Exercise

Run 647: The first pandemic run

Run 647
Average pace: 5:48/km
Location: Brunette River
Start: 1:42 pm
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:13
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 12ºC
Humidity: 55%
Wind: nil to light
BPM: 166
Weight: 171.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 4845 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (205 km)

Technically today was not my first run since the global pandemic started, but it was the first since, to frame it colorfully, shit got real, with lots of closures and a huge emphasis on “social distancing”, which I will get to in a bit.

First, this was my first run in three weeks. I’m not sure how I managed to go another three weeks without doing an outdoor run. I swear I’m not lazy. Today I headed out in mild conditions wearing my light long-sleeve shirt and would have been fine in a regular t-shirt, as it was not cool in any way (in all senses of the word).

I wasn’t sure if I was going to run at the lake or the river, so I walked to the end of the river trail to give me more time to decide. Given how many people were about, I chose the river trail, as it would be easier to keep some separation between myself and potential plague carriers.

This turned out to be surprisingly difficult, despite the river trail actually being a gravel service road that is wide enough to (barely) accommodate two vehicles passing by each other. Why? Because people are dumb or indifferent. Observe below.

Good people: Walking close to each other, staying on one side of the trail. Lots of room to pass by without getting close.

Bad people: Spreading themselves as far across the trail as possible, making it impossible to keep the recommended safe distance away, which is six feet or two meters, depending on how metric you are. For example, two friends (?) were walking down the trail, but they were walking down the middle and also had some strangely large gap between each other, effectively providing three narrow channels for me to choose from. This would be like if every chalice at the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was poison. You can’t help but to choose poorly.

There was another pair that did the opposite, which creates nearly the same issue. One was walking a dog (all dogs were leashed today, which was nice, if odd, to see). One walked on the left side of the trail, the other on the right, with a gap between them that again left me insufficient space to squeeze through as per social distancing recommendations. Why would you even walk like this? It would be like walking on opposite sidewalks down the street. Do they secretly hate each other? Does one of them have dog allergies? These two ended up making me alter my run.

Oh yes, the run. It was surprisingly stressful because I did not want to have to keep carefully dodging around people who could potentially be carrying COVID-19, I just wanted to run. I almost felt like stopping early to I could just get out of there. After going between the two–let’s call them “space” people–I realized that given where they were, I would have to pass between them at least two more times to complete my run. I opted to turn around early before getting to them the second time and when I got back to the entrance I was at about 4.5 km done. I ran off the trail and onto the sidewalk on North Road, figuring I’d do the last 500m by running into and through Lower Hume Park. It was then that I saw directly on the sidewalk a huge group of people. I mean, this is something I never see. It’s like they specifically appeared to induce anxiety in me. I waited a few moments for a gap in traffic, then crossed over to the empty sidewalk on the other side.

I didn’t hit 5K as soon as I would have liked, so had to turn out onto the field and finished as I ran across the baseball diamond. It felt a little weird.

The actual run itself was fine, especially given the three weeks away. My pace was 5:48/km, better than expected (though as always the river trail is more forgiving than the lake), though my BPM ticked up a bit to 166, though it’s possible my general fretting may have contributed there. I was pretty tense the whole way, only relaxing a bit during those rare moments when no one else was in sight.

I actually wished it had been raining so these people would have stayed home to watch Contagion on Netflix.

I’m not sure when I’ll run outside again. Maybe when the weather is miserable, which will ironically make me happier.

Treadmill walk: Pandemic edition (1 of an ongoing series)

Tonight’s treadmill walk was a bit unusual in a few ways. Let me put them into a convenient bullet point list:

  • Despite walking the same distance and same pace as the previous walk, I burned 25 fewer calories–not a huge difference, but notable
  • My BPM was also lower
  • I fell off the treadmill

Let me explain the last one. I felt a bit chilly before starting, so donned one of my sleeveless running shirts. It became obvious a few minutes in that I would get too warm rather quickly, so I opted to remove the shirt–while still walking on the treadmill. It’s not as bad as it sounds, as long as you maintain pace and keep focus.

