Exercise

Run 981: The rain and the salmon

Brunette River, pre-run: All the rain.

I tried waiting to see if the rain would ease up, but finally came to the realization that it would not, and headed out around 12:30 p.m. I wore two layers, the second being my running jacket, which I figured would keep me from getting completely soaked all the way through. It worked, barely.

The best thing I can say is that it was relatively mild at 10C, though the rain added a fun layer of chill (I checked after and they “upgraded” today’s weather to an official Rainfall Warning).

As usual, the hood would not stay on, so I just let it flop around. I kept my phone in the belt, which was a better place than a jacket pocket, as it would have gotten a lot more wet there.

It was an Omega Man run–I did not see anyone else over the course of the entire 5 km, a good illustration of how unpleasant the weather was. Even the dog owners were turning to their pugs and saying, “You can go pee on the front lawn today.”

I did have to dodge a salmon, which laid conspicuously in my path around the 4.5 km mark. It as curiously intact, which makes me further wonder how it got onto the trail. But dead salmon tell no tales.

The wayward salmon, now an ex-salmon.

Surprisingly, despite the yucky conditions, I finished with a nearly-identical pace to Wednesday’s run, only one second off at 5:42/km. I lagged on the second km, so if I had maintained there, I would have actually been faster than the previous run. My BPM was also 144. Maybe it gets lower when I resign myself to the conditions.

In any case, I’m glad I kept to the schedule and ran, but it would be nice if the next run was a bit more on the dry side. And with fewer salmon.

Stats:

Run 981
Average pace: 5:42/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Brunette River Trail
Start: 12:58 p.m.
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 28:37
Weather: Steady rain
Temp: 10°C
Humidity: 86%
Wind: light
BPM: 144
Weight: 165.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,735 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (330/690/1,020)

Music: Shuffle mode

Run 980: Kids! Also, what about the turtles?

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: A smidgen of blue sky!

After missing Monday’s run due to vaccine-related recovery, I was unsure how I’d feel going out today. My pace was not quite as brisk as it’s been recently, but I turned in a respectable 5:41/km overall, and my BPM was 151. I didn’t experience any issues, so in all, it was fine.

The Garmin watch declared me “maintaining”, which is an improvement from the recent “strained” it was slapping on my efforts.

The weather was fine–humid, but relatively mild at 10-11C, with little wind (despite a warning of gusts). I wore two layers and for the run, one probably would have sufficed, but this, too, was fine. For a change, there was no rain and the sun even poked out–after I’d finished my run. But still.

I got out a little bit later than intended and apparently hit field trip time, encountering three groups of (mostly) well-behaved kids on the trail. I did not bowl over any wee ones. I saw Hang Dog and his running partner just as I arrived.

As for the turtles, the fence around the turtle nesting area is down.

Turtle Nesting Area: now fence-free!

I assume it’s going to be rebuilt, but who knows. Maybe the turtles have fled (slowly) to some other place. I’ll know more soon.

Change of pace: View of the Cariboo Dam, post-run.

Stats:

Run 980
Average pace: 5:41/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 10:35 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:36
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 10-11°C
Humidity: 87%
Wind: light
BPM: 151
Weight: 165.0 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,730 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (325/686/1,011)

Music: We Too Are One, Eurythmics

Run 979: 10 but feels like 4

Brunette River, pre-run: A bit damp, a bit cool. But not Fonzie cool.

As per the weather app on my phone when I started the run:

That said, the wind actually settled down shortly after, though the real temperature never budged. I wore two layers and was wise to do so.

I skipped my usual Friday run because it was very stormy (high wind and heavy rain) and knew I’d have time today because The Rains would preclude birding.

Layered up, I headed out and en route opted for the river trail, as it was already raining.

Luckily, the rain remained fairly light and actually stopped about halfway or so through the run. I’m dry as I type this!

