The redemption run

Distance: 10.07 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 17-20ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 704
Average pace: 5:08/km
Total distance to date: 965 km

My goal tonight was simple: run without cramping and beat the (now) pathetic time of my previous run, which averaged 5:17/km.

First, I broke my vow of not drinking Coke Zero before the run. I imbibed a glass but finished it a full five hours beforehand. If that was going to affect me, I’d need to have a serious talking to my digestive system.

Because Jeff was off to North Van for a bike ride I opted to return to China Creek and its dusty trail. I am happy to report no dog incidents, though there were dogs (and joggers and soccer players and plenty of other people) about. The soccer players presented the closest to a hazard, as several balls got punted onto the path ahead of me, none underfoot, fortunately.

One soccer guy who was mixing in some sprints came up and passed me on one lap. Shortly after passing he came to a stop in the middle of the path and began pinwheeling his arms horizontally because, you know, I totally wasn’t right behind him, even though he had just passed me. He didn’t seem to have much energy so the arms came down before one could bap me in the head.

The good news is I remained cramp-free for the entire run. This one was hard, though. I worked to keep on pace and the air at China Creek is very dry, so my mouth is parched pretty much the whole time. I felt myself flag slightly toward the end and that may have cost me a second or two but I still finished with my second best time overall — 5:08/km. I feel I’m back on track now after the last two crampaloozas.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise; purple = Burnaby Lake):

km Aug 11 Aug 8 Aug 4 Aug 1 Jul 27 Jul 20 Jul 17 Jul 14 Jul 11 Jul 9
1 km 4:54 5:04 4:51 4:51 4:56 4:53 4:56 4:45 4:54 4:58
2 km 4:55 5:05 4:54 4:52 4:54 4:56 4:54 4:47 4:56 4:58
3 km 4:58 5:07 4:59 4:56 4:55 4:55 4:58 4:56 4:51 4:58
4 km 5:00 5:09 5:04 4:58 4:56 5:00 4:58 4:54 5:01 5:07
5 km 5:02 5:11 5:07 5:00 5:00 5:01 5:00 4:54 5:03 5:10
6 km 5:03 5:12 5:09 5:01 5:02 5:02 5:02 4:59 5:03 5:12
7 km 5:04 5:14 5:11 5:04 5:04 5:03 5:04 5:00 5:04 5:15
8 km 5:06 5:16 5:13 5:06 5:06 5:05 5:06 5:02 5:06 5:17
9 km 5:08 5:16 5:14 5:07 5:07 5:06 5:08 5:04 5:08 5:19
10 km 5:08 5:17 5:15 5:09 5:09 5:06 5:09 5:06 5:10 5:20
11 km — 5:17 5:16 5:10 5:10 — 5:10 5:01 4:59 —

The slow start run

Distance: 11.03 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 21ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 771
Average pace: 5:17/km
Total distance to date: 955 km

Bleah: The Sequel.

Tonight’s run was pretty much a repeat of the previous, with a few minor variations that ultimately led to a near-identical result.

I got a cramp very near the start of the run and as a result the opening km was a (now) sluggish 5:04/km. To put this in perspective, this is only two seconds off my fastest overall pace. The cramp persisted for more than the first half of the run and returned in slightly milder form for the last 1+ km. I kept pushing steady through the cramping, though, and managed to hold myself to a time of 5:17/km when it could have been much worse.

On the plus side, it wasn’t quite as warm or buggy as the previous run. If I can get a decent start next time and avoid cramping up I should be in good shape. I had some Coke Zero in the afternoon before running but I didn’t think it was close enough to affect me. I’ll be skipping it altogether next run day, so I’ll find out then.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise; purple = Burnaby Lake):

