The pre-alpha code (buggy) run

Average pace: 4:37/km

Location: Brunette river trail, Lower Hume Park
Distance: 11.49 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 23-19ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 779
Total distance to date: 1851 km

Tonight’s run was a virtual repeat of Tuesday’s, with my pace being virtually identical (the one second difference could be a rounding error). I had intended to ease off a bit and indeed my right calf and ankle both felt a bit sore starting out but once I’d warmed up they felt fine.

Speaking of warm, tonight saw a late summer surge with the temperature a balmy 23ºC at the start of the run and a still-mild 19ºC by the end. This higher than average may also explain why the run was so buggy. It felt like running though the alpha code for Ultima IX. At certain points along the trail it even felt a bit like rain except instead of drops of refreshing water splatting against my face, it was tiny bugs. Yuck.

There were several other joggers out and because of the bridge closure, we would pass each other as we looped back and forth. Except for one girl — I watched her make her way past the fence and onto the bridge. Remember, it’s just narrow support beams right now and while it’s now towering hundreds of meters above a gorge, you would still do some decent damage if you fell into the shallow water below. Since I was running I never saw if she made it across safely but I’m going to assume the lack of bloodcurdling screams and/or ambulance sirens means she did.

I passed another fellow jogger several times and we did that polite jogger nod each time. After the third pass, he looped back and I looped behind him, putting us on the same side of the trail. This is where I abandoned my slow and steady pace as I strove to catch up and hopefully pass him. It took probably the better part of a km but I eventually did. The point where I was catching up shows plainly on the Nike+ chart, with my pace nearly matching that of the first km (and this at the 7K mark). After I passed him it dropped off by over 5% before rising back up to my usual level. I’ll find out tomorrow how much I’ll regret turning on the turbo charger.

Chart (records are in pink)

Date Average Pace
September 13 4:37 (11K)
September 11 4:36 (11K)
September 9 4:35 (11K)
September 8 4:33 (5K)
September 5 4:40 (5K)
September 3 4:39 (11K)
September 1 4:43 (17K)

The brisk back and forth run

Average pace: 4:36/km

Location: Brunette river trail, Lower Hume Park
Distance: 11.18 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 15-12ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 758
Total distance to date: 1840 km

With the sun setting at 7:31 tonight I decided to skip Burnaby Lake altogether and try my luck on the Brunette river trail. Fortunately the crane truck that had been blocking the way was gone and I was able to get to the bridge, which is now securely fenced off and has its deck removed. This gave me a little under 2 km of running room before having to loop back. I initially planned on a 5K run but ended up changing my mind mid-run and decided to keep going until I hit 10K or it got too dark, whichever happened first. By the time I got back to Lower Hume Park I came in just a bit over 11K and with a brisk pace of 4:46/km, only one second short of my record pace on Sunday.

There were a fair number of cyclists on the trail and I ended up seeing most of them twice — once as they rode past me then again as they came back, almost certainly unaware that the bridge was closed and no one shall pass (pending repairs). Only one well-behaved off-leash dog, too!

I got home four minutes before the sun set but thanks to clear skies I had plenty of light for the entire run. My hands were actually cold for the first km. It’s been quite awhile since that happened. I also turned up the hot water a tad in the shower afterward. The passing of summer always leaves me a little sad. And cold.

I haven’t decided the rest of my run schedule for this off-kilter week but Thursday seems likely.

Chart (records are in pink)

Date Average Pace
September 11 4:36 (11K)
September 9 4:35 (11K)
September 8 4:33 (5K)
September 5 4:40 (5K)
September 3 4:39 (11K)
September 1 4:43 (17K)

The many joggers everywhere run

Average pace: 4:35/km <– personal record (for runs over 10K)

Location: Burnaby Lake
Distance: 11.49 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 16-17ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 779
Total distance to date: 1829 km

Ran Piper Mill trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

Success!

