Moses and his clones. Several people were also wearing clown wigs. One rode down in a toy car and later observed that the driver-side door had opened, as if it was some kind of rule violation. I never did get exactly what the whole thing was about. A jogger ahead of me came closest to getting caught as they all barreled down the hill.
As for the run itself, I had decided to take it slow and steady due to my right ankle feeling a little tender after the last run. The good news is the ankle came through fine. My left knee complained a little but it, too, is fine now. The baqd news is I had my worst 10K time since resuming them. I started out well and then had a 5-second drop off by the 3rd km. I had another 4-second drop off at the 6 km mark and these combined to give me a mediocre pace of 5:27/km. Still, it was sunny for most of the run and I had that mini-furnace thing going for a good portion of it, so the time isn’t awful. And Joan spotted me another bonus 500 km. Thanks, Joan!
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):
Distance: 5.08 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 15-18ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 355
Average pace: 5:15/km
Total distance to date: 806 km
A brisk start today (4:59 for the first km) but I began to lag slightly as a cramp in my stomach persisted through the initial 3 km of the run. I decided to stop the run at 5K rather than have a slower-than-satisfactory 10K. The run was otherwise unremarkable.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):
Distance: 10.02 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 18-20ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 700
Average pace: 5:21/km
Total distance to date: 801 km
After an extra day off, I tackled my first run of the week on the first official day of summer. In a strange turn of events, the weather was actually summer-like! In fact, it was the hottest day of the year to date and so I avoided the glare of Mr. Sun by running around 8 p.m. in the evening. It was still 20ºC and cooled to a still balmy 18ºC by the end of the run.
The park was abuzz with activity, with one ball game ended, another in progress, a soccer scrim midfield, people playing badminton, smoking pot and walking their wiener dogs (which is not to say everyone was doing all of these things, though that would have been most interesting to see).
I tried to pace myself a bit slower to start, hoping to have more juice for the second half of the run and it worked! My first km came in at 5:00/km instead of the zany-fast 4:53 of the previous run and yet my overall pace came in three seconds faster, at 5:21/km — my second fastest 10K to date. My knee didn’t bother me at all and I maintained good form and pace — my back did not start to ache, I did not find the final two km a horrible slog. By the end the air was starting to cool and my biggest issue — a very parched mouth — was alleviated somewhat.
Overall, a very good run.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):
Distance: 10.02 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 15-18ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 700
Average pace: 5:24/km
Total distance to date: 791 km
Things I don’t normally see on a run that I saw today:
a lesbian couple kissing in midfield
a guy doing a test-lap around the path on a motorized scooter
a spare tire near one of the baseball diamonds
a polite, knowledgeable dog owner. Haha, just kidding. I have seen more than one of these. I think.
I started the run at my lightest weight of the year, a svelte 145.5 pounds.
The big question today was how would my knee hold up and the answer is: better than Wednesday, not as well as Monday. I could definitely feel it but it wasn’t enough to significantly slow my performance. In fact, the entire run was beset my minor discomforts, ranging from my lower back starting to ache, a brief flare-up in my left ankle and recurring heartburn/acid reflux (the latter may be due to a late slice of pepperoni pizza last night, though neither pizza nor pepperoni normally gives me heartburn). I was fearing my time by the end of the run but was pleasantly surprised that I actually came in one second faster than Monday’s 10K (5:24/km) and had my best first 2 km this year (4:53/km for 1K and 5:01/km for 2K). My strong start couldn’t overcome the flagging in the final 2 km, though. I was feeling pretty pooped by the end.
Joan also piped up to congratulate me on another 500 km toward my goal of reaching Mars. As always, thanks Joan!
On a final note, I mistakenly ran clockwise for the second run in a row. I normally alternate but for some reason got things mixed up today. No harm, but wanted to make it clear the chart is accurate.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):
Distance: 5.2 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 20ºC
Wind: strong gusts at times
Calories burned: 363
Average pace: 5:19/km
Total distance to date: 781 km
Although it was sunny for the entirety of my run today it did not slow me down as much as I had feared, though my pace was off by a couple of seconds. I had planned a full 10K but right at the 5K mark my left knee felt like it was locking up. I debated briefly on whether to run at a slower pace and wait it out or call it there before my average pace went to poop. I called it at 5.2 km completed and am planning on another run tomorrow – my first back-to-back runs in many moons.
The knee is feeling fine now, so I don’t believe it’s hurt, just old and stupid.
The run was otherwise unremarkable. I am coming home dusty instead of muddy now, which is actually kind of nice.
Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):
