Run 483 Average pace: 5:40/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 28:35
Weather: Overcast, some drizzle
Temp: 9ºC
Wind: moderate
BPM: 162
Stride: n/a
Weight: 167.2 pounds
Total distance to date: 3805 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch, iPhone
Yes, it may seem crazy but here it is the same week and I’m posting another outdoor run. Woo.
Today I went to have blood taken for some testing and did what one would naturally do after losing some blood–I went for a run.
(I did eat a banana first.)
I headed out mid-afternoon under gray and threatening skies–they threat never materialized beyond some very light and sporadic drizzle) and even though it was warmer than Saturday at 9ºC, I wore a long-sleeved shirt because the wind was promising to gust again.
It turned out the wind was not a factor at all and I never felt cold. Perhaps because of this, I was faster, beating my sloth-like previous pace of 5:54/km by coming in at a less-slothful 5:40/km. This is still well off my usual 5K pace and I’m feeling tired right now, but I know in time my form will return. I can already tell the legs won’t be as stiff, so hooray for that.
The trail was in respectable shape and I saw no other runners. There were a few people walking their dogs, including several letting their precious scamps run off-leash. I especially liked the guy with two larger dogs letting his dogs squeeze under the fence to frolic around the “Restoration area – no dogs or people” sign. One of the dogs made a desultory attempt to follow as I went by and as I was near the end of the run, I’d likely face the dogs again as I double-back at the end to reach 5K.
Instead, I decided to keep going and hope I could hit the required distance in Lower Hume Park. I did, though with literally no room to spare. I dinged 5K just steps short of the tree that’s fallen across the trail at the bottom of the stairs. But at least I didn’t have to deal with those dogs and their dumb owner again.
My next run is tentatively set for Thursday after work–my first post-work run of the year. It looks to be mild but soggy. I can live with that.
Run 482 Average pace: 5:54/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.06 km
Time: 30:04
Weather: Partly cloudy
Temp: 6-7ºC
Wind: high, with gusts up to 13 km/h (probably higher, it was reporting 13km/h when I got home and the wind had eased up a bit)
BPM: 162
Stride: n/a
Weight: 166.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 3800 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch, iPhone
For the first time in three weeks, I returned to Burnaby Lake, the snow at long last completely gone. It was around 7ºC heading out–not exactly balmy, but with the sky clearing and the sun poking out, I figured I could safely switch from my long-sleeved running shirt to a short-sleeved one.
This proved to be an interesting decision.
Every other jogger I encountered was bundled up like it was winter (it is, officially for two more days). Some wore gloves or long pants, others wore jackets. I was the only one dressed as if for summer, wearing only a t-shirt and shorts.
The one thing I hadn’t anticipated was the wind. Sometimes it can be breezy. Today was not one of those days. The wind was ripping. The flag at the Hume Park Home Learners School (a name that seems like an oxymoron, really) was pointing straight out and rippling so hard you could hear the fabric snapping.
This made the 7ºC–which dropped by a degree by the time I started the run–feel more like something much, much colder.
As I entered Burnaby Lake Park the inevitable happened and the wind whisked the cap off my head. I retrieved it and screwed it down tight. It didn’t come off again and for this I was glad because my buzzed head would have been frigid without.
I ended up frigid, anyway, just not my head. For a few moments I marveled over the impending signs of spring: the fragrant aromas in the woods, the trees starting to bud, even the skunk cabbage starting to sprout in the numerous stands of water along the trail. This marveling went away as my arms and hands turned to icicles. They were so cold that in that first five minutes I considered calling off the run altogether.
Instead, I kept going, hoping the thin warmth of the sun would provide at least a psychological boost, and that the activity would warm me up enough to ensure this wouldn’t remain Mr. Freeze Goes Jogging.
It sort of worked.
After the first km (a sluggish pace of 5:33/km) I did warm up a little but it remained uncomfortable until around the 3 km mark, where it finally became tolerable. My second km was a staggeringly slow 6:20/km as I simultaneously passed the initial burst of speed and began feeling the full effect of the icy wind.
The wind did not relent for the entire 5 km. It didn’t even really start subsiding (a little) until the walk back. It was not fun. I blow a raspberry at you, wind, though I’ll know to check wind conditions before the next run.
