Exercise – Page 24 – creolened.com

Run 770: Daily suggested workout

April 14, 2023April 10, 2023

Today’s stats look a little weird because today’s run was a little weird.

The Garmin Forerunner 255 has a “Daily Suggested Workout” feature you can toggle on, and it does just what it says–it gives you a suggested workout, taking into account your current condition/recovery state and the like.

I decided instead of my usual 10K to do whatever it suggested. It suggested this:

4x 8-minute runs, 6:00 min/km pace
4x 3-minute recovery segments, 8:00 min/km pace
1x 10-minute cooldown run, 7:00 min/km pace¹

All of the above are at paces below what I normally run at. As an example, my Friday 10K run had an average pace of 5:41/km, so stepping that down to 6:00/km was surprisingly difficult. The watch constantly told me I was going too fast. It took most of the first segment to finally find something in the acceptable range.

For the 3-minute segments, I had to adopt a weird, very brisk walking pace, because any kind of running was too fast. For the cooldown at the end, I was able to run. In fact, I had to run, but only just barely. I felt like a horse trotting down the trail, but this was probably where the watch yelled at me the least.

You get a performance score at the end and it’s based on not how fast you move, but how much time you spent in the range for each segment. I got a 75/100, which is considered Good.

For the actual being outdoors part, the weather was fine–cloudy, but calm. Because it’s a holiday the trail was packed full of people, dogs and bikes, but everyone was well-behaved.

The tendons around my knees were straining a bit for the start, but felt fine after warming up. I think they’ll be okay, but may ice them a bit to keep down any potential swelling. There’s no pain, just some stiffness.

Tomorrow I would not normally run, but I’ll see what the daily suggested workout is and figure out if I want to do it or not.

Overall, it was a strange experience. My BPM was slightly higher than Friday at 154, but I think that was actually stress in trying to stay within the range of each segment. Physically, the run was no big deal, but I don’t think I’ve ever had to use my brain so much.

I’m counting this as a 10K run because it was close enough, plus I walked to and from the river trail. Also, I get to make the rules here!

Stats:

Run 770
Average pace: 6:27/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 9:50 a.m.
Distance: 9.48 km
Time: 1:01:11
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 7ºC
Humidity: 97%
Wind: low
BPM: 154
Weight: 164.6
Total distance to date: 5735 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (407 km)

Run 769: Skunk cabbage ahoy!

April 7, 2023

The original title of this post was going to be April showers, but it stopped raining about two km in. The sun even threatened to come out, but it was only a threat.

The skunk cabbage is now at the stage where it earns its moniker. It’s not terrible, but when you move past a large clump of them, you definitely notice the odour. At least I was running.

My goal today was to do a more casual run, to just take it easy. I kind of broke my own promise on that. I did start a little bit slower, but then went on to finish with a pace very close to Monday’s.

It was busier than I expected, too, especially given the weather, though it was a stat holiday (Good Friday). A lot of people were running, many of them overdressed. I almost felt overdressed wearing two layers up top.

I did have one minor complication in the final km when my left hip started feeling a bit wacky, but it worked itself fairly quickly and did not affect my pace.

I had to dodge a few puddles, but it wasn’t that bad, and when I stopped to tie my right lace just short of the 5K mark, I noticed someone running ahead of me–the spitfire! In all the years I’ve seen her running, I have never actually been behind her. I kept pace past the fields and down the Cottonwood Trail, but once the trail started getting windy, I lost sight of her, as she had enough distance on me. She was also pulling away a bit near the end because I tend to go into cruise control on the Cottonwood Trail, and she apparently does not.

I did not see her at the end, which made me very slightly sad.

Overall, it was a fine run, even if I did break my own promise on how to run it.

Oh, and another sign of spring: They finally unlocked the fountain. Yay! The water was very cold and delicious.

