UPDATE, August 21, 2022: Replaced golf course image with newer, larger image, added some additional tags.
Run 427
Average pace: 5:26/km
Location: Langara Golf Course trail (CCW)
Distance: 5.05 km
Time: 27:32
Weather: Sun and cloud
Temp: 15ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 160
Stride: n/a
Weight: 163.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 3437
Device used: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
For the first time since last June I ran somewhere new. It was somewhat exciting!
I have long thought about running the trail around the Langara Golf Course. It’s next to my workplace, which means during the week I can run at lunch and not have to spend part of the evening jogging when I’d much rather be loafing. The course is just long enough at 2.7 km that I don’t get the sensation of running in circles, which sometimes happened with China Creek Park’s 550 m loop. Except for a small paved stretch near the tennis courts, it’s a combination of packed dirt and gravel.
On the negative side, there is always the chance of getting clobbered by a stray golf ball.
You can see parts of the trail below but most of it is hidden by trees (image taken from Google Maps):
Running counter-clockwise (as I did), the lower-right corner is where the trail starts sloping uphill. It’s not a steep incline but it is longer than the ones I experience at Burnaby Lake. My first loop my legs felt ablaze as I tried to maintain speed. My second loop I was in more of a rhythm and handled it better. I will likely use my TomTom on the next run so I can get an actual map showing where my pace goes from “yay fast!” to “legs now hate me forever.” I should point out that the left (west) side of the trail is almost completely on a similar but downward slope, which is almost a zany treat for a runner.
My right leg felt a bit sore afterward (and felt a bit sore after Tuesday’s run, though it felt fine on the run itself). I’m not too concerned as I am stretching before and after runs now and it doesn’t feel like the muscles are on the verge of being blown out. I am prepared to eat crow (or possibly a running shoe) on this if I am proven wrong, however.
With a new course, I wasn’t sure what to expect and it felt like I started too fast. It took me probably half the run to really settle into a comfortable pace and the uphill portion is going to be a drag on my times until I get used to it. Overall, though, I was pleased by the effort and my average pace of 5:26/km was in line with my other recent 5K runs.
And I indeed enjoyed some sweet, sweet loafing tonight.
