Run 633Average pace: 5:27/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW then CCW)
Start: 2:56 pm
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 27:28
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 21ºC
Humidity: 63%
Wind: light
BPM: 154
Weight: 164 pounds
Total distance to date: 4745 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 8
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (100 km)
Today I was not feeling great–headache, queasy stomach and let’s just say me, the bathroom and the number 2 got to know each other really well. But it was a run day and I didn’t want to skip a run, so I perhaps foolishly headed out.
At first I planned to do a river run, but after walking to the far end of the river trail I had yet another strong urge to go to the bathroom, so I headed to the Jiffy John™ at the lake and after that, I figured I may as well run there, too.
In order to be as efficient as possible, I opted to run clockwise for 2.5 km, then turn around and run counter-clockwise back. I’ve done this a few times in the past, but this may have been the first time I specifically chose to do it.
Conditions were decent. It was cloudy and showers overnight meant it was quite humid. The air actually smelled earthy at times, which was not entirely unpleasant. I didn’t have to dodge any puddles, luckily, though slugs, beetles and one rather plump garter snake were out on the trail. In fact, I probably saw more slugs than people, a consequence (or perk) of running on a weekday.
I felt like I had a good start (pace turned out to be 5:13/km) and never had any problems at all, finishing with a zippy 5:27/km, my best pace for the lake this year, though it feels mildly like cheating because of looping back on the same part of the trail.
Overall, then, and especially considering how it might have gone given the way I felt today, this was a very good run. On to Thursday and the river and (checks forecast) and what is currently showing as a 100% chance of rain. Yikes.
Run 632Average pace: 5:37/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:52 am
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 28:13
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 18ºC
Humidity: 73%
Wind: light
BPM: 161
Weight: 162.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 4740 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 8
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (95 km)
Today’s run was done as if in reverse. I started out actually behind the average pace of 5:37/km, coming in at 5:39/km, and ended well below with the fifth km being 5:26/km–faster than my average on Thursday. Weirder still, I didn’t particularly notice any of this, I just felt good throughout.
But being slower on the first km is also interesting because I did run the side trails, now with the closed signs removed and the protective boards on the foot bridges removed. You’d think I’d glide along the super-smooth, root-free section of trail, but apparently I was so dazzled by the resurfacing that I slowed down to admire it.
Starting from the third km, I continued to pick up the pace, with the clouds shielding me from the sun, the temperature much lower than last weekend’s lake run, but humidity quite a bit higher–enough to ward off dry mouth, but not so much that I sweated like all get-out. Conditions were decent, in other words.
This is also the first time in awhile that I planned on a Saturday run and then actually ran on Saturday, so hooray for me!
The shirtless men thing was a bit odd. I had finished the run and was walking out from the lake when one of those tall, impossibly lean runners went past me, his shirt tucked into his shorts, the better to showcase the fact that his body had no fat at all on it. A short time later a similarly lean guy sans shirt passed. This summer I have not seen many guys without shirts (alas), so seeing two in a row was rather unusual. And they kept coming, sometimes alone, sometimes in pairs or threes. Not all were topless, but many were. I figured they were part of some group, but I none were wearing anything to identify the group. I call them The Mostly Shirtless Runners Club.
I ran a lot on the way out, but not as much as I could have because I also had to go potty and as I’ve established before, running and having to use the washroom is not a good combo.
Overall, this was a good run, with no issues of note to report. I was 10 seconds off the river run’s pace on Thursday, but nine seconds better than the last lake run, which feels about right. I may try for a 10K when I’m next running at Burnaby Lake, or at least try running more than 5K. We’ll see!
Run 631Average pace: 5:27/km
Location: Brunette River
Start: 6:39 pm
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 27:22
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 26ºC
Humidity: 54%
Wind: light
BPM: 152
Weight: 163.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 4735 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 8
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (90 km)
When I got home from work tonight I was tired enough that I flopped on the bed for 15 minutes and contemplated not running. I then decided to change and at least head down to the river trail, thinking I might do a one hour walk/run thing instead. But in the end I opted to do an actual 5K and emerged with one of my best times of the year.
It’s weird how that happens.
It was quite warm tonight, and fairly humid, but it was another one of those equilibrium things where each element mostly balanced out the other, especially with the sun not actually beating down on me for more than a couple of seconds, though the sky was clear. This kept sweating to a minimum and decreased the effort needed, as reflected in a snazzy BPM of 152.
