Exercise

Run 733: Wonderfully dull

The forecast called for mostly cloudy/cloudy today, which was fine by me, as I wanted to avoid the strobing effects and glare of Friday’s run. Just as I got to the lake, the sun started peeking out from behind the clouds and I cried out in my heart, “No!”

But then it clouded up again for the actual run. Also, I started the run over two hours earlier than Friday, to avoid the sun being higher in the sky. Anyway, it worked. No strobing! No glare! Just a nice, uneventful run.

Because I ran counter-clockwise, it was easier to keep control of my pace and my overall BPM dropped back down to 154, while my average pace fell to a still perfectly cromulent 5:57/km.

As an experiment, I overdressed to see if I would be overdressed.

I was overdressed.

Let me explain. I was expecting it to be 4-5C, but it turned out to be 6-7C. The difference might seem small, but it’s right at the border between what feels most comfortable to wear. I opted to err on the side of caution to see if overdressing a bit would actually feel a bit uncomfortable, but it was fine.

Even though it was Monday, everyone on the trail, whether running or walking, seemed to be all smiles and happy to be out. I mean, I don’t blame them. It was dry, relatively mild and no wind at all, so great conditions for a mid-November walk.

What I wore:

  • Running jacket
  • Long-sleeved shirt
  • Running pants

What would have been fine (especially with no wind):

  • Long-sleeved shirt
  • Sleeveless base layer
  • Running shorts

Wednesday’s conditions so far are looking very similar, with a decent chance of rain but similar temperatures on Friday. I will dress with my refined weather knowledge.

A shot of the Avalon Trail looking in the clockwise direction. I didn’t curse the distant cyclists because they are allowed on this part of the route (I also realized that they are very distant, so you may not even be able to see them).

And a shot from Cariboo Dam, illustrating just how little wind there was:

Stats:

Run 733
Average pace: 5:57/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:13 a.m.
Distance: 10.03 km
Time: 59:48
Weather: Cloudy, some late sun
Temp: 6-7ºC
Humidity: 78%
Wind: light to nil
BPM: 154
Weight: 161.7
Total distance to date: 5415 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (87 km)

Run 732: Sun and shiny

Who knew the sun would be my nemesis again in mid-November?

I was very unmotivated to go out for a run today and started late as a result (I have been running in the morning even with the summer heat long gone, as I prefer having the afternoon clear for other stuff). This proved to be an interesting decision.

After talking myself into doing a 5K on the river trail, I then upgraded that to doing a short loop at the lake. After initially thinking of running counter-clockwise, I decided to go clockwise instead and started off, dressed in two layers up top and shorts, which proved sufficient (I had gloves but didn’t wear them).

As I was nearing the 3K mark and thinking about turning around to head back and finish off my loop, I passed a man who mysteriously batted at the branch of a pine tree. To be clear, the branch was hanging over the trail but was well above him. He seemed a bit odd. Then a putt-putt car with a park worker appeared, and I navigated around that. For some reason, these two things suddenly convinced me it would be a bother to turn around, so I just kept going and ended up doing a full 10K.

The start of the run along the Avalon Trail was a bit tricksy due to much of the path being slick and shiny. This effect was further enhanced by a near eye-level sun glaring straight onto it. It was painful to look at, but that segment is not too long and I was into the shady woods soon after. The shady woods felt noticeably cooler.

Many sections of the trail had frost or slick stretches of water, but I kept my footing throughout. The real fun started on the back 5K along the Cottonwood Trail. By now the sun was shining from the south to the north (coming from my right side) and the trees, now sans leaves, contributed to a distinct strobing effect as I ran past them. It made it very hard to even see where I was going as my vision was filled with a constant flashing. It would probably have been actually seizure-inducing to light-sensitive people. I tried putting up a hand to block it, but this made it nearly impossible to actually run. Try it sometime!