km Aug 8 Aug 4 Aug 1 Jul 27 Jul 20 Jul 17 Jul 14 Jul 11 Jul 9 Jul 6
1 km 5:04 4:51 4:51 4:56 4:53 4:56 4:45 4:54 4:58 5:08
2 km 5:05 4:54 4:52 4:54 4:56 4:54 4:47 4:56 4:58 5:11
3 km 5:07 4:59 4:56 4:55 4:55 4:58 4:56 4:51 4:58 5:03
4 km 5:09 5:04 4:58 4:56 5:00 4:58 4:54 5:01 5:07 5:17
5 km 5:11 5:07 5:00 5:00 5:01 5:00 4:54 5:03 5:10 5:20
6 km 5:12 5:09 5:01 5:02 5:02 5:02 4:59 5:03 5:12 5:22
7 km 5:14 5:11 5:04 5:04 5:03 5:04 5:00 5:04 5:15 5:25
8 km 5:16 5:13 5:06 5:06 5:05 5:06 5:02 5:06 5:17 5:27
9 km 5:16 5:14 5:07 5:07 5:06 5:08 5:04 5:08 5:19 5:30
10 km 5:17 5:15 5:09 5:09 5:06 5:09 5:06 5:10 5:20 5:31
11 km 5:17 5:16 5:10 5:10 — 5:10 5:01 4:59 — —

The head-down, cramped-up run

Distance: 11.02 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 24ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 770
Average pace: 5:16/km
Total distance to date: 944 km

Bleah.

It was quite warm tonight and there was no wind at all at Burnaby Lake so the canopied sections of the trail were especially humid. This alone would have likely shaved a few seconds off my pace but what really did me in tonight was a cramp that showed up early and persisted through about 3 km. My start time was fine — 4:51 through the first km, then it dipped by 3, 5 and 5 seconds over the successive km, torpedoing any chance of finishing with a decent time. Once the cramp cleared my pace held up much better and in fact I generally only lost a second per km over the second half, which is pretty good, especially given that the southern part of the trail is more uphill.

Given the pleasant (for walking) weather, there were a few more people out but no incidents to report. The buggy section of the run was indeed super-buggy but keeping my head down managed to spare me ingesting a hundred gnats, though I felt a few plink off my forehead and face as I pushed through the clouds of ’em.

Here’s hoping the next run is a little more in-line with what I expect. Also, note to self: no Coke Zero an hour before a run.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise; purple = Burnaby Lake):

km Aug 4 Aug 1 Jul 27 Jul 20 Jul 17 Jul 14 Jul 11 Jul 9 Jul 6 Jul 4
1 km 4:51 4:51 4:56 4:53 4:56 4:45 4:54 4:58 5:08 4:58
2 km 4:54 4:52 4:54 4:56 4:54 4:47 4:56 4:58 5:11 5:02
3 km 4:59 4:56 4:55 4:55 4:58 4:56 4:51 4:58 5:03 5:08
4 km 5:04 4:58 4:56 5:00 4:58 4:54 5:01 5:07 5:17 5:12
5 km 5:07 5:00 5:00 5:01 5:00 4:54 5:03 5:10 5:20 5:14
6 km 5:09 5:01 5:02 5:02 5:02 4:59 5:03 5:12 5:22 5:15
7 km 5:11 5:04 5:04 5:03 5:04 5:00 5:04 5:15 5:25 5:17
8 km 5:13 5:06 5:06 5:05 5:06 5:02 5:06 5:17 5:27 5:19
9 km 5:14 5:07 5:07 5:06 5:08 5:04 5:08 5:19 5:30 5:21
10 km 5:15 5:09 5:09 5:06 5:09 5:06 5:10 5:20 5:31 5:21
11 km 5:16 5:10 5:10 — 5:10 5:01 4:59 — — —

The buggy run

Distance: 11.18 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 22ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 781
Average pace: 5:10/km
Total distance to date: 933 km

Back to Burnaby Lake tonight. With the temperature still 22ºC at 7 p.m. I expected it to be warm and humid and it was. I also expected the bug-filled parts of the trail near the western tip of the lake to be especially bug-filled, given the rain from yesterday morning and the prevailing conditions. And it was very buggy.

I’m pretty sure I inhaled more than one. At one point it felt like I got something lodged in my windpipe and I tried clearing my throat. That didn’t seem to work so I coughed a few times. As I passed over a bridge I suddenly was taken with the urge to retch. This is not what one would call optimal running conditions. Fortunaqtely I did not retch, my stomach settled down and I finished thew run without further incident.

At times my shins felt a bit tender but I believe it was a combination of form (as the feeling went away when I concentrated on my form) and another five day layoff. This one was unintended, as other events ended up squeezing out my running time. I should be good to go again in two days, though.

Despite the mid-run glitch (between 6-7 km, — you can see my pace fall off by three seconds there) I turned in a solid 5:10/km average — identical to my last run, which was also after five days off. I got that consistency thing going.

