Exercise

The triumphant return of port-o-potty! Plus more annoying dog owners!

Distance: 10.03 km
Weather: Mainly cloudy
Temp: 17-19ºC
Wind: strong gusts at times
Calories burned: 680
Average pace: 5:25/km
Total distance to date: 776 km

Two of my least favorite running conditions converged today as I prepared for my first 10K of the year: wind and dogs.

The wind was quite strong for the start of the run but settled down before the midway point and I managed to avoid an SLC (sudden loss of cap). I did, however, encounter a ULI (untied lace incident). This one was notable in that instead of feeling loose over a period of laps and then coming unwound, it pretty much spontaneously untied itself. I regained my rhythm quickly after pausing to re-tie.

My pace up to the 8K mark was actually ahead of my previous run but moving out beyond that I began to tucker a bit and ultimately finished with a still-respectable pace of 5:25/km. Body-wise my left knee was hurting not in an injured way but more in ‘that darned possibly arthritic knee’ way. I may investigate ways to minimize the discomfort during runs, though so far it hasn’t proven to be a problem with the actual end result.

The combination of warm temperature and wind left me fairly patched by the end and fortunately the fountain was both working and not filled with bees. I hate bee-filled fountains (see previous entries from last summer). The port-o-potty also returned after being hauled away last fall. It’s now positioned next to the trail alongside 7th Avenue and is also across from a construction site which also has port-o-potties. I’m assuming it’s intended for park users despite no signs because the door is facing toward the field. And it’s hard to imagine a port-o-potty going rogue, even if only across a street. I shall make use of it should I forget to go before a run and my world’s tiniest bladder calls out for relief.

There were two exercise groups out today and at several points I had as many as three people jogging ahead of me. One of them was a younger kid when I was about 3 km in. I slowly gained on him in that classic tortoise and the hare thing and for about half a lap had left him behind. Suddenly he darts past me on the left and when he’s gotten far enough ahead to be fully in my point of view, the little bastard raises his arms in triumph, Rocky-style. I knew better than to try to catch him, though. He was sprinting and before reaching the next curve had stopped altogether.

And it seems a jog doesn’t go by now without an annoying dog owner being present. I’m not referring here to the guy who walked into the park and lit a cigarette (no smoking) and immediately let his dog off leash (not an off-leash park) as he stayed in the field and out of my way. Instead a pair of down owners took up spots on the path near the fountain and chatted water cooler-style. The woman was on one side of the path, her dog on the other, the leash strung between them like a tripwire. She made some desultory effort to reel the dog in, something that clearly wasn’t going to happen in time given my velocity and for the second time in the same run I came to a complete stop to avoid landing on my face. I ignored the owners and grumbled under my breath as I proceeded on. They eventually moved farther along the path but I lapped them two more times before they actually moved off the path to continue their conversation about whatever it is annoying dog owners talk about (“You know, Fred, why do these annoying joggers have to jog here when there’s plenty of street right over there?”). I offer a small but what I like to think is a handy tip for dog owners bringing their dogs to a park with a designated jogging path: If you are walking on the path, do not block it in its entirety. And if you’re going to stop walking, move off the path into the other 95% of the park that is available to you instead of GETTING IN MY DAMN WAY. Okay, technically that’s two tips.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):

km Jun 13 Jun 11 Jun 8 Jun 6 Jun 2 May 31
1 km 5:02 4:59 5:04 5:05 5:00 5:05
2 km 5:07 5:05 5:10 5:13 5:10 5:13
3 km 5:10 5:10 5:14 5:20 5:16 5:18
4 km 5:14 5:14 5:16 5:25 5:20 5:22
5 km 5:18 5:18 5:18 — 5:23 5:25
6 km 5:20 5:21 5:20 — 5:26 5:29
7 km 5:21 5:23 5:21 — 5:28 5:31
8 km 5:22
9 km 5:24
10 km 5:25

The ‘Should I be annoyed at this?’ run

Distance: 7.45 km
Weather: Mix of sun and cloud
Temp: 18ºC
Wind: breezy at times
Calories burned: 506
Average pace: 5:23/km

I had a better-than-expected start to the run, coming in at under 5 minutes for the first km in a long time (4:59/km, to be exact). This is never an official goal for me but it is a nice psychological boost when it happens, so yay! I also had a strong finish with the final 450m clocking at a relatively brisk 5:10/km. My pace in the middle did slow a little vs. the previous run and I chalk that mostly to the sun coming out. I swear that thing is like a vampire to my energy level. I don’t swear enough to wish it gone, however. Please don’t go, sun! You have been precious and rare this spring!