After the Cottonwood Trail, it wasn’t so bad, but there would be one more bit of fun and it involved my least favourite four-legged animal to encounter on a run after bears. I was nearing the very end of my run, on a twisty section of trail past the Spruce Loop. Ahead of me, a woman was throwing something down the trail for her dog to chase after, which was already dumb, because she was throwing toward a blind corner. I eyed the dog, who seemed very energetic. I knew an incident™ was in the making. Sure enough, as soon as the dog turned around and saw me, it made a beeline for me, ready to pounce in that “friendly” sort of way. I did my best to pull away, and the woman called the dog. As it turned toward her, I looked back and said, “Leash your dog!” My tone was not particularly neighbourly.

She leashed the dog.

My run literally ended moments later, so I walked to the turtle nesting area, took a few photos, then gave myself a minute to calm down, let her go by, then exited the park.

I only looked at the watch once during the run and saw a pace of 5:55/km for the 5th km, which seemed about average and expected. But my overall pace was a wacky fast 5:44/km. For three of the ten km, I came in under 5:40/km. My BPM was up, unsurprisingly, at 160, which is okay given the speed and cold, but well above what I aim for. I guess if I’m not actively monitoring my speed I tend to just go really fast, a runaway runner.

Annoyingly, my watch failed to measure my heart rate for both the second and third km. Since this is early in the run, I don’t think the missing BPM would have resulted in a higher average. I am about ready to trade my Series 5 Apple Watch in for the 25 cents or whatever Apple will give me. Except then I’d have to buy more Apple stuff. I could buy four polishing cloths, I guess.

Overall, a nutty sort of run, both good and bad. I’m glad I got out, though.

And here’s a shot of the duck pond again, now fog-free, with actual ducks in it, and a patina of ice forming over half of it.

Stats:

Run 732
Average pace: 5:44/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 12:34 p.m.
Distance: 10.03 km
Time: 57:30
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 6ºC
Humidity: 55%
Wind: light
BPM: 160
Weight: 160.2
Total distance to date: 5405 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (77 km)

Run 731: The Fog

I woke up to a severe weather alert this morning that didn’t involve rain. I was intrigued!

Fog Advisory
Severity: Moderate
Possible threat to life or property
Alert in Effect
From 3:26 AM (PST), November 16, until 4:59 PM (PST), November 16
Description:
Near zero visibility in fog is expected or occurring.
Where: Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria.
When: Now until late this morning.
Hazard: Hazardous travel due to zero visibility in fog.
Remarks: Dense fog has developed due to a ridge of high pressure that is trapping moisture near the surface. The fog is expected to dissipate late this morning.

I can’t recall the last time I ran in dense fog. I thought it might be fun, so I headed out early to make sure it wouldn’t dissipate before I could get to the lake.

It turned out to be slightly horrible!

On the plus side, I dressed for the cold (it was 0C when I headed out and 1C when I started the run) by wearing three layers up top and my running pants. I was not cold at all. It also helped that there was virtually no wind at all.

Visibility on the trail was actually fine, the fog would only be a hazard for people driving 80-100 km/h on the highways. I don’t run quite that fast and never on a highway, so I was good.

However, what is fog? It’s low level fine mist. When you walk in it, you don’t really think about it. When you run in it, that mist will adhere to things like glasses–which I wear!–and start obscuring your vision.

When I reached the bridge at Deer Lake Brook, I stopped to take a quick photo and to use the soft part of my gloves to wipe this misty residue off my glasses, because it was having the effect of making the fog seem about five times thicker than it was. I managed to turn the mist into a smeary mess, but with a clear bit at the top of the right lens, allowing me a tiny window to navigate through. I did this for about a km, then stopped on the next bridge at Still Creek, and gave the glasses a more thorough wipe. This fixed the smear and reduced the enhanced fog effect to about two times, which was good enough to finish the run.

Knowing this, I will not knowingly run in the fog again. Time to update my running conditions list again! But now I’ve done it and have the knowledge and experience to share and cherish.

