It’s been more than three weeks since I last did a 5K run, so I once again opted to go slow ‘n steady. I suppose all the other walking and workouts in the meantime helped, as while my pace was slow (6:16/km), it was a fair bit peppier than the run on April 24, which followed the same route.
I did stop only a few hundred meters in, because there was a snake on the trail and I absolutely had to take a picture of it. Behold, snake:
The first km of the run (post-snake) was perhaps faster than intended at 5:54/km. This often happens, as you start with boundless energy. By the second km I was deliberately holding back, and maybe went too far the other way, dropping to a sluggish 6:26/km. My pace held steady near the average for the last 3 km. I experienced no cramps or other issues, save for my left elbow being a bit sore. Why it was sore I don’t know. It didn’t seem to be from running, it’s just the swinging motion while running accentuated that it was sore. Maybe I slept on it.
As it was a weekday afternoon–and the weather was delightfully normal, which it hasn’t been for most of May–the trail was not crowded. I saw a few other runs, including a guy who was maybe around 20 and was running without a shirt to show off his ridiculously flat stomach. He didn’t have killer abs or anything, his mid-section was just utterly flat. It looked unnatural. I was jealous. He passed me a second time, still looking like the jog wasn’t causing him to expend any energy at all. This also made me jealous.
The geese were on the sports field, with gaggles of goslings in a variety of sizes. I didn’t see anything else other than a few squirrels and a pair of forlorn male wood ducks.
In all, it was nice to get out for another run, and the better pace was a pleasant bonus. I shall do this again soon. Not soon™, actual soon!
I am thinking of looking into new running shoes, though. The Calderas are fine, but I’m not crazy with the way they lace up. Also, the laces are weirdly super-long. I might check out reviews of the latest Speedgoats. I loved those things, other than how they dyed my socks new and interesting colors.
Stats:
Run 675 Average pace: 6:16/km Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW Start: 1:06 p.m. Distance: 5:03 km Time: 31.33 Weather: Sunny with some high cloud Temp: 17ºC Humidity: 51% Wind: light BPM: 157 Weight: 173.2 Total distance to date: 4978 km Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Brooks Caldera 5 (98 km)