I think it’s also safe to say now that running clockwise (reverse) is not affecting me in any material way, except to hopefully reduce the chance of injury.

The ‘should I be annoyed by this?’ part: A couple were at the park with two dogs, one was a large adult that looked like some kind of Doberman mix, the other a tiny and adorable Malamute puppy. Neither were on leash (can you see where this is heading?) A young woman was jogging counter-clockwise on the trail and we had passed several times. As I jogged up the southern stretch of the trail from the east, she came along from the west, the couple and their dogs between us, in the field just on the edge of the trail. Suddenly the puppy runs after the jogger and manages to get right into her feet, causing her to fall down — not hard and not totally, as she managed to stay partly upright. She took a few moments to play with the puppy (it was adorable, after all), then went on her way, all smiles — as was the owner.

On the next lap the incident repeated itself, though the jogger was more aware this time and stopped before the dog could get underfoot. After this the jogger disappeared and the puppy was briefly put on a leash.

I found the behavior of the couple annoying. After their dog had knocked the person down the first time they should have a) moved away from the trail or b) put the dog on the leash immediately. The park isn’t off-leash, anyway. In either case, it strikes me as odd that a puppy knocking down a jogger is somehow amusing. I guess it’s like what Mel Brooks once said: Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.

Or something like that. I gave the puppy a seriously wide berth.

I am tentatively planning my first full 10K of the year on Monday. Here’s hoping it goes well.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):

km Jun 11 Jun 8 Jun 6 Jun 2 May 31
1 km 4:59 5:04 5:05 5:00 5:05
2 km 5:05 5:10 5:13 5:10 5:13
3 km 5:10 5:14 5:20 5:16 5:18
4 km 5:14 5:16 5:25 5:20 5:22
5 km 5:18 5:18 — 5:23 5:25
6 km 5:21 5:20 — 5:26 5:29
7 km 5:23 5:21 — 5:28 5:31

In which Joan adds another 500 km

Distance: 7.5 km
Weather: Cloudy, some late hazy sun
Temp: 17ºC
Wind: medium breeze
Calories burned: 509
Average pace: 5:21/km

Today’s result was unexpected after Monday’s timid pace. I started out decently with a 5:04 first km and maintained a good pace throughout, even picking it back up to 5:13 for the last half km. I concentrated on form, landing and taking off from the pads of my feet and not the heels and with about 10 minutes left in the run my shin muscles were starting to feel a bit tired — sore but not injured. Or at least I hope so! As always, I will evaluate again before my next run.

My overall pace of 5:21 note only eclipses the 5:28 of my previous 40 minute run, it comes close to matching the best time for any run of 40 minutes or more. This without especially trying to push hard. I think I am finally at the point where I’ve made up for the months off from running. Here’s hoping I can remain healthy and jump back into the 10K runs soon.

Also, Joan congratulated me for another 500 km. I am now past navigating the planet. Joan has me on a course across the universe now.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):

km Jun 8 Jun 6 Jun 2 May 31 May 28 May 26 May 23 May 20 May 18
1 km 5:04 5:05 5:00 5:05 5:07 5:01 5:03 5:15 5:13
2 km 5:10 5:13 5:10 5:13 5:14 5:13 5:15 5:24 5:23
3 km 5:14 5:20 5:16 5:18 5:19 5:19 5:21 5:31 5:30
4 km 5:16 5:25 5:20 5:22 5:23 5:24 5:25 5:35 5:35
5 km 5:18 — 5:23 5:25 5:24 5:24 5:26 5:37 5:37
6 km 5:20 — 5:26 5:29
7 km 5:21 — 5:28 5:31

Miniature relay runners, the sun, my knee and a run

Distance: 4.82 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 21-23ºC
Wind: light
Average pace: 5:27/km

What better way to show how delightfully absurd our weather has been than to note that the temperature for today’s run was more than double that of the run on Thursday.

I was originally going to run on Saturday but I could feel that ominous ting in my left shin (and my right to a lesser extent) after Thursday’s outing, the kind of ting that usually sees me update five weeks later to note that I haven’t been running and instead have been nursing a shin splint or rickets or something.

With three days off and a warm ol’ sun out for a change, I was concerned about how the legs would hold up and whether my pace might suffer, even if the legs were fine. I could feel both shins as I started out — not in a painful way, more of a sore/still not 100% tuned up-way. That feeling subsided as I kept running, though curiously my left knee (which may be somewhat arthritic now) seemed to bother me more). About 15 minutes in the warmth of the sun felt less like a melodic Beach Boys song and more just hot. Complicating matters further were a gaggle of kids from an elementary school running practice relays. Today was a clockwise run so I was running against them and it’s amazing how many did not understand the idea of left/right when it came to passing by each other. Fortunately no collisions were had.

