Exercise

Run 554: A mild experience

Run 554
Average pace: 5:42/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:20 pm
Distance: 10.02 km
Time: 57:14
Weather: Cloudy, light showers
Temp: 10ºC
Humidity: 74%
Wind: light
BPM: 159
Weight: 160 pounds
Total distance to date: 4310 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

In a freakish coincidence I started today’s 10K run at the exact same time as last week’s–12:20 p.m. I did not plan this.

My pace as slightly slower–5:42/km vs. 5:40/km last week, but this was not surprising as my goal was to run at a comfortable pace and never push. I wasn’t specifically trying to lower my BPM, I was just reducing the chance of pain or injury as I had not run in the intervening week.

But my heart rate did drop and quite a bit, from 169 last week to 159 this week, right back to my usual zone. This was reflected in a general feeling of being relaxed, or as relaxed as you can feel when moving at a jogging pace for nearly an hour without stopping. At no point did I feel winded or tired, I just kept on trucking along, never doubting I would make it to the end.

I also had one of my slowest starts, with the first km matching my overall pace of 5:42. To show how consistent I was, I was still at 5:42 at the 9 km mark. The slow start was also deliberate. I resisted my usual “shot out of a cannon” approach to see how it would affect my overall time and BPM. It made the start a little more pleasant because I didn’t experience that big drop-off around the 2-3K point where the initial burst of speed runs out.

Around the 6K mark two things happened. First, it started to sprinkle, but it never amounted to more than that, so I avoided a nipple incident. Second, my left knee started to tighten up. It peaked quickly, though, and surprisingly was not an issue for the rest of the run. It’s still a bit stiff now, in the evening, but not enough to be genuinely uncomfortable, just a very slight nuisance.

The trail was in decent shape, with only a few puddles to negotiate. I saw three runners right at the start and a smattering of others after, including a young guy smartly dressed in black shorts, dark gray t-shirt, black cap, fashionable stubble and…black gloves. The gloves looked weird because of the t-shirt. Also it was 10ºC so I’m pretty sure his hands would have been sweating like crazy. I wore my long-sleeved short and would have been fine in a regular tee, especially with little wind.

Dogs were behaved and mostly on-leash. One woman by the sports fields had walked maybe a hundred meters or more ahead of her dog, which is dumb to begin with, but her dog was also tiny and would make a nice bite-size snack for a coyote–which I have seen multiple times in the area. I was going to say something to her but she moved off the trail and onto the field by the time I reached her. I felt bad for the all-but-ignored snack dog.

Overall, then, I’m happy with today’s result. I felt pretty good, got my BPM back in a range I’m more comfortable with, and the gray weather kept the trails lightly populated.

Run 553: An experiment and a confrontation with an old nemesis

Run 553
Average pace: 5:40/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 12:20 pm
Distance: 10.01 km
Time: 56:45
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 8ºC
Humidity: 80%
Wind: light
BPM: 169
Weight: 158.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 4300 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

Today’s run was also an experiment in which I deliberately slowed my pace–as evidenced by my 5:40/km average–to see how it would impact my BPM. It turned out to not impact it much at all, as it went from 174 on my last 10K to 169 today, a marginal improvement at best.

I’m not sure if it’s the slight weight gain, increase in body fat, temperature change or alignment of the planets that’s causing my BPM to be higher lately and I’m not overly concerned as long as it doesn’t go higher than it is now.

I did feel slower on the run, especially going up inclines. Keeping my speed down made it feel slog-like on the hilly parts. I was tempted to speed up at times but resisted.

It also didn’t rain, which was nice.

Due to my late start I felt there would be no problems with running clockwise today, so I did and it was fine. This also led to the confrontation with my old nemesis, namely the nasty tree root that I tripped on in August 2016, still my only run where I finished with gravel embedded in my flesh. On my clockwise runs I usually start out on the Conifer Loop by running on the left, then switch to the right after passing the evil root. With the leaves cleared and the trail scoured by recent storms, I felt there was little chance of missing the root, so I stayed on the right as I normally would. What struck me upon seeing the root is how it really is kind of right there where your feet would be if you’re running clockwise. You do have to detour around it. This makes me feel a little better about tripping on it two summers ago.

Overdressing: It was 8ºC but not windy and as mentioned, it stayed dry. I chose to wear two layers on top and for the walk there and back it was fine but after a few km I started to feel a bit too warm–not horribly so, but enough that I think a single layer would have sufficed. Noted for future runs.

