Exercise

I wanted to get out early, before it got high (a forecast of 32C today), but only partly succeeded, as I slept in a little. I still started in the morning, just before 11 a.m., but it was already 24C and my phone told me it felt like 27C, which seemed about right. There was copious sweating.

This was pretty much a repeat of Wednesday’s run, just a little slower and sweatier. The heat/humidity definitely had an effect and I experienced the same second km droop. The right shin was again tender to start, but perhaps less so than it has been, though I feel like I could still feel it later in the run (though it wasn’t hurting at that point. Then again, it could have been all in my head, who knows?) My right ankle in the last km started to twinge for no apparent reason, just to add to the fun. I don’t think it affected my pace.

I was glad when the run ended. Later, I was glad to not be eaten by a bear. As I am still doing 5K runs, this means I walk the second 5K around the lake. As I was nearing the intersection of the South Shore and Avalon trails, as seen below, a couple motioned to me and I muted my music. They said there was a bear and it was big and also it was right around the corner.

Fortunately, the bear was heading to the west, toward the Freeway Trail, possibly to hitch a ride, which meant it was heading away from me. I still looked back several times as we got farther apart. The bear occasionally stopped, and once it turned around, as if contemplating coming my way. I jogged a short distance, then stopped, thinking that would make me look like I was fleeing. Which I was.

Farther up the trail, nearer to the 10K marker, I met a guy with binoculars who said he thought for a moment that the bear was chasing me. He said there have been many bear sightings around the lake this summer, more than he’s seen in 37 (!) years. He also runs, though I don’t recall seeing him. He even recounted a story from this summer when the spitfire encountered a bear. She apparently stood to the side of the trail to make room and the bear just ran past her to…somewhere.

Also, the guy said on the other side of the dam, a woman had reported seeing another bear getting out of the river. This was at the same time we were there, so multiple bears. Bears everywhere. All the bears. I did not see the dam bear, though.

In any case, it seems the lake is the #1 tourist destination for black bears this summer. Why, I can’t say. I just hope they stick to eating berries and fish, you know.

Hopefully the running next week will be bear-free, and my right leg will be at least somewhat normal.

Stats:

Run 956
Average pace: 5:51/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:58 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:25
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 24°C
Humidity: 63-61%
Wind: light
BPM: 150
Weight: 165.1
Total distance to date: 6,610 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (205/459/664)

Music: Pop Stuff (playlist)

An appointment of Jeff’s got bungled in the morning due to bureaucracy, and then things got a bit chippy after that. I would be running late as a result, and debated what to do. A shorter run? No run? Carry on as normal?

I opted for the latter and did a regular 5K, going clockwise around the lake. While I stretched beforehand, I opted to not wear sunblock because it was already late, risking potential sunburn. So far, my skin does not resemble a cooked lobster.

The same issue persisted as the previous run, except this time my right shin felt even more tender during the first km. I briefly contemplated calling the run, but gingerly pressed on and after the first few km, it once again settled. It doesn’t feel sore now, nor did it on the walk back (which is 9 km), so hopefully it’s just a weird thing and not a terrible thing.

I had another second km droop, but mostly recovered to get a perfectly cromulent pace of 5:48/km. The best part was my BPM at only 147.

It was warmer than Monday, but a nice breeze actually helped, so it didn’t feel as muggy.

Overall, not bad, considering how little motivation I had heading out.

Stats:

Run 955
Average pace: 5:48/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 12:23 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:11
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 21°C
Humidity: 67-64%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 147
Weight: 165.0
Total distance to date: 6,605 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (200/446/646)

Music: Pop Stuff (playlist)

I headed out a bit later than normal today, mostly because I was feeling less motivated than Friday, which is weird, because Friday it was pouring rain and today it was merely cloudy, which is good for a run!

Here is the run in handy list form:

The Good:

• Cloudy, which is better for running
• No rain, which is even better than cloudy
• Cloudy meant no sunblock needed, which is a nice bonus
• Cloudy also meant that, despite high humidity, I didn’t sweat as much
• Relatively quiet on the trail
• I actually passed another jogger–Hangdog!
• My pace was better than expected, despite another 2nd km sag

The Bad:

• My right shin was tender again to start, but felt better (again) after a short time

The Indifferent:

• The Baker’s cyst didn’t seem to affect my run and doesn’t feel any worse, post-run

Overall, I’m pleased with the outcome, especially since I really wasn’t feeling it this morning.