It’s pretty rare for me to do runs on consecutive days as I like the day off to rest and recover but given my short, botched run yesterday I was determined to get in a proper run today.

Conditions were in stark contrast, as if two entirely different seasons had bumped up against each other. Yesterday the air was thick and warm, with the temperature soaring to an unseasonably high 30ºC. Today it felt more like an early fall day, with the sky cloudy and threatening showers and temperatures only into the mid-teens for the morning.

I headed off with a simple plan:

  1. Ride the SkyTrain to Production Way/University station.
  2. Walk to Burnaby Lake from there.
  3. Reverse the process to complete the run!

It took approximately 22 minutes to get to the lake vs. 38 minutes if I had walked the whole way. Definitely faster but not remarkably so. Although the morning sky was gray it did not rain, which was nice. The cooler temperature was ideal for running and I sprang off to a zippy start, noting a Running Room sign placed beside the trail. Apparently there was an event taking place. This turned out to be the Rhythm of Life run sponsored by the Burnaby Hospital. It had begun an hour before I started my run, at 8:30 a.m.

The first tangible sign of the run (apart from the Running Room signs) came around the 2K mark when I arrived at Piper Spit. There was a water station there replete with cups of water. Tantalizing as they were, I was not a participant and went on by. By now I was starting to encounter some of the official entrants, with their numbers pinned to their shirts. Many looked pretty casual and some walked rather than ran. The walkers in particular tended to cluster in groups that hogged the entire width of the trail, which was a minor irritant. I also saw very little of the usual runners etiquette–the waves, the nods, things like that.

As I got to the athletic fields it became clear that the eun was primarily moving clockwise– opposite to me. It was a little awkward having so many joggers constantly streaming toward me but also kind of fun, too. Less fun was a wobbly cyclist on one of the boardwalks. Boo to you, cyclist, I say!

I knew my initial pace was decent and kept pushing to maintain a good pace. The only bit of discomfort was a little soreness around my right ankle, which I believe is a remnant from running on the rail ties. It was slight and didn’t slow me down.

By the end I came in with a best-for-over-10K average of 4:35/km and a bunch of new personal records:

  • Fastest 1K: 4:19
  • Fastest 5K: 22:29
  • Fastest 10K: 45:44
  • Fastest mile: 7:01

While I wish the total round trip time for the run had been shorter I am very pleased with the performance on the run itself. I am not keen on running three days in a row so my next run will likely be on Tuesday.

Chart (records are in pink)

Date Average Pace
September 9 4:35 (11K)
September 8 4:33 (5K)
September 5 4:40 (5K)
September 3 4:39 (11K)
September 1 4:43 (17K)

The Inception run

Average pace: 4:33/km

Location: Brunette river trail, Lower Hume Park
Distance: 5.32 km
Weather: Sun, high cloud
Temp: 20-22ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 361
Total distance to date: 1817 km

This morning’s run sucked.

After having a convenient detour pointed out to me by Jeff, I headed out at 9 a.m. It was already 20º C so I knew an afternoon run would have been all kinds of Africa hot, possibly for the last time this summer. My plan was to run Brunette river trail to the fenced-off bridge, take the trail up to the train tracks then cross over all three sets to the other side, where a (unknown to me) trail continues on, following a road that loops back to Cariboo Road. This would add some distance to my run but would otherwise be no big thing. Best of all: no running on railroad ties.

The first sign of trouble was a construction guy standing at the entrance to the river trail. I asked him if I’d be able to get to the bridge. He said a flatbed truck with trailer would be arriving shortly and backing down the trail (!) but other than that I was good to go to the bridge.

It turned out I misunderstood him. He was explaining that the overpass that is part of the Highway 1 expansion would be as far as I could get and it is some ways before the bridge. Indeed, as I approached it I could see the mega-crane truck positioned squarely across the trail and further fencing insuring there would be no passage. My detour route was blocked by another detour.

