I stretched my walk today to allow for a full 2 km run along the river trail and posted some pretty good times:
1 km: 5:36/km 2 km: 5:30/km
All while maintaining a BPM of under 150.
The achiness in my legs isn’t completely gone, but it’s mostly gone, so I was able to start running without the same discomfort as yesterday.
A pall of smoke from forest fires is thick over the area today, but the river trail wasn’t that bad, otherwise I may have skipped the running.
Again, it felt good to get out, and today I was able to appreciate the more Zen-like aspects of running, which was nice.
Tomorrow I am planning to do a 5K and if it goes well, I’ll go back to my usual 10K run on Friday. We will see.
Here’s a shot of the Brunette River, from the bridge on North Road, about 2.5 hours before sunset. You can see the smoke haze in the distance.
Stats:
Walk 91Average pace: 7:57/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.75 km
Time: 61:43
Weather: Sun and high cloud/smoke
Temp: 19 °C
Humidity: 64%
Wind: light
BPM: 120
Weight: 160.2 pounds
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
Total distance to date: 686.1 km
My legs have been mysteriously achy over the last few days. The last time this happened, I was told to take Tylenol or Advil and stop bothering people in the medical profession. Today would have been a run day, but due to the achiness I opt to just do a walk with some running mixed in. My first tentative attempts at the running part do not go well, as the very upper parts of my legs hurt enough to inhibit moving at a pace faster than a brisk walk. So I walk briskly.
I continue this, but keep trying to run periodically, and gradually the ache fades, until I am able to actually get a decent run going, bringing my overall pace down to 8:15/km.
Later, while preparing dinner, my legs were relatively fine, but my lower back really started hurting. Bad posture? Bad karma? Old? I do not know.
It was nice to get out, though. The weather was a bit smoky, due to regional forest fires, but it was very mild, and the forecast suggests two more days of pseudo-summer before seasonal temperatures and actual precipitation return.
Here’s a shot of the work they’re doing in Lower Hume Park, which I walk through on the way to and from my runs/walks. As you can see, they are planting trees a-plenty as part of a plan to return this section of park to a more natural state. It was previously just lawn.
Trees, trees, trees
Stats:
Walk 90Average pace: 8:15/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.43 km
Time: 62:56
Weather: Sun and high cloud
Temp: 18 °C
Humidity: 68%
Wind: light
BPM: 122
Weight: 158.4 pounds
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
Total distance to date: 678.35 km
I’m pretty sure I missed one of these, but on we go.
Today I spent most of the day indoors, with my achy legs, and noshed and surfed and went on the deck for a bit to shoot some photos of birds on the wall garden. But mostly I just kind of existed, watching my various activity rings barely budge.
By 8 p.m. my move streak was at risk and I needed to do something to make up for all that noshing, so a treadmill walk it was.
I kept the speed lower and the incline to 1 (basically simulating walking outdoors) and walked until I hit two conditions:
Hit my Move goal
Finish watching the current YouTube video I was watching
It took 54:25 minutes and 5.65 km, but I did it!
I sweated way more than some of my recent runs. I may need to adjust the fans in here. Otherwise it was fine. I can probably bump the speed up a little, but tonight I was willing to sacrifice time in favour of a more moderate pace because I really just wanted to flake out to start with. This was evidenced by the fact that my speed was a long, graceful downward arc.
I picked up my new trail runners today and this afternoon, lacking time for a full run, gave them a test on a shorter walk on the river trail. The run part was a little under 2 km, with one km coming in at a peppy 5.38/km.
The shoes are Peregrine 12s, and the last time I had Peregrines (version 9) they were heavy enough that I eventually demoted them to walking shoes. These are considerably lighter, have normal-length laces (compared to the weirdly long laces of the Brooks Caldera 5), fit nicely and have cushioning I would describe as neutral vs the Brooks, which skewed slightly toward cushy. They offer more support than the Switchbacks, though I miss the Switchback’s lacing system.
Overall, the new shoes check out fine. The walk itself started out a bit sluggish, partly from the malaise of a multi-day headache, but the running portion made up for it.
