Today was that most delightful of outings: incident-free.
To wit:
No dog nonsense
No cyclist nonsense
Generally no nonsense
No cramps
No injuries
Bug bites on legs finally not blazing to life as soon as I start moving
No bad weather (it was a bit warm, but everything is relative after you’ve experienced 42°C degrees)
Pleasant breeze
Ran more than expected
For the run part, I took a brief break midway through coming back, but still managed to break the six-minute mark on the first km, so yay on that. As I wasn’t feeling especially motivated heading out, I’m pleased that I ran as much as I did, finishing the week on a high note.
Stats:
Walk 46Average pace: 8:08/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.43 km
Time: 60:25
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 27ºC
Humidity: 42%
Wind: light
BPM: 132
Weight: 180 pounds
Total distance to date: 354.99 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
It was much cooler today–about seasonal, which so far this summer has not been the norm–and it started out cloudy on the walk, making for a refreshing change of pace. Speaking of pace, mine was brisk heading out, but when it came time to turn back and start running, I balked because I felt weirdly wobbly, the way you might if you haven’t eaten for quite a while and feel that gross “I need food” feeling. It was especially weird as I had eaten.
Eventually it seemed to ease up, so I did run a decent amount and clipped a few more seconds off my previous pace, with my BPM edging even lower still, probably due to the relative lack of heat.
The dog owner, I should point out, was only post facto well-behaved, because he started with his giant fluffy white dog off-leash. The dog seemed friendly enough, but was a bit too aggressively friendly toward not one but two joggers running by. As I approached as Jogger #3, I slowed from a jog to a walk, and it was then the dog owner actually put the leash on, to my surprise and delight. I resumed running, knowing the gigantic furball would not be able to pounce on me in a “I’m just playin’!” manner. So that was nice.
Stats:
Walk 45Average pace: 8:25/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.37 km
Time: 62:02
Weather: Cloudy and partly sunny
Temp: 23ºC
Humidity: 43%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 122
Weight: 178.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 347.56 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
In a way, 29 degrees is not that hot when you’ve experienced 42 degrees. But for running it is warmer than I like, so I did not run as much today, but sweated nicely nonetheless.
There was another (big) unleashed dog and as I walked by on the way in, it did in fact start to follow along me, but I kept walking and let one of the owners call it back (it eventually responded as I gritted my teeth). When I was running on the way back I passed them again, but by then the dog was tired and listless, so it ignored me in favor of panting a lot. That was fine by me.
As for the walk/run, it went decently. I was tempted to run more, but my gut was feeling a bit off for some reason. I swear I did not eat handfuls of candies before heading out. Still, I bested my previous pace by six seconds, so not too shabby–and my BPM was actually lower. Nice! I’ll work up to that actual 5K run eventually!
Stats:
Walk 44Average pace: 8:29/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.34 km
Time: 62:20
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 28ºC
Humidity: 43%
Wind: light
BPM: 128
Weight: 176.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 340.19 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
I once again encountered the worst weather for running: dogs.
But let me back up a bit. It was hotter than yesterday–around 27C and it was enough to notice. I had put off the walk/run for most of the day and did not run the entire way back. The parts I did my pace was clearly lagging from yesterday. I was tired. But overall I didn’t feel bad. The right ankle muscles felt a bit tight for reasons, but they limbered up after a short while.
So in all, it was a decent outing, right up to near the very end of the trail. At this point, I was walking and listening to music. I spotted two women at the side of the trail, near where you can cut over to the river bank. One was holding up a bike. I shifted left to give them room and continued on. It was then that a stubby-legged hellion appeared out of nowhere and ran at me, running around my feet, yapping and snapping its jaws at me. It was basically a tripping hazard as it kept running around me. I could not extricate myself and quickly got a bit steamed.
I yelled (remember, I still had the music blasting) at the woman, “Leash your dog!” then repeated it for good measure. As her dog kept circling me, I yelled out something like, “Goddamn it!” and that’s when she told me to relax. Yes, I should relax with her off-leash mutt circling me like a land shark. She picked up the dog and I further explained in my yelling voice that there are big signs explaining that dogs have to be leashed. she came back with how this was somehow my fault. I didn’t have a good response for that, because it was completely bonkers.
Before leaving the trail, I turned back and she had gone to the river (hopefully to toss her dog in) but her friend was still standing there holding the bike, so I pulled out my phone while staring at her and pretended to make a call, then turned back again and left. I don’t know if it made her uneasy, but it was the only thing I could think of to give myself some small sense of satisfaction. I then finally removed my AirPods.
