Average pace: 5:24/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce and Conifer Loops and Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 5.04 km
Weather: Partly sunny
Temp: 9-10ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 399
Total distance to date: 2511 km
With about 50 days separating my last run with today’s I was a bit concerned about how it would go but not overly so.
To insure maximum soreness the day after I did a walk around Burnaby Lake on Saturday, about 17 km or so in total.
I started out around 1 p.m. and it was a pleasant early spring day. The lake was a-hoppin’ with activity and dogs roamed free as they usually do. None parked a cold snout in my crotch so I was not especially bothered. You could tell spring was in the air by the stench. The skunk cabbage was just on the cusp of blooming and it is legion along the lakeshore. The unique odor will fade after the flowers have bloomed and the cabbage takes on its more usual leafy appearance.
The first few km I found the tendons of both feet feeling sore as they got stretched for the first two in nearly two months but by about the midway point the soreness went away, I found my pace and I finished the 5K just as I was stepping off the bridge at Still Creek. My pace of 5:24/km was three seconds off my last run but given the time between the runs I think that’s pretty acceptable.
My plan is to resume runs at least three times a week, continuing with 5Ks until my times start getting closer to my usual pace and then moving back to 10Ks.
Average pace: 5:21/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Partly cloudy
Temp: 4ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 398
Total distance to date: 2506 km
With two weeks between runs again I was not expecting to exactly zip along, though I was hoping that my walk yesterday would give me a boost to my stamina.
As it turned out I recorded my best pace of my few runs so far in 2014, coming in at 5:21/km. For the first km my legs from the knees down were lighting up like an emergency panel at a nuke plant going through a meltdown. My muscles cried out. My tendons joined in chorus. I got a stitch in my side. I felt like a slug. But I kept going, found my pace and my legs settled down. The only negative afterward is the blister on my right foot is even bigger, mainly due to the walk to the river.
The weather was crisp but dry. I wore two layers–a long and short sleeved t-shirt. I think I would have been fine with just the long sleeved shirt. I didn’t take gloves nor did I need them.
A little over halfway through the run I passed an older man and though I couldn’t hear him due to the earphones he seemed to be relaying enthusiastic encouragement. That was nice. I’m guessing it looked like I was in agony and he thought it might keep me from collapsing.
I had a nice soak in a tub filled with lavender Epsom salts after. It made me feel like a princess. A fat, hairy princess but a princess all the same.
Average pace: 5:31/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce Loop and Conifer Loop
Distance: 7.04 km
Weather: Fog and low cloud
Temp: 3-5ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 558
Total distance to date: 2501 km
I was going to run last weekend but both days we had monsoon-like rains and motivating yourself to do your second run after seven weeks off when there are monsoon-like rains is…challenging.
But today the weather was calm, with low fog and a brisk temperature that was only 3ºC. Still, no rain meant no excuses, so I headed out late in the morning.
My plan was to officially run 5K but to extend that if possible as I was only 6 km away from hitting the 2,500 km milestone (kilometerstone?) on Nike+. I would walk whatever was left and take the SkyTrain back from the Production Way station not too far from Burnaby Lake.
Since my last run was 13 days ago I figured my time would be worse and it was–5:31/km vs 5:22/km. Because I didn’t feel too bad while running and the time off I’m not overly concerned with the slower pace.
I also managed to push to 7 km total and really could have run farther but my leg muscles were starting to cry like a pair of kids that had their ice cream snatched away. This meant I did indeed pass the 2,500 km total. It would have been nice if I had done it while running blazing fast but I finished upright, so it’s all good.
The very tiny miracle was me passing a pair of women who were jogging ahead of me around the 4 km mark. Granted they were barely moving fast enough to qualify as running and I passed in the most deliberate way possible but still, it was nice to know I could still pass others.
I felt a stitch or two early on but nothing serious and although my left foot was a bit sore before I even headed out, it didn’t get any worse and was overall fine. The Achilles tendon was pleasantly a non-factor again. I think maybe it actually healed or something.
I’m looking forward to running more regularly and getting back into peak form again.
The light jacket and t-shirt proved sufficient despite the cool temperatures. It’s also nice to not have to bring gloves as my hands warm up fairly quickly without them. I saw a few other joggers that were bundled up like it was 40 below or something. Maybe they’re from anywhere other than the west coast.
Some racing games let you race against a ‘ghost’ opponent. This is usually depicted as a translucent figure/car because it’s not solid and you can move through it. The ghost is either another player’s recorded effort or one of your own earlier ones. The purpose is to give you a competitor that you can see and race against without actually needing the opponent to be there live. Plus to race against yourself would require cloning and that’s probably a good three or four years off yet.