My overall pace was 5:27/km and I did not start like a rocket,. I just hit near the overall pace early and kept at or near it for the entire run. My right ankle felt a little creaky for the first km, probably due to bad posture sitting at my desk at work, but after five minutes or so it sorted out and was fine. I had no other issues.
Run 630Average pace: 5:46/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 1:35 pm
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 28:59
Weather: Sun, high cloud
Temp: 23ºC
Humidity: 57%
Wind: light
BPM: 161
Weight: 162.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 4730 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 8
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (85 km)
Today’s run was consistent and consistently slower, with only an 8-second gap between the fastest and slowest km, and an overall pace of 5:46/km, which one of my slowest recent runs. It was not overly hot today, but thee sun was out during the run and it was quite humid, leading to a bit of a dry mouth and a general sluggishness.
There were no other problems, but this was the first run since my ill-advised “let’s run in the afternoon when it’s 30c” where I was happy to have it over.
I wasn’t sure I was going to run today because I was up quite late last night and made up for it by getting up rather late this morning, well past the time I’d normally already be out running. I mulled it over and finally went out just before 1 p.m., which may have played a role in the conditions I encountered.
Ironically, the high cloud obscured the sun for almost the entirety of my post-run walk back home. There were also a fair number of people out, perhaps moreso than if I’d run earlier.
For the first time in awhile, I opted to go counter-clockwise, thinking the side trails might finally be finished. The entrance to the Spruce Loop made it look done, but the Trail Closed sign was still up, so I dutifully avoided it and stuck to the main trail. As I neared the entrance to the Conifer Loop trail, I watched several people emerge from it–and it had no Trail Closed sign. So now I think the workers just forgot to remove the other sign.
Next time I’ll be a rebel and take the side trails. I will (not) miss my old friend, the tree root I tripped over, which is presumably buried under the fresh gravel.
In the end, not a great run, but I’m glad I went out and kept tomorrow open for other stuff.
Run 629 Average pace: 5:30/km Location: Brunette River trail Start: 6:11 am Distance: 5.02 km Time: 27:38 Weather: Sunny, clear Temp: 26ºC Humidity: 44% Wind: light BPM: 153 Weight: 164.5 pounds Total distance to date: 4725 km Devices: Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 8 Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (80 km)
I was not expecting much more than a standard sort of run tonight, as it was quite a bit warmer than the last few runs, but lo and behold, despite the mugginess, I was somehow still moving along and finished with a pace of 5:30/km and a surprisingly low BPM of 153.
My left foot was a tiny bit sore at the start, but it smoothed out quickly, and a stitch in my gut threatened, but never materialized, so other than it feeling kind of sticky, the run was fine.
In fact, I can’t really think of anything to add. Thursday looks to be about the same weather-wise, so we’ll see if the run follows. My prediction is I will be slower as the week wears on, but maybe not.
Also, that raccoon was not at the river today, which makes me happy, both for myself and the raccoon, because raccoons kind of scare me, really.
Run 628Average pace: 5:42/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 10:43 am
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:39
Weather: Cloudy, some sun
Temp: 18-20ºC
Humidity: 70%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 161
Weight: 163.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 4720 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 8
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (75 km)
I was expecting to slow back down at the lake and I did, but I am still weirdly consistent, as my pace was 5:42/km, and the majority of runs at the lake (and some at the river) have been hovering right around this pace for some weeks now. I’ve peaked before but never so…precisely.
My tentative plan is to run counter-clockwise next time, even though it appears the side trail resurfacing still won’t be done (it is taking them a curiously long time). Speaking of, yesterday I scouted out the progress and took this photo where the Conifer and Spruce Loops intersect:
Spruce Loop looking a little footprint-y.
You may be thinking, “Why does a closed trail have so many footprints on it?” Given the erratic pattern, I’m assuming they’re from the workers actually spreading the gravel and not from trail rebels not letting little signs tell them where they can and can’t go.
Technically, one of the footprints is mine, as I tested to see how soft the surface is. It is very soft. I would not want to run on it.
But it looks like a lot of the Conifer Loop is done, with just some rolling remaining, while the Spruce Loop still needs some more top gravel placed and then rolled. Given the current pace of the work, I expect the side trails to re-open sometime next year. 😛
Okay, maybe next month.