There is an access road that leads north off the trail a few hundred meters back from the overpass so I ran back and climbed up it. The rail tracks were here but to their left was a nice flat area suitable for running. Some construction equipment was off to the side. I could see the overpass in the distance and as I got closer it became obvious that the construction around and on it would block any attempts to get through. It makes sense that they wouldn’t want Joe Pedestrian waltzing (or jogging) through, so I turned back and simply headed off the trail, passing the flatbed truck and construction guy on the way out. The slow speed of the truck at least saved me from another mega dust cloud.

I stopped the run at Lower Hume Park, covering 5.32 km. My pace was a zippy 4:33/km but a 5K run seems kind of short these days so I didn’t really revel in it. The pool at the main Hume Park was already drained, which looked odd on a day when it would have been packed, another reminder that summer is winding down.

My new new detour plan that I’m going to try out tomorrow morning is to take the SkyTrain to either Production Way or Sperling, walk to the lake, run the loop then head back to the SkyTrain station. I’ll be timing the route to see how well it will work with the fading light of early evening. Now I just have to hope they don’t suddenly decide to take the entire SkyTrain offline tomorrow for maintenance or something.

Chart

Date Average Pace
September 8 4:33 (5K)
September 5 4:40 (5K)
September 3 4:39 (11K)
September 1 4:43 (17K)

The shortened on-a-rail run

Average pace: 4:40/km

Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW), Brunette river trail, railroad tracks (!)
Distance: 5.21 km (official), 10K+ unofficially
Weather: Sun, high cloud
Temp: 15ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 353 (official), closer to 700+ unofficially
Total distance to date: 1812 km

Ran Spruce Loop.

Tonight’s run sucked.

Pace-wise it was fine and I had no difficulties in terms of stamina or with muscles being sore or strained.

The problem arose at the start of the Brunette river trail. A large new sign indicated that a month-long construction project was underway and the trail would be closed. The small bridge near the western entrance was also being replaced. Since no fences or gates were visible, I continued on.

A construction pickup then drove by me, leaving behind it a dust cloud that stretched back hundreds of meters. And because there was no wind at all the cloud hung there, forcing me to run through it. It was less than pleasant.

When I reached the bridge I saw that it had indeed been fenced off. To its immediate right is a trail that leads up to the train tracks. I couldn’t recall if there was another trail leading back down past the bridge but it seemed worth investigating. Up I went and I gingerly ran along the ties (on the outside edge, lest a train appear) and running on rail ties is not exactly an easy thing to do. My gait is longer than the spacing of the ties, making things awkward at best.

I finally made it to Cariboo Road and crossed over into Burnaby Lake park. By this point I decided to just do 5K and call it there. I ran to the Spruce Loop, came back and hit 5.21 km just before the lake exit.

I didn’t want to walk the rest of the way back so I ended up retracing my route over the tracks and down the Brunette river trail. And that stupid construction pickup rolled by me again going in the opposite direction, forcing me once more to wade into a mega dust cloud.

I ran at least 10 km in total but only half of it counted. In hindsight I should have kept the Nike+ going for the whole thing. My pace would have been decent, I think. Oh well.

Now I must contemplate how to work around the construction for the rest of the month.

Chart

Date Average Pace
September 5 4:40
September 3 4:39
September 1 4:43
August 29 4:39
August 27 4:40
August 25 4:44
August 22 4:37
August 20 4:47
August 18 4:51
August 15 4:46
August 13 4:55
August 10 4:48
August 8 4:45
August 6 4:58
August 3 4:56
August 1 4:50

A Labor(ous) Day run

Average pace: 4:39/km <– ties personal record (for runs over 10K)

Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 11.54 km
Weather: High cloud
Temp: 16-17ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 782
Total distance to date: 1807 km

Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

After Saturday’s Mega-Run™ I opted to do a more conventional run today and stick to a clockwise loop around the lake. It was warmer than the previous run to start at 16ºC but the high cloud kept it cool and it was only one degree cooler by the end.