I thought it would be neat if I could race against a ghost of myself when I’m out jogging. I can only imagine the psychological boost to be had by zipping ahead of myself, instantly knowing I was running better and faster. Sadly I can’t think of an easy way for this to be implemented without some crazy new tech that could be decades off.
On the plus side they’re also bound to have a decent smart watch by then, too.
Average pace: 5:22/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce Loop, Conifer Loop and Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 4ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 399
Total distance to date: 2494 km
I had a simple goal in mind for today’s run: beat the sluggish pace of the previous run and get the new year off to a faster start.
As I’ve been waylaid by injury the past few winters I’ve not done a cold run in awhile but it was only 4ºC when I headed out early in the afternoon under sunny skies. Fortunately there was little wind but my hands still felt chilled even stuffed in my jacket pockets.
The jacket did not prove to be too much even after I warmed up but I was glad I skipped gloves because my hands were fine after a short distance and remained warm even on the walk after.
The run itself mirrored the pattern of the previous in that the first 500 meters was fairly zippy then my pace dropped precipitously and stayed fairly level for the remainder, ticking up slightly at the end. The major difference this time is that the pace leveled off sooner and came in at 5:22/km, 13 seconds better than the last run.
Surprisingly both feet felt fine right from the start. The Achilles tendon was feeling better than I can recall in quite awhile. The left foot showed signs of hurting after the run but never progressed much beyond that.
I could feel I was doing better once I got past the first km. I never felt winded or experienced any cramps. My biggest issue was probably how cold my butt was. Do you lose a lot of heat through your butt? It certainly felt like it.
Apart from that minor issue the run went well and I am pleased at the progress. It’s a good start to the year.
My next run will likely be my second attempt on the treadmill. I expect I will stop just shy of the next Nike+ milestone of 2,500 km, so I should hit that on my next “real” run during the coming weekend.
Average pace: 5:35/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 8ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 363
Total distance to date: 2489 km
I resolved to get in one last run before the end of the year. Knowing it had been over seven weeks since my last run (and that one being my first on a treadmill), I expected to be slow. Coupled with being out of shape was my new rounder shape–I’ve picked up about 12 (!) pounds since the last run. Egad.
I ran the Brunette River trail and had discovered on a walk a few days earlier that the entire roadway/trail had been resurfaced with fine gravel that was nicely compacted. This turned the trail from an obstacle course of potholes (some of near-epic size) that required constant zig-zagging to one you could run in an actual straight line. It’s nice!
It was around 8ºC and overcast, threatening showers but dry. There was no wind. I wore a jacket that I ended up not needing. I was never cold, thanks to the mild conditions and the extra layer of fat I’d developed over the last few months.
For the first 500 m it was like I hadn’t missed a day of running. My pace was around 4:31/km. After 500 m it felt like a thousand agonies. This continued until the last 500 m where in a nice bit of symmetry I was able to actually pick up the pace, though not quite to the level of 4:31/km.
My average pace was 5:35/km. To put this in perspective, my last regular run on October 25 had a pace of 5:06/km. However, if we go back four years to 2009 the pace of my run on December 29 (my first 10K, as it turns out, though my 24th run of the year) was 5:50/km so even when fat and way off peak condition I take solace that I’m still better than I was when I was only a few months into running.
Here’s hoping the next run will be a tiny bit easier.
(NOTE: This post was actually published in December because I was too caught up in shenanigans in November to pay attention to my blog, but I’ve posted it on the actual day of the run to keep it accurate that way.)
With daylight after work growing short enough now to make post-work runs no longer feasible–the two places I normally run both lack any kind of lighting and would be Very Dark and possibly Very Hazardous to run–I finally did something I’d always wanted to: run on a treadmill.
I picked out a suitable machine at the Canada Games Pool, overlooking all the people happily splashing about in the pools below, no doubt happy because they were not using treadmills.
The machine was very big and sturdy. It had a lot of controls and settings but I figured things out enough to get started with a minimum of fuss. The most important controls were arrows that controlled the speed of the treadmill. I also noted the location of two bicycle-like handlebars to grip. I would come to know these intimately very quickly.
Getting started was the most difficult task and underlines how unnatural a treadmill is. On a trail run I control every aspect of my movement. I can slow and speed up on a whim, I got dodge and leap and generally do what is needed on a moment’s notice, something that is eminently practical on a trail that varies constantly in terms of condition.
The treadmill, on the other hand, controls you. Once the surface starts sliding back, you have two choices: start walking or slide off. As the speed of the treadmill increases, your choices become: start jogging or slide off at a high rate of speed as one might see in a bloopers video.
I had to use the handlebars.
I never did figure out the right tension/speed to match my usual running pace, I just kept cranking the speed until I felt I was running at what felt like something resembling a typical pace. I ended up with a time of 5:11/km which felt slower than it should have been but because I’d never used the iPod on a treadmill before I was merely content that it was in the right ballpark, to mix my athletic metaphors.