Overall, a kind of bleah run, though it gets a few bonus points by being dry.

Run 552: The paws that does not refresh

Run 552
Average pace: 5:10/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 11:23 am
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 26:07
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 10ºC
Humidity: 76%
Wind: moderate with gusts
BPM: 173
Weight: 158.2 pounds
Total distance to date: 4290 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

With today being the statutory holiday in lieu of the actual holiday on Saturday, I opted to go for a run today instead of having to run that horrible circuit around the golf course at noon tomorrow. Also, it’s supposed to be raining and super-windy, so there’s a good chance I wouldn’t even be running, anyway.

The forecast was similar today, with winds up to 80 km/h forecast and a 70% chance of rain. I managed to both duck the rain (very light showers started shortly after the run) and the wind (it only got up to maybe 15 km/h, so it was breezy but not “duck as large branches tear off trees and fly at you” windy). There were some parks workers out pruning some branches, possibly trimming down the ones most likely to go a-flyin’.

Because of the wind I wore two layers up top, even though it was a mild 10ºC. I think I may have been okay with one layer, but two definitely didn’t leave me overly warm.

I felt a bit tired for the first part of the run, likely because I was running too hard and didn’t realize it, but my pace stabilized and I felt fine after, with no issues to report. My BPM is stubbornly staying around 173, still too high for my liking, but we’ll see if it drops the next time I go for a longer run. Or maybe I’ll force myself to mellow out a bit and see what happens. My pace was 5:10/km, which is pretty much back to form, so that was good, at least.

The river trail was host to a few other runners, some people out walking and the occasional cyclist. The most memorable person, though, was a woman out walking her large white fluffy dog. An older woman was jogging ahead of me and this woman and her dog were to her right. As the jogger moved past the dog started running after the jogger in a “playful” manner. The jogger was obviously alarmed and put up her arms as if it surrender. As I caught up to the woman I turned my head to her and said, “Leash your dog.” I continued past the other jogger and the dog then decided to playfully run after me and caught up and then jumped on me, putting a couple of paw prints on my shorts. I then turned back to the woman again–she was already making some kind of noise to call the mutt back–and yelled, “LEASH YOUR DOG!” I no doubt sounded very macho. I happened to pass her two more times and the dog was indeed leashed both times.

The best part is during the entire incident the song that was playing on my phone was The Cars’ “Let the Good Times Roll.”

It was a perfect illustration of why the bylaw to require dogs on leash in public areas exists. This person had zero control over her dog and the only reason no one got hurt is because I’m a 5’10” man and not a five year old girl. Had the dog approached a little kid the same way the kid would have gone splat and likely been hurt, possibly seriously.

It continues to depress me that people do not think of others. It doesn’t even matter that it’s a bylaw, it’s just common sense. A dog is not a four-legged person. You can’t reason with it logically. It is not as smart as we are. It doesn’t understand that jumping on a person can cause injury. We do, so we leash them and keep them under our control.

Anyway, I hope the dog owner learned something today and will actually keep her dog leashed in the future. She probably won’t, but I’m ready to yell in a macho manner again if I need to.

Run 551: Deja vu, leaf cull and the return of sensitive nipples

Run 551
Average pace: 5:26/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:14 pm
Distance: 10.04 km
Time: 54:36
Weather: Cloudy, light showers
Temp: 9-10ºC
Humidity: 78%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 174
Weight: 156.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 4285 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

There was a threat of rain in the forecast today but at least the temperature was back to seasonal, hovering around 10ºC. I wore a long-sleeved t-shirt and shorts and was fine for the run.

The rain held off for about the first half but light showers persisted through the second half. Fortunately they were genuinely light, so I never felt I was getting drenched. The showers turned heavier for the walk home, which had two consequences I will get to shortly.

I was a tad concerned about the run because I missed both of my usual weekday runs but in the end my pace was the same–5:26/km–and the overall length of the run was nearly identical, with today’s being three seconds faster–again, that’s over a stretch of 10.04 km–than last Saturday’s. A little weird.

BPM is still higher than I’d like at 174, possibly a combination of being off form and the cooler temperatures. Or something.

Generally I felt fine, though the upper left leg started stiffening up in the last few km. It felt fine after.

