It was not quite as warm today, but humidity was higher, so it didn’t really feel all that different.
Changes from yesterday: I walked the full distance, to Cariboo Road, before heading back. And I ran more often–not quite up to my usual pace, but closer. I could definitely feel myself hitting my current limits a few times and pulling back before The Cramps™ could start.
Overall it went well, and I ended up doubling my move goal for the day, so yay for that.
Stats:
Walk 35Average pace: 8:13/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.20 km
Time: 59:13
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 26ºC
Humidity: 49%
Wind: light
BPM: 135
Weight: 178.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 266.64 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
I’ve actually done a few walks recently that I didn’t record because they really were just walks, with no running at all (yesterday for example). But today I actually did run a bit, despite the unusually warm weather. I basically jogged when under the shade of the tree canopy and walked when out exposed to direct sun. It seemed to work reasonably well.
My stamina is still pretty feeble, though, like I could keep running, but it would feel like the sloggiest of slogs, and I’d probably start getting cramps in weird parts of my body. But it was still nice to get out and be physical and such.
I didn’t go quite as far as usual today, as I wanted to try to keep the total time down to an hour (I had not planned on running at all when I set out), so my overall distance is lower than the normal (which is typically over 7 km), but it’s reasonably close.
Stats:
Walk 34Average pace: 8:49/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 6.83 km
Time: 1:00:11
Weather: Sunny and hot
Temp: 29ºC
Humidity: 37%
Wind: light
BPM: 127
Weight: 179 pounds
Total distance to date: 259.44 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
Before I could give myself time to change my mind I went out today for a walk/run, determined to make at least partial amends for my fatty indulgences of the last few days. As a bonus the weather looked iffy, so I figured crowds would be minimal.
Well, the weather was iffy–rain showers for all but the last 15 minutes or so, when the sun poked out, but there were still crowds, as a lot of people apparently just want to get out and don’t care if they also get wet.
There was one annoying runner ahead of me at one point who kept running right down the middle of the trail, which is bad form. Worse, she kept drifting back and forth, which is terrible form. I originally planned to catch up and pass her but I’m so soft and flabby right now that I just let her go ahead while I caught my breath. Such is my running life at the moment.
I did run a lot more than the previous outing and had no difficulties, other than just my stamina conking out significantly earlier than it normally would. But it’ll get there eventually if I stick with it. Which I plan to do. Honest!
Stats:
Walk 33Average pace: 8:18/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.26 km
Time: 1:00:21
Weather: Rain showers
Temp: 11ºC
Humidity: 81%
Wind: light
BPM: 138
Weight: 180 pounds
Total distance to date: 252.61 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
I went out today and only ran in short bursts, so it took me about nine or so minutes longer to complete vs. my typical pace. I’m okay with that, as I’m just glad that I was motivated enough to get out instead of shutting down and slumping in a chair or on the bed.
Stats:
Walk 32Average pace: 9:12/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.55 km
Time: 1:09:35
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 19ºC
Humidity: 39%
Wind: moderate
BPM: 123
Weight: 179.3 pounds
Total distance to date245.33 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
What the title says. I went there yesterday with Nic and given the unexpectedly warm and sunny conditions, we both got sunburned. But I also got a few decent pics. Here are a few bird-flavored ones.
A bald eagle flying high overhead just as we started outA cormorant stretching its wings. It stayed frozen, statue-like, the entire time we walked by.Great blue heron looking out across the riverAmerican coot eating grass and being weird
Another beautiful but windy day as I set out right after work. I didn’t run quite as much today–or so I thought–but my pace was better, reversing a trend of getting slower. Yay.
I did slow or stop running a few times, once due to a stitch starting to develop in my right shoulder, and again when my left leg/knee were feeling stiff and cranky (this tended to settle and improve as they got warmer).
If I continue at the pace I’m at now, I will probably try running the entire back half of the river trail (about 2 km) in the next week or two. And to think I used to come sailing in at the end of a 10K run as if I’d just jogged a hundred meters. 😛
Stats:
Walk 31Average pace: 8:22/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.44 km
Time: 1:02:16
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 19ºC
Humidity: 25%
Wind: moderate to high
BPM: 135
Weight: 179.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 237.80 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
I started doing run/walks again recently and completely forgot to post about the first three. Whoops. I blame the five-month gap since the last walk.
Overall, they were fine, no injuries or mishaps and the plantar fasciitis was not an issue, though the left foot still feels stiff later on, before recovering.
Today’s walk was under sunny skies and warm temperatures, but a persistent wind with a bit of a bite kept it from feeling too warm. I felt weirdly weary after work (say that three times fast), so I didn’t run quite as much, but I had a strong finish, mostly because I really had to use the bathroom by the end.
Note that while my pace has gotten worse over the four run/walks, my BPM has improved nicely. I’ll take it.
Here are the stats from all four walks:
April 2:
Walk 27Average pace: 8:00/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.31 km
Time: 58:29
Weather: Mostly sunny
Temp: 10ºC
Humidity: 53%
Wind: light
BPM: 147
Weight: 179.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 208.48 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
April 3:
Walk 28Average pace: 8:04/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.37 km
Time: 59:32
Weather: Cloudy, some sprinkles
Temp: 8ºC
Humidity: 77%
Wind: light
BPM: 143
Weight: 178.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 215.85 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
April 5:
Walk 29Average pace: 8:09/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.29 km
Time: 59:30
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 12ºC
Humidity: 49%
Wind: light
BPM: 140
Weight: 179.2 pounds
Total distance to date: 223.14 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
April 12:
Walk 30Average pace: 8:28/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 7.22 km
Time: 1:01:13
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 16ºC
Humidity: 27%
Wind: moderate to high
BPM: 132
Weight: 179.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 230.36 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12
Yes, another workout on the treadmill, mere days after the last one instead of mere months.