And I must commend a polite and observant dog owner. She was walking two dogs, one on each side of her. The one on her left was stretched out on its leash, effectively blocking the path. I had to clear my throat as I approached and it served as a cue to her. She glanced back, saw me and neatly pulled the one dog close to her so I could pass. I waved and offered thanks as I did so. Why can’t all dog owners be like this? Thank you, nice lady!

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise; purple = Burnaby Lake):

km Aug 1 Jul 27 Jul 20 Jul 17 Jul 14 Jul 11 Jul 9 Jul 6 Jul 4
1 km 4:51 4:56 4:53 4:56 4:45 4:54 4:58 5:08 4:58
2 km 4:52 4:54 4:56 4:54 4:47 4:56 4:58 5:11 5:02
3 km 4:56 4:55 4:55 4:58 4:56 4:51 4:58 5:03 5:08
4 km 4:58 4:56 5:00 4:58 4:54 5:01 5:07 5:17 5:12
5 km 5:00 5:00 5:01 5:00 4:54 5:03 5:10 5:20 5:14
6 km 5:01 5:02 5:02 5:02 4:59 5:03 5:12 5:22 5:15
7 km 5:04 5:04 5:03 5:04 5:00 5:04 5:15 5:25 5:17
8 km 5:06 5:06 5:05 5:06 5:02 5:06 5:17 5:27 5:19
9 km 5:07 5:07 5:06 5:08 5:04 5:08 5:19 5:30 5:21
10 km 5:09 5:09 5:06 5:09 5:06 5:10 5:20 5:31 5:21
11 km 5:10 5:10 — 5:10 5:01 4:59 — — —

 

 

The after five run

Distance: 11.15 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 17ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 779
Average pace: 5:10/km
Total distance to date: 922 km

After 5 p.m. and after five days off, to be exact.

I hadn’t planned on five days off but my shins were feeling tender (though it’s never hurt for walking or post-run) so when my schedule didn’t line up for a run at the usual time I decided to give myself a little extra recovery time.

I returned to Burnaby Lake under a dreary gray sky (standard fare this summer). There was some slight humidity but nothing like the last run. My legs felt a big creaky, I had some light, persistent cramping but stamina was not an issue and overall I did about as expected given the time off, finishing with a 5:10/km pace — my second best time overall.

Prior to the run I had received two new mosquito bites on my left calf. I think these were from Amazonian mosquitoes or something because these suckers (ho ho) itched like nobody’s business.  Jeff slathered the bites with calamine and then dusted both legs with some Off to insure further bites would not occur. The good news is the number of bites did indeed remain constant. The bad news is each step taken with my left foot jarred the calf and the bites and was a source of irritation. Now imagine how many times you step over the course of 11.15 km. Yeah.

The trail was sparsely populated, no surprise given the weather. I had one encounter with an IEDO (ill-educated dog owner). Ahead of me was a couple with their dog — unleashed (bad!) on their left. Normally I pass on the non-dog side but this time there was more room on the left and the dog seemed to be moving on a steady, predictable course. As I got close the woman turned to the dog and, seeing me, suddenly called its name. The dog immediately froze in place, which happened to be directly in front of me. I nearly ran into it but managed to nimbly skirt to the left just in time. Had the woman said nothing I would have passed without incident. Had the dog been properly leashed nothing would have happened. People!

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise; purple = Burnaby Lake):

km Jul 27 Jul 20 Jul 17 Jul 14 Jul 11 Jul 9 Jul 6 Jul 4 Jul 1
1 km 4:56 4:53 4:56 4:45 4:54 4:58 5:08 4:58 5:04
2 km 4:54 4:56 4:54 4:47 4:56 4:58 5:11 5:02 5:06
3 km 4:55 4:58 4:56 4:51 4:58 5:03 5:14 5:08 5:07
4 km 4:56 5:00 4:58 4:54 5:01 5:07 5:17 5:12 5:09
5 km 5:00 5:01 5:00 4:54 5:03 5:10 5:20 5:14 5:11
6 km 5:02 5:02 5:02 4:59 5:03 5:12 5:22 5:15 5:12
7 km 5:04 5:03 5:04 5:00 5:04 5:15 5:25 5:17 5:14
8 km 5:06 5:05 5:06 5:02 5:06 5:17 5:27 5:19 5:16
9 km 5:07 5:06 5:08 5:04 5:08 5:19 5:30 5:21 5:17
10 km 5:09 5:06 5:09 5:06 5:10 5:20 5:31 5:21 5:17
11 km 5:10 — 5:10 5:01 4:59 — — — 5:19

