Run 385 Average pace: 5:40/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 10.03 km
Time: 56:50
Weather: Cloudy and humid
Temp: 23ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 743
Weight: 159.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 3147
Device used: iPhone 6
This run was very similar to the previous Sunday’s run, down to a mere second difference in average pace. I had no major issues and the cloudy sky meant the trails were lightly populated (yay).
For a change I ran the section of freeway trail I had to use in 2012 when the first boardwalk was being replaced. Without the sun beating down it wasn’t too bad and it was probably nicer than the rest of the south shore, which felt weirdly muggy once again.
In fact, I am hard-pressed to add much more. It was a solid if unspectacular result and I am neither backsliding nor vaulting forward.
Run 384 Average pace: 5:29/km
Location: Brunette River trail and Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 7.02 km
Time: 38:29
Weather: Sunny and humid
Temp: 24-26ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 519
Weight: 160.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 3137
Device used: iPhone 6
I decided to stretch a bit and do a 7K run instead of the usual weeknight 5K. I ran the river trail then headed to the lake and ran another 5K to Still Creek then made my way to the nearby Burnaby Lake SkyTrain station for a nice ride home.
My pace was 5:29/km, which is slower than my last 5K (5:15/km) but faster than my last 10K (5:39/km). With it being quite warm and muggy as well, the results are about in line with what I expected and I had no discomfort or pain, just the usual stiffness starting out.
There were plenty of other runners out enjoying the summer-like conditions, including the titular roving band, about a dozen or so jogging as a group clockwise around the lake. Even though they formed a giant, multi-legged blob on the trail, they kindly and quickly adjusted to allow me to pass by without having to throw myself into a ditch first.
I ended the run a few hundred meters from the SkyTrain station, then did a bit of a sprint on the pedestrian overpass (for some reason it almost always triggers my latent acrophobia so I like getting past it as quickly as possible). I stopped at a convenient fountain for a few welcome sips of water, then lightly jogged into the station just as a train arrived. Timing! The downside to this is I didn’t have a chance to really cool off and the olde train had no air conditioning. As I sat down my body turned into a furnace and I sweated profusely for a few minutes while waiting for my body temperature to settle back to something normal. When I got home my shirt was so bathed in sweat I actually had trouble pulling it off. This is not something I would expect to be a problem in May. All said, I’d still take it over rain.
Sunday looks like it may be cloudy and perhaps a tad cooler. We will see.
Run 383 Average pace: 5:15/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 26:21
Weather: Mostly sunny, some cloud
Temp: 24-27ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 369
Weight: 160.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 3130
Device used: iPhone 6
I was feeling cranky and the day turned unusually warm when I went out running tonight. At the end of the run the reported temperature was 27ºC. That’s kind of crazy. It even felt a bit muggy.
I got off to a slow start but at least got the phone into the belt without going through a contortion act like on Sunday. I picked up the pace and as I neared the 2K mark I felt surprisingly comfortable, almost relaxed. But then I passed the usual 2K mark, kept going farther and was suddenly really cranky. There was no way I could be running slower.
I pushed a bit on the way back and the right Achilles tendon, feeling sore, smoothed out. That was good. A cramp threatened on my lower right side. That was bad. And I started to feel tired from everything. Also not so good.
Still I ended with an improved pace of 5:15/km, a full eight seconds better than my run one week earlier, which was also a follow-up to a 10K. So overall I end up being pleased with the result. Weird.
Run 382 Average pace: 5:39/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 10.02 km
Time: 56:38
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 19ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 740
Weight: 161.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 3125
Device used: iPhone 6
For my second 10K run of the year my goal was to simply improve on my pace over last week’s. Mission accomplished! I went from 5:51/km to 5:39/km.
Bizarrely, the third km was the fastest. I was helped by the weather, which was mild and overcast. The first km was an unusually slow 5:27/km and this was due to technology (and my clumsy hands) failing me. Specifically, the Nike app was still set to play music through the app. I don’t like this because it always shuffles songs, even when you choose an album. I forgot to change the setting so aborted my run to fix the music. Next I had to pace around for a good bit before it finally got a good GPS signal. When I finally started, I couldn’t get the iPhone into the pocket of the spibelt and found myself shoving it behind the belt instead. I’m trying to keep up a good pace while fiddling with all of this and it obviously didn’t work. The second km was even worse, like my body suddenly decided it was very tired. But things improved after that and my pace picked up on the third, ninth and final km.
I experienced some concern around the halfway point when my right ankle started to hurt. Not drastically or anything, just in a way that was unrelated to the Achilles tendon. I tried working out a kink or recalling if I had twisted it in some way. In the end it worked itself out after a few minutes and felt fine for the rest of the run. Just the body being temporarily weird, hopefully.
The trail was not as busy as it would normally be on a Sunday due to the cloudy conditions and the temperature never budged from 19ºC so conditions were pretty comfortable. I was put off by a group of cyclists right at the start of the trail near the dam but they were either heading out or had realized they shouldn’t be there and were sensibly leaving. Dirty cyclists.