The trail was dotted with puddles from yesterday’s monsoon-like rain, with many areas of mud, more mud and also mud. I finished a bit muddy, though I skirted all of the puddles. Despite never really feeling warm, I opted to walk home instead of taking the shortcut to the Production Way SkyTrain station. It just seemed like too much of a bother to go up there and wait for possibly multiple trains before getting on one. Plus I was already cold so it didn’t seem to matter much by that point.
I could feel the effects of the exercise even as I walked home, the rare treat of being sore not the day after but the hour after. I expect it to be worse tomorrow, but in time my legs will get back their sexy running form.
Despite the chill wind, it was still good to get back on the trail. But, uh, no wind next time would be spiffy.
Run 481 Average pace: 5:43/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 5.06 km
Time: 29:00
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 5ºC
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 165
Stride: n/a
Weight: 164 pounds
Total distance to date: 3795 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch, iPhone
For the first time in 82 days, I ran outside. Like, actually outside. Outdoors. In nature and stuff.
It was nice.
Haven’t walked the Brunette River trail earlier in the day I knew the snow had retreated a lot more than I’d expected over the past week. The third patch near the far end of the trail was completely gone and the remaining two patches had shrunk enough that there were comfortably wide paths to avoid the snow. I logically concluded that this meant Burnaby Lake, which I had judged better for running last weekend, would be even better.
My plan was thus: Walk to the lake, then keep walking for 5 km clockwise along the south shore, since I haven’t seen it in those 82 days. I’d then run the remainder, exit the park and head to the Production Way SkyTrain station for a triumphant ride home.
I started walking along Avalon Trail and ominously came across snow quickly. It wasn’t much–a few steps to get by–and the snow was both crunchy and yielding, so not slippery. As I approached the first km I asked myself, “I’ve already walked nearly 5K at this point. Do I want to walk another 4K before even starting my run?” The answer was, “Hell no.”
I started my run.
I wrapped up shortly after climbing the hill past Still Creek, where the path turns onto the Cottonwood Trail. Walking the rest didn’t seem as intimidating at that point.
The weather was cool, hovering around 5ºC, and while clouds gathered as I ran, it remained dry. The trail itself was still muddy and wet enough to leave my legs streaked with dirt. I felt macho.
Despite the chilly conditions, there were quite a few people out, walkers and runner alike. I don’t normally run on Saturdays so this may be typical. The people didn’t pose any particular hazards in terms of navigation.
What did pose a hazard was, surprisingly, not the snow. The south side of the trail did have numerous patches but like the ones on the Avalon trail, they were small and not slippery, so I was able to run over them. So yes, I technically ran in the snow. And the north side of the trail was, unlike last weekend, completely devoid of snow. The patch at Still Creek was gone along with every other. It was a pleasant surprise.
Less pleasant were the numerous fallen trees. Most were either already cut up into blocks or fell alongside rather than over the trail, though a few were teetering ominously. One large tree had a snapped branch, the end of which looked like it had already come free, leaving another large and pointy piece dangling above the path like the proverbial Sword of Damocles. I skirted off to one side as I passed–better safe than stuck with a giant pointy piece of wood in your skull. Another tree had bent over the trail, forming an arch. It looked spectacular. It also looked like it wasn’t going to last. Again, I dashed quickly under it.
The worst bits, though, were the bramble. In many places, large clumps of bramble had collapsed on the trail, as if they had heavily sighed, given up and then surrendered and thrown themselves at the mercy of the park workers. Who then hacked them up. The collapses were sometimes caused by one or more trees falling on them, pushing them forward and in other cases, it may have been the weight of the snow stuck to them and frozen for weeks that led to them breaking.
Most of the debris was cleared off the trail but in a few places the bramble was almost but not quite collapsed, leering over the trail rudely and forcing you to dodge around. One short leg had this on both sides. It felt like running through a bunch of spectral fingers trying to grab you from all sides.