 

 

The return to China Creek run

Distance: 10.02 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 17ºC
Wind: light with occasional gusts
Calories burned: 701
Average pace: 5:06/km
Total distance to date: 911 km

After three fast runs at Burnaby Lake I returned to the familiar stomping grounds of China Creek park for today’s run. With the temperature in the early evening hovering around 17ºC and the sky overcast, there was no chance of overheating. As is usually the case in summer (technically it is summer, despite the weather) there were dual baseball games in session. Ominously as I started the run the very first ball struck landed close to the trail. Fortunately that would be the only one.

I started out strong but was curious to see if my improved pace was the change of scenery or if I was really just running faster. Due to possibly sleeping funny last night my left leg felt a bit janky in a few spots it normally doesn’t, around the hip and upper thigh but it was very minor. My calves and shins both felt it during much of the run but it was more ‘yep, those are my muscles getting worked out’ than ‘OMG the flesh is tearing from the bone and I shall soon crumple in a heap’. I was walking fine after the run so I’m hoping I am still working the legs hard without actually injuring them.

I felt stronger in the second half of the run, with my stamina holding up nicely and that’s reflected in the times as I only lost five seconds between 5 and 10 km. In the end I matched my best pace to date at 5:06/km — 11 full seconds than my previous best at China Creek. I am tentatively ready to say my overall pace has just plain improved, though maybe the runs at Burnaby Lake provided incentive/inspiration to pick up the pace.

There was a guy doing a pretty intense workout that showed up about halfway through my run. His face reminded me of a young Clark Kent and he had man boobs that looked like they had been sculpted from granite. I was a little jealous.

Irony: ball players sitting around and smoking after their game has ended.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise; purple = Burnaby Lake):

km Jul 20 Jul 17 Jul 14 Jul 11 Jul 9 Jul 6 Jul 4 Jul 1 Jun 28
1 km 4:53 4:56 4:45 4:54 4:58 5:08 4:58 5:04 4:58
2 km 4:56 4:54 4:47 4:56 4:58 5:11 5:02 5:06 5:03
3 km 4:58 4:56 4:51 4:58 5:03 5:14 5:08 5:07 5:05
4 km 5:00 4:58 4:54 5:01 5:07 5:17 5:12 5:09 5:08
5 km 5:01 5:00 4:54 5:03 5:10 5:20 5:14 5:11 5:11
6 km 5:02 5:02 4:59 5:03 5:12 5:22 5:15 5:12 5:13
7 km 5:03 5:04 5:00 5:04 5:15 5:25 5:17 5:14 5:15
8 km 5:05 5:06 5:02 5:06 5:17 5:27 5:19 5:16 5:16
9 km 5:06 5:08 5:04 5:08 5:19 5:30 5:21 5:17 5:18
10 km 5:06 5:09 5:06 5:10 5:20 5:31 5:21 5:17 5:19
11 km — 5:10 5:01 4:59 — — — 5:19 —

It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity run

Distance: 11.29 km
Weather: Overcast, light drizzle
Temp: 19ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 789
Average pace: 5:10/km
Total distance to date: 901 km

Today I completed the third part of my Burnaby Lake loop trilogy after a couple of days’ rest and achieved two new milestones (or kilometerstones as we call them in Canada):

  • I officially passed 900 km on the Nike+
  • Had my longest run to date at 11.29 km

The conditions were a fair bit different for today’s run vs. that of Thursday. To wit:

  • I ran in the early afternoon (1 p.m.) instead of the evening
  • I ran on only one meal instead of three
  • There was absolutely no wind at all
  • It was extremely humid
  • The slugs had mysteriously vanished
  • I ran past a horse

The run was much harder than the previous one and at times I really felt myself laboring to continue but I pressed on and even ran an extra (but short) leg just to make sure it would be my longest run to date, if not the quickest.

I still finished the 10K portion with a second best-ever pace of 5:09/km and an overall pace of 5:10 (or 5:11 depending on which part of Nike+ you believe), so my performance was still good despite the struggle. My shins are feeling a bit tender now but I am unsure if it’s due to the intensity of the runs or if they’re getting hurt. I’ll know better tomorrow on my day off.

