Run 469 Average pace: 5:22/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5:08 km
Time: 27:18
Weather: Cloudy, some drizzle
Temp: 15-13ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 173
Stride: n/a
Weight: 154.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 3735 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
Tonight I had no real desire to run. I felt tired (see previous post) and the threat of rain was tangible. Nevertheless I donned my jogging duds and headed out, completing a somewhat slow 5K. For reference, my 10K on Sunday had an average pace of 5:23/km. Tonight my pace was 5:22/km. Granted I was trucking along on Sunday and tonight I was content to simply maintain a steady if unspectacular pace.
There were no issues otherwise. The weather was cool but comfortable and apart from some very light drizzle at the end, it remained dry. The most noticeable change was how much gloomier it was compared to just four days ago. It was gloomy. Where the tree canopy is thickest it was nearly dark. I suspect that I’ll only get another week or so of runs in after work before it gets too dark without some kind of bionic night vision suddenly manifesting itself.
In the meantime I’ll chalk tonight’s run as “at least I went out and did it.”
Run 468 Average pace: 5:23/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 10:02 km
Time: 54:05
Weather: High cloud, hazy sun
Temp: 12-14ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 165
Stride: n/a
Weight: 154.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 3730 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
The best part about today’s run is no bears interrupting it.
The weather was nice but cool, starting at 12ºC and rising to 14. I wore my long-sleeved t-shirt but would have been fine in a regular t-shirt, I think.
I started out brisk as the weather, hit my usual two km slowdown and settled into a steady pace until I got to the bridge at Deer Lake Brook. Approaching along the trail on the other side was a serious-looking runner. Even though he was on the “wrong” side (my side) I decided to shift over to avoid an awkward mid-bridge collision. Instead of climbing the stairs, though, he simply tagged the lowest one with a foot, then spun around and headed back, becoming my spirit/jogging guide by default. Initially he pulled a little ahead but I managed to keep pace well enough. I lost sight of him on the twisty part of the trail just before the athletic fields and figured he had pulled ahead, but lo! He had actually slowed, I closed the gap and then maintained distance until he turned off at Still Creek.
This may be partly why my pace was faster today, as having someone running ahead of me kicks in that ol’ competitive spirit (unless they’re absurdly faster, in which case I simply stick my tongue out at them as they blow past, wishing them well). I ended with a pace of 5:23/km, my best 10K of the year, besting my previous best by five seconds. Not too shabby.
As it was my first 10K in a few weeks I’m expecting to be sore and tired. The tired part has already hit, the sore part will likely come tomorrow morning.
It was not as crowded on the trail as I had feared and everyone was observant and attentive and no dogs off leash or bears off leash. Yay. There were plenty of joggers, including a curiously large number of young male joggers wearing short shorts straight out of the 70s. Are they becoming a thing again? I’m not objecting, just curious.
Also, the call of nature came in the form of the world’s biggest unprovoked would-be bowel movement. This happened a few times, fortunately when I had already completed the run and was walking home. Still, having this near-impossible urge to go and nowhere to, well, go, makes for an uncomfortable walk home. But I made it, sparing all a gruesome ending to the story.
Overall, this was a surprisingly good run. I think more than anything it’s just a relief to be running in conditions where the outside temperature is not close to my internal temperature.
Run 467 Average pace: 5:17/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 26:39
Weather: Clear
Temp: 14ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 160
Stride: n/a
Weight: 155.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 3720 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
Tonight’s run was almost what I’d call relaxed. I never pushed, I just moved along at a steady pace, content to put in an effort but not go crazy trying for a new personal record or anything.
It was cooler and the sun is now low enough even when heading out at 6 p.m. that there’s no worry of it getting in my eyes. The air had that early fall chill to it and with more red, yellow and brown leaves crunching underfoot, the change of season is palpable. Because it was clear the light remained good throughout the run but by next week the sun will have set while I’m still running and it always feels a bit strange to run in the gloom of dusk, with that subtle urgency to finish before it gets dark because the trail has no illumination to guide you.
My BPM was back down to something normal, so the previous run may have been an anomaly. I experienced no issues or discomfort so overall I’m pleased or as I said above, content. It was nice, it was efficient. I didn’t feel like going out tonight but as always* was glad that I had by the time I was actually running.