Stats:

Run 954
Average pace: 5:44/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:18 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:48
Weather: Cloudy, with a wee bit of sun
Temp: 18-19°C
Humidity: 76-71%
Wind: light
BPM: 150
Weight: 165.7
Total distance to date: 6,600 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (195/433/628)

Music: Private Eyes, Hall and Oates

I missed my Monday run due to a doctor appointment and stuff, and figured the extra time off might be OK because it would allow more time for my right knee to recover from the fluid ingress.

In the meantime, I lifted a lot of heavy stuff and my leg muscles were kind of sore and stiff. I feel this affected my overall pace, though I was also being generally cautious because of the knee.

Conditions were so-so: Not overly hot, but still quite humid. I sweated in amounts not considered small. But my pace was pretty steady–just under the six-minute mark for the first two km, a little faster for the next two, and my “huge” speed burst at the end saw my pace dip to 5:40/km. The overall pace of 5:53/km and BPM of 150 are both fine.

I’ll see how the knee behaves over the next day, and stretch and relax in the meantime.

Stats:

Run 952
Average pace: 5:53/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:24 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:37
Weather: Sunny with some high cloud
Temp: 21-22°C
Humidity: 72-69%
Wind: light
BPM: 150
Weight: 165.4
Total distance to date: 6,590 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (185/416/601)

Music: Pop playlist (mostly songs from 1980s)

I apologize for the criminally awful title. And will explain.

Good:

• Cooler
• Cloudy
• No need for sunscreen

Less good:

• Still very humid

Bad:

• The return of Baker and his cyst¹Again, what an honour it is to have a cyst named after you

Conditions were not bad. The clouds and lower temperatures helped, but the high humidity still meant the air felt a bit soupy and there was much sweating to be had.

It’s BC Day, which also meant more people on the trail, including several silly types wearing jackets, but clearly less than there might have been, due to the heavy cloud cover.

I had suspected a Baker’s cyst was forming behind my right knee after the previous run, so started out at a more moderate pace, with the first three km all just over six minutes. I finished on the Cottonwood Trail and was able to improve my overall pace to finish at 5:55/km and for what it’s worth, did not experience any pain or discomfort during the run.

Now I must research whether a knee brace or something can help reduce the ol’ BC (not the province) while running, because I’d rather not have to actually take a break, if possible.

Otherwise, a perfectly cromulent run to start the week.

Stats:

Run 950
Average pace: 5:55/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 9:58 a.m.
Distance:5.03 km
Time: 29:49
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 18-19°C
Humidity: 73-70%
Wind: light
BPM: 149
Weight: 165.5
Total distance to date: 6,580 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (175/390/565)

Music: Sweet Dream (are made of this), Eurythmics

I normally don’t run on Saturday, but the doctor appointment bumped everything a day ahead, so Saturday it was!

Apart from about 50 million more people on the trail, it was fine. The only time it got semi-crowded was at the Deer Lake Brook bridge, when a jogger, a parent and the parent’s wee kid got bottled up while navigating the stairs. This amounted to mere seconds, though. And I passed two other joggers! I mean, they were very slow, but still.

Speaking of slow, the temperature was fine (20-21C) but the humidity was still pretty high around 70-74%. This meant today’s run felt harder than Thursday’s when it was 27C. While my BPM remained the same at 151, my pace dropped to 5:50/km, which is not bad, but not exactly zippy, either.

I am noticing what may be the beginning of a Baker’s cyst behind my right knee, so I will keep an eye on that. It did not affect my run.

Overall, not a bad effort, though as the title indicates, it was very sweaty. I was very frequently wiping away sweat from my eyes. I prefer running when there is less copious sweating.

Stats:

Run 949
Average pace: 5:50/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 10:03 a.m.
Distance:5.02 km
Time: 29:19
Weather: Sunny with high cloud
Temp: 20-21°C
Humidity: 74-70%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 151
Weight: 166.6
Total distance to date: 6,575 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (170/377/547)

Music: Reckoning, R.E.M.

With my legs mostly recovered, but the sun back and temperature higher, I went into today’s run with somewhat modest expectations.

In the end, it was fine. The temperature/humidity meant it tended a bit toward the DMS¹Dry Mouth Syndrome side, but it wasn’t too bad. I started out a bit slow, but still under the six-minute mark, then began improving over the course of the run, finishing with a pace of 5:49/km, nine seconds better than Friday. BPM was up to 151, but that’s expected given the extra heat and exertion.

I didn’t experience any issues.

Also, there were no smokers or off-leash dogs today, hooray.

