Run 574
Average pace: 5:49/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 1:47 pm
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:20
Weather: Clear, some cloud
Temp: 12-14ºC
Humidity: 40%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 163
Weight: 167.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 4455 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8
Today’s run can be divided into Good and Bad.
Good:
- the weather was pleasant and mild, the sun actually felt nice
- my knees surprisingly didn’t bother me
- I didn’t experience any other issues, though I could feel a bit of that “not-quite-in-shape” burn
- two geese standing right next to the trail at an especially narrow point did not react as I passed close by, apart from one shifting slightly. There was no hissing or pecking, from either the geese or myself.
- the bugs at Deer Lake Brook were gone, possibly having already died from old age
- the new bridge is in at Still Creek
Bad:
- I had the first taste of dry mouth for the season, as it was rather breezy
- my knees actually felt worse on the walk back after the run, though they’re fine now
- I was surprisingly slow at 5:49/km. I think the weekly pace (ie. running only once per week) is catching up to me. I plan on running on the holiday Monday to start getting into regular runs, totally for real this time.
- the new bridge at Still Creek is closed, so you still have to use the old one. For now they co-exist peacefully.
- a weirdly large number of cyclists on the trail getting in the way and such. Also briefly a horse, though the rider stopped just short of moving onto the “no horsey” part of the trail.
Signs of spring were all around, too:
- the water fountain by the dam was awakened from its winter slumber
- the “Icy conditions” signs have been removed
- general increase in green, with trees budding and blooming all over
The skunk cabbage is also on the verge of blossoming, too. This is the time of year when it looks pretty and isn’t stinky.
Four (!) trees have been cut down since my last run at the lake, including several that had been leaning rather precariously. A fifth that had a large branch angled over the path, requiring you to either duck under or go around has also been amputated. This past winter has probably seen more trees come down (via storm or chainsaw) than in the seven years I’ve been running here.
Overall, I am left a bit nonplussed by the run. I was hoping to get a pace in the 5:30s range, but at least the knees were fine. Well, I shouldn’t say fine. I’ve come to realize that for awhile now (several years, at least) my knees have been very tender whenever I have to use them, like when I kneel on the floor to tie a shoe or scrub something off the kitchen tile. They feel weirdly sensitive. I can replicate this by going into a crouch. I have no idea if running caused this, or if it’s hereditary (my dad had bad knees) but I’ll keep running for as long as I’m able to or possibly get bionic knees.
One other positive was the BPM holding at 163. It’s been remarkably stable, which seems like a good thing. As I get in better shape it should go down. I just need to do more stuff to actually get in better shape. 😛