* exceptions being the times I’ve injured myself; those times would have been better slumped on the couch watching Netflix
Run 466 Average pace: 5:05/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 25:44
Weather: Overcast
Temp: 15-17ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 172
Stride: n/a
Weight: 154.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 3715 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
I woke up this morning feeling a little off–stuffed up sinuses, dry throat. I felt a bit better after having breakfast but didn’t get out for the run until nearly 11 a.m.
It was a bit cool and slightly drizzly along the river trail but the threat of rain seemed small. As I approached the Cariboo dam and my usual starting point at Burnaby Lake, the threat of bears grew significantly.
More precisely, a guy came up to me and said there was a mother bear with two cubs up ahead. I asked where and he said “around the corner,” said corner being right next to the damn–my starting point. I debated for a few moments on my options then decided the risk of being mauled by a protective mother bear, no matter how small, was not worth it. I turned around and did a 5K on the river trail instead.
At this point I had a tremendous pressure headache and that perhaps spurred me to run faster in order to finish the run sooner and get home. My first km turned out to be a speedy 4:55/km and my overall pace was a best-for-year 5:05/km. By the end the headache had diminished and I wasn’t being chased by bears, so that’s good enough for me.
My BPM was unusually high at 172, perhaps signalling a combination of accelerated pace and oncoming illness of some sort.
It is fantastically busy at work and we have a skeleton crew tomorrow, so I can’t really skip out but for now and for the moment I know the run went well and I shall think of this as I collapse face-down on the bed.
Run 465 Average pace: 5:07/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 25:52
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 17ºC
Wind: moderate
BPM: 156
Stride: n/a
Weight: 155.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 3710 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
Tonight I felt a bit droopy heading out. In fact, I didn’t really want to run at all. But I did and a strange thing happened.
I felt pretty good. I felt rather zippy.
Without any issues nagging me, I maintained a solid pace and finished by tying my best 5K pace this year, 5:07/km. Oddly, the time of the run, 25:52 minutes, is not only a numerical palindrome, it exactly matches the time of my 5K on September 13, exactly one week ago. That is some spooky consistency.
I changed up the route once more tonight, wanting to again avoid having to double back. I ran past the river trail, turned north up Cariboo Road to the train crossing, then turned and came back (in large part due to the fact that there was an actual train crossing), headed to the start of the trail, then continued on across North Road and into Lower Hume Park. I hit the 5K mark just shy of the stairs leading into Hume Park (the upper part). This is cutting it close because stairs means no more trail and the running part gets a lot trickier.
The wind was a bit stronger than usual tonight, which was kind of nice, and the sun is now low enough that it only pokes through some of the lower tree branches. This is also nice because running while the sun is shining directly into your eyes is sub-optimal.
Overall this was a surprisingly good effort. The only down note was noticing how many trees have leaves that are starting to turn. We are on the cusp of fall (two days away), increasingly shorter days and the end of being able to run after work without developing some kind of amazing night vision (the sun set at 7:12 tonight, about fifteen minutes after I finished the run). I haven’t figured out how I will deal with this because my usual solution has been injury so I don’t run at all in the winter, but if I stay healthy I may just need a plan.
Run 464 Average pace: 5:33/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 10:03 km
Time: 55:50
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 17-19ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 153
Stride: n/a
Weight: 154.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 3705 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
This morning I simply could not rouse myself. I was having weird and wonderful dreams, including one where I was flying in a park. That’s flying without any sort of aircraft or balloon. It was neat, especially since I never crashed.
I finally got up around 10 a.m. then puttered about, washed my running clothes, weighed the pros and cons of going out for a run today, found the list of cons was somewhat trivial, so finally at 12:35 p.m. I set off, under pleasantly sunny skies and a comfy temperature of 17ºC.
Ominously, my left foot was already hurting as I got to the lake. My right leg was also a bit stiff.
I opted to run clockwise, thinking most of the walkers would be heading toward me, making our interactions less awkward. This was met with partial success.