In retrospect, what I should have done was:
Remove the AirPods
Explain to her that all dogs are to be on-leash, as per the sign at the trail entrance
Continue on without further word
Bonus: If she had said anything, I should have started recording a video to post on TikTok, possibly set to Pink Floyd’s “Dogs” because it has “dogs” in the title.
Stats:
Walk 43Average pace: 8:35/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.31 km
Time: 62:46
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 27ºC
Humidity: 47%
Wind: light
BPM: 132
Weight: 179.0 pounds
Total distance to date: 332.85 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
It was weird being out in temperatures that were actually normal for this time of year. As a bonus (for running) it was also cloudy. I set out midday and found my left leg, especially around the knee, was feeling cranky. Did I sleep on it funny? Has it been hijacked by aliens? I don’t know.
But I do know that when I reached Cariboo Road, I turned around and managed to run all the way to the entrance of the river trail and beyond, coming in at a decent 5:58/km pace for the first km. Woo! Also, the kinks got worked out while running, which acted as a nice incentive to keep going. I worked to keep the pace moderate and finished without any cramps or other mysterious pains or ailments.
In all, it was nice to get out in hospitable weather. We’ll see how it plays out over the summer.
Also, here’s a bonus ex-tree that blocked part of the trail. Usually these happen after a storm has blown through, but I’m willing to blame the heat dome for this because that thing was nasty.
Tree meeting gravity.
Stats:
Walk 42Average pace: 8:12/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.36 km
Time: 60:28
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 23ºC
Humidity: 59%
Wind: light
BPM: 132
Weight: 178.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 325.54 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
Today is allegedly the last day the “heat dome” is stuck over BC, as it’s now moving toward Alberta. That means instead of being insanely hot, it was only regular hot, with a high of 33. It was a bit below that when I went on my walk and as strange as it seems, it felt actually not that bad when compared to 42 degrees.
I did run a tiny bit through a few shady stretches, but not much, because it’s still not great weather for harder exertion. I kept up a decent walking pace, though, and had no issues, save for my left shoelace mysteriously coming untied twice. The second time the shoe seemed to be mocking me for trying to tie the lace so there was no way it could possibly come untied.
The next walk/run should feature temperatures below 30 degrees–brr!
Stats:
Walk 42Average pace: 9:17/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.34 km
Time: 68:09
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 31ºC
Humidity: 42%
Wind: light
BPM: 125
Weight: 179.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 318.18 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
It was 37ºC when I headed out for my walk/run late in the morning and I made a decision before heading out:
No running, as it would be cuckoo crazy in the middle of a record-breaking heatwave
This proved to be wise as it was hot. It dropped maybe a degree on the river trail, mostly in the shade, but the air was thick, the sweat gushed like a fountain and if it weren’t for the slathering of sunblock my exposed skin would be a raging fire right now.
The first km was a bit slower, over 10 min/km as I baked along the sidewalks and pavement. My pace picked up on the river trail, then slowed again as I returned to the land of blacktop.
My BPM was pretty much normal, so I did not over-exert myself. This was good. I even stopped at the top of the stairs coming from Lower Hume Park and took 30 seconds to rest in the shade of a handy tree. I looked longingly at the kids running through the spraying water at the water park. Then I sweated some more and got home.
It looks like it may be hotter still tomorrow and I won’t be able to head out until after work, which is also when the temperatures usually peak. We’ll see how it goes.
All said, I am glad I got out, as it means I’ll have completed my rings for the entire week, an important part of Losing the Flab™.
Stats:
Walk 41Average pace: 9:40/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.31 km
Time: 70:46
Weather: Sunny and hot
Temp: 35-37ºC
Humidity: 34%
Wind: light
BPM: 127
Weight: 177.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 310.84 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
The weather was pretty much the same today as the last walk/run, perhaps a tad warmer, but this was not one of the small complications I refer to.
Complication #1 was the inevitable need to use the loo, which happened a lot sooner than expected (I hydrated before heading out). There is no good place to make like a bear in the woods until you are nearly three km in, so that hampered my speed for a while. After that and on the way back, I had one of those strange, giggly pains in my left foot. What I mean by this is I would experience a sensation that was similar to pain but when pressure was applied to the heel of my left foot, it made me ease up and giggle a bit. Not that it tickled, but sort of? It’s hard to explain. Think of it as like hitting your funny bone. It’s funny but not funny.