My pace of 5:43/km is slow for a 5K but perfectly in line with what I’d expect after nearly three months of no outdoor runs. More importantly, it just felt good to get outside and run on an actual trail, to feel the shifting terrain under my feet, to adjust my pace without having to press buttons. I’m reasonably confident that any more snow will be in the form of dustings that shouldn’t interfere, and with Daylight Saving Time coming in a few weeks, it won’t be long until I can resume runs after work.
All in all, a good if brambly time today.
I am going to be very sore tomorrow, though. I’m already a little sore today. I’m currently at 33,301 steps according to the Apple Watch. That’s a lot. Which reminds me, I need new walking shoes. Soon™.
I went a-walking today down the Brunette River trail and counter-clockwise halfway around Burnaby Lake to Still Creek. The purpose was to see if there was still too much (damn) snow to make running infeasible.
The verdicts:
Brunette River trail: Long sections are now bare but three others feature enough snow to still span the entire width of the trail. In some cases, it’s possible to skirt along the edges and avoid the snow, in a few spots it is unavoidable.
The trail (which technically is a gravel service road) is in bad shape now, riddled with puddles and muddy, soft dirt lined with long ruts from bikes passing through. These ruts have all filled with water.
Overall this would be okay for running but not great. The last of the three snowy stretches is at the far end of the trail, an especially awkward spot.
Burnaby Lake: The first km has a few snow patches but they’re relatively short. The second km is for some reason significantly worse, with a lot of patches that are unavoidable. The remainder is almost completely bare save for the straight stretch just before getting to Still Creek, which features a somewhat avoidable stretch of snow. In all areas, the snow is slightly mushy or pliable, making it a little slippery but not treacherously so.
Overall this seems better than the Brunette River trail. I am actually mulling a run after the write-in tomorrow. Timing-wise it should work because the write-in ends at 2 and by the time I get to the lake it’s likely to be past 3 p.m, which still gives me plenty of time to run before the sun sets at 5:37 p.m. It looks to be soggy and cool with a high of 7ºC but hey, it’s not a treadmill!
Also, two days of the extended weather forecast are calling for snow overnight as temperatures drop below freezing. A third day calls for 3-7 cm of ice pellets. It’s like a parody of the weather. A very bad and unwelcome parody.
Run 480 Average pace: 7:13/km
Location: Canada Games Pool (treadmill)
Distance: 4.38 km
Time: 31:41
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Wind: n/a
BPM: 155
Stride: n/a
Weight: 165.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 3790 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch, iPhone (for music) and Matrix treadmill (for running)
Only four days between treadmill runs this time, though I was originally planning on using the elliptical. Alas, all of the machines were occupied and I was too impatient to wait a minute or two for someone to decide that soaking in the swirl pool beat exercise.
Instead of choosing Manual or 5K Run I went with Fat Burn, same as I choose on the elliptical. As the run progressed (inclination set to 1, speed set to 6) I felt fine…for awhile. My ankles started to feel sore again, though not as much as the previous time. But then I started to feel really tired. I mean, really weirdly tired in a way I never feel during a run.
I dialed the speed down from 6 to 5.5 and eventually all the way to 4, which is a fast walk. I pondered.
I ramped the speed up a few times after, briefly, but switched off between jogging and walking until the end and I didn’t even cheat (mostly) during the cooldown period, which slows the treadmill to a walking pace. This also explains my silly slow average pace of 7:13/km.
It was during one of the running parts when it felt very hard that it dawned on me what was happening–and how dumb I was to not realize it. The hard parts were uphill. I verified this by tapping on the incline control and saw that it was set to 3.5 instead of 1.0 as the good lord intended. Each uphill segment lasted multiple minutes, which is multiple minutes longer than I have ever done uphill running before. It also explains why my ankles were hurting. I am a lousy mountain goat.
Secure in this knowledge, I will never choose Fat Burn again. I’ll burn fat by not eating Twinkies. For treadmill runs, I’ll stick to 5Ks or manual settings in the future.
Tonight I decided to finally try an exercise bicycle workout at the Canada Games Pool and I’m still wondering if I did it right.
I know I did the clothing part wrong. Light running shorts do not protect your posterior when sitting on a bicycle seat for half an hour. It got a bit uncomfortable at times, but I was able to shift my tuckus just enough to stave off keister agony.