As for the actual run part, I went clockwise and just maintained a steady pace. This was made easier by the reduced visibility.

Around the 2K mark a man walking the other way warned me of ice past the bridge. I thanked him and indeed there was a rather slick stretch. I tread carefully, remained upright, and encountered good conditions for the rest of the run.

My pace was 5:57/km, which given conditions, is pretty good. BPM was 154, also fine, considering the temperature ranged from 1-4C. Summer it ain’t.

Here’s that view from the bridge at Deer Lake Brook:

And a bonus photo of a spooky-looking pond, often occupied by not-so-spooky ducks:

Stats:

Run 731
Average pace: 5:57/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 9:07 a.m.
Distance: 10.04 km
Time: 59:44
Weather: Foggy
Temp: 1-4ºC
Humidity: 84%
Wind: light to nil
BPM: 154
Weight: 160.2
Total distance to date: 5395 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (72 km)

Run 730: The first (unofficial) winter run of 2022

Today was chilly! It was actually freezing when I headed out, but was a balmy 2C when I started (and ended) my run. I opted to wear three layers up top (jacket, long sleeve and sleeveless shirts) and shorts. This proved fine and I didn’t feel I was overdressed once I warmed up. The extra layer was especially nice for the walk to and from the lake.

The trail was a mix of dry, wet and frosty, but because there’s been no rain for a few days, there was no ice buildup. I did approach stairs with caution. The new grid mesh on top of the dam prevented any ice capades there. Sadly, the fountain has been locked up until spring. No post-run sips until March or something.

I chose to run at a deliberate pace to keep the BPM down, and it sort of worked. My overall BPM was higher than Monday at 155, but only slightly. My overall pace was slower, naturally, at 6:05/km, but I’m fine with that. I experienced no issues during the run, though I think the general cold was starting to tucker me out by the final km. There was no big final push here, just a steady roll to the end.

Overall, I’m happy with the result.

I’m less pleased that the watch once again failed to track my BPM for an entire km, though. /me scowls at Apple Watch.

Stats:

Run 730
Average pace: 6:05/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:24 a.m.
Distance: 10.03 km
Time: 61:05
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 2ºC
Humidity: 69%
Wind: light
BPM: 155
Weight: 159.4
Total distance to date: 5385 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (62 km)

Run 729: Trail of destruction

We had a big storm on Friday, with torrential rains, high winds and all the fun things you associate with big storms. While one now ex-tree on the Avalon Trail had already been cut up, the trail was still littered with twigs, smaller branches and other bits of debris. I wonder how terrifying it would be to run in the middle of a storm like that?

Today, I opted to run clockwise (the “easy” route) for my first Pacific Standard Time (boo) run of the season. It was my coldest run of the year at 4C and I opted to wear my windbreaker running jacket and a long-sleeved short underneath. I still wore shorts. And it was fine. I probably could have opted to wear a shirt underneath, which would have made it easier to check the watch.

I actually had no issues during the run, other than having to take an unplanned loo break at around the 3 km mark. I kept my hands tucked into the sleeves of my jacket until around the 4K mark, then they were sufficiently warmed up for the rest of the run. My pace was better than expected, though overall BPM was higher, too, at 153. Not surprising, given the much cooler conditions.

Still, better than doing the same in the rain!

Special bonus: At 4C, I barely generate any sweat. I didn’t even realize this until I got home.

A shot showing the relative calm at the lake (no wind is nice, too):

Stats:

Run 729
Average pace: 5:52/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 11:31 a.m.
Distance: 10.04 km
Time: 58:57
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 4ºC
Humidity: 63%
Wind: light
BPM: 153
Weight: 159.9
Total distance to date: 5375 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (52 km)

The best and worst running conditions, 2022 edition

Previously:

The best worst running conditions: 2016 edition (April 27, 2016)

Bad weather running: the list (updated) (July 10, 2012)

Bad running weather: the list (July 13, 2011)

Due to climate change and certain incidents, I feel it’s time to update the list again. Here are the best/worst running conditions. Unlike the previous entries, I’ve numbered them from best to worst, to keep things more positive or something. For the record, only the top three are really what I’d call “good” running conditions.

