5K

I went birding instead of running on Friday, so this was my first run after four days off. In my favour: The conditions were good, with little wind, mild (for winter) temperatures and partly sunny skies.

Working against me: It’s Family Day, a stat holiday, and that meant the trail was packed with roving groups of people who only ever visit the lake on stat holidays. We’ll next meet again on Easter Monday!

Fortunately, it wasn’t that bad. Despite the crowds, I never had trouble navigating around others. And even the [colourful euphemism here] people who decided it was a good idea to go jogging with their off-leash dogs didn’t present any issues.

I wasn’t sure how it would go, but the walk to the lake was surprisingly nimble, so I was hopeful for a decent effort. Shortly before heading off clockwise, an older guy jogged by, and I figured I might see him once I started. Sure enough, I caught sight of him on the Avalon Trail, but for an older guy, he was keeping up a very good pace. I felt like I might be closing the gap, but only by tiny increments.

Somewhere past the 3K mark, the gap did genuinely begin to close. I wasn’t really pushing hard, so he must have started slowing. I finally made the decision to pass and put on the boosters, passed, then kept up the boosted speed for another 10 seconds or so before going back to my normal pace.

About a minute or so later, he passed me. The nerve! He apparently was determined to not be passed again, because the gap between us started to increase again. Right near the end I feel it was starting to once again close, but he went left and I went right, so there was no way to know who might have passed whom again. I’ll just pretend it was me!

All this extra effort had two effects: A year’s-best pace of 5:42/km for me, along with a higher-than-normal BPM of 159 (which is actually fine). Pleasingly, I experienced no issues, despite putting the proverbial pedal to the metal.

Overall, a better-than-expected start to the week and proof that my competitive spirit still burbles under the surface.

Stats:

Run 852
Average pace: 5:42/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 9:47 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 28:41
Weather: Partly sunny
Temp: 6-7ºC
Humidity: 78-75%
Wind: light
BPM: 159
Weight: 171.1
Total distance to date: 6150 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (285/530/815 km)

Another sunny day! In February! Weird!

I set off a little bit earlier for a run where conditions were similar to the previous in terms of weather (sunny) but a bit cooler by two degrees. This and going the “hard” way around Burnaby Lake meant my pace was a tad slower and my BPM a tad higher, but both were still fine.

I did something that made my right hip a bit sore yesterday (not a run day) and was concerned it might affect my run, but I think jogging actually helped it, because it wasn’t an issue and feels better (for now, at least).

The only off-note was another Off-leash Friday. Whether it’s a coincidence or not, it seems like people are more likely to have dogs off-leas on Fridays. At least they proved to not be problematic. The only one that approached me was post-run, and it was a tiny white furball.

Overall, it was nice to end the week with a full-deal run and to experience no issues. Here’s to getting slimmer, getting stronger and tackling 10Ks again, possibly as we shift over to spring next month.

Run 850
Average pace: 5:47/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 120:58 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:07
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 5-6ºC
Humidity: 72-68%
Wind: light
BPM: 153
Weight: 172.0
Total distance to date: 6140 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (275/513/788 km)

Today’s run was weird and a bit contradictory, but in a good sort of way.

First, it was cooler–only 5C. I wore two layers up top, and it was a little chilly walking to the lake, but tolerable, and I was fine for the run. I did try my windbreaker before heading out, but it’s a little too snug due to my current blimp-like shape. But I’ll be able to wear it again, probably by the time the weather warms up and I won’t need it.

Normally cooler weather means I need to work harder, yet my BPM of 150 was actually lower than Friday’s run, when it was a balmy 9C. Yet it felt like I was working harder, as if my heart rate and stamina have someone become disassociated from each other. Like I said, weird.

Once again, no issues on the run, though I started lagging a lot on the 4th km, with my pace drooping to 5:59/km. This surprised me, so I put in a little more effort on the final km (5:33/km) and ended up matching Friday’s pace of 5:48/km. I’m happy with that.

The trail was pretty empty for the most part, with only a few other joggers and a couple others out walking. The only doggo was on a leash and jogging alongside its owner (who I’ve seen several times now, possibly a new regular).