One of the important things here, I think, is to not run after just a single meal (breakfast). After the run my caloric intake for the day is actually negative as I burn off all the calories from breakfast and then some. This would be handy if I was trying to lose weight, but I’m not. I’ll also keep in mind the conditions at Burnaby Lake for future runs there. There was a heavy rain yesterday and today the air was thick, warm and heavy — very unappealing for a run. I sweated not unlike the proverbial pig.

Interestingly, I had a rare instance of my second km being faster than my first. No idea how that happened.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):

km Jul 17 Jul 14 Jul 11 Jul 9 Jul 6 Jul 4 Jul 1 Jun 28 Jun 26
1 km 4:56 4:45 4:54 4:58 5:08 4:58 5:04 4:58 4:59
2 km 4:54 4:47 4:56 4:58 5:11 5:02 5:06 5:03 5:05
3 km 4:56 4:51 4:58 5:03 5:14 5:08 5:07 5:05 5:10
4 km 4:58 4:54 5:01 5:07 5:17 5:12 5:09 5:08 5:13
5 km 5:00 4:54 5:03 5:10 5:20 5:14 5:11 5:11 5:15
6 km 5:02 4:59 5:03 5:12 5:22 5:15 5:12 5:13 5:19
7 km 5:04 5:00 5:04 5:15 5:25 5:17 5:14 5:15 5:21
8 km 5:06 5:02 5:06 5:17 5:27 5:19 5:16 5:16 5:23
9 km 5:08 5:04 5:08 5:19 5:30 5:21 5:17 5:18 5:25
10 km 5:09 5:06 5:10 5:20 5:31 5:21 5:17 5:19 5:27
11 km 5:10 5:01 4:59 — — — 5:19 — —

Slug run 2: Electric Boogaloo

Distance: 11.05 km
Weather: Overcast, light drizzle
Temp: 16ºC
Wind: light breeze
Calories burned: 772
Average pace: 5:06/km
Total distance to date: 889 km

I look forward to doing it again, though I suspect it will be awhile before I can beat my 5:10 pace.

As it turned out, ‘awhile’ ended up being three days later, as I repeated the Burnaby Lake loop under similar conditions (overcast, early evening) and ended up shaving another four seconds off my average pace, bringing it down to a spiffy 5:06/km. This is also the first time I’ve finished 6 km with a pace of under 5 minutes.

I successfully dodged another army of black slugs. Apparently they project some kind of field that repels feet because I have yet to see one that has been squashed.

The highlight of tonight’s run, apart from the general zippiness, is that I successfully avoided the wrong turns of the first run, meaning the only pavement I saw was the brief mandatory sprint across a small parking lot as you come around toward the long southern stretch of the trail. Toward the end a light drizzle began to fall but it was kind of nice run-wise, even if it served to remind me that summer has been off to a hobbling start around these parts.

Just before the 1 km mark I had a USI (Untied Lace Incident) and shortly after addressing that I had a SBI (Swallowed Bug Incident). I’m pretty sure I swallowed a bug. Maybe even a couple of them. For the next few km I tried clearing my throat, coughing and carrying on to dislodge whatever got lodged in my windpipe. Fortunately this was on the part of the trail that moves away from the bog so I did not ingest yet more bugs as I worked to remove the ones already inside.

I did not pass any other joggers running the same way this time, though I did pass by a number of others running clockwise, including a large group of young guys that reminded me of those junior high P.E. runs where you had the few hardcore up front, a large middle group and a few stragglers usually walking far at the back with that ‘What, me exercise?’ attitude happening. The part that bugs me is even the guys in the latter group have incredibly toned bodies. No fair, I say.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):

km Jul 14 Jul 11 Jul 9 Jul 6 Jul 4 Jul 1 Jun 28 Jun 26 Jun 21
1 km 4:45 4:54 4:58 5:08 4:58 5:04 4:58 4:59 5:00
2 km 4:47 4:56 4:58 5:11 5:02 5:06 5:03 5:05 5:04
3 km 4:51 4:58 5:03 5:14 5:08 5:07 5:05 5:10 5:07
4 km 4:54 5:01 5:07 5:17 5:12 5:09 5:08 5:13 5:11
5 km 4:54 5:03 5:10 5:20 5:14 5:11 5:11 5:15 5:14
6 km 4:59 5:03 5:12 5:22 5:15 5:12 5:13 5:19 5:15
7 km 5:00 5:04 5:15 5:25 5:17 5:14 5:15 5:21 5:17
8 km 5:02 5:06 5:17 5:27 5:19 5:16 5:16 5:23 5:19
9 km 5:04 5:08 5:19 5:30 5:21 5:17 5:18 5:25 5:20
10 km 5:06 5:10 5:20 5:31 5:21 5:17 5:19 5:27 5:21
11 km 5:01 4:59 — — — 5:19