My plan was to just run without any particular plan, and I surprised myself when my opening lap was 5:37/km. I averaged 5:36/km and a BPM of 149, so overall a very decent effort. I seem to be getting in the 5:30ish range regularly now. My max. heart rate also improved, but my Training Status remains Strained, which still seems strange to me, but whatevs, as the kids say.

Still, I’m happy with the effort–and for not choosing to just skip the run altogether, which would have been easy from sitting inside my warm, dry condo.

The river, post-run.

Stats:

Run 979
Average pace: 5:36/km
Training status: Strained
Location: Brunette River Trail
Start: 12:26 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:09
Weather: Cloudy, light showers
Temp: 10°C
Humidity: 78%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 149
Weight: 163.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,725 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (320/678/998)

Music: Green, R.E.M.

Run 978: Beating the rain, setting a record and a psychic music prediction

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run. Calm, cool.

A few things:

  • Yes, I beat the rain again. Yay. It’s still not raining yet but if the forecast is accurate, it will start within the hour.
  • I think something is up with either my Garmin watch or me. More below.
  • I set a new 5K record on the Garmin watch. Yay. More below.
  • Psychic music prediction: I was listening to a playlist on shuffle mode. It consists of 53 songs. It was wrapping up “Apparitions” by the Mathew Good Band and I predicted it would play “Sharp-dressed Man” by ZZ Top next–and it did!

I wore two layers, thinking it might be a bit of overkill for the run, but nice to have on the walk there and back. I was correct! And it wasn’t even overkill. There was very little sweating today and, despite minimal wind, it felt chilly in that, “Yep, it’s fall” sort of way.

Other than beating the rain, I had no specific plan going in, but I did have a concern. The HRV status tracked on my watch has plunged from Balanced to Low. In fact, it’s so low it’s almost as far to the left as it can get (which means no exercise/flabby, etc.). I missed two runs last week, but have remained fairly active and did a run Monday per usual, yet it seems to not be budging. Also, even stranger, the watch claims I had an average BPM of 68 on my 4 km walk to the lake before today’s run. This is basically impossible, unless my heart teleported out of my body for about a third of the walk. For reference, my heart rate is usually 110-115 on these walks.

For the run it was 145 BPM, which is low but not implausibly low (I’ve hit 147 on some recent runs), especially with favourable conditions. My performance rating 1 km in was also +7, which is very high, adding further confusion to my training status at the end being listed as “strained.”

In all, it’s disconcerting, but I think it’s more the watch–or Garmin–than me. In fact, this came up when I was checking stats on my phone:

Quite possibly unrelated, but still an interesting coincidence, if nothing else.

Back to today’s run: I decided, somewhat randomly, to start at the 10K marker and skip the side trails, as I would double back the same way post-run. I managed to improve on my pace each km and finished with an average of 5:32/km–and my best 5K since adopting my Garmin Forerunner 255 just under two years ago:

I believe the time is faster than what’s recorded in the stats below because it is capturing the exact 5 km, not the additional 0.04 km before I stop tracking the run. Or something like that. I don’t know how math works.

Right near the end of the run, I usually go straight off the bridge at Still Creek and do the small loop around, but today I had to cut left and stay on the main trail due to construction:

There is no explanation of this work at the Burnaby Lake website.

I’m not sure why they are digging up this strip of trail here, but you can see a new concrete culvert (?) in the shot below, which might be a clue. Alas, this does not seem to be part of a larger project to resurface the trail along the fields, though it badly needs the work.

They have widened this area and added the concrete culvert near the stump for…reasons.

Overall, I felt good, pushed but never felt I was pushing excessively, and put in a very solid mid-week performance, weird glitches and all.

Still Creek, post-run. The creek is looking clearer as fall colours encroach.