Overall, a good way to start the week.

Run 848
Average pace: 5:48/km
Training status: Strained
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW, short loop)
Start: 9:45 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:10
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 5ºC
Humidity: 75%
Wind: light
BPM: 150
Weight: 174.2
Total distance to date: 6130 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (265/496/761 km)

Overdressed alert: I actually came back in after stepping outside and put on a second layer. It turned out I didn’t need it, though it was probably nice to have for the walk to the lake. It had started to lightly sprinkle, and I was thinking of cold rain, but the shower eased up and it stayed dry for the run.

My original plan was to do a quick one-hour workout by running the river trail. I managed to talk myself into doing a short loop at the lake and then, while running, talked myself into going all the way around the lake.

When I finished the run, my watch declared my training status as Productive. Yay! When I completed the 5K walk around the lake, it declared my training status Overreaching. Whoopsie!

The run went fine, with no issues other than me just slowly getting back into shape. Unlike Wednesday, there was no danger of me coming in over 6:00/km, and my overall pace of 5:48/km was a seven-second improvement. My BPM was even slightly lower. The only complication was a dry catch in my throat around the 3 km mark. As this point in a run I am breathing through my mouth (insert joke here), which means I was pulling in air onto this dry patch in my throat, which made it worse. It settled down after a few minutes, but was a bit annoying in the interim.

What wasn’t annoying were the people and dogs on the trail. Every dog was leashed, and all the owners saw me coming and made room for me to pass. Everyone was so friendly and polite! It almost threw me off. I almost expected a dragon or something to appear later to compensate.

But no dragons appeared.

And then on the river trail coming back I spotted extremely early blooms. We’re only halfway through winter. This is weird, but pleasant.

Overall, I’m pleased with my first full week back running. Here’s hoping my knees and other assorted body parts cooperate as I rebuild my stamina for an eventual return to 10K outings.

Stats:

Run 847
Average pace: 5:48/km
Training status: Overreaching (oops)
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:44 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:11
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 9ºC
Humidity: 88-89%
Wind: light
BPM: 153
Weight: 175.4
Total distance to date: 6125 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (260/488/748 km)

Conditions were nearly identical to Monday, with temperatures still well above normal. I wore my long-sleeved shirt because light rain was in the forecast. For the run itself, it was unnecessary, but it helped on the walk to the lake and back.

I originally planned to do a short loop clockwise, but once I started I abandoned the plan and just kept running. Why?

• I generally don’t like doubling back the same way I’ve come. The lake trail works great for this because it’s over 10 km long.
• I was curious to see the damage on the rest of the trail.
• I felt I need to keep pushing to get myself back into shape (but not too hard–still sticking to 5K runs for now. I remember The Knees of 2023).

The run went well. I managed my goal, which was to be under 6:00/km, coming in at 5:55/km. It was close on the fourth km, where my time edged up to 5:59/km, but I tapped my inner reserve of magic running whatsit and got through. No issues to report, either, other than being a bit tired because I’m still getting used to my regular run routine again.

Most of the run was dry and when it did rain, it was more an intermittent drizzle, which was perfectly tolerable. The trail is mostly in good shape, but several sections were washed out, and I noticed a few more ex-trees that had been cleared away. The last few winters have been merciless on this place.

Still, it was good to be out again, and I’m looking forward to it feeling a little easier. I know the mild weather won’t last, but here’s hoping, even if it means horrible climate change or something.

Stats:

Run 846
Average pace: 5:55/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 11:09 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:45
Weather: Cloudy with intermittent drizzle and light rain
Temp: 12-13ºC
Humidity: 83%
Wind: light
BPM: 154
Weight: 174.9
Total distance to date: 6120 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (255/475/730 km)

I am still soft and flabby, but at least the snow is gone. In fact, not only was the snow gone from the trail, it was up to 5 degrees above normal–and this is in the morning, hours before the high temperature for the day. It’s kind of weird running in January and having it feel more like early April.

I opted to wear my summer running clothes: shirts and a t-shirt. And it was fine! Even a long-sleeved shirt would have felt overdressed.

