Run 631: Warmer and faster

Run 631
Average pace: 5:27/km
Location: Brunette River
Start: 6:39 pm
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 27:22
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 26ºC
Humidity: 54%
Wind: light
BPM: 152
Weight: 163.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 4735 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 8
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (90 km)

When I got home from work tonight I was tired enough that I flopped on the bed for 15 minutes and contemplated not running. I then decided to change and at least head down to the river trail, thinking I might do a one hour walk/run thing instead. But in the end I opted to do an actual 5K and emerged with one of my best times of the year.

It’s weird how that happens.

It was quite warm tonight, and fairly humid, but it was another one of those equilibrium things where each element mostly balanced out the other, especially with the sun not actually beating down on me for more than a couple of seconds, though the sky was clear. This kept sweating to a minimum and decreased the effort needed, as reflected in a snazzy BPM of 152.

My overall pace was 5:27/km and I did not start like a rocket,. I just hit near the overall pace early and kept at or near it for the entire run. My right ankle felt a little creaky for the first km, probably due to bad posture sitting at my desk at work, but after five minutes or so it sorted out and was fine. I had no other issues.

Overall then, an unexpectedly good run.

Setting the bar high by going low

I started the month with higher-then-expected weight loss, bringing me down to 162.5 pounds, my lowest weight of the year. This is good. Today I maintained that weight, also good.

But this now means I need to keep losing and hitting new lows for the year in order to progress for the month. In other words, starting the month off with some unplanned weight gain gives me wiggle room to still lose weight but not have to lose as much to show progress over the 30 or 31 days.

This is silly, of course. I’m mostly surprised to be down so much. It’s nice, though. I could conceivably break below 160 pounds in September and enter into the home stretch of my seemingly epic-length quest to get to 150 pounds (again).

Here’s to no donuts for the next 28 days.

Run 630: Slower and drier

Run 630
Average pace: 5:46/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 1:35 pm
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 28:59
Weather: Sun, high cloud
Temp: 23ºC
Humidity: 57%
Wind: light
BPM: 161
Weight: 162.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 4730 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 8
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (85 km)

Today’s run was consistent and consistently slower, with only an 8-second gap between the fastest and slowest km, and an overall pace of 5:46/km, which one of my slowest recent runs. It was not overly hot today, but thee sun was out during the run and it was quite humid, leading to a bit of a dry mouth and a general sluggishness.

There were no other problems, but this was the first run since my ill-advised “let’s run in the afternoon when it’s 30c” where I was happy to have it over.

I wasn’t sure I was going to run today because I was up quite late last night and made up for it by getting up rather late this morning, well past the time I’d normally already be out running. I mulled it over and finally went out just before 1 p.m., which may have played a role in the conditions I encountered.

Ironically, the high cloud obscured the sun for almost the entirety of my post-run walk back home. There were also a fair number of people out, perhaps moreso than if I’d run earlier.

For the first time in awhile, I opted to go counter-clockwise, thinking the side trails might finally be finished. The entrance to the Spruce Loop made it look done, but the Trail Closed sign was still up, so I dutifully avoided it and stuck to the main trail. As I neared the entrance to the Conifer Loop trail, I watched several people emerge from it–and it had no Trail Closed sign. So now I think the workers just forgot to remove the other sign.

Next time I’ll be a rebel and take the side trails. I will (not) miss my old friend, the tree root I tripped over, which is presumably buried under the fresh gravel.

In the end, not a great run, but I’m glad I went out and kept tomorrow open for other stuff.

Progress update on assorted things

Let’s have a look now that we are eight months into this year of 2019:

  • World peace: Could be better, could be worse. Trump is still president, so likely to get worse.
  • Measles: on the rise, thanks to anti-vax paranoids. Thank you, Luddites and irrational fearmongers!
  • Global warming: We are doomed, pretty much.
  • Politics: Authoritarianism and despots on the rise, democracy ailing, even in places where it should be strong. This could change–but it could also change for the worse. See the first bullet point.
  • BC politics: The minority NDP government has proven adept and sane, boding well for the next election, though the general insanity of voters is always a worrying factor. It’s helped that the BC Liberals elected an out-of-touch rich white guy as their leader.

And my own list:

  • Meditation: Thought about it, but have yet to meditate. Before I can even begin, Pocket has already offered an article on the sinister side of meditation, where you apparently think tranquil thoughts about murdering people or something.
  • Stretching: Not really. A little here and there, but no concerted effort. This needs to be a higher priority unless I actually reverse the aging process.
  • Writing: The less said, the better. Which is how I’ve approached writing this year.
  • Drawing: I think about doodling. Then I never do it. But the doodles in my mind are great.
  • Reading: My pace is picking up again. If I stay at it, I may end up matching last year, which will be good.
  • Blogging: Generally running to catch up, as is the case this month where I’m tapping last minute inspiration to get to 31 posts before midnight.
  • Running: Doing more, and the runs are going well. I have yet to tackle a 10K this year, but will try to before we get fully into the fall weather.
  • Losing weight: It’s actually going down now. Yay.
  • Losing hair: Yes. Shaved head mutes the impact.
  • Legs: Still sexy.