And speaking of pace, back to today’s run, in which I nearly stepped on a snake (good thing they move so fast without having legs). I felt perfectly fine, though I did notice the knees a bit early on. They weren’t hurting, I just noticed them, but my mind wandered off soon enough. Unlike the river, I did not have a fourth km blitz today–my fastest km was the first, as is traditional (next was the final km. I want to say I pushed a little, but I’m not sure I did). I treated the whole run fairly casually, not looking for a great pace, just a steady one.
After the run, I walked/jogged a recovery km, then ran the next with a pace of 5:30, which was actually faster than all but the first km of the actual 5K, so I was clearly keeping things bottled up.
It was humid, so I sweated a bit, but clouds moved in mostly just for the run itself, then parted on the walk back, which suited me fine.
Overall, this run was more of the same. I’m curious to see if my times actually start shifting more in one direction or the other soon.
Oh, and the raccoon. I was walking along the river trail toward the lake, about halfway there, when a raccoon came out of the brush on the left, which is the river side. It saw me and froze. I mean, it did not move at all. It became a raccoon statue. I also chose to stop, though with a less statue-like aspect. I paused my run, as I was not sure how long it would take the raccoon to come out of its trance-like state. Finally I got tired of waiting and made a grand sweeping gesture to the right, telling the raccoon it was free to go.
And then it did, hurrying off into the brush on the other side of the trail. It was a little weird. Also, I accidentally ended my run instead of pausing it, so I had to start a new one. This made me think the Done button at the end of the stats of the workout should have another button that says something like Continue Workout, because the End and Pause buttons are next to each other and hitting End doesn’t offer any confirmation, the workout just stops. This would let people have an Oops button and keep the workout going. (The current UI is actually better than it used to be. Originally there were two buttons, Save and Cancel. Yes, you could finish a workout, then accidentally tap the Cancel button and nuke everything you had just done. Brilliant! You now have to go into the Activity app on the phone to delete specific workouts.)
Run 627 Average pace: 5:26/km Location: Brunette River Start: 6:07 pm Distance: 5.03 km Time: 27:22 Weather: Sunny Temp: 22ºC Humidity: 47% Wind: light BPM: 155 Weight: 164.5 pounds Total distance to date: 4715 km Devices: Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 8 Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (70 km)
On the way to the start of tonight’s run I was thinking about how sometimes I’ll feel tired before a run and then go on to turn in a good performance, and other times the run will reflect that same sluggish level of energy. The latter actually doesn’t happen that often and I kept that in mind as I got ready, as I was not feeling super-invigorated.
It turned out I was secretly super-invigorated because I ended up turning out my fastest run of the year, finishing with a pace of 5:26/km. A large part of this came about due to a burst of speed in the fourth km, something I’ve noticed happening in several other runs recently, as if I’m catching my second wind or finding the perfect stride right around that 20 minute mark. In this case my fourth km was a blazing 5:04/km, the closest I’ve come to breaking the five-minute mark this year. And I emphasize that I was not trying to do this, I just felt good and kept the pace up (or increasing it, as it turned out).
I didn’t really push at all until the last stretch and by then I was slowing, with my pace dropping to 5:22/km. But it was the only time I felt even a little burn–and it was little. The rest of the run there were times where I felt genuinely light on my feet, as if I’d found that perfect rhythm or zone. My mind bounced over a succession of topics and in this case, a wandering mind is a sign of a good run.
My BPM was also low at 155. The conditions helped, too, as it was warm but far from hot after yesterday’s rain, and the sun was low, so I only got a few minutes of it. Humidity was reasonable, so sweating wasn’t excessive and I never felt dehydrated.
I’m surprised and kind of delighted by how well the run felt. The next one will be at the lake and I suspect it will not feel as effortless as this one, but I’ll bask in the glow for a few more days, at least.
Run 626Average pace: 5:41/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 12:16 pm
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 28:33
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 19ºC
Humidity: 67%
Wind: light
BPM: 160
Weight: 163.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 4710 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 8
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (65 km)
First, the strange news: Today’s run took me 28:33 minutes. The previous 5K run, which I did on the river trail, took me 28:34 minutes, a difference of one second. How I can manage such precision while running in two different locations is baffling and a bit unnerving. But yay for consistency when the result is good!