There were more people out than expected (looked like something was happening at the rowing pavilion. Rowing, perhaps.) and this led to several traffic jams where I had to actually jog in place before I could get through.

I also had two near-collisions with other runners, which is pretty rare. The first came when I make a sharp left coming off the narrow feeder trail near the sports fields. A runner came up on my blind side and was dressed darkly. I scooted around him and all was well. The second runner was being naughty by cutting a corner, putting him in my direct path. He dodged out of the way on that one.

The trail was actually in good shape, the park workers having removed the five billion leaves that had been piled up all over.

On the walk home the rain picked up and this had a couple of undesirable side effects. The first was the return of the chafing on my ever-so-sensitive nipples. While they didn’t gush blood they got as close as possible and are still feeling unhappy now. Stupid nipples. If rain looks possible next time I will dutifully wear my nipple guards. As soon as I invent them.

The other consequence was tracking the 4 km walk home. I actually thought about locking the face of my Apple Watch, as it tends to get squirrelly and do its own thing when it gets wet. Sure enough, after 2.87 km (when I was walking along North Road) it managed to shut the walk activity off and change my default watch face. It then restarted the walk somehow for about five more minutes, stopping for good midway through Hume Park, so it got most of the walk recorded. Next time I’ll lock.

Overall, the pace of the run was better than expected, though the various complications were annoying. I give it three out of five chintzy jogging trophies.

Run 550: A billion leaves, cold and a little damn snow

Run 550
Average pace: 5:26/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:49 pm
Distance: 10.04 km
Time: 54:39
Weather: Cloudy, cold
Temp: 1ºC
Humidity: 67%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 175
Weight: 157.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 4275 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

With the temperature just above freezing this morning I took some extra time pondering how to dress, wanting to avoid both overdressing and underdressing (the former is usually a lot more likely). I initially settled on two layers up top and my usual shorts. I went outside and after maybe 20 steps turned around, went back in and switched the shorts in favor of my running pants, which I have not work for multiple years.

The pants are comfy and work well, but they lack pockets and a liner, meaning that without a jacket (I wore a sleeveless shirt as the base layer and my heavier gray long-sleeved running shirt as the outer) meant I had no place to keep my hands warm while walking to the lake. I debated gloves but again, had on place to put them if my hands got hot and sweaty. I was forced to wear undies but again lack proper running undies (something that wicks, unless my normal underwear) but I figured it was cold enough that it shouldn’t be a big issue.

Clothing verdict:

Top: Base layer and outer layer worked well. I stayed warm but did not get sweaty and yucky.

Bottom: Running pants were fine, though my tush felt slightly cool toward the end.

Gloves-free: My hands started to warm up a few km in but by around the 6-7 km mark they were getting cold again. It would have been nice to have had gloves.

I may look for a better running jacket (the one I have is fairly small and a bit snug for my liking) so I can wear gloves then stash them in the pockets if I want to take them off. New running pants with pockets and possibly a liner (or sexy sports undies) would be good, too.

The run itself stood out in a few ways. It was easily the coldest run I’ve done in quite awhile, which may also partly explain my really high BPM (175!). The leaves were so thick in some areas that you could not see the edges of the trail, just leaves and more leaves. Fortunately it was dry so it wasn’t like running on a field of banana peels.

Oh, and it snowed. Sure, the flakes were tiny and they didn’t stick, but there was actual snow falling during a run for the first time in years.

Damn snow.

My pace was 11 seconds faster than the last 10K at 5:26/km but I’m feeling a bit stiff now. Hopefully once I’m into a regular routine again for a bit my legs will revert back to normal runner legs.

Overall, a good run in cold conditions.

Run 549: A short run through an unexpected river

Run 549
Average pace: 5:23/km
Location: Langara Trail
Start: 12:32 pm
Distance: 2.62 km
Time: 14:10
Weather: Heavy rain
Temp: 5ºC
Humidity: 96%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 160
Weight: 158.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 4265 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

With a cold front and rain in the forecast I was a bit wary about today’s run. Indeed, by the time noon rolled around it was raining heavily and the temperature had gone from 8ºC down to 5ºC. This was my first big test running around the golf course–would I let bad weather scare me off?

The answer is both yes and no.

No, in that I did indeed go out and run.

Yes, in that I only ran one loop, about 2.62 km, before abandoning the run. Why did I do that?

I am used to running in the rain. I am used to running in the cold. I am used to running around puddles and occasionally through them.