I did neither.

Instead, after scrunching the shirt up to my chest so I could pull it over my head quickly, it got caught on my AirPods and they started coming out of my ears. This is the only time the much-mocked “stems” have gotten caught on anything. I tried to re-insert the AirPods, a task that distracted me sufficiently that I found myself sliding toward the end of the treadmill. By the time I fully comprehended what was happening, I was off the treadmill entirely. Fortunately I stayed upright, so no damage done–to me, or anything else.

Lesson learned: pause the workout before doing anything not associated with the workout.

Overall, the walk went by surprisingly quickly and I felt more energetic than the last few, as reflected in the lower BPM. So even though the world is collapsing around me, it was a good workout. 

Speed: 6.5 km/h
Incline: 10

Pace: 9:22/km (9:21 km/h)
Time: 30:05 (30.03)
Distance: 3.21 km (3.21 km)
Calories burned: 277 (302)
BPM: 133 (138)

Run 646: Technically running

Run 646
Average pace: 6:08/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:49 am
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 30:49
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 7ºC
Humidity: 66%
Wind: strong
BPM: 162
Weight: 169.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 4840 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (200 km)

Although I have run and done many walks on the treadmill since acquiring it in early December 2019, it’s been awhile since I’ve done a run outdoors. A large chunk of this has been due to having the flu and then almost immediately getting a cold as follow up.

Today I finally headed back to Burnaby Lake for the first time since December 29th, just over two months ago. Yikes.

The weather was a bit brisk (in fact, three degrees cooler than it was in late December) so I wore two layers, which was a smart choice, especially with a somewhat strong breeze also blowing.

I started out slow to keep myself from tiring out quickly, but that turned out to be a formality, as slow is the only speed I could achieve. The back half of the run felt not exactly like a slog, but slog-like. I kept moving. I was glad when it was over. I surprised myself by actually finding the energy to run a bit afterwards on the way back home.

The pace of 6:08/km is very slow but unsurprising, given the long layoff. Oddly, my BPM remained exactly the same as the last run, a bit up there at 162 but well below a level that I would be uncomfortable with. I did not think about my knees at all during the run and only thought of them briefly on the walk out as I felt the entirety of both legs start to stiffen and get sore in real time.

I expect the soreness to persist through tomorrow.

The trail itself was mostly dry, but sections are still in terrible shape, with parts collapsed and marked by traffic cones, others hastily patched up and the usual boggy parts by the fields requiring fancy footwork to avoid the feet getting mud and water-soaked.

Because it was the weekend and not raining, a decent number of people were out. One dog was kind of snippy toward me and another jogger. I didn’t notice so much because the music blocked out its yapping and it was low enough to be mostly out of my field of vision. I did turn back and see it going after the jogger that passed me in the other direction. Dumb dog (owner).

As always when you encounter multiple groups of people on the trail, some seem unaware that others are in fact using the trail, too. Fortunately I never had too much trouble moving around them, but the baffling inability handle interaction with others in a public space will always continue to annoy me. I try to not let it, but it does.

A mystery of sorts emerged just as I was heading out from the lake. My right hip suddenly became sore. It felt fine on the run and the 5K walk out of the lake, so I’m not sure why it turned on me long after the fact. Maybe it’s a trick hip now. I don’t like tricks. It seems mostly fine now.

Overall, this was not a bad run after more than 60 days off. I was tired, but never felt gross and wanting the suffering to end like nothing else in the world. I just kept going and going and then was done. I’ll try to run again next weekend and see how it compares.

Treadmill walk: Day 4 of more

I wasn’t sure I was going to do a workout today. It’s Saturday and without a run scheduled (I’m doing one tomorrow) the default is to be a bit on the lazy side. I did do a fair bit of walking and actually hit both my exercise and move goals by late afternoon. But still, I wanted to get a little more…

So at 9 p.m. (yes, my earliest time this week yet!) I got on the treadmill and did 30 minutes at the usual settings.