Stats:

Run 978
Average pace: 5:32/km
Training status: Strained (?)
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:01 a.m.
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 27:50
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 11-12°C
Humidity: 75-73%
Wind: light
BPM: 145
Weight: 165.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,720 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (315/674/989)

Music: Pop Stuff (playlist, on shuffle)

Run 977: Beating the rain and my 1K record

Brunette River, pre-run: The right side is going full Fall.

The first was intentional, the other was a pleasant surprise.

I didn’t have a set plan on where to run this morning, but generally I favour the lake because it’s more exercise and a more interesting location. But the weather app on my phone promised rain by 11 am, so I changed to the river trail. They also said wind gusts up to 19 km/hr.

Neither the rain nor gusts materialized, and I was able to complete the run both without getting wet or blow down by a rogue burst of wind.

Even better, I managed a pace of 5:35/km, matching my Friday pace. My BPM was higher at 152, but I felt I worked a bit harder. It was both cooler at 10°C1Future reference: In Linux, I can make the degree symbol by using Right-Alt + oo and a lot more humid, starting at 93%–which made me think rain was indeed imminent. It is still not raining as I type this, which is pleasant after a few days of The Rains.

There were dogs, but on leash, and a platoon or whatever you call a large group of cyclists, but I managed to stay behind or beside them as they rode by. They were very yellow, as most were wearing rain gear.

As for the fastest 1K, I beat my recently set record of 5:18/km with a pace of…5:17! I shaved a whopping 0.4 seconds off, woo. And this is not an official lap, like going from 1 km to 2 km, it seems to be just tracking the fastest 1 km stretch of the run, because my fastest lap was around 5:19/km.

In all, a good start to the week: fast, dry, a new record, and no issues!

The river, post-run, with some foliage especially eager to put on its fall colours.
Run 977
Average pace: 5:35/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Brunette River Trail
Start: 10:18 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:06
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 10°C
Humidity: 93-91%
Wind: light
BPM: 152
Weight: 165.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,715 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (310/662/972)

Music: Pop Stuff (playlist, on shuffle)

Walk 134: Fall, with leaves and stuff

View from Cariboo Dam, looking east, with bonus heron.

With The Rains easing up for the afternoon, I decided to don my running clothes and get my steps with a walk to the lake and back. I recorded the return as an official™ exercise, which is recorded below.

It was cloudy but relatively mild, with some light drizzle, some sun and basically a bit of everything. I saw two herons, no salmon and pretty near every dog was on a leash, hooray.

I ran about the last 500 m, just to improve my overall pace and burn a few extra calories, as I had bacon for breakfast.

There is still a lot of debris at the lake and on the river trail from the wind, but nothing that wasn’t difficult to navigate around.

Overall, a pleasant afternoon outing. Now I can transform into Couch Potato Man.

‘Tis the season for changing leaves.

Stats:

Walk 134
Average pace: 8:40/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 4.03 km
Time: 34:35
Weather: Cloudy, some drizzle
Temp: 12°C
Humidity: 80%
Wind: light
BPM: 108
Weight: 164.5 pounds
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255
Total distance to date: 947.07 km

Run 976: As the wind blows

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Sunny, but also windy.

How windy was it? Windy enough that I had to clamber over a downed tree on the Piper Mill Trail. Fortunately, it was not a giant sequoia, so I was able to hop over and keep running.

As for the run, I knew the wind would be strong (16 km/h and gusting at times), so I wore two layers. This turned out to be the right call, because the wind did indeed bite through when it picked up. Also, the second layer came in handy post-run, as I will explain shortly.

I missed Monday’s run due to birding (though I got a lot of walking in) and Wednesday’s due to getting an MRI scan (which involved a lot of laying on a bed while a very noisy machine whirred around me), so my plan for today was to adopt a more moderate pace, given the week off. I started with a respectable 5:47/km, then…got faster each lap, finishing with an unexpectedly strong overall pace of 5:38/km. Nice!

No issues experienced during the run, other than that weird strobing effect you get when it’s sunny and the trees are starting to lose their leaves and the sun will flicker in your peripheral vision through the increasingly naked branches. But even that wasn’t too bad.