I stopped the run early at the 26 minute mark (I meant to go a full 5K at least but guessed slightly off) because I was too hot, the kids were bugging me and I was unsure about the legs. I think they’re okay. I will poke and prod tonight and see how they feel after.

The one good note is that my pace did not suffer as much as I thought it would. My opening km came in at a decent 5:05 and my overall pace of 5:27/km was actually a bit faster than my previous (but longer) run. This suggests that the legs are probably holding up, as my past experience has been that a significant drop in pace is one of the sure signs that you done hurt somethin’.

We shall see for certain on Wednesday!

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):

km June 6 June 2 May 31 May 28 May 26 May 23 May 20 May 18
1 km 5:05 5:00 5:05 5:07 5:01 5:03 5:15 5:13
2 km 5:13 5:10 5:13 5:14 5:13 5:15 5:24 5:23
3 km 5:20 5:16 5:18 5:19 5:19 5:21 5:31 5:30
4 km 5:25 5:20 5:22 5:23 5:24 5:25 5:35 5:35
5 km — 5:23 5:25 5:24 5:24 5:26 5:37 5:37
6 km — 5:26 5:29
7 km — 5:28 5:31

The seriously soggy run

Distance: 7.34 km
Weather: Steady rain
Temp: 10ºC (!)
Wind: n/a

In 19 days it is officially summer. Today I ran in a steady rain with the temperature at noon hovering a smidgen above 10ºC. This after Environment Canada announced their summer forecast predicting drier and hotter-than-normal conditions for BC. LIARS.

While the puddles expanded on each lap, my run went well, with the first km coming in at a brisk 5:00/km and my overall pace 5:28, three seconds faster than the prior 40 minute run. A few other joggers showed up right near the end but I mostly had the park to myself. The guy I think of as Kung Fu Master, the one who spends his time balancing on the fence tops in and around the park, was there doing his thing and for the first 10 minutes or so a kid about 14 years old, bedecked in rain gear, stood statue-like in the rain watching KFM carefully balancing himself. He was utterly transfixed. At some point he probably realized he was also getting soaked to the butt and moved on.

I had a momentary scare when my foot slipped in the muck on the terrible southeast corner of the trail and my ankle twisted inward but recovered quickly without further incident. About midway through I did have an ULI — Untied Lace Incident. I paused to tie the lace back up and was good after that. A minor cramp showed up with a few minutes left but dissipated quickly. As is usually the case in a rain-filled run, I couldn’t get the iPod to stop due to it being slick with precipitation and ran farther than intended. It’s not a bad thing, just annoying when technology tells you, ‘No.’

At least you don’t notice the sweat in a torrential downpour. Yeah.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):

km June 2 May 31 May 28 May 26 May 23 May 20 May 18
1 km 5:00 5:05 5:07 5:01 5:03 5:15 5:13
2 km 5:10 5:13 5:14 5:13 5:15 5:24 5:23
3 km 5:16 5:18 5:19 5:19 5:21 5:31 5:30
4 km 5:20 5:22 5:23 5:24 5:25 5:35 5:35
5 km 5:23 5:25 5:24 5:24 5:26 5:37 5:37
6 km 5:26 5:29
7 km 5:28 5:31

40 minutes of running backwards

Okay, I was actually just running clockwise, which is opposite the way I usually run. Or no longer the opposite now, as I’m alternating direction on each run.

Distance: 7.28 km
Weather: Hazy sun, sunny
Temp: 16ºC
Wind: light

This week I’ve shifted my run days from Monday/Wednesday/Friday to Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday. One reason is just to deviate from routine for a change, the other was to give me an extra day of rest in preparation for a 40-minute run today. Dun dun dun!

I did about as well I had hoped for — my pace up to the 5K mark was nearly identical to previous runs at 5:25/km while I slowed down to 5.31/km overall, not bad for the additional 2.28 km added to the run. My legs were a little tired for that extra part of the run but felt fine afterward. I think I’ll maintain the 40 minute runs this week and consider bumping up to the full 10K next week.

