2.5K

Run 866: Son of son of baby run

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run

My goal today was simple: Run a short 2.5 km loop, completing the 5K I started on Wednesday.

I did this, but then:

  • Ignored the short loop part and just ran the full 2.5K, going clockwise.
  • I spotted myself 500 meters, then began tracking a 7K walk around the lake.
  • And obviously walked the 4 km back from the lake.

Conditions were pleasantly warm, around 20C, and humidity was high enough to stave off dry mouth. I started out with a spring 5:38/km pace, but knew that wouldn’t last. Fortunately, with only a 2.5 km run, it didn’t have to. My second km slipped to 5:48/km, and I ended with a perfectly cromulent average of 5:45/km. My BPM was slightly higher, likely due to a combo of the faster pace and higher temperature.

I spied several naughty cyclists on the trail–may they get double flats–and not one, but two mowers, each operating on either side of a footbridge along the Cottonwood Trail (which was very much littered with cottonwood dander). I am guessing the mowers would probably cause the bridge to collapse. The first mower was idling near the bridge, taking a break. The second was actively working, but saw me and paused. Prior to this, he was lifting the mower up very high, as if he wanted to mow the trees. I’m pretty sure you don’t mow trees.

My stamina is still pretty bad. I could really feel it toward the end of the run. Still, I plan on doing a full 5K on Monday. I’ll just pace myself. Slowly pace myself.

On the plus side, my training status went from Recovery to Maintaining to Productive over the combo of walks and the run. And as I type this, my knees seem OK. So maybe they are OK. Maybe.

Also, I hit a milestone of sorts–6,200 km tracked on runs!

A bunch of adult geese and their surly teens emerged from Still Creek post-run, but didn’t seem to mind me, so I was able to get this photo:

Poopmonsters and teen poopmonsters, emerging from Still Creek

Stats:

Run 866
Average pace: 5:45/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 11:22 a.m.
Distance: 2.50 km
Time: 14:23
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 20-21°C
Humidity: 57-56%
Wind: light
BPM: 156
Weight: 169.1
Total distance to date: 6,200 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (340/650/990 km)

Run 812: Unplanned mini-run!

Brunette River, pre-run

I did a spontaneous mini-run today!

Yesterday I thought about doing shorter runs on my off-days–currently Tuesday and Thursday–with the idea being I’d either go half my usual distance (so 2.5 km) or run for a set amount of time (something that would at least equal the half distance, like 15 minutes).

I ultimately opted to go for distance, because it would keep things neater and tidier in the stats (that didn’t happen today, for reasons I will explain below).

The idea behind these mini-runs is:

  • To improve my overall fitness
  • To help get me energized at the start of the day
  • To see what fun things will happen to my body

It’s mostly the second one. I feel that on non-run days I start out a bit blah and listless. Running focuses me and gets me energized. If I keep the runs short and on the river trail (as I did today) they can give me a boost without eating up too much time.

Also, the stats are faster, which is a nice because fast is GOOD. Right?

Speaking of stats, the shorter run resulted in a lower BPM of 154, and a faster average pace of 5:29/km. I also got an award for my fastest 1 km yet, at 5:22/km.

With a run like this, there isn’t really time for any issues to develop. The biggest one was technical. I wanted to end the run at 2.5 km and got a text alert shortly before that. The alerts cover the top of the watch display where distance is shown. I don’t know how to dismiss the alerts, and this one seemed to sit there forever. I finally just guessed I’d hit 2.5 km and paused the run, to find I was actually at 2.59 km. Not a big deal, but it rankles me in an OCD way. I have since learned how to dismiss alerts during a run. For posterity, in case I forget, or if anyone else wants to know:

How to clear a message alert during a run on a Garmin Forerunner 255:

• Press the Down button (this shows the message)
• Press the Back button (this clears the message)

I will probably keep doing these mini-runs for a while to see how they go. In a way, it feels like cheating because they’re so quick. I’m sure my body will show me otherwise soon enough.

NOTE: I forgot to stretch before the run. We'll see if that has any impact later!
Run 812
Average pace: 5:29/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Brunette River Trail
Start: 11:34 a.m.
Distance: 2.59 km
Time: 14:13
Weather: Cloudy, some sun
Temp: 13ºC
Humidity: 87-85%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 154
Weight: 167.9
Total distance to date: 5937.6 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (72.6/142/214.6 km)