  1. Overcast and light breeze. This is actually ideal conditions. It is usually never too cold or warm when the weather is like this. Temperature-wise, we’re looking at around 15C.
  2. Moderate wind. Moderate wind is fine. I have a cap that stays in place now.
  3. Warm sun. Warm is no big thing. I’m talking about 20ºC or thereabouts.
  4. Light rain. You might think light rain would be nice, but it really isn’t. You still get soaked, and in the summer there’s no real way to dress for it. And it still feels cold(ish), even in mid-July.
  5. Snow. I’ve only run in light snow a few times, and it was fun. Light snow is shallow and fluffy, so it’s easy to move through. I’m thinking a foot of snow would probably be less so.
  6. Cold rain. Cold rain means cold hands and if you wear gloves they need to be waterproof. Cold rain is never fun. Plus my nipples are weirdly sensitive to the cold now and cold rain is like torturing them. Poor little nipples. UPDATE FOR 2022: It turns out the nipples are more sensitive to moisture more than the cold, as The Nipple Issue™ returned in Summer 2022.
  7. Hard rain. This has the potential to wreak havoc with any non-waterproof items you may be carrying, and it’s hard to see if you wear glasses. I wear glasses.
  8. Extreme cold. I’ve run in sub-freezing conditions and been fine. I’m thinking Arctic tundra-type cold here.
  9. 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. This is pretty rare where I run, though. And I don’t run during actual windstorms due to the very real danger of flying (tree) debris.
  10. Hot sun. When it’s hot, my body feels like a furnace, and I’m left parched as all get-out. Dry mouth and lips are yucky. By hot, I mean high 20s and up. While it still gets hot in the summer, a new contender has arrived to usurp it. Keep reading!
  11. Hard rain and heavy wind. Likeliest weather to make me wonder to myself, ‘What was I thinking?’ when running.
  12. Hot sun and heavy wind. Or “What would it be like to do a run on a windy day in the Sahara?” Heat dries you out, the wind makes it harder to run and dries you out even more. Bleah. This combination is, however, pretty rare.
  13. Hail. Getting pelted by little ice rocks is unpleasant. I’ve been caught in hail twice and did not like it either time. Still, twice since 2009 is not bad.
  14. Cyclists. I have grown to loathe anyone on a bicycle, especially since the area where I run most frequently–Burnaby Lake–forbids bicycles, but cyclists show up anyway, sometimes in packs. They tend to be either little kids who will wobble suddenly and unpredictably in front of you, or jerks who power through as fast as they can pedal, oblivious to the presence or safety of others.
  15. Dogs. See here. I’ve had a dog knock me down while running. The weather has never done this.
  16. Tree roots. See here. I’ve only tripped and fallen over a tree root while jogging at full speed once, but once was enough. Fortunately, the resurfacing of the trails at Burnaby Lake means almost all exposed roots are now gone.
  17. Hot sun/heat and high humidity. This is the new entry for 2022 (the tree root happened in 2016, but the previous version of the list was written pre-root). See how Hot sun is way up there at #10? The heat/high humidity combo is so much lower because IT IS TERRIBLE. While I don’t suffer from a parched mouth in this weather, the combo of 30C+ weather and extremely high humidity in the summer of 2022 made running a horrible slog, no matter what the time of day. It was only just less horrible, depending. And it happened for nearly the entire summer, earning its hallowed spot here.

Treadmill workout: More river avoidance

Also, I ate a bag of kettle chips and felt guilty enough that going on the treadmill was inevitable.