I definitely felt perkier starting but with about five minutes to go my arms started feeling like spaghetti (this may sound weird, since you run with your legs, not your arms, but the speed and inclination I use on the treadmill for my walks requires me to hold on to avoid flying off) and my legs even felt just slightly wobbly. But I persisted and finished and as you can see by the stats below, I improved a bit in every area, especially in BPM. This is good and I am pleased.

Tomorrow: Running. Outside. Yikes.

Speed: 6.5 km/h
Incline: 10

Pace: 9:21/km (9:27 km/h)
Time: 30:03 (30.03)
Distance: 3.21 km (3.18 km)
Calories burned: 302 (299)
BPM: 138 (144)

Treadmill walk: Third time is not the charm

Yes, for a ridiculous third night in a row, I jumped on the treadmill for a 30 minute workout. I started even earlier tonight–just before 10 p.m.

But today was physically tiring (a little) and mentally tiring (a lot), so I wasn’t feeling as peppy as last night. The results clearly show this.

Also, my finger slipped a bit on the button that controls the incline, so I had it set to 11 instead of 10 for about the first 20 minutes. This may have slowed me down a bit more than otherwise. But I was still just slow.

Still, I’m glad I did it, as exercising is now becoming a routine again, which is where I want it. I am planning to actually run outside for the first time in a hundred years this weekend. Both days currently look amendable, so I may flip a coin–as soon as I find one.

The stats, with last night’s results in brackets. Note how terrible the pace is. Even my best km at 9:19/km was still slower than my overall pace last night. The tank was clearly empty tonight. On the other hand, I burned more calories–because I put on more than a pound of weight overnight. 😛

Speed: 6.5 km/h
Incline: 11 (20 minutes), 10 (10 minutes)

Pace: 9:27/km (9:14 km/h)
Time: 30:03 (30.04)
Distance: 3.18 km (3.25 km)
Calories burned: 299 (288)
BPM: 144 (143)

Another late night walk in the…room

For an amazing second night in a row I decided to do a workout on the treadmill. I started out a bit pokey (maybe the music was distracting me?) but picked up the pace for the second and third km, and overall felt much peppier than before. Unsurprisingly, my BPM was also higher, but still not too high.

As a special treat (??) I changed the incline from 10 to 12 for the last two minutes. My heart rate immediately jumped by about four, then started settling back down. I could actually feel the increase in the incline, which was a little weird. The treadmill goes up to 15, so 12 is getting pretty steep.

Stats, with the previous workout in brackets:

Speed: 6.5 km/h
Incline: 10

Pace: 9:14/km (9:17 km/h)
Time: 30:04 (30.08)
Distance: 3.25 km (3.24 km)
Calories burned: 288 (294)
BPM: 143 (139)

Treadmill walk: Sponsored by guilt

Even though I am mostly recovered from the cold, it still persists in annoying, lingering ways, such as an occasional cough and a still-present feeling of (light) congestion in the chest. Maybe I was using this subconsciously as an excuse to not exercise, but it’s still an excuse.

So tonight, just shy of 10:30 p.m., I got on the treadmill and did a half hour workout with the usual settings.

Results, with previous workout in brackets below. Of note, my pace was a bit sluggish, but this probably helped my BPM to be a bit lower, too. I felt like I recovered faster, too. Overall a bit meh, but at least I did some exercise.

Speed: 6.5 km/h
Incline: 10

Pace: 9:17/km (9:09 km/h)
Time: 30:08 (30.05)
Distance: 3.24 km (3.28 km)
Calories burned: 294 (301)
BPM: 139 (142)

Treadmill miracle walk

The miracle is that after a day of coughing, feeling generally sick and above all else, indolent, I actually got on the treadmill tonight and did a half hour workout.

I did not cough once during the workout.

I started coughing immediately after completing the workout.

I also noticed my heart rate was much slower than normal to recover. Not that it was crazy high or anything, it just took a few minutes longer than usual to get back below 100 (which is the arbitrary point I’ve chosen for when I stop the treadmill and get off…the treadmill).