Haiku for August 2019

Some sun and some cloud
Warm and sometimes also wet
August you snooze me

August was a strange month in how mild it was. We had some hot days, but only a few. We had some rain, but only a little. We had days of cloud, days of sun and most of the time it felt like summer, but it never felt like summer summer, almost as if the real summer weather was always waiting just around the corner.

On the plus side, the occasional soggy weather meant no big forest fires and the pall of smoke that would blanket the skies here for weeks on end never materialized. This was a bonus for air quality, general pleasantness and my running.

So August was kind of boring, weather-wise, but a good kind of boring, especially compared to the heat-blasted hellscape that was so much the rest of the world during summer 2019.

App of the Day: No app

I can’t remember the last time I got an app for my phone that actually excited me. As phone technology has improved, I’ve found the way I use the phone has, in some ways, regressed.

I’ve commented on this before, but my phone habits have probably shrunken even more since then.

My typical usage now is:

  • text messages, either with my partner using the default Messages app, with friends using Facebook Messenger (ugh) or at work using Slack.
  • taking photos of things, sometimes work-related (these are typically deleted after, as they are only useful in the moment, but mostly just flowers and scenery I find interesting
  • occasionally checking email
  • occasionally checking something in a browser (usually Firefox)
  • occasionally adding something in the Reminders app
  • using the PayRange app to buy something from a vending machine (I do this at work to avoid long lines in the cafeteria when all I want is a beverage).
  • occasionally taking or (even less occasionally) making a phone call

Everything else, like playing games, checking news, other apps, the weather, maps–are all edge cases I only do once in awhile.

AR (Augmented Reality) is something Apple is pushing but it excites me about as much as putting on socks in the morning. VR is even worse, and doesn’t work for me, anyway.

I am more likely to delete an app than install it. In fact, iOS 13 (coming next month) will offer a new feature that will make this easier, by presenting an uninstall option when an app offers an update. This is kind of clever, really. “Hey, here’s an update for an app I installed a year ago and never use. But look, there’s a handy uninstall option right here, too!” This might make some companies like Facebook rethink their strategy of constantly pushing updates to keep the app in the user’s mind.

Anyway, it could be that I’ve just become a boring old sod and the app world is actually exciting and innovative, but when I look at the upcoming iPhone launch, I wonder why on earth I would spend so much money to do so little, especially when the phone I have now seems to be good enough.

Weight loss report, August 2019: Down 2.1 pounds

Something strange happened in August.

As I continued to run and walk and curb my snacking, I also…began to lose weight! So maybe not so weird.

Some last minute indulgences (due to extenuating circumstances and not part of a new, disturbing “Must eat all the donuts!” meltdown) pushed my weight up a bit, but it was not enough to reverse the month-long trend downward.

This means I dipped as low as 163.1 pounds, tantalizingly close to finally slipping back under 160. I don’t know if I can do this in September, but it’s definitely in the realm of possibility. I had been avoiding wearing my size 30 shorts because they were a bit snug (I have another that are size 31) but now they actually fit fine, so my shorts selection has now expanded, just in time for fall. Yay! Hopefully fall will be nice.

Runs have generally gone well, with improved times as my stamina strengthens. Snacking has been under control, though could always be better. I think I’m going to return to the “No snacks after x time” thing and make the cut-off either 7 or 8 p.m. before eventually moving to “nothing after dinner unless it’s a special occasion.” And then be careful to not define special occasions as things like “any day ending in ‘day’.”

Weight for the month was down a solid 2.1 pounds, and body fat also dropped a full pound after barely bulging (!) last month. I’m down 3.6 pounds for the year, which shows just how much improvement August saw. I’ll take it.

The stats:

August 1: 166 pounds
August 31: 163.9 pounds (down 2.1 pounds)

Year to date: From 167.5 to 163.9 pounds (down 3.6 pounds)

And the body fat:

August 1: 18.6% (30.8 pounds of fat)
August 31: 18.2% (29.8 pounds of fat) (down 1.0 pound)

The lack of fire danger

It was cloudy this morning and now a light misty rain is drizzling. Given that we only have a few weeks of potentially hot weather left in the summer, and the forecast has dotted more potential rain on some of these days, it looks like the chance of seeing those FIRE DANGER signs go up is pretty much nil. This is the first time I can recall it never drying out enough to have a fire ban go in effect.

This is good news for trees and stuff. And we’ve still had plenty of sun, so I can’t really complain. It feels weird, though, especially with so many other places broiling all summer under record high temperatures.

Come to think of it, we broke some more records, too, so we haven’t entirely escaped the steady march of global warming, it’s just being sneaky around here this summer.

As we gird for a slippery, wet fall, I wonder what winter will be like. Then I remember it’s still August and to stop being silly.