I chose the fat burn workout and it asked me to set a heart rate target and my age. It defaulted to 112 so I went with that but ended up boosting it several times, topping out at 130–which is still well below my usual BPM when running.
I had to pedal pretty fast to maintain my target but curiously the effort didn’t seem too taxing. I sweated a bit but never felt close to the burn I’ve felt when on the elliptical or treadmill. On the one hand, it was kind of nice. On the other, it didn’t seem I was getting nearly as much out of the half hour invested.
There were level buttons and I assumed they would adjust the resistance (gears, I suppose) but they only offered to change the heart rate target. Maybe next time I’ll just choose manual or quick start. Or just not use the bikes. The pleasantness of being able to sit while working out was offset by how uncomfortable the actual sitting was. I think I may actually prefer the treadmill.
Run 479 Average pace: 6:28/km
Location: Canada Games Pool (treadmill)
Distance: 4.56 km
Time: 29:33
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Wind: n/a
BPM: 161
Stride: n/a
Weight: 165.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 3785 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch, iPhone (for music) and Matrix treadmill (for running)
It’s been 25 days since my last treadmill run and I can’t say I’ve missed the treadmill because I hate it. But tonight it seemed time to renew my passion for disliking it.
The run went without incident, save for forgetting to turn the fan on at the start. I’m not sure why anyone would leave the fan off, the whole place is incredibly humid, which is not really conducive to a comfortable workout, so every little bit helps. Maybe some people are fanophobes. One might say they’re not fans…of fans. Ho ho.
Anyway, I did remember my water bottle and this compensated somewhat. I still felt slow and sluggish (reflected in my pace) and curiously for the first ten minutes or so my ankles were sore, something that never bothers me when running. Odd, and another reason to hate treadmills. Once I warmed up they were fine and they feel fine now, but still, weird. And unpleasant.
I chose the “fat burn” setting and this apparently increases the elevation periodically, which would explain why the run would become much harder at seemingly random intervals. I ramped the incline down a couple of times but kept the speed mostly at 6 and leaning more toward 5.5 in the last stretch. It’s still hard to adjust settings to my natural pace. I find it works bets if I go all Zen and don’t look at the numbers and concentrate on how my legs feel. Too slow, nudge the speed up. Too fast, nudge it down. It worked a little better tonight than previously.
Overall, though, I’m really itching to run outside again. The heavy rain and mild temperatures have caused the new snow to melt fairly rapidly. The hard crusty snow underneath will take longer so I’m still not expecting anything before March, but hope, like repeated snowstorms, springs eternal.
For the first time in a little over two weeks, I finally returned to the Canada Games Pool and did a half hour workout on the elliptical. Or rather I did a 27-minute workout, reached out with my right hand to adjust something or other, snagged it on the cord of my iPhone earbuds and whipped the phone out of the holder of the elliptical. It landed on the right foot pad, next to my right foot.
I immediately pressed the handy pause button on the machine, reassembled phone and earbuds and then hit the pause button again–you know, to unpause (resume) the workout. Instead, it started it over. Was I supposed to hit OK? Just start going again? (My hunch is the latter is the correct answer, as that’s how you normally begin a workout). I had about eight minutes left so started a manual workout and kept going until the watch dinged at 325 calories burned, my overall goal. I suffered no other clumsy incidents for the remainder.
I had the elliptical set to 14/12 and actually kept it at 14 the entire time, adjusting the resistance from 12 to 10 for the manual restart.
I sweated a lot and forgot my water bottle. These things are related.
It was nice to be active again. Now I must resist eating an entire cake as a reward for doing so.
I did not get a single visit to my blog yesterday, January 26. This calls for a sad face.
In other unrelated sad news, I walked along the Brunette River trail today to see if it was ready for running. Behold!
A little mucky in spots but completely clear and perfectly suitable for jogging. Hooray!
But you are saying to yourself, “Why is this sad? Is it because he has grown fat and lazy and it is sad that the trail is now free of snow but the desire to run has itself run away?”
The answer can be seen in the next photo. I emphasize that this photo was taken at the same time on the same two km stretch of trail along the river.