Anyway, I was a bit slower overall as a result, but am still pleased at getting out, and my BPM was correspondingly lower too, so it was all good in the end (potty joke).
Also, I officially™ passed the 300 km mark on these walks, proving i am not entirely given over to a life of flab and laziness. Woo.
Stats:
Walk 40Average pace: 8:43/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.4 km
Time: 64:34
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 27ºC
Humidity: 43%
Wind: light
BPM: 132
Weight: 178.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 303.53 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
It’s the first day of summer 2021 and appropriately the weather is sunny and hot.
As such I didn’t run as much as I might have and my overall pace was slower, even as my BPM was a bit higher, but overall I am pleased by the effort. It’s all too easy to skip the weekend walk/runs altogether.
I am beginning to think more about just diving in and doing a 5K–I’m sure I could manage it, I’d just have to be slow ‘n steady with it. Maybe the next time the weather is overcast or a bit cooler. I suspect I’d find out just how well my perpetually gimp left foot would hold up.
Stats:
Walk 39Average pace: 8:17/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.33 km
Time: 60:46
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 26ºC
Humidity: 46%
Wind: moderate to strong
BPM: 135
Weight: 177.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 296.13 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
I was really tired all day for some reason, despite getting what seemed to be a decent sleep last night, so I went for my walk/run with low expectations.
And surprised myself for running just over 2 km uninterrupted. Even better, my pace for both km was an even 6:00 minutes, which is not bad considering how flabby and out of shape I am. I could feel a hint of a cramp in my abdomen near the end, but it never happened. Of more concern was a reminder of the plantar fasciitis that I could feel about halfway through the running part. It never started to hurt, but I could feel where it did hurt last year and will proceed with caution should I feel it the next time I’m out. If there’s one injury you don’t want to aggravate, it’s one you’re still able to feel almost a year later.
Other than that, I am pleased with today’s effort. It was sunny, but in a nice, not make-you-sweat-buckets sort of way.
Stats:
Walk 38Average pace: 8:03/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.39 km
Time: 59:33
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 18ºC
Humidity: 40%
Wind: light
BPM: 128
Weight: 177.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 288.8 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
It’s Monday and I wasn’t feeling as ambitious for the running part of the walk/run. But I did end up running a tad more than expected, and my overall pace was perfectly respectable.
Conditions were similar, temperature-wise, though it felt a bit warmer as the sun was out today. I encountered no issues in terms of cramping or whatnot, though one of my running stretches I did twist my ankle very slightly on a small pothole I missed when moving from sun to shade. This made me flashback to The Tree Root Incident of August 2016, and I’ll admit, it made me ease up on the running for a few minutes, suddenly paranoid that the trail might be out to get me.
The worst part, though, was the inevitable problem caused by hydrating before the run (good) while also having the world’s tiniest bladder (not particularly good). Even worse than this, I had to…do more. This makes running not just uncomfortable, but also potentially messy. I don’t want to go full TMI here, but you probably get the idea.
Still, despite needing several pit stops it was a good start to the week and I liked that I had no hesitation in getting out, even though it was Monday. I mean yeah, it was also sunny, but I swear I would have gone even if it had been raining. Pretty sure. Yep.
Stats:
Walk 37Average pace: 8:28/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.47 km
Time: 63:17
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 16ºC
Humidity: 45%
Wind: light
BPM: 123
Weight: 179.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 281.41 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
Today was 10 degrees cooler than yesterday, which sounds bad, but is actually great for running. It was overcast with a light breeze, so no sun beating down on me. It is free to beat down on me when I am not running, however.
Maybe due to the cooler temperature, I seemed to have more zip than expected and started running a bit on the way up the trail (I normally don’t start the run part until I’ve reached the end of the trail and turn around to head back). I ran off and on until I got to the turnaround point, then started running…and didn’t stop until I got all the way back to the start of the trail. This was unexpected.
All I had to do was just ease up a little on my run speed and as if by magicke I found a comfortable pace and was able to keep going. It was nice. I’ll need to follow the Eagles’ advice more often and take it easy.
As a result, my stats are quite a bit different from the last few walks–shorter time, faster pace and a slightly higher BPM, but still perfectly fine.
Stats:
Walk 36Average pace: 7:30/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.30 km
Time: 54:59
Weather: Overcast
Temp: 16ºC
Humidity: 55%
Wind: light
BPM: 140
Weight: 178 pounds
Total distance to date: 273.94 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