The motion of the running is odd. It feels unnatural and bouncy. The constant motion is strange. You can’t moderate your pace because that means sliding off, you just relentlessly continue. I suppose that makes it good for pushing yourself to beat PRs or something. There is always the option to ramp the speed down but that means leaning forward slightly to hit the big down arrow. It sounds simple but running in place is amazingly good at making simple things more difficult than you’d imagine.
The most unexpected part, however, was the dehydration. I’ve used the ellipticals at the pool before and after 39 minutes of use I’d be a bit parched but nothing more. The building interior is a somewhat humid environment with all the water and warm temperatures. This made no difference on the treadmill. Either that or they had magically removed all traces of humidity from the building while it was closed for renovations, replacing it with a dry, desert-like air.
After an official time of 17:18 I slapped the Stop button. Fortunately this causes the treadmill to slowly wind down so I didn’t go flying off into the pool. The reason I ended my run with only 3.3 km covered is my mouth had become so dry it was difficult to swallow and it became so uncomfortable I literally could not stand it. Never on the hottest summer day with the sun blazing down on me have I felt my throat and mouth so cotton ball-dry.
I am reluctant to try the treadmill again though I suppose it deserves at least one more go before I decide to shun it unto forever. I will have a honking big bottle of water with me if I do.
Average pace: 5:06/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CW) Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 13ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 364
Total distance to date: 2475 km
After another two weeks between runs, mainly due to a near week-long trip to Nashville on business, I approached today’s run with some trepidation. I headed off to the lake to do a wee 5K again and noticed a few changes. The Brunette River trail now has a permanent wooden fence built alongside the north area that was restored last year, completely blocking it off. The fence is short enough to be trivially easy to get over (I could do so without having to climb it) but it sends a clear message to keep out.
People will climb over it and trample everything anyway because that’s what people do.
I also noticed someone had parked a fancy Range Rover in front of the gate at the entrance to the trail. The gate with the “Do not park in front of gate” sign on it.
Then there was a handmade sign below the one warning about bears in the area saying it was some young bear’s one year birthday, along with a cartoon picture of the bear. Sadly I don’t recall the name of the bear. I also have no idea what the sign meant.
When I got to the lake I checked out the fish ladder at the dam and a bunch of salmon were gathered there, eagerly waiting to be let into the lake so they could die, as is their way at this time of year.
The trail was in fairly good shape as the weather has been dry and there weren’t a lot of leaves on it. As I started out I was immediately struck again by how incredibly stiff my right Achilles tendon was. It took most of the run to limber up. Worse than that, though, was my right hip which was also quite sore for some reason. It continued to ache for most of the run. No idea why and I’m hoping this was a one-time deal.
Despite feeling sluggish as all get-out, my pace ended up being 5:06/km, only three seconds off my previous. I consider this perfectly decent after two weeks of eating everything in sight and basically indulging in what can be described as anti-exercise.
A final note: I saw three (!) cyclists on the trail and all three were walking their bikes. I have never seen so many thoughtful cyclists all at once. I salute them!
I’m hoping to check out a treadmill at the Canada Games Pool in a few days as the sun is now setting before 6 p.m., effectively eliminating the possibility of running after work until the spring (weekends excepted).
Average pace: 5:03/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce Loop, Conifer Loop and Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 5.04 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 10.5-16ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 364
Total distance to date: 2470 km
The Thanksgiving weekend has featured unusually pleasant weather given that mid-October is definitely into The Rains category. Today was no exception as I headed out on the first run in quite awhile to follow another on a normal schedule.
I started around the same time, a little past 11 a.m. and it was a touch cooler. Despite the temperature rising over 5ºC during the run I didn’t notice it much, mainly because even 16ºC is not exactly sizzlingly hot. It is, in fact, rather pleasant.
My goal on this run was to best my previous pace of 5:07/km. My secondary goal, as it turned out, was to not bump into other people as apparently everyone decided a sunny Thanksgiving was the perfect day for a stroll around the lake. While there were plenty of joggers, great roving bands of walkers were even more prevalent. A few times they even briefly blocked my way. That doesn’t sound like a big deal but it actually takes more than a few carefully positioned people to slow me down when running.
The run itself went fine. The left foot started out a bit sore again but it seems to level off a lot earlier now, so even at its worst it’s fine to run and even walk on, just annoying. Bollocks limbered up a lot quicker, too, and was not an issue. I achieved my target by setting an average pace of 5:03/km.
Sadly I am going away on a trip in another day that will last six days so I’m probably looking at another week between runs. Once back I should be able to get back into a more regular routine.
I look forward to some normalcy on my runs. Pretty please!