I did a short loop counter-clockwise and got to see the latest havoc the rains have wreaked on the trail, with several areas washed out and traffic cones in place.

A couple of trees were down, though they had already been cleared. We have gone from unusually warm to unusually cold and back to unusually warm all in the space of weeks, so it’s probably playing quite the number on the soil and vegetation.

As for the actual run, no issues encountered, and I felt OK–less tired than the previous run. My pace was a bit slower, as expected, on the more technical lake trail, sitting a little over 6:00/km. I managed 5:48/km for the last km, which brought my overall pace to 6:00/km even, the same as my last run (total times between the runs separated by only one second, which is a little freaky).

My training status has also jumped back up to Productive. My Garmin watch is happy again.

There were more people than usual out waling, probably due to the mild and, for the moment, dry conditions, but the extra bodies resulted in no issues.

Overall, it was good to be back on the trail, to run without dressing in multiple layers, and to not get soaked to my butt. I probably won’t escape getting damp on the next run, but for now I am content.

Stats:

Run 845
Average pace: 6:00/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 9:55 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 30:10
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 12-13ºC
Humidity: 89%
Wind: light
BPM: 154
Weight: 175.3
Total distance to date: 6115 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (250/462/712 km)

Sorry for the non-imaginative title.

Yes, today was my first run of the Year 2024, and what a kooky and possibly terrible year it may be!

But today’s run was fine. I ran on another odd day, as I opted for two days of rest after Saturday’s run. It was cool, so I wore two layers, but I beat the forecast light showers, so remained dry for my short loop clockwise at the lake.

My BPM was the same as the previous run at 157, but my pace improved by seven seconds, to 5:41/km, which was nice to see (I am not trying to run fast at this point). The knees felt fine, the left hip was a bit cranky, but tolerable. I should probably get it looked ta, as I suspect it is not going to magically improve as I keep getting older.

Conditions were good–the trail was dry, there was little wind and while it was 6C, it never felt cold.

Overall, a perfectly cromulent start to the new year, running-wise.

Stats:

Run 843
Average pace: 5:41/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW, short loop)
Start: 9:48 a.m.
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 28:35
Weather: Cloudy, some very light drizzle
Temp: 6ºC
Humidity: 83-84%
Wind: light
BPM: 157
Weight: 172.0
Total distance to date: 6105 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (240/450/690 km)

Whoops, I somehow didn’t run all week and after eight days of non-running, my Training Status per my Garmin Forerunner regressed thus:

• Maintaining
• Recovery
• Detraining (!)

Way to make me feel like a lazy slob, watch. I corrected this by going out on a rare weekend run and despite possible showers in the forecast, it remained dry and unusually mild once again. How mild? The Apple weather app is showing this currently:

This breaks the record for high temperature on this day, too.

So I headed out with just a single layer up top, which was perfectly fine. At first, I was going to just run the river trail and call it good, but after I got there, a woman with a rather large dog a short distance ahead of me stopped and took her dog off its leash. Bad dog owner! She then used one of those throwing stick things to toss a ball down the trail for her jumbo-sized dog to fetch, repeatedly. I fumed about this for a bit, then changed my mind and decided to run at the lake after all. So thanks, bad dog owner, for making me get even more exercise than I planned!

As the weather seemed to be holding at cloudy, I also decided to not do a short loop and did a full trip around the lake. My 5K pace was very similar to my last run at 5:48/km, though my BPM was higher at 157, not surprising given the eight days off. I am also feeling a bit stiffer than I normally would post-run, but nothing a good day of rest won’t fix.

Pleasantly, the trail was not that busy. Maybe the clouds–which did look a bit threatening–scared a lot of people off. Many people were bundled up, which would normally make sense. I mean, December 30th is very much winter, after all, but 11C is the kind of high temperature we’d normally get in March. You really don’t need gloves and a parka when it’s 11C.

Also, as a change of pace, I skipped the Spruce and Conifer Loops, after starting my run by the fountain near the dam. This meant that I was about 0.22 km short of the 2 km mark when I passed the 2K marker. I did not like this. I closed the gap a bit by taking the Piper Mill Trail, but I normally hit the markers pretty much right-on or even slightly ahead by taking the side trails, so I’ll probably go back to them next time. Still, it was nice for a change of pace.