Stats:

Run 769
Average pace: 5:41/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 11:00 a.m.
Distance: 10:03 km
Time: 57:04
Weather: Showers and cloudy
Temp: 8ºC
Humidity: 92%
Wind: low
BPM: 153
Weight: 164.8
Total distance to date: 5725 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (397 km)

Run 768: Peppy and slightly different

April 3, 2023

The forecast today was Mostly Sunny but for the first 4 km of the run it was Completely Cloudy and a bit on the chilly side. Then it did clear up and the forecast became accurate. The difference in how warm it felt was remarkable, even if the temperature didn’t actually change much. I’m still glad I wore two layers.

As a slight change of pace, I decided to skip the Piper Mill Trail, partly because I started well back of the 0K marker and really, just to be a different.

I established a good pace early and managed to maintain it throughout, even in parts where I’d normally flag a bit. My BPM was going into the mid-150s, but today I was okay with that. My overall BPM ended up being a perfectly fine 153 and my pace of 5:39/km is my best 10K performance since I started running 10Ks again last year¹.

No issues at all, really, and I even set up a playlist, so the music wouldn’t abruptly end with 2 km left.

There were perhaps more people on the trail than expected, but I had no problems with navigating around them, and even the trail itself is in better shape, with some of the sunken bits patched up and all the stabby branches now pruned away, at least until the next big storm hits.

This was also my first run after ditching the Apple Watch, and it was nice to just go out instead of fiddling with a watch on each wrist.

Overall, I am quite pleased.

Stats:

Run 768
Average pace: 5:39/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:34 a.m.
Distance: 10:04 km
Time: 56:48
Weather: Cloud and sun mix
Temp: 7ºC
Humidity: 61%
Wind: low to moderate
BPM: 153
Weight: 164
Total distance to date: 5715 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (387 km)

Run 767: OCD undone

March 31, 2023

After not running my normal schedule this week for various reasons, I set about to do a run today. And then a downpour started. I had already changed, which meant the chance of me skipping out was actually quite small.

I waited out the downpour and then headed out, opting to do a shorter 5K run on the river trail. It would be shorter, sure, but also faster. Plus, it was still showering, and I’ll admit, I just didn’t feel like running a 10K in the rain.

It wasn’t that bad, though. I wore two layers and never felt cold, despite it being 7C, and had no issues other than feeling just a touch stiff at the start, given the four days of not-running.

There were a few people out walking because some people will go out for a walk in any kind of weather–usually with a dog–but overall, it was a pretty quiet outing and in a way, kind of nice. I mean, I’m not saying I want to keep doing runs in the rain, but the river trail is a very different running experience and change is good and all that.

Stats:

Run 767
Average pace: 5:35/km
Location: Brunette River Trail
Start: 12:56 p.m.
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 28:08
Weather: Showers
Temp: 7ºC
Humidity: 90%
Wind: low
BPM: 152
Weight: 163.7
Total distance to date: 5705 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (377 km)

Run 766: Unplanned, OCD addressed

March 26, 2023

I got the urge to do some kind of exercise today and didn’t want to be stuck mid-evening on the treadmill, so off I went for a late afternoon 5K run on the weekend, something I basically never do.

And it was fine!

I did a short loop counter-clockwise, running to the 3K marker, then turning back. I had a decent BPM of 152 and matched my last 5K pace of 5:38/km, with only the second “okay, put on the brakes a bit” km being the outlier at 5:52/km.

No issues at all and despite wearing two layers, I didn’t feel overdressed, as there was a bit of a chill in the air, especially with the sun hiding behind the clouds most of the time.

The OCD part: My total distance to date had been 5695 km prior to today’s run, meaning every time I ran 10K, it would never be a nice, even number. By doing a 5K today, it now stands at not just a nice even number, but one that’s easy to remember: 5700 km. Woo!

Stats:

Run 766
Average pace: 5:38/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 4:03 p.m.
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 28:21
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 9ºC
Humidity: 71%
Wind: low
BPM: 152
Weight: 163.5
Total distance to date: 5700 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (372 km)

Treadmill workout: totally casual

March 24, 2023

I was focused on other stuff today and skipped the Friday run, intending to catch up by doing a walk in the afternoon or something.