For a change of pace I was not congratulated at the end by the Nike+ program for completing another 500 km. I was disappointed. I’ll never reach 2,000,000 km this way! I’m pretty much used to running clockwise now, though I think I still prefer the usual counter-clockwise. The trail was in decent shape after a light shower earlier in the afternoon.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):

km May 31 May 28 May 26 May 23 May 20 May 18 Jan 25
1 km 5:05 5:07 5:01 5:03 5:15 5:13 5:04
2 km 5:13 5:14 5:13 5:15 5:24 5:23 5:20
3 km 5:18 5:19 5:19 5:21 5:31 5:30 5:31
4 km 5:22 5:23 5:24 5:25 5:35 5:35 5:36
5 km 5:25 5:24 5:24 5:26 5:37 5:37 5:37
6 km 5:29
7 km 5:31

The plateau run

Sunny
Temp: 13-15ºC
Wind: W 15 km/h

Still unseasonably cool but with the sun out it was more than warm enough out for today’s catch-up run. Despite it being sunny and the last week of May I still saw some guy at the park wearing a heavy black winter jacket. Dude, it’s 13, not -13! As is typical of Vancouver, another guy was sitting at the edge of the field, tanning his shirtless and incredibly pale upper body.

The opening km of today’s run was slower (5:07/km) than the previous (5:01/km) but the end result was the same – 5:24/km, although the Nike+ site decided to round up the result yet again (to 5:25). I’m sticking to 5:24, dangit. And Joan Benoit Samuelson congratulated me for completing another 500 km, the fourth time she has done so in the last five runs. By the end of next month I figure I will have run enough to have circumnavigated the globe. Thanks, Joan!

The last couple of km I was beginning to feel a little tired but was actually maintaining a slightly better pace than the previous run. I seem to have reached a peak with the 5K runs, though, and will have to consciously push harder to improve my times or contemplate switching to 8 or 10K runs. I’ll make a decision by Monday.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):

km May 28 May 26 May 23 May 20 May 18 Jan 25
1 km 5:07 5:01 5:03 5:15 5:13 5:04
2 km 5:14 5:13 5:15 5:24 5:23 5:20
3 km 5:19 5:19 5:21 5:31 5:30 5:31
4 km 5:23 5:24 5:25 5:35 5:35 5:36
5 km 5:24 5:24 5:26 5:37 5:37 5:37

A backward run with forward results!

My shin was tinging a bit (tinging is the best word I can think of to describe it) after Monday’s run so I decided to give it an extra day to evaluate before running again. It turned out to be a good decision not because of a potential injury but because the weather yesterday sucked corn dogs, with the official weather recording 9.7 mm of rain. It dried out sufficiently that the trail today was dry and in about as good a shape as it gets these days.

I’m going to try to use a standard format for the weather. I’ll see if I can stick to it. Thus:

Cloudy with some sun
Temp: 11-14ºC
Wind: light

I ran clockwise and was pleased that Monday’s performance did not appear to be a fluke, as my legs and stamina both held up. I shaved a few seconds off the first km, coming in at a fairly zippy 5:01/km and also knocked two seconds off my previous average pace, dropping to 5:24/km from 5:26. The legs feel fine now, so I should be in good shape going forward. If my times remain where they are or improve, I’ll start giving thought to ramping back up to full 10K runs again.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):

km May 26 May 23 May 20 May 18 Jan 25
1 km 5:01 5:03 5:15 5:13 5:04
2 km 5:13 5:15 5:24 5:23 5:20
3 km 5:19 5:21 5:31 5:30 5:31
4 km 5:24 5:25 5:35 5:35 5:36
5 km 5:24 5:26 5:37 5:37 5:37

Lead legs upgraded to iron…or maybe leather

I was not looking forward to the run today because I’d made essentially zero progress in the last few and was concerned about having another sluggish jog.

The weather was mild, 15ºC, a light breeze and cloudy. Because of Important stuff, like watching cartoon movies. I ran in the morning instead of the afternoon, but was back to the usual direction, counter-clockwise.

I knew based on where I had completed the last run that this one was going to be a nice improvement. Boosting that, my legs did not feel like lead at all and I managed to push — a little — during the last km. My breathing settled earlier, I had a better start, it was an all-around much-improved run.

The overall pace of 5:26/km easily beat my previous of 5:37/km and a good part of that came in a much faster opening km of 5:03 vs. 5:15 previously.

My next run I’ll be running clockwise (backwards) again, so it’ll be interesting to see how my times compare. I suspect they will be worse but we shall see.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):

km May 23 May 20 May 18 Jan 25
1 km 5:03 5:15 5:13 5:04
2 km 5:15 5:24 5:23 5:20
3 km 5:21 5:31 5:30 5:31
4 km 5:25 5:35 5:35 5:36
5 km 5:26 5:37 5:37 5:37

Lead legs and the fear of burning

Today’s run was on the warmest day of the year yet, with temperatures around 20ºC in the shade and probably a few degrees warmer in the sun. There was little in the way of breeze, which was nice after the last gust-o-rama.