Bad running weather: the list

Here is a list of the worst types of weather to run in, according to me (since I’m the one who has to run in it), from least worst to worst worst:

14. Overcast and light breeze. This is actually ideal conditions. It is usually never too cold or warm when the weather is like this.
13. Moderate wind. Moderate wind can be a tad annoying, especially if I don’t have my cap on securely.
12. Warm sun. If it’s warm, I get hot and sweaty but it’s manageable.
11. Light rain. The only issue with light rain is that sometimes my iPod gets wet straight through my shorts’ pocket.
10. Snow. I’ve only run once in light snow and it was fun. I’m thinking a foot of snow would probably be less so.
9. Cold rain. Cold rain means cold hands and if you wear gloves they need to be waterproof.
8. Hard rain. Getting soaked to the skin is kind of refreshing. Unfortunately if it’s raining hard, it’s almost always cold, too. Not so refreshing. iPod also gets drenched.
7. Hail. I’ve never run in hail. I imagine getting pelted with little ice rocks is less than pleasant.
6. Extreme cold. I’ve run in sub-freezing conditions and been fine. I’m thinking Arctic tundra-type cold here.
5. Heavy wind. The resistance means you work a lot harder to achieve the same result and my cap has to be on tight enough to cut off circulation so it doesn’t fly away.
4. Hot sun. I wilt on hot days. My body feels like a furnace and I’m left parched as all get-out. Dry mouth and lips are yucky.
3. Hard rain and heavy wind. Likeliest weather to make me wonder to myself, ‘What was I thinking?’ when on the run.
2. Hot sun and heavy wind. Heat dries you out, the wind makes it harder to run and dries you out even more. Bleah.

And the worst weather to run in is:

1. Dogs. See here.

The slug run (at Burnaby Lake)

Distance: 11.21 km
Weather: Sun, cloud, light shower
Temp: 17ºC
Wind: light breeze
Calories burned: 784
Average pace: 5:10/km
Total distance to date: 878 km

UPDATE, November 7, 2025:

Yes, I am updating this post over 14 years later after randomly coming across it. In particular, I wanted to make note that back in 2011 I ran using a pedometer strapped to one of my running shoes--the Nike one that worked with an app on my iPod nano. This was never as accurate as GPS-based tracking, but it was off more than I realized at the time.

In 2011, the Burnaby Lake loop did not have any distance markers. When they were added a few years after this run was recorded, it revealed that starting and ending a run at the 0K marker would be a total of 10.3 km, much less than the 11.21 km I thought I'd run.

Using the description of where I started and stopped the run, I am reasonably confident I began the run at what is now the 0K marker and ended it just shortly past the 10K marker. This means, with a total time of 58 minutes, my overall pace was not an amazing 5:10/km, but actually closer to 5:48/km, which is slower than my usual runs as of November 2025. The copious slugs remain accurate, however.

After more than two years of running at China Creek park I finally tried something new. Tonight, Jeff and I drive to Burnaby Lake and I did my run on the trail that circumnavigates the lake, a distance of approximately 11 km. I started at the parking lot near the Burnaby Equestrian Centre and ran counter-clockwise, finishing with a total distance of 11.21 km and a time of one second under 58 minutes.

There are two remarkable things about this run. The first was the huge number of black slugs on the trail. It was like a 1950s science fiction movie where black slugs invaded the Earth, except the slugs were normal-sized and not really invading. I successfully dodged all of them.

The other remarkable thing was my time. I finished with an overall pace of 5:10/km. This is a full seven seconds better than my previous best pace, and it was also the only time I’ve come in under 5 minutes on the first three km (and the fourth was only one second over). I’m not really sure why my pace was so much better. Was it running in the early evening after three full meals? Was it the excitement of a new course? The variety on not looping around the same path a dozen and a half times? Alignment of the planets? All of these things?