But I got too wrapped up and missed my window. Also, the weather was kind of lousy today–wet and cold, more like winter than spring–and so I found myself mid-evening faced with either a dark ‘n soggy walk, or hitting the treadmill.

I chose the latter, but took a decidedly casual approach, tweaking the speed down from 6.5 to 6.3 and just walking for about half an hour. All of the stats are slightly lower than the last workout, as expected, but I closed my rings and have assuaged the guilt of sitting on my butt for a good part of the day.

We’ll see if my Garmin watch yells at me in the morning for exercising so close to bedtime.

Stats:

Speed: 6.3
Incline: 0

Pace: 9:39/km
Time: 30:11
Distance: 3.12 km
Calories burned: 218
BPM: 112

Run 765: Spring in the air, not in my feet

March 22, 2023

First, the weird part: Without planning it in any way, I started today’s run at 11:58 a.m.–the exact same time I started Monday’s run. Freaky.

It was a gorgeous day and I think we may, barring a weird cold front, be firmly into one-layer territory. I probably would have been okay even wearing a regular t-shirt. The sun was nice, I actually sweated!

And speaking of sweating, I can’t say why, exactly, but this run tuckered me out by the end. I was aiming to stay around 150(ish) for BPM and the first half went fine, but by the 8th km my pace drooped to 6:03/km. I didn’t feel bad, nothing felt like it was going to fall off, but I was clearly not gliding along effortlessly. I picked up the pace for the last km and ended with an overall pace of 5:50/km and a BPM of 153, both of which are perfectly cromulent.

These stats also match my last 10K–another weird coincidence–except there, I was superfast at the 8K mark, not super-slow. Maybe dropping the frequency of the runs has left me slightly out of tune. Or it’s somehow spring allergies. Or aliens.

It was a bit busier on the trail, no doubt due to the near-perfect conditions. I did pass three people, too! One was a younger couple running and to be fair to them, they were pretty casual (when I first saw them ahead they were walking). I still felt a tiny ego boost passing them, though. The other person was on a bike (boo) and as I passed, I noted to them that bikes were not allowed on the trail. She responded by laughing because that’s what bike-riding rebels do, I guess.

Shortly after this, I emerged onto the parking lot by the rowing club, which bifurcates¹ the trail. I paused the run where the trail resumes, to see if she would attempt to continue, but when she emerged into the parking lot, she appeared to amble off toward the rowing club itself. I don’t know if it was a ruse or not, but considering I’d already passed her once, I chose not to stick around.

Then I came home and napped after cleaning up, which I almost never do after a run anymore. I almost feel like going back to nap right now. But I won’t!

I am curious to see how Friday goes, though. The weather looks worse and I may head out earlier as it won’t make much difference.

Stats:

Run 765
Average pace: 5:50/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:58 a.m.
Distance: 10:03 km
Time: 58:32
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 12-13ºC
Humidity: 63%
Wind: low
BPM: 153
Weight: 163.0
Total distance to date: 5695 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (367 km)

Run 764: First Spring (rain) run of 2023

March 20, 2023

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run. A misty start to spring.

I decided to start the week with a li’l 5K run and after getting to the lake, made the decision to go on a short loop clockwise after seeing multiple people with dogs going counter-clockwise. I was willing to risk unknown dogs vs. known dogs.

It was a good call, as there was only one dog and it was well-behaved. Good boy! (or girl)

Because I was only doing 5K, I didn’t try too hard to stick to 150 BPM and ended up with the exact same BPM as my last run, 153, though my pace was much faster at 5:38/m. I got an award for my fastest 1K, woo (5:25/km, almost like the olden days).

Weather-wise, it was mostly drizzle, and it lasted most of the run, but it wasn’t bad. I wore two layers, but without any real wind, it didn’t feel cold at all.

Overall, I felt zippy and had no issues, so a good start to the week.