The left foot bugged me for a bit, then got better, then bugged me for a bit again and finally settled down. I’d say it was a factor but a minor one. The right leg was about the same. I felt tired, though. The last few km I had no gas left to push at all, so I just keep on trucking, finishing with a pace of 5:33/km, a few seconds off my best but in line with my recent runs (and faster than last Sunday, actually).
Despite the rain yesterday the trail was in good shape so no puddle-dodging was needed. People-dodging was, as the trail was quite crowed. Most people stepped out of the way but one particular group was a bit oblivious and I just had enough room to stay on the trail as I squeezed by, despite repeatedly calling out to warn of my approach.
Overall the results were decent, despite how I felt, so I’m pleased enough. I also passed the 3,700 km threshold, so yay me.
I noticed a new warning sign at the entrance to the park after my report of a bobcat/lynx in the area:
No parking, no bikes. Wild cats OK.
Perhaps it means the area is now rated Restricted. Which it is if you have a bike. And I saw a pair of cyclists heading over as I left. If they did go ahead into the park I can only hope a bobcat punctured all of their tires. That would be a nice kitty.
Run 463 Average pace: 5:18/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 26:46
Weather: Rain showers
Temp: 14ºC
Wind: light to nil
BPM: 164
Stride: n/a
Weight: 155.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 3695 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
Concerned (obsessed?) that I wouldn’t hit my step/activity goals on this soggy day (I am leaving soon to see a movie with a friend, which involves a lot of sitting, as you might imagine) I pondered what to do? Go for a walk? In a downpour? Not likely.
Go for a run? In a downpour?
I waited till noon and the torrential rain eased up to light showers, I donned my running clothes and headed out for a wacky, unplanned 5K. The temperature was a full ten degrees cooler than Thursday evening–14ºC–but would be fine for a run.
Literally as I moved out from under cover of the building entrance the light rain mist turned back into a downpour. I thought about going back in and waiting more but in the span of a few moments I was already soaked, so I just kept heading out.
The start of the run was a comedy of errors as my wet fingertip formed a perfect barrier against the face of my Apple watch, causing erratic or non-responsive behavior. I used Siri where I could, then dried my finger as best as I was able (it’s trickier than it sounds when you’re in the rain and already drenched) and finally began my run.
Apparently my body reacted to the rain with some form of shock because the first two km were very slow, both coming in at 5:35/km. The last three were much faster (coincidentally it stopped raining by the end) and my overall pace ended at 5:18/km, only slightly slower than Thursday.
I can’t blame others for impeding my progress in the first few km. As the title of the post alludes to, I did not see a single person on the run, the first time that has happened in quite a long time. People really don’t want to spend an early weekend afternoon slopping about in the rain by the river.
Speaking of slopping, my newer Hoka Speedgoats produced this effect on my socks:
Can you guess what color my running shoes are?
As for the run, I felt fine, though the first few km did feel like I was putting in more effort, perhaps because I just wasn’t mentally prepared for doing something as zany as a spontaneous run in the rain. The run ended in another comedy of errors, with the watch only tracking the first 36 seconds of my walk back before abruptly shutting off tracking without warning. My only thought is somehow the sleeve of my shirt somehow triggered it or it’s not as water-resistant as Apple claims. Not terribly impressed, either way.
The Series 2 Apple Watch, which came out yesterday, happens to be fully waterproof. Hmm.
Run 462 Average pace: 5:16/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 26:34
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 24ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 171
Stride: n/a
Weight: 156.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 3690 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
I had already planned to take it easy for tonight’s run, deliberately holding back after pushing it on Tuesday, to help reduce the risk of re-injury. I’m a wee bit paranoid about it now.
It also helped that I was dead-tired after work and didn’t especially feel like running, anyway. I set off right on time, though, and conditions were unusually balmy for mid-September, with the temperature 24ºC. As before, the dun is now low enough that it doesn’t feel as warm as the temperature would suggest.
For music I opted for random Billy Joel and iTunes uncannily managed to pick from among his weakest songs, so not exactly inspiring stuff to jog to. Nonetheless, I hit a comfortable pace and finished with a more relaxed 5:16/km.