If you look carefully in the above shot you can see another completely clear patch of trail near the top. These two pictures cover the extremes as most of the trail is somewhere between the two, with a mix of snowy and clear patches that would work for limited running, provided you had nimble, gazelle-like reflexes to constantly alter course between the snow and no-snow spots.
It has been almost four weeks since the last snowfall. Given that the weather over the next ten days looks to be pretty similar to the last few weeks I am revising my estimate on being able to run outdoors again from early February to late February–a month from now and, incredibly, close to three months since my last outdoor run on December 4, 2016, or as I like to call it, the BS (Before Snow) era.
And to think I once found snow delightful. Delightful!
There’s not much to say about working out on an elliptical because the environment and machine never changes. I suppose if the machine magically came to life and galloped outside with me hanging on for dear life it would be different but so far that hasn’t happened.
Tonight I started with 14/12 on incline/resistance and eventually dropped the resistance to 10 before bumping it back up slightly to 11. At one point I felt muscles in my legs actually burning. Not literally on fire, just really feeling them stretching and such.
I also brought a water bottle tonight. It helped, though the cup holder is designed for righties. Prejudice!
I began to feel pretty tired near the end but finished with 350 calories burned on the machine and 364 according to the Apple watch (I let it run about a minute long before remembering to end the workout).
I will likely do a treadmill run (bleah) next as I’d like to keep alternating. Plus the treadmills at least have dual cupholders so I don’t have to test my rightie hand-eye coordination when going for a sip.
Run 478 Average pace: 6:13/km
Location: Canada Games Pool (treadmill)
Distance: 4.93 km
Time: 30:42
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Wind: n/a
BPM: 162
Stride: n/a
Weight: 165.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 3780 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch, iPod nano (for music) and Matrix treadmill (for running)
Another run on ye olde treadmill at the Canada Games Pool and I am reminded that I really need to bring a water bottle. The humidity in there basically makes every run feel like one at the height of summer.
The run itself started out strangely sluggish. I guess it took me awhile to ramp up. I set the speed to 6.3 and kept it there until about midway through, bringing it down to 5.8 before taking it back up to 6 and 6.1 for the last 1.5 km or so.
Toward the middle, I began to feel rather tired, the kind of “make it stop” tired but after slowing the speed I recovered and finished fairly well, though my times are still tracking slower than my outdoor runs.
While I was still feeling zippy I managed to put myself into a zone of sorts where I was no longer focusing on the readout ahead of me, but instead a vague sport on the treadmill display. When I began feeling tired my eyes drifted back up to the display and I found it very difficult to look away. The distance readout counts down from 5K and while 5K is not a great distance, watching it tick down from 4.65 to 4.64 to 4.63 is exhausting in itself. It’s like someone doing a countdown but being deliberately, infuriatingly slow.
Still, I got out and got a run in, so yay for me.
In a new and possibly intriguing development, a few days of torrential rain have led to virtually all of the snow disappearing, to be replaced by vast, lake-like puddles. I’m not sure if there’s been enough rain to fully clear the trails yet but on Saturday I’m going to check out the Brunette River trail and it just might be possible to do an outdoor run this weekend, which would be my first in six weeks–entirely due to weather.
Yes, for the fourth day in a row I went to the gym (Canada Games Pool). I have never done this before. I may never do it again. But I did it this week.
I chose an elliptical workout with a setting of 14/11, adjusted down to 14/10 for a bit before going back to 14/11.
On the machine itself my step and calorie count were down slightly (sad face) but on the watch the calorie count was up slightly, perhaps reflecting the fact that I was ever-so-slightly heavier and this burning more.
I actually felt myself getting tired earlier tonight, which isn’t that surprising given it was my fourth day in a row working out and sweat was literally pouring down my face. I made a tactical error in soaking in the swirl pool for about ten minutes before the workout. The logic was the dip would help my slightly stiff muscles loosen up. Although I felt I’d cooled off in the time it took me to dry off and change, I probably was still running (ho ho) a little hot.
Still, the end result was surprisingly consistent and I didn’t feel as wobbly heading down the stairs after.
I’m taking a break tomorrow (Monday) but should be back Tuesday, when I will likely tackle the treadmill again. Not literally tackle, because that would hurt. This also gives me time to find a groovy water bottle to help keep me hydrated and super-fast and such.