I even tried something different–actual running! For one km, at least. I set the speed to 9 (pace of 6:40/km, which is well below my normal running pace) and the incline to 1 (to simulate wind resistance) and my shins almost immediately began to hurt. Was it the speed? The incline? Both? The phase of the moon? I bumped the speed up to 9.5 at one point, bringing it closer to my regular running pace, but it still felt uncomfortable, so then I walked with the speed set to 6.5 or 6.6 for the rest. Overall, a weird and not particularly pleasant experience.

I’m just going to have to get used to running in the rain again. Though today was not actually a run day.

Stats:

Speed: 6.5, 6.6, 9, 9.1, 9.5
Incline: 1

Pace: 8:33/km
Time: 30:10
Distance: 3.52 km
Calories burned: 224
BPM: 126

Run 728: Short and sunny

I was running (ho ho) behind schedule today, so opted to cheat a bit and do a 5K at the river instead of a 10K at the lake. I may do another 5K tomorrow at the river to make up for the loss of the 10K if I’m feeling spicy.

With the walk to the river trail and back coming in around 4 km, this was almost exactly a half-10K, but faster.

I dressed in two layers, which felt right given the temperature was around 8C. Arctic air is supposed to be coming in next week. Good news–my old running jacket (which works well as a windbreaker, not so much for keeping me dry in the rain) still fits!

I made an effort to not push, given that it was cold, and a light breeze was blowing, but because the river trail is so wide and flat I couldn’t help but put in a better pace, overall at 5:41/km, with a best of 5:33/km on the fourth km. I had no issues, not even the one unleashed dog I saw (curse the owner). 5K runs feel weird now. I felt like I was really just getting warmed up when it was over. I guess in a way that’s good. It means I’m indecent shape or something.

Plus, it was sunny, so I got a chance to work on my mid-fall tan, woo!

Stats:

Run 728
Average pace: 5:41/km
Location: Brunette River Trail
Start: 12:59 p.m.
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 28:38
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 8ºC
Humidity: 69%
Wind: light
BPM: 152
Weight: 159.3
Total distance to date: 5365 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (42 km)

Treadmill workout: Avoiding rivers

Atmospheric rivers, of course.

I really wanted to get out and go for a walk, but the entire day was an extended torrential downpour, the kind that gets through everything and you end up soaked no matter what.

So I stayed inside and hit the treadmill mid-evening to complete my activity rings. Even though it wasn’t exactly a day bursting with activity, I still felt kind of tired and after trying a speed of 6.5 for a bit, set it back to 6. It was a very blah way to end the weekend, but I did sweat a little!

Stats:

Speed: 6.0
Incline: 1

Pace: 9:35/km
Time: 32:22
Distance: 3.37 km
Calories burned: 223
BPM: 105

Run 727: Atmospheric river 1, Tree 0

Weirdly, I started today’s run exactly one hour earlier than Wednesday’s. This wasn’t planned, it’s just weird.

We are between storm systems now (one yesterday, one slated to arrive tomorrow night) but I wasn’t taking any chances and headed out early, while the skies still looked benign. The storms have brought warmer, moister air, which would be my bane in the summer. Now, though, it meant it was a balmy 10C and I was fine wearing only one layer up top. There was also little wind, which helped, too.

I ran counterclockwise and could definitely feel the wee bit of extra effort needed on the second half, but I kept a steady pace and emerged with a perfectly cromulent pace of 5:54/km. Even better, my average BPM was a mere 149. Woo.

I had a few technical glitches with the Watch, because I always have technical glitches with the Watch now. It updated to watchOS 9.1 last night and remember the old days when updates meant new features and bug fixes, not new features and new bugs?