The weather was sunny and warm again.
No nice picture of the river today, though. Sorry!
Stats:
Walk 89Average pace: 8:41/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.68 km
Time: 49:20
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 21 °C
Humidity: 59%
Wind: light
BPM: 119
Weight: 158.7 pounds
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
Total distance to date: 670.92 km
After yesterday’s unwelcome headachepalooza, I scaled back my original plan for a 5K run today and instead did a brisk 7.40 km walk, with minimal running. It was sunny and pleasantly warm, as it has been pretty consistently for the last three months. BUT the 10-day forecast now suggests the possibility of precipitation by the 20th, so our weirdly long dry spell may at last be coming to an end.
Here’s a shot of the Brunette River I took from a spot I normally don’t visit. I could have gone in more, but that would have been clambering over rocks, and I was not in a clambering mood. Still, you can once again see how low the water is.
Stats:
Walk 88Average pace: 9:13/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.40 km
Time: 68:16
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 21 °C
Humidity: 59%
Wind: light
BPM: 108
Weight: 158.5 pounds
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
Total distance to date: 665.24 km
Nine days since my last official™ walk, and it only got up to 18C while I was out–which is still above normal.
For whatever reason, I was feeling peppy (maybe listening to music helped) and had a pretty good walking pace. I didn’t really run, nor had I planned to, other than a brief sprint here and there. It was nice. The sun was warm. A lot of trees are still looking pretty green, probably thinking it’s still summer, because it effectively still is.
I ended up walking to the lake because nature called, and the Jiffy John had the answer.
I took a few photos while out and aboot. Here’s one of the little pond they added as part of the 2012 restoration project along the Brunette River:
Stats (I broke the walk into two parts because I goofed around at the lake for a bit):
Walk 86Average pace: 9:10/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 4.31 km
Time: 39:30
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 16 °C
Humidity: 65%
Wind: light
BPM: 111
Weight: 158.8 pounds
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
Total distance to date: 653.44 km
Walk 87Average pace: 8:53/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 4.40 km
Time: 39:09
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 18 °C
Humidity: 62%
Wind: light
BPM: 114
Weight: 158.8 pounds
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
Total distance to date: 657.84 km
After examining my Brooks Caldera 5’s, I noticed that the heels are basically gone from both shoes. This is suboptimal for providing cushioning to said heels. Today I wore my old Saucony Switchbacks, which I last wore on Run 670 back in December 2021. I have a pair of Peregrine 12’s on order from Amazon but have yet to get a shipping date for them, which is odd, so may look elsewhere or perhaps return to the Speedgoats for that pillowy goodness they offer.
Pillowy goodness is not something the Switchbacks offer. At size 8.5 they fit a little more snugly, but with enough room for my toes to wiggle. The drop is minimal, and the padding overall is thinner than the Calderas. They’re not full minimalist shoes, but at one point on the run my left foot rolled over a rock and I definitely felt it more than I would have with the Calderas.
I really like the lacing system, though, especially since the Caldera laces are weirdly long and the whole lacing/tongue system feels cumbersome.
The shoes held up fine, though my left foot continues to not hurt exactly, but is clearly feeling the problems of yore before I got my orthotics. I should book an appointment with Kintec soon and look into getting them updated.
I did feel some strain in my lower right leg muscles post-run, but they seem to have worked themselves out now, so it’s something I’m noting but not concerned about…yet.
As for the run, it was 15C, my self-proclaimed ideal running temperature and despite sweating due to the high humidity, it felt nice. I ran with no particular goal, except to not push and try to stay close to 150 BPM without being too strict in monitoring it. I ended with an overall BPM of 151 and a pace of 5:54/km, which is perfectly pleasing to me on a mid-week run.
The trail was perhaps busier than expected despite my earlier start, but the crowd skewed heavily toward the exercise type, and it was another gorgeous sunny morning. One young guy jogged past me with a jacket that he will regret having worn. I’m surprised I didn’t see any guys running topless, really. It feels nice in the sun at 15C, not hot.