I felt just a little sluggish getting started but picked up the pace after and ended up tying my best 10K+ pace at 4:39/km (and on a longer run, too). Apparently a lot of people choose to labor by running on Labor Day as I encountered quite a few joggers and people out walking this morning. Everyone courteously stepped aside to let me by and I in turn politely offered thanks and that little Queen wave as I ran past.

Although I had no issues with the run — save for wishing I had gone to the bathroom before leaving — I did feel, appropriately, more labored than the past few runs, possibly a side effect of Saturday’s long outing coupled with pushing harder when I sensed I was on or near a record-setting pace. It was one of the few recent runs where the urge was not there at the end to keep going. Ironically, my pace shot way up for the last 500 m. I don’t know why that happened, exactly. Maybe I just really had to go at that point and the faster I ran the sooner I’d be able to. I can’t remember the last time the line tracking my run on Nike+ ended up green.

Having said that, I did get the urge to start jogging again on the Brunette river trail. That particular walk seems very long now after having run it a few times. 😛

Overall, another solid run. I also broke the 1800 km mark and dropped my average pace (for all 202 runs) to a new low of 5:17, too. Woo!

Chart

Date Average Pace
September 3 4:39
September 1 4:43
August 29 4:39
August 27 4:40
August 25 4:44
August 22 4:37
August 20 4:47
August 18 4:51
August 15 4:46
August 13 4:55
August 10 4:48
August 8 4:45
August 6 4:58
August 3 4:56
August 1 4:50

The 17.26 km run!

Average pace: 4:43/km

Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW), Brunette River trail and Lower Hume Park
Distance: 17.26 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 12-17ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 1170
Total distance to date: 1796 km

Ran Piper Mill Trail, Confer and Spruce Loops.

I had it in mind to do a longer run today. I headed out in the morning and with the temperature at 12ºC it was cool enough that I kept my hands in my pockets on the walk to the Brunette River trail. My plan was to run that trail, run the lake (with all three optional loops) then run back down the river trail. I did all this and hit 17.26 km just before reaching East Columbia Street. My pace was a perfectly respectable 4:43/km (which would have been a record for my usual 11K runs a few weeks ago) and my pace actually improved between the 14 and 15K mark.

By the end of the run it had warmed up to 17ºC but it remained completely comfortable, even with the sun out. I felt pretty good the entire way once again, which was especially nice given the extra distance.

The Nike+ site was having a fit after and would not upload my data. When it eventually did it got the stats right but it did not note some records I broke so I’m recording them here:

  • fastest 1K: 4:20
  • fatest 5K: 22:30
  • fastest 10K: 46:04

It’s possibly I may have set a record for fastest mile but there’s no way I’m inflicting the math for figuring that out on my brain. 😛

Overall, an excellent start to the month.

Chart

Date Average Pace
September 1 4:43
August 29 4:39
August 27 4:40
August 25 4:44
August 22 4:37
August 20 4:47
August 18 4:51
August 15 4:46
August 13 4:55
August 10 4:48
August 8 4:45
August 6 4:58
August 3 4:56
August 1 4:50

A slightly shorter and slightly faster run

Average pace: 4:39/km <– personal record (for runs over 10K)

Location: Burnaby Lake (CW), Brunette River trail and Lower Hume Park
Distance: 10.42 km
Weather: Cloudy, some sprinkles
Temp: 15ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 707
Total distance to date: 1778 km

I meant to do a more typical run tonight (around 11K) but miscalculated a bit on the distance so came in at 10.42 km, which is still respectable. It was cooler and cloudy and even a few sprinkles fell here and there.

For the course, I ran from Lower Hume Park down the Brunette River trail to Burnaby Lake then went clockwise just past the spanky new boardwalk. I should have continued on another 200 or 300 m but goofed a bit on distance as mentioned above.

On the plus side, the cooler conditions served me well as I finished with my best pace for a 10K+ run — 4:49/km and my fastest 10K to date at 46:26. No problems at all during the run.