Also I had to use the loo before running but the porta-potty was occupied by someone taking a little too long to make me want to be the first to use it after they were done. Instead I found a nice spot tucked around a big ol’ tree not far from the dam, did a scan to make sure no one was close by to have me arrested for indecent exposure…then looked down and saw someone else had used the exact same spot mere minutes earlier, judging from the evidence. It was a bit weird because it was literally the exact same spot.
Anyway, here’s to the next 10K being better still and with less peeing and cylists.
Run 381 Average pace: 5:17/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 26:38
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 26-24ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 376
Weight: 161.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 3115
Device used: iPhone 6
Work was again exhausting. When I got home I began stuffing apple strudel and tortilla chips into my face. I was not motivated to run, I was motivated to gorge, then hibernate.
Further killing my desire was the unusually warm weather–the Weather Underground app on my phone was reporting 28ºC when I headed out for the run. That is zany hot for May. It’s zany hot for June, July and August, too.
Yes, I did go out. The secret to the running routine when you’re feeling unmotivated is to just change and go outside. If you don’t think about it, the routine can carry you along to where you’d feel bad about not continuing.
I pushed a wee bit more during the first two km and yielded positive results. Instead of a significant drop after the second km, it was a mere 1%. My overall pace of 5:17/km was six seconds better than Tuesday, not bad considering the increased temperature and humidity. A cramp threatened to materialize in my lower right abdomen but never quite gelled (if cramps can indeed gel) so my pace never truly sagged.
Run 380 Average pace: 5:23/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 27:05
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 23ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 376
Weight: 162.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 3110
Device used: iPhone 6
Although the temperature was again around 23ºC it felt much warmer, the warmest run for the year to date. As a result I sweated even more than on Sunday. I do not normally think of sweating a lot on mid-May runs.
I was feeling very tired going in, mentally exhausted from work, and also coming off my first 10K on Sunday and a 16+ km walk yesterday. I expected a plodding pace. In the latter half I found enough energy reserves to push during the fourth km (my fastest stretch, actually) and again for the last 500 m after pooping out just prior to that. The result was a mediocre pace of 5:23/km, two seconds slower than my previous 5K. I call it a wash. A sweaty, stinky wash.
The right Achilles tendon felt a little sore but it was fine by the end and I had no other real discomfort, just sluggishness and such. One day 5Ks will seem easy again.
Run 379 Average pace: 5:51/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 10.0 km
Time: 58:42
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 23ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 753
Weight: 162.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 3104
Device used: iPhone 6
Today my plan was to run 5K and then run farther if I had the energy for it. To facilitate this I again chose to run at a deliberate pace, rather than try pushing for the need for speed.
I was indeed slower, but, as planned, I felt no great discomfort or anything while running, save for an occasional hint of a cramp in my left shoulder, which continues to be strange. The weather was pleasant and the sun was warm. I even sweated a little.
My pace was a tepid 5:51/km, but I completed a full 10 km and never felt like I was struggling. It felt decent. The trail was clogged with people, due to an event apparently taking place. I saw two people with flags but couldn’t make them out. What I could make out were the vast crowds stretched out all along the trail, forcing some clever weaving and dodging at times. You can tell the regulars from the non-regulars because the latter tend to never realize there are other people on the trail.
Still, I stayed upright the entire time and finished 10K without difficulty. I am emboldened to continue and improve.
Run 378 Average pace: 5:21/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.01 km
Time: 26:51
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 23ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 375
Weight: 161.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 3099
Device used: iPhone 6
Tonight, feeling tired and not really into it, plus with my lower legs still a little sore from the beginnings of a new regular run routine, I decided to do something different. Instead of trying for a burst at the beginning and end, I would instead just find a comfortable pace as quickly as I could and then try to maintain it for the rest of the run. I knew this would almost certainly mean the run would be slower but I was curious. And tired.
I ended up being a little slower than on Tuesday (5:21/km vs. 5:19/km) but felt much better during the run. My breathing was more relaxed, I never felt like I was exerting or gasping for breath. The drop after the first km was a little smaller but I still had a fairly massive drop in the last km, perhaps a reflection that I’m still a fair ways off from peak form. I even pushed a wee bit at the end but it just seemed my tiredness caught up with me. It was also warmer and a bit more humid, which may have been minor factors as well.
Still, I liked the results overall. A slightly slower pace in exchange for a much more comfortable experience is a win for me. In fact, I’m giving myself a tiny imaginary gold trophy right now. Yay for me!
I may try a full 10K on Sunday using the same method. My official time will probably be six hours. But I’ll be comfy!
Also, the Nike app/site is strangely rounding down so instead of showing me at 3100 km, it insists I’ve only run 3099. This is why I hate math.