What I am not used to is doing all of these things with each condition turned up to a ridiculous degree.

It was raining so hard at times that it felt like hail. The low temperature felt even cooler because of the heavy rain assault. Adding to this was the extremely poor condition of the trail. On the east and west sides it slopes, so during rainfall you get run-off streaming down the trail. (more on the steeper west side). The volume of rain water was so heavy, though, that the bulk of the west side of the trail, spanning a length of about eight blocks, was more akin to a shallow river than a trail. At points it was so wide it was unavoidable. Puddles of water were pooling so wide and deep that they were merging together to form virtual ponds along long stretches of the trail, with no room to bypass them.

For a few moments it was almost fun to just surrender and start dashing straight through these monster puddles. But after nearly 15 minutes of the relentless storm assault I was drenched, cold and in no mood to continue.

I was actually boggled at how poorly the trail handled the rain. It’s simply not fit for use when precipitation turns heavy. I imagine all the patch work done on the gully carved down the center by previous rainfalls has been washed away.

Anyway, it sucked. It was the coldest and wettest run I’ve done since…I can’t even remember. Bleah.

I’m actually halfway considering getting some road runners (beep beep) and planning an alternate route on the sidewalks for days like these. Maybe, maybe.

Run 548: Halloween on the golf course

Run 548
Average pace: 5:20/km
Location: Langara Trail
Start: 12:36 pm
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 26:50
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 10-11ºC
Humidity: 71%
Wind: light
BPM: 156
Weight: 156 pounds
Total distance to date: 4262 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

With the days already too short to keep running after dinner, I made the decision to resume running along what is officially known as the Langara Trail, the 2.74 km path that loops around the Langara Golf Course. Today I rented a locker at the school gym and was given the combination to the lock. I think the last time I used a combination lock was in high school. I got the lock open right on my first try, unlocking an achievement. I’m also kicking in an extra $5 to use the towel service, saving me from having to take stinky damp towels home every week.

The run itself went perhaps a bit better than expected given how long it’s been since I ran the trail. I managed to skirt around the tree roots and some patch work has made the trail a bit smoother–at least until The Rains return. It was cool but not uncomfortable so shorts and t-shirt were fine, with minimal sweating. Predictably, my pace on the west side (downhill) was notably brisker than my pace on the east side (uphill). I don’t expect that to change.

In all, it was a decent start. Plus, no cyclists!

Run 547: Balmy, leafy, tricky

Run 547
Average pace: 5:37/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:04 pm
Distance: 10.02 km
Time: 56:22
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 14-17ºC
Humidity: 61%
Wind: light
BPM: 163
Weight: 156.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 4257 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

This was a bit of a strange run in that it was both slow and good, like rich Corinthian maple syrup.

Wait, that’s not right.

But the run was still fine. I started out briskly then fell into a much more relaxed pace and in fact from the third to the seventh km my time kept getting slower and slower, even though I wasn’t feeling tired or experiencing any discomfort. I was definitely not pushing as I’m still off peak form and working my way back up. It wasn’t until the final km when I began to step on the gas again and my pace did indeed pick up a fair bit. The average, though, was still 5:37/km.

Interestingly, the bear warning signs have been taken down. I’m not entirely convinced the bears know this, but I didn’t spot any notable wildlife on the trail.

The pending work on the bridge at Still Creek is still pending, as there was no activity there. The lack of rain over the last few days also meant no puddle jumping, today, but a new hazard was in play–the gorgeous yet slippery fall leaves.

The leaves actually weren’t too slippery–though I still have to be careful on the boardwalks because they definitely take on a banana peel quality when laying atop a damp set of wooden planks–but they still present a danger in that their currently copious number means they can fill up large puddle holes, making them appear deceptively non-hole like. They also tend to obscure a lot of the exposed roots, especially along the Cottonwood trail, which, as you might guess, has a lot of cottonwood trees along it.

It’s very pretty, though.

I started out a bit later but in doing so it appears I missed the morning rush, so yay. There were runners and walkers and people with dogs, but everyone was friendly and aware, possibly because it was so dang nice out. It was 14ºC when I started my run a few minutes past noon, already quite warm for October 28, but it then rose to 17º by the end, which is downright comfy for running. This turned out to be a record-setting high temperature, so thank you global warming!