Stats:

Run 764
Average pace: 5:38/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 11:58 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 28:21
Weather: Cloudy, light showers
Temp: 8-10ºC
Humidity: 86%
Wind: low
BPM: 153
Weight: 163.5
Total distance to date: 5685 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (357 km)

Treadmill workout: Lazy and sort of indifferent

March 19, 2023

Yes, I’m bad. I waited until late evening to complete my rings. I just didn’t feel like going for even a short 15-minute walk. As punishment, I started a 30-minute treadmill workout shortly after 10 p.m.

Unlike recent treadmill excursions, I was rather sluggish tonight. I didn’t feel bad, but I guess I wasn’t feeling it¹. At least I didn’t go sliding off the end.

Stats:

Speed: 6.5
Incline: 0

Pace: 9:35/km
Time: 30:06
Distance: 3.13 km
Calories burned: 227
BPM: 114

Run 763: Feeling my way

March 16, 2023March 16, 2023

Feeling my way means I set out to mostly run by feel, instead of monitoring stuff like pace and heart rate by checking the watch regularly and adjusting accordingly. I didn’t have any particular goal with today’s run, I just wanted the usual–keep the BPM close to 150, have a decent pace.

As it turns out, I am apparently not very good at going by feel, or at least today I wasn’t.

For BPM, it skewed slightly on the higher side at 153, mostly due to going a bit fast in several sections. My pace was all over the place. I tried to start slow, but my first km was still 5:40/km, then the second km was 5:33/km. I was more successful at moderating my pace after that, though the 6th and 8th km were also faster than expected. Conversely, the 9th km was a sluggish 5:59/km, which surprised me. I was running out of gas, and given how often I’d been stepping on the gas (without meaning to) this should not have been surprising at all.

In the end, my pace was a perfectly cromulent 5:50/km overall. But the watch again said I need 72 hours or so to recover. It says that after every run, pretty much. I think next week I may go back to my traditional Mon-Wed-Fri runs and see what it says then.

As for the conditions today: sunny! It was quite pleasant and while there were people out and aboot, no issues or complications arose. I started my run shortly after noon, as it was still 0C when I got up and I was willing to wait for warmer temperatures because spring is almost here, baby.

Here is a visual breakdown of my per-lap performance:

Stats:

Run 763
Average pace: 5:50/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 12:10 p.m.
Distance: 10:03 km
Time: 58:26
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 9-10ºC
Humidity: 62%
Wind: low
BPM: 153
Weight: 163.1
Total distance to date: 5680 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (352 km)

Treadmill workout: I’m not suddenly agoraphobic, I swear

March 15, 2023

It was quite nice today–mild and sunny, a perfect day for a walk.

But instead, I went on the treadmill.

I walked to the store and back, though, so I did go outside, just not for a general walk. So it’s totes OK!

What’s weird about today’s treadmill workout is I literally did not have to change any of the stats. Every stat you see below for today’s workout exactly matches yesterday’s workout. What are the odds? Also, a lot of 3s in there. Is 3 a lucky number? Will I win $3 million soon? Here’s hoping! Faintly!

Stats:

Speed: 6.5
Incline: 0

Pace: 9:13/km
Time: 30:04
Distance: 3.26 km
Calories burned: 233
BPM: 113

Treadmill workout: Bad dog

March 14, 2023

On my non-run days, I normally complete my exercise ring by going out for a walk. Since I walk fast and usually have a few minutes on ye olde exercise ring before heading out, I can wrap the whole thing up in less than 30 minutes. Easy peasy.

But after yesterday’s BDI¹ I didn’t really feel like strolling to the park and face the possibility of being bitten repeatedly and torn apart. So I did a 30-minute workout on the treadmill and watched some YouTube videos.

The workout was fine.

And I’ll confess, I kind of watch The Tech Chap’s videos not just because he is a knowledgeable sort of person and his videos are well-made, but also because he’s totally the kind of guy I’d be chasing after if I was magically single and 30 years old again. And if he was into guys. And a billion other factors that would need to fall into place to support my absurd fantasy scenario.

Stats:

Speed: 6.5
Incline: 0

Pace: 9:13/km
Time: 30:04
Distance: 3.26 km
Calories burned: 23
BPM: 113