The one change I made to the route was to extend it past the end of the feeder road that leads to the river trail by hooking right onto Cariboo Road and right again down Government Street. I ran until I hot the halfway mark and then turned back, the intention being to avoid the switchback at the end of the run where I reach the end of the trail, double back for about 500 m then come back one more time. This is necessary to hit 5 km as the trail is only about 2 km long. It worked out but I’m undecided on whether I’ll stick to this. The major potential downside is having a train show up after I’ve crossed the tracks, which would force me to idle for about 5-7 minutes and see if the new auto-pause feature of the activity app really works.
Speaking of the app, tonight’s run was the first with my iPhone updated to iOS 10 and the watch updated to watchOS 3. The activity app has a few new options and improvements when it comes to running. The default display shows more metrics (though I’ve pruned it back a little for readability by removing current pace, since seeing that just makes me squirrely) and the run summary now includes temperature (though it still uses Vancouver data, which can be significantly different from where I’m running. Tonight it was 24 but the app reported 17), humidity, elevation and–finally–a map of the route. I only wish the map was available on the web so I could see it on a display larger than a smartphone’s.
I’m not sure why the BPM were so much higher tonight. It may be a glitch with the updated watchOS or maybe it’s just a reflection of me straining while feeling very tired. We’ll see how it changes for Sunday, which could be a cooler and soggy run.
Overall, though, I’m content with tonight’s results.
Run 461 Average pace: 5:07/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 25:52
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 20ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 161
Stride: n/a
Weight: 157.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 3685 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
When I got home tonight I did not want to run. I was feeling slothful and the idea of not running had a sexy, alluring appeal.
But the guilt set it and eventually I set off, albeit about 45 minutes later than usual. While it was still light for the run, it was shade the entire way and getting dark within minutes of getting back home.
Although it was 20ºC, it felt cooler because the sun was tucked behind the trees. I started out, felt an unusual spring in my step and instead of resisting the impulse to speed up, I indulged it. After the first km I did back off, but only for a short time. I picked up the pace again and while being serenaded by the cheesy yet undeniably catchy second half of Xanadu (the ELO half, or more precisely, the better half) I made my way to a zippy 5:07/km pace. I’m alive, indeed.
I checked the splits and that first km came in at 5:00/km exactly. However, I pushed just that wee bit more on the final km and it came in at 4:58/km, the first time this year (and quite a long while) that I’ve managed to get below the five-minute mark, so that was nice.
My right leg behaved itself, though I could feel it for a part of the run.
Overall, I’m quite pleased with the energy level and result, especially considering I was firmly in sofa mode when I got home.
Run 460 Average pace: 5:36/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 10:04 km
Time: 56:26
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 18ºC
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 161
Stride: n/a
Weight: 156.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 3680 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
I slept in about an hour later than intended this morning and then poked about before finally getting out to run. As a result, only the first ten minutes of my run was in the morning and the rest in the afternoon. The temperature didn’t vary from 18ºC, though, and while it didn’t feel hot, it certainly felt warmer than the last few evening runs. I produced sweat!
I was initially planning to run clockwise but some cones and small signs indicated that the Running Room was having an event and the idea of running counter to potentially dozens of potentially inexperienced runners, along with the usual Sunday crowd, convinced me to go counter-clockwise instead. Given that I didn’t start until noon, I was fairly certain the event would be in clean-up mode but you never know, so off I went.
The run was a definite mixed bag. Time-wise it was better than many 10Ks, though a bit slower than some at 5:36/km. My left foot started to hurt at the halfway point but after a few km it settled into a tolerable kind of quasi-soreness. Around the same time the right leg began to feel sore and for a space of ten minutes or so the balanced each other out with competing mild agonies. The right leg also settled down and by the end of the run I wasn’t feeling uncomfortable.
I skipped the side trails, opting to assiduously follow the distance markers. As I passed the 10 km sing my watch reported 9.96 km. Impressive.
A few complications from people produced near-incidents and I chalk this up to my later start, as later usually means more people. On two occasions people remained utterly oblivious to my presence and I nearly had to abandon the trail to get by. On the second occasion I actually verbally warned a couple ahead of me with “On your left!” to which there was no reaction. Nearly upon them, I added, “Coming through!” and it was only as I literally brushed by that the woman on the left suddenly realized I was there. How is this even possible? I do not know. I am not a sneaky runner.