I’ve purchased a knapsack with the plan to rent out a locker at the school gym, so I can run at lunch hour during the week. It’s pretty much too dark to run after work now, which makes me sad in a weird way I can’t quite put into words. Though I’m not crazy about the trail around the golf course, it will have to do. Maybe if I stick to shorter runs I could even consider increasing the number of times I go jogging. We shall see.

Run 546: Warmer, faster, drier

Run 546
Average pace: 5:20/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 11:02 am
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 26:57
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 10-12ºC
Humidity: 77%
Wind: light
BPM: 160
Weight: 157.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 4247 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

I felt un-good in the early morning so I took the day off work. By mid-morning I felt well enough to venture outside and then risked a run, because while my stomach was upset, my legs seemed fine.

Because I wouldn’t normally be running at this time my usual prep routine was a bit off. As in, I was over one km into my walk to the lake when I realized I’d left my AirPods at home. I briefly toyed with running sans music, decided no, I didn’t want to listen to my own breathing for upwards of half an hour, and went back, thus adding about 2.5 km to my walk.

I opted to wear the old-fashioned EarPods instead of the shiny new AirPods. I hate to admit it, but having the inline controls on the wire is very handy when running.

With milder temperatures and sunny skies, there were more people than I was expecting out on the trail, including two massive walking groups, one of which was not going to accidentally startle any bears as you could hear them gabbing from 20 km away. Very excited about nature, I guess.

I was surprised to find parts of the Avalon and South Shore trails partly-collapsed along the northern edge. Apparently the base layer in some sections was insufficiently made, and recent rain has started sloughing swaths of gravel off to the side. I’m curious to see how quickly repairs are made.

Speaking of repairs, the corner near the sports field that had water lapping over half of it in Saturday was being worked on by an earth mover. Once done it should be shored up enough to prevent further flooding. Ironically, to get around the machinery and piles of loose gravel I had to duck onto the field, which is still a water-clogged soup.

Now if they can just fix that one other stretch that floods, it will be possible to do a dry run (so to speak) even under the wettest conditions. A boy can dream.

As for the run itself, I opted to do a 5K and walk out, rather than risk 0ver-extending myself so soon(ish) after the 10K and I was faster at 5:20/km, though that’s still a fair bit off my best 5K pace. It’s funny how slacking off just for a week or two basically kills your fitness level. The run went fine, though, with no problems encountered. It felt colder despite actually being warmer, primary due to a) wearing a t-shirt (one of my old silky-style shirts I stopped wearing a few years back–they’re still in good condition and feel sexy) and b) it being drier gave the air more bite. It was fine, though. Other people are practically jogging in parkas.

I am undecided on what to do for Thursday. The sun will be setting at 6 p.m. on the dot, meaning even if I head out as soon as I can after getting home, the sun will still set about ten minutes into the run. It should be clear, though, and last light is just after 6:30 so I should be able to complete the run before it gets dark for real and the vampires come out. But this is probably the last chance to do a post-work run until late January (assuming we’re not up to our armpits in snow like we were this past January).

Run 545: Colder, slower, wetter

Run 545
Average pace: 5:27/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:38 am
Distance: 10.04 km
Time: 54:44
Weather: Rain, rain showers
Temp: 7ºC
Humidity: 94%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 163
Weight: 156.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 4242 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

It only got up to a chilly 7ºC on today’s run (the normal high for today is 14ºC) but I actually only felt a bit cold when walking back after the run, when my body cooled off and suddenly it really felt like 7ºC. I wore my long-sleeved t-shirt and do not regret doing so.

Today was one of those tricky days, motivation-wise. I’d miss running during the week for various reasons, so I knew I’d be off my form (I once read that more than three days off will see some deterioration in form, however minor), plus it was raining steadily even before I headed out.

But head out I did, confident, at least, that there wouldn’t be too many people out on the trail on such a dreary, cold day. There were still more than expected–but most were runners, with a few scattered dog walkers and a couple of those “I love walks in the rain” types. And no cyclists, so that was nice.

I felt fine throughout the run, with the left leg holding up well, with only an echo if the stiffness I’d experienced recently. I wasn’t exactly a blur of speed to start but by around the 4K mark I began to pick up the pace and the last few km, when the rain started to at least ease up a little (but not entirely stop) I significantly improved on things. Maybe I was just eager to get home and get dry.

