Run 425
Average pace: 5:35/km
Location: Burnaby Lake CW
Distance: 10.01 km
Time: 56:01
Weather: Sun and cloud
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: moderate to strong
BPM: 163
Stride: n/a
Weight: 164.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 3425
Device used: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
Today was not a pseudo-summer day. In fact it was slightly cooler than normal. Such is life on a planet where the climate is pretty much doing whatever it wants these days. A good breeze convinced me to wear a long-sleeved shirt and it proved wise, even when the sun did pop out occasionally afterward.
I made an effort to run earlier and did a little better that usual on Sunday, wrapping the run up by 11:29. There were probably fewer walkers but there were even more runners. I had to wait for two to finish just to use the potty (note: they went separately). I spotted one or two dogs off-leash but most were secure and a number were jogging alongside their owners, which can look anywhere from cute to “I think that dog is about to expire.”
I again started with a deliberate pace in mind (and stretched before heading out). Just as I was reaching the bridge at Deer Lake Brook, my right leg started to hurt. Not a lot but enough to raise a tiny red flag. I moderated my pace and that seemed to help. Around 500 m later I bunched up with several other runners. One woman in particular was pretty much matching my pace so I had to quickly decide to either reduce my speed to let her get ahead and create a gap between us, or speed up, pass her and maintain speed long enough to create the same gap. The latter would be tougher and I was mindful of The Leg.
Still, that’s the way I went. But I did something a little different as I sped up–I lengthened my stride (this is where the TomTom would have been handy as I’d be able to see where it changed and by how much). My idea was to increase my speed without unduly straining my legs by increasing my stride without overextending it. I think it actually worked! For a time I felt lighter and faster and it was kind of neat. Then I got tired, the woman began gaining ground and before I was humbled by her sprinting by, we reached a split in the trail and she hooked left away from the lake.
The most surprising part of the run came at the end when I checked my time and pace. BPM was nearly identical to the last 10K but my total time was faster by a whopping 2:35 minutes. My average pace went from 5:50/km to 5:35/km. I’m not sure how I managed this dramatic improvement except the first km was zippier than normal at 5:10/km and the 5km mark was also significantly faster than the km before and after–this is where I turned on UltraPace mode. I was definitely beginning to tire in the last km but held it together long enough to keep the overall pace up.
Despite the warning signs from The Leg, this was still a very nice run. I will keep stretching and do what I can to minimize the risk of yet another injury.