Chart

Date Average Pace
August 29 4:39
August 27 4:40
August 25 4:44
August 22 4:37
August 20 4:47
August 18 4:51
August 15 4:46
August 13 4:55
August 10 4:48
August 8 4:45
August 6 4:58
August 3 4:56
August 1 4:50
July 30 4:57

The not as long but still record-breaking Monday run

Average pace: 4:40/km <– personal record (for runs over 10K)

Location: Burnaby Lake (CW), Brunette River trail and Lower Hume Park
Distance: 11.38 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 21-18ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 772
Total distance to date: 1767 km

Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

Tonight’s run was a more typical length but followed a similar route as Saturday’s. I walked to Lower Hume Park and started my run there. I continued down the Brunette River trail and on to Burnaby Lake where I ran to the western entrance to the Piper Mill Trail. I was over 5K at that point and turned back, following the three loops and continuing back to Lower Hume Park. I hit 11K just before exiting the river trail.

The changed route meant I still got in a full run (11.38 km) but with far less walking (24 minutes instead of 76) and my total time out dropped from approximately 129 minutes to 77 or 2:09 hours to 1:17 — a significant 52 minutes less. With the sun setting earlier this is good as it allows me to get a full run in before it starts to get dark and spooky.

As for the run, I came just shy of setting a new 1K record but I did set a few others:

  • fastest 5K
  • fastest 10K
  • fastest mile

And I also set a new record for fastest pace for a 10K+ run at 4:40/km, 4 seconds better than on Saturday and only three seconds off the pace set on my 8K run.

I felt good again throughout the run, with the change in route and scenery providing a nice lift. It will probably level off if I stick to this route but for now I am happy with the results.

Also there are more slugs and roving bands of joggers, both of which I attribute to the early evening shift in time for my runs.

Chart

Date Average Pace
August 27 4:40
August 25 4:44
August 22 4:37
August 20 4:47
August 18 4:51
August 15 4:46
August 13 4:55
August 10 4:48
August 8 4:45
August 6 4:58
August 3 4:56
August 1 4:50
July 30 4:57

The long and record-breaking Saturday run

Average pace: 4:44/km <– personal record (for runs over 10K)

Location: Burnaby Lake (CW), Brunette River trail and Lower Hume Park
Distance: 15.02 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 17-21ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 1019
Total distance to date: 1756 km

Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

I have pretty much decided one of my weekly runs will happen on Saturday and normally in the morning. This is good for three reasons:

  1. It frees up a weeknight evening.
  2. It lets me run in the morning when it’s cooler.
  3. It gets the run out of the way early so the rest of the day is free to laze around and eat nachos.

I headed out this morning at about 9:20 and started my run just after 10, with the temperature a pleasant 17ºC. It climbed to 21 over the course of the run and by the afternoon it was getting to where I was quite glad to have gone out early.

I did the full loop around the lake then continued on the same route as Wednesday, stretching the run to the Brunette River trail and into Lower Hume Park. I wanted to beat my previous best distance of 13K and did it by notching my first run over 15K — 15.02 km to be exact.

In the process I set personal bests in nearly every category there is. The one I didn’t break was Wednesday’s average pace of 4:37/km. I came in at 4:44, which is still a record for a 10K+ run, so I’m pleased with that. Other new records:

  • most calories burned
  • longest run, distance-wise
  • longest run, time-wise (1:11:04)
  • fastest 1K
  • fastest 5K
  • fastest 10K
  • fastest mile

I also passed the 1750 km mark, which Nike+ considers one of its milestones.

I felt good throughout the run and after the initial burst of speed my pace stayed very steady from the 8K mark forward, with the usual dip halfway between 10 and 11K (though smaller than normal).

While I had set out to break one record (for longest run) it is a very pleasant surprise to have broken so many others as well. Even the cyclists on the trail and unleashed dogs didn’t bother me. Much.