The trail was a mess of puddles so I was constantly running along the edges and switching from one side to another. At the sports field the usual floody spot was flooded. I tried skirting it on the left but the narrow lumpy, grass-covered hump you have to traverse looked a bit more questionable than usual, so I backed out and went around. The field, of course, was completely saturated, so my feet got thoroughly soaked, no different than going straight through the puddle, really, just less splashing.

The resurfaced part of this stretch is holding up so far. Water pooling up at the edge of the field is not yet high enough to start lapping over onto the trail. Right around the corner, the last part that borders the fields, there is a large swath that has flooded, with water carving through the fresh gravel, forming a semi-hazardous uneven surface. A strip along the left was still bare, so I was able to get by without taking another plunge.

There were new signs all over the place but not telling people to GET OUT. Instead, these were warning that from October 2017 to February 2018 a project to replace the bridge at Still Creek would be underway. It’s the largest bridge on the trail and there is no detour route that can be used, so it would seem that running a full loop would not be an option for some time–except the sign says that the period of no access should only be three weeks. I’m curious to see if the new bridge closely matches the current one.

The bridge at Deer Lake Brook still seems more rickety and in need of replacement, but I’m not a bridgeologist, so what do I know? It actually felt a little more stable today, possibly because I ran over it slower, to avoid slipping.

Overall, a perfectly decent run in less than decent weather. I don’t miss the heat, but I can’t say I’m overly fond of running in the rain, either.

Run 544: Bob, there’s a cat or maybe a lynx

Run 544
Average pace: 5:16/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:28 am
Distance: 10.02 km
Time: 52:57
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 9ºC
Humidity: 72%
Wind: light
BPM: 169
Weight: 155.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 4232 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

It was actually a bit chilly on today’s run, with the temperature never climbing into the double digits. I do not regret wearing the long-sleeved shirt.

With clouds, cool temperatures, and a small but real threat of showers, I expected the trail to be fairly quiet, but it was actually almost as busy as a stat holiday, with several incidents of traffic clogging up.

The walk to the lake was a bit slower than normal, maybe because I was still trying to get warm. I noticed a commentary of sorts on one of the new STAY OUT signs along the Brunette River trail:

Fine, I’ll just publicly consume alcohol right here.

I chose to run counter-clockwise upon arrival to the lake and was uncertain how it would go with a four-day layoff (I missed a run on one of my usual days due to illness). The first km didn’t feel sluggish, exactly, though my pace was not exactly like greased lightning at 5:23/km. I really think it was cold enough that it took me awhile to warm up and find a rhythm. My pace would prove to seesaw throughout the 10K, with the fastest stretches coming at the third, fifth and tenth km marks. In the end I finished with an average pace of 5:16/km, my best 10K of the year, so I’m pleased with that.

The extra time off seemed to help with the stiffness in the left leg. It did feel a little stiff, but only a little, and it took much longer to get there. The walk after was faster and I had no issues.

The trail, as I mentioned, was busy. There were some runners, but mostly it was people bundled up in parkas determined to enjoy the outdoors. I salute them for that, as long as they don’t get in the way, which for the most part they didn’t. The clogging incidents mentioned above were mainly just people converging from different directions at the same time.

By the sports fields there appeared to be some kind of informal run competition of sorts happening. I say this because I saw no special markers, banners, flags or anything else. I also saw, upon just rounding the corner where I head onto the part of the trail bordering the fields, about a dozen runners heading straight toward me at high speed. A wall of runners. I scooted over to the right to avoid being stampeded and they flew by in a blur. About halfway along the stretch here–so a minute or so later–another similar group came barreling at me, including a young guy cheekily running topless and pretending to not feel the cold. He was not pretending that his upper body was perfectly chiseled, however. Oh to be young and, well, perfectly chiseled. I got about 50% of that when I was his age.

There was one other thing I came across on my run, but it wasn’t a pedestrian or a runner or even an accursed cyclist (none were in view today). I was maybe 20 or 30 meters along the Piper Mill Trail when I rounded a corner and saw on the trail ahead of me a dark orange cat. Not someone’s pet, though, as it was about three times too big. It was a bobcat, making this the second time I’ve come across one at the lake. As soon as it spotted me it darted off into the bush, so I never felt threatened by it. It just looked like a really big housecat without much of a tail, kind of like this:

I sent off an email to the Metro Vancouver Parks people, just in case. I’d hate to have a bobcat eat someone’s baby.