After hurting my left shin a few times I had theorized that I was perhaps making injury more likely to happen by always running on the same path and in the same direction, which would lead me to favoring the same side (and leg) over time. Today I began the nutty process of testing this theory by running clockwise around the path at China Creek park and it felt genuinely weird for the first few laps. Oddly, despite the beautiful conditions, I did not encounter any other joggers, though there were numerous people out tanning, throwing Frisbees, kicking soccer balls and otherwise exercising or hanging out.

Speaking of encounters, I came across that weird bubble phenomenon where people outdoors think of themselves as being the only person out there and thus pay absolutely no attention to anything around them. In this case it was a little girl who was part of a larger class out exercising. She walked onto the trail directly in my path. I had enough time to put a hand on her shoulder and stop the inevitable collision.

The run itself went perhaps marginally better than I had hoped. I figured the combination of it feeling warmer than usual and running in the opposite direction would lead to a slower run but I maintained a 5:37/km pace. Stamina was an issue early on but fine for the latter part. The lead legs kicked in midway through, though. I tried pushing a bit in the last km or so but my legs were less than willing to agree with my brain’s clever plan to improve my overall time. At least I’m not getting slower.

Except for my starting km. I’m not sure why my time is so slow there, unless it’s a subconscious effort to not burn out early or something.

The fear of burning came at the end of the run when I looked at my arms and they were red. I thought I had managed the neat trick of burning them on one of the few sunny days we’ve actually had this spring, but they were simply flushed and have resumed their normal pale appearance.

Chart (purple indicates the run was done clockwise)

km May 20 May 18 Jan 25
1 km 5:15 5:13 5:04
2 km 5:24 5:23 5:20
3 km 5:31 5:30 5:31
4 km 5:35 5:35 5:36
5 km 5:37 5:37 5:37

Sun, wind, run

Ran my first full 5K since January 25th and oddly enough my pace was exactly the same as that day – 5:37/km.

The weather was actually spring-like with the temperature around 17ºC. It was a bit breezy, however, with The Weather Network reporting winds up to 20 km/h. I most noticed this when running the northern part of the trail and the wind was blowing against me. It’s mostly a psychological thing, though at the end of the run the wind was strong enough to blow the water coming out of the fountain back onto my hand. It also leaves your mouth parched like nobody’s business. The sun, though pleasant, was not hot enough to be uncomfortable. It was nice ducking into the shade of the trees lining the trail, too. And speaking of the trail, the few dry days have managed to make it much easier to run on, although it’s still bumpy in spots.

This was also the first official day of the year for Extremely Pale Shirtless Guy Tanning at China Creek.

For the run itself, I felt slow. My opening km was 5:13 vs. the 5:04 in January but the pace in the second half settled down instead of continuing to fall off a cliff. Despite the slowness I didn’t encounter any problems.

Handy comparison chart:

km May 18 Jan 25
1 km 5:13 5:04
2 km 5:23 5:20
3 km 5:30 5:31
4 km 5:35 5:36
5 km 5:37 5:37

Another fine winter’s run

With the temperature around 11ºC (normal high 17ºC) and the sky a sullen gray I headed off to China Creek, choosing to upgrade my run length to 25 minutes as I continue to move closer  to the realm of the 10K run.

Despite some rain the trail remained puddle-free, though the usual sections were rather mushy, meaning I did have to watch my foot placement. My time at the 20 minute mark was almost identical to my previous 20 minute run but as I shaved a second off my pace, I managed to pick it up for the last five minutes.

I later took photographic evidence of the deteriorating condition of the trail (one pic is below) but they all came out blurry for some reason, so I’ll probably have to take another batch. I’m hoping to get a response from the city on when or if repairs will be made to the pathway.

This was my first run since coming back to regular jogs where I could feel the shift between my stamina holding up and my legs getting tired. In other words, my energy level was keeping pace better and as a result my leg muscles were working a bit harder to keep up. This is generally a good thing. I may try a full 5K on Wednesday.

The Nike+ site is currently experiencing server errors but I have all the handy stats from iTunes, so here they are for today’s run. I’m including everything just because I can!

Time: 25:06
Distance: 4.54 km
Pace: 5:32/km
Calories: 308

Total workouts: 95
Total distance: 706.79 km

And in this fuzzy shot you can see how the bark mulch has been stripped away by the rain, exposing the soil and rock underneath. There are several sections of the trail like this, with others also having many new exposed roots coming through. Not so great for jogging and unpleasant, too, for walking.

In other running-related news, Jeff visited his doctor and found out he has tendinitis and is on a 5-10 day Advil regime to bring down the inflammation. He may or may not be able to resume running at that point so he is going to be out for at least a few weeks if not more. Not surprisingly, he is not happy about this!