I set the pace at 6 for the first 15 minutes, then bumped it to 6.2 for the second 15 minutes. I felt like I was slower, which didn’t surprise me, as the reason I got on the treadmill was due to feeling lazy and indolent and guilt caught up with me.
I stopped after hitting 300 active calories burned as per my Apple Watch, same as last time. And it turned out all of my stats were slightly better, woo.
Stats:
Pace: 10:39/km (10:47 km/h)
Time: 30:54 (30:033)
Distance: 2.90 km (2.83 km)
Calories burned: 302 (301)
BPM: 144 (146)
Although I didn’t know exactly what affliction I had back in July of Plague Year One (2020), I knew something was up when my left foot started to hurt for seemingly no reason. Slowly, it improved and I began running again, then in December the soreness came back, but significantly worse. I actually didn’t even walk (for exercise) for awhile, which leads to today…
My doctor diagnosed me with plantar fasciitis and this seems like a gimme, as my symptoms matched exactly. I began doing some stretching exercises and just recently began walking for exercise again. Today I decided to do a treadmill workout for the first time since October 25–yes, almost four months ago.
The results were…not bad! I was a bit slow, as expected, but I also deliberately set the pace lower, keeping it at 6:00/km for the first 18 minutes or so and nudging it up to 6:20/km for the last 12 minutes.
The exercise went like this:
Starting out and feels OK
Left foot feels a tiny bit sore–will it get worse?
Starting to actually sweat, like this is real exercise
Picking up the pace, in the zone, everything else forgotten
Stats (previous walk in brackets, based on 6.5 speed). The standout one is probably how much higher the BPM, vividly illustrating how out of shape I am (well, I’m in some kind of shape, that shape happens to be mostly round):
Pace: 10:47/km (9:29 km/h)
Time: 30:33 (30:04)
Distance: 2.83 km (3.17 km)
Calories burned: 301 (280)
BPM: 146 (133)
The Canada-U.S. border, that is, not the Billy Joel song.
Here’s a mini-album of pics I took while Nic and I toodled around Boundary Bay and area on Saturday, November 28. The weather was cool but clear, with little wind. Perfect for picture-taking.
Me taking a photo of Nic taking a photo of the sunset at Crescent BeachSunset at Crescent Beach without Nic taking a picture of itSign in the public washroom at Centennial Beach warning you not to put happy little crabs in the urinalsBerries enjoying the sun at Centennial BeachTwo moons rising at Crescent BeachSeagull log at Centennial Beach
It’s been about two weeks since my last walk, so it was perhaps unsurprising that I was a bit sluggish on the walking portion. It was also chilly, though thankfully the wind was not blowing. I wore two layers up top and my stylish running pants for the first time in…quite awhile.
I was not overdressed.
Being a mid-afternoon on a weekday, I was expecting it to be fairly quiet, but there were quite a few people out, perhaps taking advantage of the dry weather before The Rains begin.
Thanks to my world’s tiniest bladder, when I got to the end of Cariboo Place I did not turn around and head back. Rather, I crossed over to Burnaby Lake, grabbed a few pics (praying it would not kill the phone) and used to Jiffy John™. I ended up having to go three separate times while out, which may be a personal record. Did I secretly drink a lot of liquid before heading out? Did the cold make my bladder “nervous”? Who knows. It’s not a personal record I want to beat, at any rate.
The running part went better and the one full km I was able to measure came in at 5:35/km, pretty respectable after two weeks of marginal activity.
Overall it was nice to get back out and I felt somewhat smart by actually dressing for the weather. The phone survived, going from 100% to around 64% by the time I got home (I did not start listening to music until I was headed back and kept it at a low volume. I also closed out all other apps. These are the things you do when your phone battery decides to play dead).
The stats:
Walk 26Average pace: 8:18/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 8.87 km
Time: 1:13:41
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 5ºC
Humidity: 81%
Wind: light to nil
BPM: 131
Weight: 171.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 201.17 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8
Nic and I went to the Reifel Bird Sanctuary on Saturday and I took a bunch of pictures with my iPhone 8…and my 12-year-old Canon Powershot SD1100. Why did I have my Canon digital camera with me? Because the battery on my iPhone has gone bonkers and barely lasts an hour. I also took a power bank with me and pretty much kept it tethered to the phone.
As a result, I have a lot of duplicate photos from both devices and the Canon held up quite well, given its age.
I also didn’t dress for the weather. I would have been fine, as it was clear and sunny and not too cold–around 8C–but once the wind picked up, I became jealous of the ducks and their down.
We didn’t see any snow geese, which was a bit of a bummer, but more reason to go back, especially since I now know to wear 15 layers.
View along trail
Ponds
Calm water before the wind picked up
Vibrant berries
Marshland stretching out
Light and shadow
Birbhouse
Duck!
In your face
Golden duck
A pair of herons
This duck followed us, clearly thinking we had duck food.