Chart

Date Average Pace
August 25 4:44
August 22 4:37
August 20 4:47
August 18 4:51
August 15 4:46
August 13 4:55
August 10 4:48
August 8 4:45
August 6 4:58
August 3 4:56
August 1 4:50
July 30 4:57

The shorter, zippier run

Average pace: 4:37/km <– personal record

Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW), Brunette River trail and Lower Hume Park
Distance: 8.03 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 21-18ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 545
Total distance to date: 1741 km

Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

Usually my runs are the time when I let all the other distractions fall away and my mind focuses on either the run or just drifts through various random thoughts, kind of like how you start on a Wikipedia page about barn owls and end up on one for moon landings. But tonight the distractions wouldn’t go away and I didn’t feel like committing to a full run. Instead I headed to Burnaby Lake, ran all three optional loops and when I came out from Piper Mill trail to the main trail I turned back. Shortly after passing the Cariboo dam starting point I hit 5K — not bad, but not enough. I decided to save time on the trip home by running much of the way back. After a brief pause to cross traffic-laden Cariboo Road I continued down the road to the RV park and then onto the 2 km-long Brunette River trail. I hit 7K there but kept running, across East Columbia and into Lower Hume Park. My destinations was two fold: the water fountain at the covered picnic area at the far end of the park and the 8K mark. I finished at 8.03 km and had a nice drink at the fountain.

It was strange to finish a run in only 37 minutes. It was also strange to have the temperature be lower at the end of the right instead of higher. I think the dog days of summer may be behind us now. The early evening is much nicer for running and that’s boosted my energy levels. Strangest of all was my average pace — a zippy 4:37/km, eight seconds better than my previous best. Granted that was with a shorter run but still, the change of route would seem to have had quite the positive effect on my speed.

This was further corroborated by two new records for fastest 5K and fastest mile. I missed fastest 1K by two seconds:

5K: 22:58 (finally breaking the 24 minute mark)
1 mile: 7:18

All told, an unexpected and unexpectedly good run.

Chart

Date Average Pace
August 22 4:37
August 20 4:47
August 18 4:51
August 15 4:46
August 13 4:55
August 10 4:48
August 8 4:45
August 6 4:58
August 3 4:56
August 1 4:50
July 30 4:57

The friendly Saturday morning run

Average pace: 4:51/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.8 km
Weather: Sunny, humid, warm
Temp: 20-22ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 800
Total distance to date: 1722 km

Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

Friday afternoon Environment Canada put out an ozone warning for the eastern part of the Lower Mainland, basically telling old and sick people to stay inside otherwise the air might kill them. Although I am neither sick nor elderly it seemed like good advice with temperatures still in the low 30s by early evening, so I opted to skip my usual Friday run in favor of a Saturday morning run.

I headed out today at 8 a.m. and it was still a pleasant 20ºC. It rose to 22ºC over the course of the run, which is still entirely manageable. Humidity was very high and that did slow me up a little but the lower temperatures made running overall much less difficult than on some recent days.

I don’t know if it’s a weekend or morning thing as I usually don’t run during either but no less than six people said hi or ‘good morning’ to me as I walked to the lake.Normally the number of people doing this is zero, so this was about the friendliest pre-run warm-up ever.

The run itself went fine for the most part. I got a bit gassy around the 7K mark and my pace took a notable dip but I recovered about one km later. I had a similar dip midway through the 10K mark due to Gas: The Sequel. But overall I found the pace of 4:51/km pretty decent for the conditions. I shudder to imagine what an afternoon run might have been like.

And the branches were moved off the trail. Woo! You may be thinking it was industrious beavers looking to fortify a dam but it appears someone finally just moved the branches over to the side. Thank you, branch movers!

Chart

Date Average Pace
August 18 4:51
August 15 4:46
August 13 4:55
August 10 4:48
August 8 4:45
August 6 4:58
August 3 4:56
August 1 4:50
July 30 4:57