Now, the good news: It was much cooler and cloudy for today’s run, which made for a refreshing change of pace. Sweating was minimal and my energy felt strong throughout. I was actually a tad disappointed that I came in at the same overall pace as the previous run at 5:41/km. I was hoping I’d be faster–though the lake is a more technical run than the river, so there’s that.
After some contemplation, I chose to go clockwise yet again, as work continues on the side trails. There is more progress, though, as I could see the Conifer Loop has been resurfaced, complete with the top layer being smoothed into place. Hopefully they’ll wrap it up by next weekend.
I did not get off to a zany fast start this time, and the pace from one km to the next was a little more consistent–in line with how I felt. I thought of running more than 5K, but in the end wanted one more direct comparison, especially after missing a run. Post-run, I walked the first km, then ran the entire second km, with a pace of 5:41/km, matching my overall pace for the run. This is encouraging. I actually ran a lot on the way out, with no issues at all.
Overall, this was a nice effort. I felt good, had lots of energy, had no issues and it was not busy on the trail, likely thanks to the cloud cover.
Run 625Average pace: 5:41/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 6:16 pm
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 28:34
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 26ºC
Humidity: 45%
Wind: moderate
BPM: 156
Weight: 165 pounds
Total distance to date: 4705 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 8
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (60 km)
I was going to run on Saturday but did some errands and then had a kind of lazy day after that (I did go for an hour-long walk, so not totally lazy). Sunday the weather was showery, so I waited for a break, but the weather never really changed, so I ended up having two lazy days.
Monday was Monday. I only run on Mondays when it’s a holiday.
Which meant I ran today, Tuesday, with a four day break in-between runs. Longer than I’d like, but on the edge of being acceptable. This was a post-work run, so I set off to the river trail.
It was not four degrees warmer than Thursday’s run, and humidity was lower, but the balance was pretty close, which meant I sweated, but not a lot, and my mouth did not turn into a mini-Sahara. It also helped that the sun was lower, so most of the run was in the shade. Yay shade.
My left foot was a bit sore to start (probably a posture thing–as I sit here typing this, I have my feet on a foot rest, but had my right foot resting on top of the left one, smooshing it in a way that’s probably not great), but it settled down quickly, and there were no issues after that.
BPM was similar to Thursday, but my overall pace was faster at 5:41/km. Curiously, the fourth km was by far the fastest, a zippy 5:08/km. I’m not sure why I was moving so swiftly at that point. Maybe I slipped into “must finish quickly so I can eat dinner” mode. By comparison, the previous km was 6:06/km. That difference is kind of crazy. Maybe I was so slow in the third km that I ended up being well-rested for the next one.
Overall, a fine run, with no apparent side effects from the four days off.
Run 624Average pace: 5:48/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 2:49 pm
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 29:08
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 22ºC
Humidity: 57%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 157
Weight: 166 pounds
Total distance to date: 4700 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 8
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (55 km)
Today started out cloudy, which would make for a nice run. By the time I headed out it cleared up, but it was okay, because the temperature stayed around 22ºC, which is well below the threshold of “Why am I running in this crazy heat?” Humidity was higher, too, so unlike the previous run, I was not plagued by dry mouth. It was nice.
After the last run I had some soreness in my left knee, extending down into the shin, so I was concerned how this would impact the run. Surprisingly, it didn’t seem to have any effect, perhaps because the three days off gave it enough time to sort of recover. I didn’t experience any other issues during the run and at times I felt pretty good, even distracted enough to think about other things, as I do when I get in the proverbial zone.
My BPM was right around average for the runs of late and my pace was only a tick or two higher at 5:48/km, but also within range, showing that I was able to come back from the Xtreme Heat run without complication.
Officially I hit 4,700 km total today, though it’s higher, since I didn’t track runs from the start, but 4,700 is a pretty good number. It’s enough to get me to Honolulu with almost 300 km to spare, though my shoes might get a little wet.
The Sauconys have not been scooping up gravel the last few runs, leading me to believe this is more a me problem than a shoe problem. I’m not sure what has changed, but I’d like to continue not scooping rocks and debris into my shoes.
In all, a decent run. My next will be on Saturday and I may go clockwise yet again, as progress on the resurfacing of the side trails is moving strangely slowly, so they remain closed (this is doubly odd, because they never actually closed the main trails while resurfacing them, so I’m not sure what exactly they’re doing on the side trails. Maybe they’re adding more trees or something).