I had a late start and did not see any regulars, but apart from the wind, conditions were pretty decent. In all, a good way to wrap the week, running-wise.

As for the benefit in wearing two layers, two blocks from home a group of crows in a yard across the street from me took over and flew over. One of them pooped on my left shoulder, but it was only a glancing blow. The OR hoodie is in the wash now, but the shirt underneath was unaffected. This is why layering is important when you go outside to exercise. Pooping birds.

Brunette River, post-run.

Stats:

Run 976
Average pace: 5:38/km
Training status: Peaking
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 11:32 a.m.
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 28:24
Weather: Mostly sunny
Temp: 13°C
Humidity: 74-72%
Wind: light to strong
BPM: 149
Weight: 164.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,710 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (305/658/963)

Music: Savage, Eurythmics

Run 975: Slower, wetter

Brunette River, pre-run: October showers bring November…uh, showers.

It was already raining before today’s run, so off to the river trail I went. I was running (ho ho) late due to accidentally sleeping in, so I didn’t start until close to 11:30. I opted for two layers because of the rain, but in retrospect, I think one layer (the Echo hoodie) would have sufficed, though I didn’t get overly warm or anything.

I was a bit tired, though, maybe due to somewhat interrupted sleep last night, and didn’t have the same zip as Wednesday. I still finished with a perfectly cromulent pace of 5:42/km, and BPM was still below 150, albeit just at 149. Pretty good!

There were a few more people out than I expected, given the weather, but it mostly seemed to be dutiful owners walking their dogs. One other person was jogging. The weather itself was a mix of everything:

  • Rain
  • Light rain
  • Drizzle
  • Sun (only for a few minutes)
  • Cloud

This meant I didn’t get completely drenched, which was nice. Overall, a decent, if soggy wrap to the week.

Brunette River, post-run, looking the opposite way, with bonus heron.

Stats:

Run 975
Average pace: 5:42/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Brunette River Trail
Start: 11:23 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:41
Weather: Light rain, drizzle, sun
Temp: 12°C
Humidity: 88-87%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 149
Weight: 163.2 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,705 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (300/650/950)

Music: Long Distance Voyager, The Moody Blues

Run 974: Unexpected, in a good way

Brunette River, pre-run: Cloudy and calm.

With a late start and lingering concerns over the left knee, I decided to run the closer and easier river trail this morning. I tell myself it’s not really cheating, because it’s still 5 km of running, and it’s not like half the trail is a moving walkway that I just stand on while it whisks me along.

The left knee this morning was feeling better, no longer achy and only a smidgen stiff. As I started the run, I was hopeful.

And then, weirdly, turned in my best pace in many months, coming in at 5:35/km. Not only that, I also posted my best-ever 1 km pace since getting the Garmin watch about two years ago, at 5:18/km. To be fair, I only squeaked by the previous record:

Needless to say, though I’m saying it right now, the left knee was not a problem. I actually felt pretty good throughout the run and started strong, with an initial pace of 5:39/km. My BPM was a nice 147, there were only a few people out and about on the trail (I didn’t see any other runners) and the weather was perfectly cromulent–12C, no wind, and cloudy.

Overall, an unexpectedly good mid-week result.

Post-run view of the tree graveyard on the river.

Stats:

Run 974
Average pace: 5:35/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Brunette River Trail
Start: 10:57 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:05
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 12-13°C
Humidity: 80-78%
Wind: light
BPM: 147
Weight: 164.0 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,700 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (295/646/941)

Music: The Turn of a Friendly Card, The Alan Parsons Project

Run 973: See Run 972

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Looks like summer, tastes like fall.