Average pace: 5:07/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 364
Total distance to date: 2465 km
My plan today was simple: run 5 km and do it faster than last week’s super-sluggish pace. I was not feeling especially motivated to get outside but the sunny weather provided just enough to get me off my duff and I headed out shortly past 11 a.m. with the temperature a brisk 12ºC.
With the lower temperature I opted to wear my long-sleeved shirt but this proved unnecessary. I wasn’t overdressed or uncomfortable, I simply would have been fine with a regular t-shirt as it wasn’t that cool and I warmed up quickly.
I ran clockwise, starting precisely at the 0 km sign by the parking lot. The first thing I noticed was how incredibly, distractingly stiff Bollocks was. I ran somewhere between one and two km before it finally started to limber up and once it had it was fine. I still find it a little weird how this happens. It’s like it needs to be worked out to feel ‘normal’.
My left foot was being a bother before the run and remained so throughout but it never got so bad that it slowed me down. As I walked the remainder of the lake and back to the SkyTrain station (around 6 km, in addition to the 4 km to get to the lake) I was able to maintain a very brisk pace. That pleased me.
In the end my average pace was 5:07/km, a huge 12 second improvement over my previous pace, even if it’s rather mediocre for a 5K run. My next goal will be to nip a few seconds off that as I continue to work back into better form.
Despite being a sunny early Saturday afternoon, the trail was not overly crowded and everyone was polite and friendly. Overall I was happy with the experience. Also there are a growing number of black and brown striped caterpillars on the trail. I’m not sure if they’re hostile invaders or I just never noticed them before but they are beginning to challenge the black slugs for supremacy. The geese seem to have moved on.
Average pace: 5:19/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops
Distance: 6.15 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 18ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 444
Total distance to date: 2460 km
It’s been over two weeks since my last run and with so few runs over the last month and a half I am officially in kind-of-out-of-shape territory.
Witness today’s run.
Conditions were surprisingly pleasant. Our early winter temporarily retreated and it was a balmy 18ºC and sunny, with a light breeze blowing. It was entirely comfortable, weather-wise.
I walked to Burnaby Lake and pondered whether to do 5K or 10K. I chose 10K but knew I’d probably bail partway through. The run started out fine, though I could feel I was definitely off my usual pace. By the second km I could feel much more clearly that I was slower. I even started developing a stitch, something that normally only happens when I’m pushing too hard, which was absolutely not happening. My pace fell 9% in that second km and I decided a shorter run would give me less depressing results than a 10 or 11K run.
I felt an odd sense of obligation to make up for lost time once I reached Still Creek and the halfway mark, so I continued on, deciding to stretch the run to 6K and then walk the rest of the way around the lake. That last km seemed to stretch on forever, partly because I misjudged where I’d be at the end and partly because I just really wanted to stop running. I wasn’t in pain, I was just tired.
I did improve my pace in the last km, ending on a high note but with a terrible overall pace of 5:19/km (my prior run on September 22 was 5:05). The only real way to fix this is to run more. It’s more complicated now with the sun setting so soon after I get home but some combination of running around the golf course at lunch (the college is next to it), combined with treadmill runs at the Canada Games Pool and maybe runs at a lit track may help during the week, with the usual longer run on the weekend.
It’s hard to imagine my times getting even worse unless I take even more time off but there’s always hope!
Average pace: 5:05/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops
Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Cloudy, light showers
Temp: 15ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 364
Total distance to date: 2454 km
And 20 days later…
Having my next run delayed by a) a throat infection b( overtime at work and c) gorging myself at a birthday dinner, it was finally 20 days later that I took my first tentative steps back running. In that time we saw the end of summer (yesterday), which was a sunny and pleasantly warm day and the first day of fall (today) which was noticeably cooler and monsoon-like. The Rains have returned to the Lower Mainland.
As often on rainy days I held off, hoping to catch a break in the weather. By mind-afternoon such a break arrived and I headed out, opting to wear my newly water-proofed jacket, not because it was cold (15ºC is still pretty mild) but to ward off any incoming precipitation.
For the first 4 km it looked like it was actually clearing up and the jacket made me feel a bit warm, though not uncomfortably so. The last km it did start to shower but only lightly so the jacket was a bit of a wash, so to speak.
The biggest change I noticed today, apart from the changed weather (it was 26ºC and sunny on September 2, my last run day) were the leaves, Mainly they were everywhere, along with lots of branches freshly blown down by today’s storm.
Fortunately none of this proved to be a negative on the run. I did decide when I got to the lake to only do 5K to avoid pushing myself too hard and I switched back to my Nikes over the minimalist MT110s. I got off to a surprisingly strong start and held up fairly well, coming in with a 5:05/km pace that I deem perfectly acceptable. Bollocks was a non-issue, though the left foot was just starting to complain as I walked back to the Sperling/Burnaby Lake SkyTrain station.