Run 375 Average pace: 5:32/km
Location: Brunette River trail and Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 27:52
Weather: Overcast, some sun
Temp: 23ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 377
Weight: 162.8 pounds <0.2
Total distance to date: 3085
Device used: iPhone 6
Run 376 Average pace: 5:46/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:58
Weather: Overcast, some sun
Temp: 23ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 377
Weight: 162.8 pounds <0.2
Total distance to date: 3090
Device used: iPhone 6
Having two very solid runs during the week, I still found myself approaching the weekend run with some trepidation, because the mid-week runs were so much better than my previous efforts. It seemed odd. Good, but odd.
My plan was to take the best of the mid-week runs by starting on the river trail, then to continue on to the lake, possibly stretching out to 7K instead of 5K. Looking at the first 2 km of the run, I could see my pace was already well off, though the drop from the first km to the second was about the same. On Thursday I finished the first km at 4:46/km and today lagged behind at 5:00/km, ending with a lousy overall pace of 5:32/km, a big drop from the mid-week efforts.
I walked for the next 15 minutes mulling why this happened but have no good answers. Difference in the time of day? Temperature? Humidity? Alignment of moon/planets?
I then decided to do another 5K because why not? I was halfway around the lake so I’d have to walk it, anyway, and running would get me home sooner to lay down and think further about being slower. Starting just past the bridge at Still Creek, I ran a second 5K and my pace was unsurprisingly slower at 5:46/km but I actually didn’t feel too bad (I got a small stitch in my lower right side on the first run). I took solace in the fact that I did 10K, albeit in a bit of a cheaty fashion.
The only downside came around the 3K mark when I saw a large bug ahead of me. When I say large I’m not talking giant African beetle that can cut your fingers off with its pincers, more like something a little smaller than a housefly but way bigger than a gnat. The reason I saw it at all was because of its size. It flew straight into my mouth, like a bullet fired from a gun. Then it got lodged in my throat. At first I thought I had managed to swallow it (trying to stay positive, I kept thinking free protein, free protein) but it became clear I had not. I started to cough and this moved it into a position where it grew exponentially more irritating. I started gagging and choking. I mixed in more coughs for variety. I was less than a km away from hitting 5K, I didn’t want to stop.
Finally it seemed to go down. I ran into another cloud of them and tried punching the bugs, with limited success. I actually improved my pace over the last km, perhaps lifted by the sense that I was no longer choking to death.
Overall, I am disappointed at my slower pace for these runs, but quietly satisfied that I managed two 5Ks. I am most curious to see what Tuesday will be like.
Run 374 Average pace: 5:10/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.01 km
Time: 25:55
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 21ºC
Wind: breezy
Calories burned: 374
Weight: 163 pounds <1.2
Total distance to date: 3080
Device used: iPhone 6
Two days later and it was significantly warmer at 21ºC. Fortunately it wasn’t too warm and my fears of being slower went unfounded. I pushed toward the end, successfully picking up speed on the last km, and managed to finish slightly ahead of Tuesday’s pace, coming in at 5:10/km. This run also marked the first time this year that I did a full week’s worth of runs. Yay.
There’s not much else to add. The run went much as it did on the previous one, though I better planned my switchbacks so I could end before getting to the gate (and the road/sidewalk). Some dope on a bicycle came flying around a blind corner and had to make a sudden course correction to avoid plowing into me. Why do people do these things? “Hey, I know, I’ll ride my bike really fast around this blind corner where I can’t see what, if anything, is coming. Nor will I be able to see if there’s just a giant abyss to sail into, or large pointy spikes to be impaled on, or a rabid dog. Or an abyss filled with pointy spikes and rabid dogs.” I think if I got on a bike again I’d spontaneously start hating myself.
Anyway, I’m cautiously hopeful that I can keep the pace up with a more ambitious run on Sunday.
Run 373 Average pace: 5:12/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 26:11
Weather: Sun/rain mix
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 382
Weight: 164.2 pounds >0.4
Total distance to date: 3075
Device used: iPhone 6
For the first time this year I ran on the Brunette River trail and I ran on an actual regular schedule, heading out only two days after my last run. Zounds.
The sky looked generally non-threatening, apart from one fat black cloud skating over the area. I felt a few drops on the walk to the trail but nothing more…until I got to the trail, at which point the fat black cloud opened up. At the same time the sun came out so the first two km of the run was a weird mix of sunshine and steady rain. It stopped after that and I dried quickly, so it was a good opportunity to overcome my usual distaste for running in the rain.
The best news, though, was my pace. I was definitely feeling more energetic and finished with a pace of 5:12/km, a full 30 seconds better than Sunday’s run and still 24 seconds better than my best pace of the year. I broke the 5:00/km mark on the first km and held up decently after. It was nice to see some good numbers after plodding along.
Also, likely because of the weather (it was also only 12ºC, not exactly balmy) I did not see a single other person on the trail during the run. I felt a bit like the Omega man.
My next run is set for Thursday. Here’s hoping I can at least come close to matching tonight’s pace. Excelsior!