I did my usual — keeping the pace steady and there are several long straight stretches that made it easier to maintain speed (the northern Cottonwood Trail stands out in that regard), but I also had my share of miscues. One time I mistakenly turned down a path to a viewpoint and had to swing back onto the main trail. When the trail turns south it enters a stretch I hadn’t anticipated where it crosses a road, parallels another, goes over a parking lot and generally looks very un-trail-like. It also doesn’t help that most of the trail affords no view of the lake at all, so you can’t use it as a navigation aid except to know that it’s ‘somewhere over that way’.

The trail itself is fairly good for running. It’s not too hard-packed and the stretches over concrete and pavement are brief. There are a couple of points on the southern side where you have to run along wooden boardwalks built over top of the bog but they’re in good condition. It’s all very scenic and woodsy.

I look forward to doing it again, though I suspect it will be awhile before I can beat my 5:10 pace.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):

kmJul 11Jul 9Jul 6Jul 4Jul 1Jun 28Jun 26Jun 21Jun 18
1 km4:544:585:084:585:044:584:595:004:53
2 km4:564:585:115:025:065:035:055:045:01
3 km4:585:035:145:085:075:055:105:075:04
4 km5:015:075:175:125:095:085:135:115:09
5 km5:035:105:205:145:115:115:155:145:13
6 km5:035:125:225:155:125:135:195:155:15
7 km5:045:155:255:175:145:155:215:175:18
8 km5:065:175:275:195:165:165:235:195:21
9 km5:085:195:305:215:175:185:255:205:23
10 km5:105:205:315:215:175:195:275:215:24
11 km4:59———5:19

The unexpected run

Distance: 10.02 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 20ºC
Wind: light breeze
Calories burned: 701
Average pace: 5:20/km
Total distance to date: 867 km

The unexpected part of this run is how it turned out much better than I had hoped.

I decided to wait an extra day after Wednesday’s run because my right shin, though not hurting at all to walk, was a bit sensitive when pressure was applied in the right (or wrong, according to my shin) spot. I have been erring on the side of caution this year to prevent injury so instead of running on Friday I ran today.

Because I had plans in the evening, I broke my usual rule and ran in the mid-afternoon sun. It was 20ºC so not hot but when the breeze died down it still felt plenty warm. I knew after the first two km that I had started out too fast and was concerned that I would lag in the middle part of the run and have a slower overall time as a result. I had also made the mistake of not eating lunch beforehand (I was thinking of having it after the run), which meant I was running with minimal fuel. This, combined with the warmth, made the run feel much harder. By the time I got to the last km I really wanted it to be over.

My hunch on the start was correct — I posted a brisk 4:58/km on the first km and then did the exact same on the second. I then dropped five seconds from 2K to 3K and another four going from 3K to 4K, so I did indeed start flagging in the middle. However, I managed to find a steadier rhythm after that and ended with an overall pace of 5:20/km, a quite good result (third fastest 10K, only 3 seconds off my best run) and a full 11 seconds better than my last effort.

A group of people doing some kind of weird orienteering/weigh-in/whatever thing were annoyingly clustering on one part of the trail a number of times through the run but other than that there were no other unusual events to report.

Chart (blue indicates the run was done clockwise):

km Jul 9 Jul 6 Jul 4 Jul 1 Jun 28 Jun 26 Jun 23 Jun 21 Jun 18
1 km 4:58 5:08 4:58 5:04 4:58 4:59 4:59 5:00 4:53
2 km 4:58 5:11 5:02 5:06 5:03 5:05 5:05 5:04 5:01
3 km 5:03 5:14 5:08 5:07 5:05 5:10 5:09 5:07 5:04
4 km 5:07 5:17 5:12 5:09 5:08 5:13 5:12 5:11 5:09
5 km 5:10 5:20 5:14 5:11 5:11 5:15 5:15 5:14 5:13
6 km 5:12 5:22 5:15 5:12 5:13 5:19 — 5:15 5:15
7 km 5:15 5:25 5:17 5:14 5:15 5:21 — 5:17 5:18
8 km 5:17 5:27 5:19 5:16 5:16 5:23 — 5:19 5:21
9 km 5:19 5:30 5:21 5:17 5:18 5:25 — 5:20 5:23
10 km 5:20 5:31 5:21 5:17 5:19 5:27 — 5:21 5:24
11 km — — — 5:19