  • Glitch 1: I try to transfer an album from the phone to the watch before heading out. I get a spinning circle. The transfer never starts. I try twice, same thing. I give up and go for the run.
  • Glitch 2: Just before starting the run, I always get prompted on which AirPods to connect. I tap the ones that are currently stuck in my ears, then…nothing. After a few moments, I hear a sad little bonk sound. I navigate back to the main watch face, pull down the notifications and see one reporting that it could not find my AirPods, what’s happening, where are they?! I go back to the music app, tap play and the music starts without issue.
  • Glitch 3: I need to pause the run. I also pause the music playing from the watch by clicking the play/pause control on one of the AirPod buds. When I’m ready to resume, I click the AirPod again to unpause and it resumes playing music…from the iPhone. This happened twice. I had to unpause the music on the watch directly to get it to resume playing. To be fair, this glitch predates watchOS 9.1. Maybe Apple considers it a feature.

Glitches aside, the run was fine. The only issues were not related to my body falling apart. I had to pause the run twice:

  • One time was to retie my right shoelace. It was a bit too tight and was just annoying enough that I had to do something.
  • The other times was 1.23 km into the run, on the Conifer Loop, when I encountered this:
I clambered through on the far left.

Yesterday’s deluge managed to fell these once mighty trees, who apparently made a death pact together. But it was also a murder-suicide, because the upper tree in the shot landed on a tree on the opposite side of the trail, uprooting it and knocking it down, too. They will probably be cut up later today, more food for the forest.

Now I wonder which tree is next with tomorrow’s storm.

Stats:

Run 727
Average pace: 5:54/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:27 a.m.
Distance: 10.04 km
Time: 59:02
Weather: Sun and cloud
Temp: 10ºC
Humidity: 85%
Wind: light
BPM: 149
Weight: 159.2
Total distance to date: 5360 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (37 km)

Treadmill workout: The sins of staying inside

Tonight was a short slapdash effort to simply complete my activity rings before midnight, when I turn into a pumpkin that goes to bed and does not work on activity rings in any way.

I had legit reasons for not going out, too, but they shan’t be discussed on a blog (don’t worry, it’s nothing scandalous).

I started out at a speed of 6.0, but that ended up feeling pokey, so I switched to 6.5, which actually felt a bit too fast for my current energy level. I persevered till both Exercise and Move rings were complete, though. Also, I watched a Tech Chap video, and he’s easy on (my) eyes, so that helped. I’ll spend the rest of the evening talking in a faux British accent.

Stats:

Speed: 6.0-6.5
Incline: 1

Pace: 9:43/km
Time: 25:13
Distance: 2.59 km
Calories burned: 132
BPM: 105

Run 726: Minor cheating

I felt hesitant about today’s run and even thought about skipping it, or fudging it somehow. Instead, I got dressed and headed out, opting to go clockwise around the lake. While I didn’t plan specifically to do a full 10K, I was fairly confident it wouldn’t be an issue–and it wasn’t!

At first I wasn’t going to look at the watch at all and just do the run by feel, but I couldn’t help peeking when the alerts popped up, though I didn’t check BPM until the run was over. I never pushed and I never felt fatigued, so that was nice.

In the end, I tied my best 10K pace of the year at 5:49/km, and had a nice BPM of 151. However, the watch failed to record my heart rate for the entire second km for ?reasons?

The minor cheating:

  • I paused at the bridge over Deer Lake Brook to take two photos of the lake. This is really mild cheating, as I was probably stopped for less than 30 seconds before continuing.
  • My total distance to date would have been 5349, but I rounded it up to make it 5350, thinking that since I always round down, I must have at least an extra km to spare. Don’t tell anyone I did this!

The weather was similar to Monday, though it started slightly cooler, and this time the forecast indicated it would be cloudy, but dry, with rain coming later in the afternoon. Every time I manage to dodge the rain going forward, I will consider myself lucky!

Although I’m annoyed by the ongoing watch glitches, I am pleased with this run. I didn’t push, yet had a good pace and felt good, too.

That photo of the lake mentioned above:

Stats:

Run 726
Average pace: 5:49/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 11:27 a.m.
Distance: 10.06 km
Time: 58:26
Weather: Cloudy, some sun
Temp: 8-9ºC
Humidity: 74%
Wind: light
BPM: 151
Weight: 160.2
Total distance to date: 5350 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (27 km)