This was the first run at the lake where I’ve used the AirPods and playback was fine until just near the 6K mark when it abruptly stopped. I checked the music app on the watch and it looked like it had paused for some reason. I tapped Play and the music resumed and continued without incident through the rest of the run.

I’m going to blame Siri, just because.

While the double-tap on the left earbud at the start of the run properly paused play, I was never able to get the double-tap on the right earbud to skip to the next song, though it’s worked before. I tried once using Siri instead (“Hey Siri, next song”) and still nothing happened.

I definitely blame Siri on that one.

It’s possible that I may not have held the watch up high enough to turn the face on (which Siri requires before it will listen). I can use the actual music app controls to skip ahead–this requires bringing the watch up, swiping left to get to the music controls, then tapping the Forward button. None of this is difficult, but it takes a few seconds to do and you have to look at the watch when you do it. Taking my eyes off the trail while running is something I’m really hesitant to do, as I’ve got direct experience in what can happen in the span of one or two seconds (it involves falling and bleeding and picking gravel out of your skin). In the end I just listened to everything that came up and thanked myself for not having completely awful taste in music.

I may reverse the control scheme on the AirPods and see if that works better.

Overall, though, this was an unexpectedly brisk run on a rather brisk day.

Run 543: Annoyed

UPDATE, August 21, 2022: The update is just to fix minor typos I noticed when reading through this post years later. I do have to LOL (as the kids say) when I refer to my pace being "plodding" at 5:20/km, when today that would be blazing fast. Good ol' aging!
Run 543
Average pace: 5:20/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:01 pm
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 26:48
Weather: Party sunny
Temp: 12-13ºC
Humidity: 63%
Wind: light
BPM: 173
Weight: 153.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 4222 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

Note to self: NEVER RUN ON A STATUTORY HOLIDAY

I didn’t feel like running today, but by late morning, a combination of guilt and rainy skies predicted for tomorrow prompted me to head out.

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada, a stat holiday. It is also a day I normally don’t run.

I started walking down the river trail, undecided on what to do, but leaning toward some kind of 5K. As I entered the river trail, I noted a couple with a lovely small dog. The dog was leashed. What smart and responsible dog owners, I thought! They stopped for a moment by the Canine Code of Conduct sign and the woman unclasped the dog leash, freeing her mutt. I was still 20 minutes from running and already annoyed. Later, I watched a pair of people look at one of the new STAY OUT signs posted at the entrance to one of the unofficial trails, then promptly take off down it. They probably had no idea where the trail led, but no sign was going to boss them around! I predict traffic on these trails will increase as a result of these signs (UPDATE, August 21, 2022: All the signs were vandalized and removed within about a month of going up and were never replaced).

I ended up doing a rather plodding 5K, sticking to the usual counter-clockwise route. The first three km were strangely sluggish, despite an equally strangely high BPM of 173. By the fourth and final km my pace improved significantly, but I opted to end it there rather than continue, netting an average pace of 5:20/km. If I had done a full 10K I probably would have finished with a decent pace rather than a mediocre one.

The left leg’s tendon felt a little tight toward the end, but was otherwise manageable. Conditions were also fine–dry and cool, temperatures hovering around 12-13ºC throughout my non hour run time.

As is always the case on a stat holiday, lots of people were out, especially people who like to clump awkwardly and block the trail. Multiple times I had to slow down, divert (in one case entirely off the trail) or even briefly stop. As I was coming out of the Conifer Loop trail, I saw three people ahead of me. Two moved forward to study the map at the intersection of the trails. The third–who clearly saw me–hesitated, then moved forward at precisely the right time to get in my way. How do people pull off these inept moves with such precision? I do not know.

Likewise, I continue to be baffled by my amazing ability to flip small rocks into my shoes now while running. I’m not sure if my gait has changed or if it’s the newish Brooks Cascadia shoes I’m wearing, but I have become expert in the whole “flip a small sharp piece of gravel into the air and have it land on the back of your shoe and then promptly slip down into it and lodge uncomfortably under your foot” thing. This time the gravel was sharp enough that I had to pause the run to fish it out of my shoe and toss it aside while muttering colorful metaphors.

By the end of the run I just wanted to leave, so I turned and headed back to the Burnaby Lake SkyTrain station instead of walking out. I don’t regret my choice.

Overall: bleah.