After getting the go-ahead to resume runs from my doctor and physiotherapist, I headed out today, as the usual birding had been cancelled.
But before I ran, I did the first batch of new stretching exercises to help with my runner’s knee and to prevent additional runner’s knees from springing up like mushrooms after a rain.
The exercises were:
- Standing soleus stretching: Stand near the wall, bend your knee and hold for a few seconds. Pretty basic. I didn’t feel much from this, which made me wonder if I was doing it right.
- Calf stretch: Similar to above, but instead of bending the knee, you extend your calf back and out. Fine at first, you start to feel that burning sensation toward the end.
- Foam rolling quads: You lay belly-down on a foam roller and using your hands, you move your body over it, from just below the crotch to just above the knees, for 1–2 minutes. This one feels fine for the first 10 seconds or so, then it switches to feeling like you’re murdering your leg muscles after setting them on fire.
With the exercises out of the way, I mulled my run options (the bold option is what I went with):
- EASIEST: A 5K run along the river trail, starting as soon as I got there. About one hour total time.
- SLIGHTLY HARDER: The same as above, but walking to the end of the river trail and starting the run from there. Adds about 3 km to the walking part.
- MOAR WALKING: Run a short loop at Burnaby Lake, going 2.5 km before turning around and looping back. Ups the walking by another km.
- MOST DEFINITELY HARDER: Walk to the lake, do a 5K run, then walk around the lake and back. This is my usual 5K run and the walking part is around 13 km or so.
- THIS WOULD PROBABLY LEAVE ME CURLED UP ON THE GROUND: Do a full 10K run at the lake as if it hadn’t been 25 days since my last run.
I planned to run at a slower pace, which was fairly easy, since it had been over three weeks since my last run. My BPM was up a little to 153, which is still fine, and while I had no issues completing the 5K, I was definitely feeling a bit tired by the end. The knees felt fine during the run and more importantly, have remained intact since.
The walk back I also adopted a slower pace, with no additional running and that was also fine, though I was again feeling much more tired than usual, especially on all those pesky stairs.
Conditions were pretty good. It was sunny, but not overly warm, with a nice cooling breeze and humidity high enough to avoid Dry Mouth Syndrome™. Even though it was a Saturday, the trail was not too crowded, and I was able to navigate around people without issue.
Speaking of people, the spitfire was there…walking! She was clearly not dressed for running, so maybe she walks on the weekends (I normally do not run on the weekend).
Some other notes from the run:
- The Piper Mill Trail was closed due to resurfacing. This is the first time it’s been resurfaced since I started running at the lake in 2011. Maybe the first time it’s been resurfaced in 300 years. This leaves the little leg off the athletic field and a stretch along further along the field (both of which flood) as the last two remaining sections that have never been resurfaced since I started running here.
- The marshmallow roof on the tennis courts has been removed. Summer is officially unofficially here!
- The demolished playground has a shinier new playground going up in its place. No more bawling kids. Well, not over a lack of a playground, at least.
- The first boardwalk (as you run/walk counter-clockwise) has been in a state of disrepair for some time and someone apparently said, “Dis needs repairing!” because the splintered and broken railing have been completely replaced and at least a dozen or more boards have been replaced, giving the boardwalk a weird new/old look. The second boardwalk still has the “repairs are planned” signs up that have been there for at least the past year.
- A giant mob of geese and goslings were heading into Still Creek, and the goslings are now in a variety of sizes, with some starting to look kind of goofy as they outgrow their baby bodies.
- There was some kind of rowing competition up in the hizzy, as the rowing pavilion parking lot was completely full, and I could see skiffs1Is that what they’re called? I’m not a rowingologist. plying the one section of lake that is carved out from all the lily pads.
Overall, it was good to be back out. My plan is to continue the daily stretches and hopefully go out for another run on Monday. Depending on how I feel, I may choose one of the easier options listed above, but definitely not the last one.
A bonus shot of Burnaby Lake, with the lily pads having completed their annual conquest:
Stats:
Run 776 Average pace: 6:06/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 1:43 p.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 30:44 Weather: Sunny Temp: 20ºC Humidity: 69% Wind: low to moderate BPM: 153 Weight: 165.1 Total distance to date: 5765 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (437 km)