I hemmed and I hawed while heading out today. Would I:
- Be lazy and just walk to the end of the river trail and run back (2K)?
- Be less lazy and do a 5K, but start right at the entrance to the river trail, minimizing total time required for walking/running
- Carry on to the lake and do a quick loop running 2.5K and then doubling back
I ended up going for option #3 and was glad I did.
It was somewhat humid again but cooler than last time, resulting in some sweating, but also my mouth not really drying out. This was a good compromise, really, and probably provided a bit of an energy boost.
The strobe light part happened because the sun was low enough that it was shining through the tops of the trees when I was running westward, producing a distinct strobing effect. It’s a bit distracting. By reversing after 2.5K I completely avoided the effect on the way back, thus saving myself from getting bedazzled and running off the trail and into a clutch of giant skunk cabbage.
Also of note, I saw a squirrel on the trail holding a chestnut in its mouth–with the outer shell/skin still on it. You know, the one that’s covered in spiky bits. This must be the squirrel equivalent of eating Cap’n Crunch.
I found a comfortable pace from the start and maintained it throughout, completing the run without that OMG WHY HASN’T THIS ENDED YET?! feeling hitting me.
As a result, I shaved four seconds off my previous pace, had an even lower BPM and just generally felt a lot better. Running the lake trail is more technical than the river, though it’s pretty mild in terms of curves and dips, but it’s still so much nicer to run on an actual travel and not a seldom-used-by-vehicles service road, so the extra walking is worth it. Plus, with the resurfacing going on now between Piper Spit and Phillips Point, the entire loop is pretty much 100% exposed tree root-free. Even when the leaves pile up in the fall, I won’t have to worry about snagging a foot on one of those evil wood things. Woo!
When that resurfacing is done, the only remaining area will be the strip alongside the athletic fields, which can still flood or get very swampy from the rain, or even when they run the sprinklers for too long. The drainage in the area is a bit lacking.
In any case, it’s good to be back to a regular run routine. Here’s hoping my body doesn’t goof it all up.
Stats:
Run 658 Average pace: 6:12/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 4:29 p.m. Distance: 5.02 km Time: 31:10 Weather: Sunny Temp: 19ºC Humidity: 50% Wind: light BPM: 150 Weight: 177.8 Total distance to date: 4895 km Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12 Shoes: Brooks Caldera 5 (25 km)
