I wasn’t sure what to expect heading out later than usual today, except that it would be hotter and probably more challenging as a result.
I was half right, because it was indeed a full six degrees warmer, with humidity also way down, though curiously it still felt humid, so a dry mouth was not a problem.
But I was wrong about it being more challenging, because I posted an overall pace two seconds faster than Wednesday at 6:20/km and my BPM dropped from 149 to 147. Nice. The BPM likely benefitted from a brief pit stop at the Nature House to hydrate at the water fountain there, just past the 2K mark, but not too much, as I really did just sip and run.
I did begin to feel the heat, as they say, later in the run, but managed to keep a consistent pace from beginning to end, with a variance of only five seconds from slowest to fastest km. I think this worked to my benefit.
And despite the sunny conditions, there weren’t as many people, dogs, or geese around as on Wednesday. I have no explanation for this.
The Pavilion Trail has been resurfaced, and the water is being held at bay for now. Parts of the trail seem a bit unfinished, making me feel there is more work to do. When I got to the end, where it reaches the rowing pavilion parking lot, there was a Trail Closed sign. But there wasn’t one at the other end, so it is existing in both a closed and open state at once, a paradox unto itself. Or someone nicked the other sign.
In all, this was a nice way to end the week, doing back to back 5Ks, seeing improvement and having no issues.
Stats:
Run 1,049
Average pace: 6:20/km
Training status: Productive
Performance Condition: 0
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:35 a.m.
Distance: 5.01 km
Time: 31:48
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 25–26°C
Humidity: 38–37%
Wind: light
BPM: 147
Weight: 169.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 7,050 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, Samsung Galaxy S26, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Scarpa Golden Gate ATR 2 (30/76/106)
Music: Glass Houses, Billy Joel