Shortly after I finished my run, a guy walking toward me advised of a coyote sitting around the corner. Said corner was probably about 20-30m ahead. I took the corner wide, which was convenient, because I planned on checking out the fountain at the playground and sure enough, a golden brown coyote was chilling out by the side of the trail, just looking around and taking it easy. At some point, it seemed to notice a crow on the field and got up, making a stealthy beeline toward it. You may be thinking, “Wouldn’t the crow just fly away when it got closer?” And yes, this is exactly what happened. Perhaps this is why the world is not overrun with coyotes.

I did go over to a woman walking a bite-sized dog that there was a coyote nearby (I lost track of it after the crow flew off). We discussed a recent grizzly attack (not here) and other animal-related terrors, then she thanked me and I walked home without incident.

In all, a fine start to the week, running-wise.

Stats:

Run 947
Average pace: 5:49/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 9:39 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:16
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 19-20°C
Humidity: 63-60%
Wind: light
BPM: 151
Weight: 167.6
Total distance to date: 6,567.5 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (162.5/353.5/516)

Music: Out of the Blue, ELO

On Wednesday evening, a water pipe burst on the ground floor of one of the other buildings in our complex. I helped man one of the shop vacs to suck up the water in the hallway, bending and stooping for around an hour or so. The next day my legs were very sore.

Two days later, they are still sore, but I was able to do my stretching exercises this morning without issue, since the sore muscles aren’t the exact same ones I use when running.

My walk to the lake took about a minute longer than usual, due to the legs being ever-so-stiff. For the run, conditions were very nice–cloudy and 16C. But my pace for the first two km was a pokey 6:08/km due to the soreness. By the third km my legs finally started to limber up and I came under six minutes thereafter, with an overall pace of 5:58/km. I consider this pretty good, given how my legs felt.

The conditions and my pace both lead to a lower overall heart rate of 146. Despite the stiffness, the slower pace for the first couple of km actually felt kind of comfy.

I experienced no other issues, other than rampant dogs off-leash. I guess it’s Rules-free Friday or something. There were also three people fishing behind temporary fencing clearly meant to keep people away from Still Creek, and as a bonus, they were smoking. Next time I may just push them in, or sic the geese on them.

Overall, not a bad way to end the week, given the circumstances.

Stats:

Run 946
Average pace: 5:58/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 10:02 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 30:00
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 16°C
Humidity: 83%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 146
Weight: 168.1
Total distance to date: 6,562.5 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (157.5/340.5/498)

Music: Long Distance Voyager, The Moody Blues

I got out almost an hour later this morning when my plan was to get out an hour earlier. Oops.

As such, it was a bit warmer and you might be wondering why I mention the humidity, because it was actually less humid than Monday’s run and the reason is by heading out later I was starting to hit that heat/humidity combo that acts like an energy vampire.

As a result, my pace was a somewhat pokey 6:03/km, though I found enough reserves to post 5:52/km for the final lap. BPM was down a bit due to the slog-like nature, as well.

As for the cheaty bit: At the halfway point, I stopped to drink at the fountain by the Nature House, then immediately had to use the loo. This ended up having no discernable effect on my overall pace.

I also saw three topless joggers. One of the perks of running in the summer.

Other than the heat/humidity, no real issues to report and long stretches of the run were pretty quiet, with very few people out under the sun.

Overall, not a bad effort, but I really will try to get out earlier on Friday, I swear!

Stats:

Run 945
Average pace: 6:03/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:53 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 30:27
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 22-23°C
Humidity: 66-64%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 152
Weight: 168.0
Total distance to date: 6,557.5 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (152.5/327.5/480)

Music: Beauty and the Beat, The Go-Go's

I toyed with the idea of doing a 7.5K run today, but after holding back a bit for the 2nd and 3rd km, decided it would be better to do that later in the week and with an earlier, start, so I picked up the pace and finished with a pace of 5:51/km.

Conditions were similar to Friday in terms of temperature and humidity, but the sun was blazing and it’s weird how much harder it makes running. Shade is nice.

Unlike Friday, there were no bear warnings, but I did see a cite little brown bunny. I’m always surprised when I see them, because in my mind when you see one bunny, there’s like a hundred others you don’t see–yet I rarely see them at the lake. There were also two off-leash dogs, which is dangerous for the dog and the dog owner when there are bears in the area. I wish more dog owners were responsible, but what can youse do?

Overall, a good start to the week.

Stats:

Run 944
Average pace: 5:51/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 9:55 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:26
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 20-21°C
Humidity: 69-66%
Wind: light
BPM: 154
Weight: 168.0
Total distance to date: 6,552.5 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (147.5/314.5/462)

Music: Beauty and the Beat, The Go-Go's