Run 623Average pace: 6:08/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 3:55 pm
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 30:57
Weather: Sunny, hot
Temp: 30ºC
Humidity: 36%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 155
Weight: 164.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 4695 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 8
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (50 km)
I did not plan to run today, but I ended up running, even though it was kind of nutty to do so. Let me explain.
On Friday I planned to run, but slept in and then deferred to Saturday, as I did not want to run later Friday when it would be too hot. Remember the “too hot” part.
Later Friday I developed a pain in my abdomen reminiscent of “men of your age” infections of yore. Saturday morning, instead of running, I went to my favorite nearby walk-in clinic. Except they wouldn’t see me until noon, so I went back at noon. The diagnosis was vague and uncertain, though I had sugar in my urine, so the diabetes alarm was raised once again (this has happened throughout my entire life–so far each actual test has come back negative). The doctor gave me a bunch of other tests to take, similar to the ones my own doctor wanted me to take, but which I had been putting off, because I’ve been kind of lazy during vacation. She also suggested I drink lots of water and drink Metamucil, to prevent blockage/infection, though I assured her I was pretty regular already.
Sunday morning (today) Jeff drove me to a LifeLabs that was open on the weekend and they took more pee and also blood. The blood removal was the most efficient I’ve ever seen. It was kind of eerie.
After this, we went out for breakfast at IHOP (mmm, blueberry pancakes), then came home. I opted out of going to the Pride parade because the thought of sitting/standing ion place for hours on end did not seem enticing. Jeff ended up going off (unplanned) to watch it on his own.
It was very hot today. By mid-afternoon it was up to 30ºC. I decided if I couldn’t run, I’d at least walk, so I put on my running clothes (they are much more comfortable for warm weather) and set off to walk to the lake and back (around 8 km total). When I got to the lake, I decided to keep going, so I did that. When I got to Still Creek, I contemplated doing a run to finish off the loop around the lake. Remember, now:
it’s 30ºC
I had blood taken just hours earlier
I have abdominal pain
There was no good reason to run. None. But I had already missed two potential run days and didn’t want to miss another, so I made an agreement with myself to only run for as long as it was comfortable. If there was any pain/aches/fainting, etc. I would stop. And so I sent off doing what was essentially the reverse of my usual 5K clockwise circuit.
The first km was relatively zippy, considering the heat, coming in at 5:28/km. This changed and by the third km I was firmly in “Why am I doing this?” territory, with my pace way down to 6:39. I rallied and came back to 6:12 before wrapping up with 6:23 for the final stretch. This was one of those runs where I really wanted it to end.
Despite how I felt, I was fairly confident once I made it past the halfway mark that I would be able to finish. Fortunately, the Avalon trail was in shade at this time of day, probably the only thing that kept me going to the finish.
My mouth was very dry. Like, it was the Sahara in my mouth. To paraphrase America, the heat was hot. The humidity was high enough to make the air feel like a furnace, but not high enough to keep my mouth moist.
And yet the most interesting stat from the run was my BPM–a mere 155. This means that both my mind and body were being sensible. As I slowed, I did not push to maintain an unsustainable pace. I fell back into a slower, but steady pace and kept to that. I didn’t over-exert. I was smart! This is one of the few times I checked my BPM mid-run, too. If it had been crazy-high, I would have stopped, but it was pretty steady in the 150s throughout.
And the abdominal pain, though still there, is now a much more muted kind of ache, so it didn’t present an issue. Really, the only issue was the weather itself. And my decision to run in it. 😛
I’ve always assumed that when I get a stitch in my side while running it’s because I’m going too fast–basically pushing my body too hard and the stitch is my body’s way of saying, “Whoa, slow down there, partner!” Because slowing down would always seem to make the stitch go away.
It turns out that apparently no one really knows what causes these stitches because they haven’t been studied much. The consensus seems to be they’re relatively innocuous, not a sign of impending doom, and that even pro athletes get them. I have to admit, on one of my last runs I got a stitch and didn’t feel like I was pushing hard at the time, so my own theory may be so much hooey.
I’ll probably still slow down when I get them, though, partly because it still feels logical (to my mind) and also because running hard with a stitch is, in fact, hard.