In terms of issues, none really. The left hip was a bit crankier because of the time off, but didn’t factor in much. The left knee is a bit stiff, but more in the not-running-for-8-days way, not because of knee issues in general.

Anyway, it was nice to get out and get back on track. That will be a wrap for my runs in 2023, a year of ups and downs, for sure.

Stats:

Run 842
Average pace: 5:48/km
Training status: Recovery
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:43 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:13
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 11ºC
Humidity: 88%
Wind: light
BPM: 157
Weight: 171.1
Total distance to date: 6100 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (235/441/676 km)

KNEE ALERT: A short way into the fourth km, my left knee began to feel stiff. I kept running, and it seemed to be okay after a bit, but I am noting it here in case it turns into SOMETHING.

I decided to flip directions and run clockwise today and did a full loop (5K run), as I want to prep for a possible 10K soon™. As mentioned above, my left knee started feeling stiff after the 4K mark, but it seemed to settle down and overall I felt fine for the rest of the run. It was a bit cooler, but still very calm and my pace of 5:38/km is, somewhat remarkably, exactly the same as the last time I did a clockwise run.

As I left for the run, it was mostly sunny. That changed to partly sunny for the run, then pretty much cloudy by the end. At least I got back before any possible showers. I took before and after shots from the dam, and they almost look like different days. Conditions were otherwise fine, with the only complication coming when I hit the second boardwalk, shortly before the 4K mark. There’s a nearby house on private property, and they apparently have a wood-burning stove or something, because the smell of wood smoke suddenly appeared and hung thick in the air for a couple of hundred meters. It’s not exactly pleasant stuff to breathe in while running, but I knew it would fade away after a few minutes, and it did.

There were multiple herons about. I have no idea why they were so prominent today, but I like to think they were quietly observing and probably laughing because we have to run and they can just fly.

While the run went fairly well, possible knee issue notwithstanding, the time before the run had three dog incidents, one minor, one major, and one incidental:

• Minor: I was heading down the trail/stairs from Hume Park to Lower Hume Park. A woman with a giant dog on leash was coming up. The dog was not acting aggressive. The woman began to make some motions to move to the side to let me pass and initially I was going to do so, but she kept fussing and something about her body language struck me as off. I stopped, gave a bit of a shrug, and turned to detour around and take the other stairs down. She said, “Don’t worry, he’s friendly” and she may have been right, but it felt weird and I wasn’t in the mood to take chances.
• Major: Walking on the river trail toward the lake. Two women are ahead of me, both with large dogs, though not as large as the pony-sized dog mentioned above. One dog is leashed. The woman with the other dog leans down and appears to be letting the dog off-leash as I approach on the other side of the trail. The dog immediately takes off directly at me. I stop. It veers away and wanders past me. The owner calls it. It ignores the owner. She calls again, it keeps meandering off. I tell her, calmly, twice, to leash her dog, then keep walking. I look back and she has caught up to her dog. I can see more people closing in the distance. She looks like she is going to just hold the dog by the collar, but then maybe moves to put the leash back on. I couldn’t tell at this point. What I can verify is that I sarcastically said, “No, don’t leash your dog” several times. I don’t think it was loud enough for her to hear. But maybe.
• Incidental: I am atop the dam, ready to take my pre-run photo. A woman is approaching with a dog on leash. I move down to where the space on top of the dam expands, so I can give them extra room to walk by. As they do, she lets the dog go to where I am to give me a good sniff, completely defeating the purpose of my move.

There were also dogs during the run, but all were leashed and well-behaved there. I grow ever less impressed with the average dog owner, though.

But the run went well!

Bonus shot!

Stats:

Run 839
Average pace: 5:38/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 10:14 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 28:22
Weather: Partly sunny
Temp: 7ºC
Humidity: 88%
Wind: light
BPM: 154
Weight: 171.1
Total distance to date: 6085 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (220/411/631 km)