I sometimes post shots taken before or after the run looking from the Cariboo Dam toward Burnaby Lake. Today here’s a shot looking back to the dam instead. It’s not exactly the Hoover Dam, though it’s probably holding back as much water right now. /sadclimatechangejoke
Stats:
Run 723Average pace: 5:54/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 9:42 a.m.
Distance: 10.06 km
Time: 59:17
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 15ºC
Humidity: 85%
Wind: light
BPM: 151
Weight: 158.6
Total distance to date: 5327 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (230 km)
The freakishly summer-like weather. It got up to 24C while I was out, the normal high for October 3 is 17C. I was sweating a fair bit.
A growing awareness that my left foot is getting sore. It’s not affecting my runs yet, but it may be an indication that the orthotic in the left shoe (which is custom-designed to deal with my uniquely weird left foot) is wearing out and may need to be replaced.
Heading out later, especially when the weather is nice is not a particularly bright move, as there were significant more people out and aboot on the trail, including a woman who managed to not see me even though I WAS RUNNING DIRECTLY TOWARD HER. Like, we were facing each other. It was actually kinds of funny. I ducked out of the way at the last moment, I could hear her apology as I darted past, so that was nice.
I stuck to a kind of 150 BPM/just run whatever felt right pace and came in with half the run at or over 6:00/km and an overall pace squeaking just under at 5:59/km. Somehow I’m disappointed. I blame the heat, which is not something I expected to say in early October.
Speaking of the weather, here’s the 10-day forecast:
The coolest day is still four degrees above normal
No sign of precipitation anywhere! Three days of 25C weather, including two in the second week of the month. Crazy!
The Apple Watch behaved as far as heart rate goes, but failed to record the weather, which it often does. I’m not sure how or why it’s so inconsistent grabbing weather data. It captured weather for the walks before and after the run, so…
I’m glad I got out and did the run, but today was not especially invigorating.
I did cheat and take a shot from the bridge at Deer Lake Brook, though, showing the thinning of the lily pads on Burnaby Lake (and also what I assume is smog or smoke haze from forest fires):
Cheat = pause the run so I can get this shot.
Stats:
Run 722Average pace: 5:59/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:15 p.m.
Distance: 10.06 km
Time: 60:10
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 22-24ºC
Humidity: 46-65%
Wind: light
BPM: 150
Weight: 157.8
Total distance to date: 5317 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Brooks Caldera 5 (425 km)
The rational part of my brain knows it can be pleasant and sunny in early October, but the silly part of my brain still has trouble wrapping around how summer seems to be continuing to roll along. It got up to 25C today (this will end up being a record) and was officially 23C for my early afternoon walk (with a very minor bit of running).
For the second half of the walk I listened to Monster and as is often the case my pace improved as I rocked out in my head. Overall it was nice to get out, and I paused a few times to take pictures of the disturbingly low river (we’ll be passing the salmon up in a bucket brigade to help them spawn if the dry weather continues on much longer). The FIRE DANGER signs, removed a week ago after a sprinkle, are back in place.
The photo below shows just how low the water is–I could easily walk across to the other side of the river–and the other side usually has no shoreline at all. So while it was a beautiful day for a walk, it also felt a tiny bit unsettling.
A dribble of water flows through it
Stats:
Walk 85Average pace: 9:15/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 8.08 km
Time: 74:45
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 23 °C
Humidity: 57%
Wind: light
BPM: 106
Weight: 157.3 pounds
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
Total distance to date: 649.13 km
I set off today planning a more casual sort of run to end a week that has seen me feeling pretty tired and droopy. I ended up doing better than expected.
The weather was nice–16C and sunny, but with enough canopy that I was still in the shade for much of the run. Humidity was high, so I did sweat more than I’d have preferred, but it, uh, clears the pores or something.
Fridays are usually the busiest in terms of other people being out and aboot, I assume because more people take Friday off to get a coveted three-day weekend. Today the number of people was even higher than that would account for–then I remembered that today is the first statutory holiday for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (spoiler: this is definitely not one of those “feel good” official holidays). Lots of people were wearing orange t-shirts–and so was I1 In my case, it was a coincidence, since my usual running shirt is orange.