The stats in brackets are from my previous walk, just a little over a week ago, completed during the small window between the bad flu and the bad cold. As you can see, everything is slightly worse, but actually not too bad considering the coughing, congestion and general unwellness I continue to experience.

Here’s to a healthier week. At least it is mercifully one day shorter than normal.

Speed: 6.5 km/h
Incline: 10

Pace: 9:09/km (9:06 km/h)
Time: 30:05 (30.04)
Distance: 3.28 km (3.30 km)
Calories burned: 301 (298)
BPM: 142 (140)

Treadmill walk: Finally another treadmill walk

After having my energy sapped for three weeks due to the flu and its lingering fun side effects, I finally got back on the treadmill again for the first time since January 15th.

I did a 30 minute walk and at first felt surprisingly peppy. That peppiness started to wane a bit toward the end, but overall it went better than I would have expected, considering I’ve been mildly dreading any sort of exercise based on the way my energy level has zeroed out by mid-evening the past week. But here I am at 9 p.m. having survived the first treadmill workout of February.

The stats, with the previous 30 minute workout in brackets for comparison. Somewhat surprisingly, my pace was actually better and my BPM was only a wee bit higher. Maybe listening to R.E.M.’s Accelerate helped.

Speed: 6.5 km/h
Incline: 10

Pace: 9:06/km (9:11 km/h)
Time: 30:04 (30.08)
Distance: 3.30 km (3.28 km)
Calories burned: 298 (296)
BPM: 140 (138)

Treadmill: When running would require cross-country travel

Cross-country to somewhere it isn’t snowing, that is. This is the current scene outside the spare bedroom where the treadmill lives. The greenery is looking rather white:

My exercise was delayed when I discovered the right bud of my new AirPods hadn’t charged and was dead. I did not want to work out in mono. I did a bit of fiddling, let the AirPods charge for about 10 minutes or so, which is normally enough for an hour’s use, but no go. The right one was still dead. I grumbled, failed to find my wired EarPods, grumbled some more and then connected my Moves via old-fashioned wired connection (with Apple-provided dongle) and used them. Surprisingly, they worked fairly well. I thought they would get too sweaty, but the Arctic chill seems to have helped there.

(The AirPods seem to be properly charged now, but my faith in them has been broken like a cracker in the jaws of a hungry parrot.)

I kept up the pace for 50 minutes, which is partway through “Mr. Blue Sky”, an utterly ironic song to end on today. For some reason I was feeling absurdly energetic to start and my first two kms were 8:39 and 8:51. This moderated over the last three km, but still, not sure why I was so peppy. But peppy is good.

Here are the stats, with my previous 50 minute walk in brackets. Note that the previous one was at a 6 km/h pace.

Speed: 6.5 km/h (6 km/h)
Incline: 10

Pace: 9:04/km  (9:51/km)
Time: 50:04 (50:05)
Distance: 5.52 km (5.08 km)
Calories burned: 520 (533)
BPM: 141 (144)

Treadmill: Not in the snow

It’s snowing so the treadmill is my BFF right now.

Another 30 minute workout. I anticipate that the treadmill will be all but mandatory for the next week or two, given the weather forecast.

A little peppier tonight, maybe because I was filled with pizza, the most perfect food in the universe.

Stats:

Speed: 6.5 km/h
Incline: 10

Pace: 9:11/km (9:18 km/h)
Time: 30:08 (30.04)
Distance: 3.28 km (3.23 km)
Calories burned: 296 (290)
BPM: 138 (135)

Treadmill walk: Closer to midnight

In which I vacillate over whether to do a workout or not, then finally decide to at 10:33 p.m. A half hour walk tonight, stats below. I was a bit tired to start, but warmed up and plowed through.

Speed: 6.5 km/h
Incline: 10

Pace: 9:18/km (9:16 km/h)
Time: 30:04 (60.05)
Distance: 3.23 km (6.48 km)
Calories burned: 290 (613)
BPM: 135 (142)