I also nearly had a dog incident. I passed another group of oblivious people and they had a dog off-leash. Fine, I passed them, let them enjoy their bylaw violating ways. But then the dog rushed up on my left and then cut in front of me–the exact same maneuver that led to me falling flat at China Creek Park lo those years ago. The only thing that prevented a repeat this time is the dog moved farther ahead of me before cutting over, giving me time to actually react. I made a “Really?” gesture with my hands then flashed a dirty look back at the group of people. I wanted to say something but wanted to just keep running more. I then nearly tripped going up the steps on the bridge at Deer Lake Brook, properly distracted by the dog. At this point I began to worry if I was going to get through the last three km upright.
Run 459 Average pace: 5:16/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 26:33
Weather: Light showers
Temp: 14ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 156
Stride: n/a
Weight: 157.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 3670 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
I skipped Tuesday’s usual run because I was wiped out from work. This is not normal, but the first day of classes for the fall semester when you work at a college IT help desk can do that to you. I came home feeling like I’d walked 20,000 steps. Which I had.
I vowed to stay on track by running tonight and despite ominous clouds, I stayed true to my vow. Due to a light rain and a temperature of only 14ºC I donned my long-sleeved Nike shirt, though in the end a regular t-shirt would have been fine (because there was virtually no wind, so it never felt overly chilly).
Somewhat unusually I fell into a comfortable pace quite early and stayed there for nearly the entire run. Looking at my splits I had the usual drop at the 2km mark but actually got progressively faster to the end of the run, with my final km pace being 5:03 vs. 5:07 for the first km. Until about the last 500m I never tried to push beyond this comfy pace so I am surprised to see I kept picking up speed.
The right leg felt fine for the first half of the run, began to feel a bit stiff in the second half, but began to feel better again before the run ended. It is weird, my right leg. I can handle weird better than injured, however.
The rain was pretty light and wasn’t even a nuisance on my glasses like it usually is, thanks to the aforementioned lack of wind. The trail was all but deserted, save for a cyclist or two. I know it makes me seem anti-social but I kind of like running Omega Man-style.
Overall I’m pleased with this run. It is probably the most relaxed I’ve felt while doing a 5K in a long time.
Run 458 Average pace: 5:33/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 10:09 km
Time: 56:05
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 16ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 156
Stride: n/a
Weight: 156.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 3665 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
I was still a bit concerned about the stiffness in my right leg so my plan today was to run steady but not push so I expected my pace to be lower–and it was, but only by a few seconds, coming in at 5:33/km. More importantly, the leg behaved and there were long stretches where my breathing was relaxed and I just felt good, that feeling where you feel like you could keep running forever or until your shoes completely fall apart.
There was some sun heading to the lake but it vanished behind the clouds for the run. The promise of sun and a slightly later start meant the trails were packed, with both joggers and walkers a-plenty. Reluctantly, and for the first time since I tripped, I opted to take all three side trails, to help avoid the crowds.
The good news is it worked. The side trails were completely clear and I remained upright the entire time. Here’s the tree root hazard report:
Spruce Loop: one root on the left side of the trail (not an issue as I was running on the right)
Conifer Loop: massive root that crosses the entire width of the trail and sits in the open. It’s impossible to miss seeing it. There is one other prominent root, on the left side. This is the Evil Tree Root, the one I tripped on. It was in the sun today and looked deceivingly harmless.
Piper Mill Trail: a few small roots located in the middle of the trail
While I settled into a comfy pace for most of the run, the starting km was an unusually brisk 5:03/km, the closest I’ve come this year to breaking the five minute mark. This is not a mark I expect to break, so seeing the time was a bit of a surprise.
I spied a garter snake slithering rapidly into the brush ahead of me. It was much faster than the python I saw a few weeks ago. It probably sits lower on the food chain than a python, though. For reference, this is what it looked like:
I am happy to report no dogs off-leash and every runner and pedestrian was polite and alert. Overall, a surprisingly pleasant run.