Most people were pretty good, but a few fell into that “OMG a jogger, what do I do? WHAT DO I DO?!” category. We all got through unscathed.
At one point after exiting the Cottonwood Trail, I just stayed on the left side of the trail, there were so many packing it. Kind of weird, though the sunny conditions at this late time of the month probably brought out even more.
My left hip signalled a bit of displeasure partway through, but was not too bad. I felt a bit creaky, but turned in a good pace despite that. Run smarter, not harder, or something. It also helped that I encountered no park workers, vehicles, construction or other detours/obstacles, just lots and lots of people. Dodging a guy is one thing, dodging a giant mowing machine of death is another.
Here’s a photo from atop the dam shortly before I started the run.
Stats:
Run 721Average pace: 5:53/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 10:38 a.m.
Distance: 10.06 km
Time: 59:10
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 16ºC
Humidity: 76%
Wind: light
BPM: 152
Weight: 157.0
Total distance to date: 5307 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Brooks Caldera 5 (415 km)
I skipped yesterday’s run as I’d gotten little sleep the night before and was still feeling wiped out by my fall booster shot. Today I thought of going for a walk and decided to do a 5K at the river instead, since 5K now almost seems short!
It went fine. I didn’t try to run fast and instead just maintained a semi-casual pace, letting the flat, even terrain of the river trail allow me to ease up and enjoy a run that wasn’t as technical.
The only real glitch came when a notification popped up on the watch, invoking a bug that muffles music playback. I ended up pausing the run while trying to fix it, and eventually got it going again. It also gave me an unnecessary break, but them’s…the breaks. At least the heart rate monitoring behaved this time (I did run the heart rate app before starting the run).
My OCD is mildly bothered by my total run distance of 5297 km. I want to do a 3K run just to get it back up to a nice, even number. Maybe next week.
Stats:
Run 720Average pace: 5:43/km
Location: Brunette River Trail
Start: 3:02 p.m.
Distance: 5.05 km
Time: 28:57
Weather: Sun and high cloud
Temp: 20ºC
Humidity: 66%
Wind: light
BPM: 147
Weight: 157.4
Total distance to date: 5297 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Brooks Caldera 5 (405 km)
Today’s run was sponsored by Meh. Or maybe Metamucil.
I headed out early to beat the relative heat, with the forecast calling for a record-breaking 28C today. It was 15C when I headed off, 17C at the start of the run and 20C by the end, so temperature-wise it was fine. There was intermittent sun and high cloud, which was also fine. I sweated a bit, but not excessively. Fine.
Not fine:
Heart rate monitor issues at the start again. I paused the run 17 seconds in to run the heart rate app. It took a rather long time to find a heartbeat, but once it did, it seemed fine at first, then the heart rate did that weird “to the moon” thing, so I pulled back hard on my pace to get it down into a normal range, then increased my tempo to my usual running pace, after which the BPM behaved normally, pretty much for the rest of the run. No idea what is happening here, other than the hardware may be bugging out after three years.
Also during the first km, my right ankle was cranky. I have no ideas why. It went away. I have no idea why.
Around the 4K mark, the skin under the watch was so itchy I paused the run, took off the watch, saw that there was a red spot, scratched it, broke the skin, then wondered if the heart rate sensor would be more or less accurate if my blood was on it. Also, I adjusted the watch to fit a tiny bit more snug and the itching stopped.
Around the 5K mark I had to use the loo, with no loo in sight. This meant the second half of the run was me asking myself repeatedly, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”
The 7 km segment was unusually slow. I have no idea why.
Overall, I am nonplussed. It wasn’t a bad workout per se, but it just felt very blah. Maybe it’s just Monday. At least the bear signs are gone now. That means no more bears, right?
Oh, and completing the run did give me this:
Stats:
Run 719Average pace: 6:00/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 9:50 a.m.
Distance: 10.06 km
Time: 60:21
Weather: Sun and high cloud
Temp: 17-20ºC
Humidity: 75%
Wind: light
BPM: 149
Weight: 158.4
Total distance to date: 5292 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Brooks Caldera 5 (400 km)