Today’s run was basically a repeat of Friday’s, with very similar results:

  • Same route
  • Sunny both days
  • Similar temperature, but a bit cooler today
  • Similar humidity, though a little lower
  • No wind both days
  • No bears!
  • Overall pace of 5:38/km only one second off Friday
  • BPM of 150 only 1 off Friday’s 149

So yeah, pretty much the same. I guess I am pleased with my consistency!

Today, the left knee was feeling a bit stiff before the run, and also a bit stiff after the run. During the run, it was fine. I will again monitor.

I wore one layer (my Echo hoodie), which was sufficient, though on the walk to the lake it was a little nippy in the shade (there was a lot of shade since I got an early start and the sun was still pretty low in the sky).

Overall, though, a fine start to the week, assuming my knees don’t fall off or something.

Birdge over Still Creek, post-run: The one that doesn’t bounce.

Stats:

Run 973
Average pace: 5:378/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 9:23 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:23
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 11-12°C
Humidity: 77-74%
Wind: light
BPM: 150
Weight: 163.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,695 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (290/642/932)

Music: Shuffle mode

Run 972: Skip the sides

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: The return of blue skies.

Hooray, no rain!

This past summer has been rather bear-y at the lake, and I have directly encountered bears twice, with the most recent being just a week ago. With these bear encounters in mind, I decided to make a change with today’s run.

I opted to run counter-clockwise, but instead of continuing around the lake to head back home, as I normally would, I turned and headed back the way I ran. This was partly because the bears I’ve seen were on the south shore (while they can be anywhere, playing the odds seems like a good starting point), but mainly because the north side offers a lot more clear lines of sight, is closer to the rail lines and generally less bear-friendly, as such things go.

As part of this, I also opted to skip all three of the usual side trails. The main effect here is that I had to run a little closer to the actual 5K marker to finish the run. Sometimes change is good!

As for the run itself, the cooler conditions and slightly reduced humidity kept sweating to a minimum and the sun meant a few more people were out, but it was still pretty light, traffic-wise. I saw a decent number of fellow joggers, though. I think we are past the topless jogger season now, though you never know. Some guy is bound to think his abs are just too sexy to hide, regardless of the temperature.

Weirdly, I turned in my best pace in quite some time–5:37/km (the final lap was 5:21), with a BPM of 149. Very nice, and with no issues at all to report. I am pleased. I have no idea if skipping the side trails had any effect.

Also, I earned a new Garmin badge. I guess it’s time for new shoes!

Set to be replaced after 500 km, which I passed today.

Still Creek, post-run. Still mostly green, for now.

Stats:

Run 972
Average pace: 5:37/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:08 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:17
Weather: Mostly sunny
Temp: 13-14°C
Humidity: 83-82%
Wind: light
BPM: 149
Weight: 164.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,690 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (285/630/915)

Music: R.E.M. (shuffle mode)

Run 971: Rain as karma

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: The Rains, again.

The title is in reference to it staying dry until I got to the lake and started my run, at which point it began to pour, then it stopped after my run ended. To be fair, the last part of the run it had eased up to drizzle.

Overall, apart from location, this run featured a similar pace and conditions to Monday’s, except I had no issues at all, yay, other than yet another run in the rain, boo.

I was originally going to run the river trail again, but it wasn’t raining, so I kept going to the lake. While it did rain steady for the majority of the run, it wasn’t as heavy as Monday and I only wore a t-shirt for the top layer, which was fine at 14C (felt like 11C per the phone). There weren’t many people out on the trail, as expected, and a few were definitely caught by the rain when it started.

I wasn’t really expecting to be so close to Monday’s pace, so that was a nice surprise. I don’t mind being a bit slower if it means not running in the rain, though. That’s a hint, Mother Nature.

View looking west, post-run: A pause in the showers.

Stats:

Run 971
Average pace: 5:42/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 10:49 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:39
Weather: Rain, some drizzle late
Temp: 14°C
Humidity: 87-85%
Wind: light
BPM: 149
Weight: 162.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,685 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (280/618/898)

Music: Shuffle mode