Run 440
Average pace: 5:48/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 7.03 km
Time: 40:49
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 21-24ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 165
Stride: n/a
Weight: 159 pounds
Total distance to date: 3514
Device used: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
Although it was actually slightly cooler for today’s run vs. Wednesday’s, it felt warmer and I had sweat trickling down my face a little over a km in. After a fairly brisk walk to the lake, I saw the same weird shift in pace that has happened the last three times I’ve run at the lake, where my time is significantly slower, even when running the same distance.
Today I at least had the excuse that I was not running the same distance, as this was my first post-recovery run where I went beyond 5K, choosing to do a 7K run. The good news is I finished with no pain or discomfort (the right leg was a little stiff, especially to start but fine after and on the walk back). The less good is by about the 6 km mark I was beginning to feel the extra distance. I never quite fell to plodding along but the last two km were markedly slower than the rest. I slumped on the second km, too, though that was more by design as I was trying to conserve energy for the longer distance. The third to fifth km my pace actually improved and stayed fairly steady.
Oh, and in all the time I have run at Burnaby Lake I have never seen a rabbit, until today. A cute brown bunny was sitting out on the Spruce Loop trail, soaking up the sun. My approach sent it into a panic and it initially hopped down the trail, then, perhaps realizing I was catching up, began to dart back and forth, as if unable to decide what to do. It finally pelted left into the bush, just safely out of reach. I can now add rabbits to the list of wildlife encountered while running at the lake, which also includes snakes, turtles, coyotes and possibly a bear. And maybe Bigfoot, who knows.
While I’m not thrilled with my pace of 5:48/km, I realize I am still a ways off from getting back into peak form and finishing the run intact should be enough. And it is. Mostly.
I’m going to try to stick to a regular schedule now, with the next run on Tuesday. I am undecided on 5K or 7K. I’ll probably ask my watch to flip a coin, because it’s the future and my watch can totally do that.
