5K

I’ve been using my Garmin Forerunner 255 watch for about a year now and mostly I quite like it for my runs. I get a nice array of stats, it presents lovingly in a web interface, as well as in the requisite app. It performs well and remains easy to use in all kinds of weather. It’s accurate.

Well, it was accurate until today.

As you can see by the chart below, my heart rate went up rather dramatically right near the beginning of the run, when my BPM is usually on the lower side (since I’m just starting my workout). It then stayed really high (pushing 190) for a little over the first km before abruptly dropping down and staying in a typical range for the rest of the run.

I first suspected something was up at the end of the first km, when I got my usual performance conditions alert. This puts together various stats to give me a rating of how the run is expected to go. I usually see it fall in a range of -1 to +2. Today it reported -9, which I think would normally mean it was making the assessment when I was still laying in bed at 6 a.m.

I did check my heart rate later in the run several times, when it reported 151 and 155. I think 155 is probably close to the actual overall average.

At the end of the run I got a message about how it had “adjusted” my heart rate somehow, along with a context-free “+180” and I still have no idea what the +180 was referring to. I can’t find the message now and wish I’d taken a photo of it with my phone, but alas. The best I can guess is it was adjusting the overall heart rate based on the spike, making it 160 overall.

But mainly I think the sensor wigged out for some reason. I’ll probably power-cycle the watch or check for updates before the next run, just to be thorough (though once it settled back down, it was fine, and reported normal activity for the 4 km walk home).

As for the actual run, I had four days off, so I was feeling a little rusty, but no issues to report otherwise. It was drizzly, and my glasses started getting coated, but at least it was much milder than Friday’s run. This was also the first run since the storm bearing an atmospheric river came through, and sections of the trail were either washed away or in otherwise rough shape. A quite large tree at the start of the Spruce loop did not survive:

The freaky heart rate kind of spooked me, even though it was almost certainly a sensor glitch (I checked as I was writing this and there is, in fact, an update for the watch due out today or shortly after), but the run itself was pretty normal for four days off.

Stats:

Run 835
Average pace: 5:47/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 9:42 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:04
Weather: Cloudy, drizzle
Temp: 8-9ºC
Humidity: 91%
Wind: light
BPM: 1601See the explanation below for this (probably more like 155)
Weight: 169.8
Total distance to date: 6065 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (200/368/568 km)

For the first time in a week I was not totally unmotivated to run, woo.

I pondered how to dress. It would be 0C as I headed out and probably only a bit higher for the run. I decided on:

• Running pants
• My long sleeve Nike shirt
• My ancient and barely worn heavier gray long sleeve MEC shirt I bought before I even started running, which means it is turning 15 next year

I wore the lighter Nike shirt on top and overall this worked. Because it was colder (it got to 2C) I never felt overly warm, unlike Monday’s run, so this should work for similar conditions.

And speaking of conditions: Yes, it was cold. It got to 2C and stayed there for the run, and it was foggy at the lake, though much lighter than last November’s fog. It started to coat my glasses, but not until later in the run, and I could still actually see where I was going, which is a nice thing when you are running on a trail with big trees all around you. I actually wasn’t expecting fog, because it was sunny when I got to the lake (see the photo above), but once I got past the Avalon trail and closer toward the lake, the fog settled in and remained in place for the rest of the run.

I originally thought of doing a short loop counter-clockwise, then changed that to clockwise once I got there, then changed to a full loop around the lake because the fog was pretty, and I wanted to take photos. Yes, I added an extra 5 km to my walk home to take a few photos. Because I am weird like that.

I didn’t have any issues on the run. My BPM was higher at 156, but expected, given the cold conditions, and my pace was a very cromulent 5:44/km. There weren’t a lot of people out, which was nice. Maybe people find fog spooky or cold or something.

Overall, it was a nice and surprisingly more ambitious mid-week outing.

Oh, and the bunny: About 3 km in, a small brown rabbit hopped across the trail ahead of me. I’m going to say that means good luck (unlike when black cats do it, not that black cats normally hop), so I fully expect to win the (checks) $44 million Gold Ball 6/49 jackpot tonight! If I do, I totally swear to use my winnings wisely, and for good, unlike, uh, anyone else who might win. Yeah.

Anyway, I’m uncertain what to do for Friday’s run, because the weather looks awful. Might need to wear the rain jacket. Or run virtually, like in my head.

Stats:

Run 833
Average pace: 5:44/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 9:46 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 28:49
Weather: Light fog
Temp: 2ºC
Humidity: 86%
Wind: light
BPM: 156
Weight: 168.6
Total distance to date: 6055 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (190/356/546 km)

I almost talked myself out of running today, but finally headed out, later than normal. The funny part is that I was thinking of doing a short run on the river trail, to get it over with as quickly as possible, then ended up doing a full loop around the lake and posting my fastest run of the week.

In general, this was all good, with one notable asterisk, which I will get to in a moment.

First, a list:

• It was 7-8C for the rub, but it felt much colder. In fact, it felt colder than the 3-4C run I did a week or so ago. Weird, and I have no explanation. There was no wind, hence no wind chill. It was especially cold in the shade. This leads to…
• Sun good: It felt noticeably warmer in the sun than in the shade
• Sun bad: Along the northern side of the lake in particular, the sun was flickering through the now naked trees, producing a strobing effect that’s kind of annoying even when you’re just walking
• People confused: A family (I can’t say for certain due to the aforementioned sun getting in my eyes) was on the trail ahead of me, with a dog off-leash. One of them had the dog by the collar and the dog seemed fairly docile, so not terrible. But the people did this weird slo-mo panic at my approach and moved in every direction to make room for me, which resulted in no room at all, so I threaded through while applying the brakes.
• I was surprised by the pace, especially the stronger start, because I did not feel like I was pushing at all. Maybe I was running faster to keep warm.
• This leads to my next point…

My BPM was 155 overall, which is fine considering my pace (a brisk 5:40/km) and the weather (also brisk). However, my heart rate peaked at a rather alarming level:

I checked and it looks like this:

Generally this is pretty normal–the BPM ramps up as I start my run, then levels out and fluctuates in minor ways as my speed ebbs and flows. But from 1.18 to 1.44 km it shoots way up, peaking at 178 before drooping quickly back down to a normal ranger, then staying there for the rest of the run.

My pace during this section is not unusually fast (I had faster stretches), and in terms of distance, I’m in the first half of the second km, when my energy is still relatively high. This is weird. I usually aim for 150 and try to never go above 160, so 178 is breaking that by a lot. In terms of total time, this covers about 1:47 minutes. I don’t recall feeling any different, certainly not like I was over-exerting myself. The stretch of trail would cover the first boardwalk, where, if anything, I would be more cautious.

It’s possible it may have been an anomalous reading, too. I mean, at that level I would almost expect the watch to blare an alarm and say HEY YOU ARE NOT 29 ANYMORE, SLOW DOWN.

Despite this, it was nice to have an unexpectedly faster pace and to round out the week with a full loop around the lake. I warmed up fairly quickly, but the walk back was a tad chilly, even with two layers.

Stats:

Run 831
Average pace: 5:40/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 12:12 p.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 28:33
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 7-8ºC
Humidity: 70-66%
Wind: light
BPM: 155
Weight: 169
Total distance to date: 6045 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (180/339/519 km)

I can’t remember the last time I saw so many birbs flitting about the lake trail on a run. They were everywhere. It must have been birb lunch hour. It was kind of cute!

Less cute were two couples I encountered. The first was during the run, a couple that chose to walk with each on the opposite edge of the trail, forcing me to run between them. I thought they saw me approach, but apparently not, because as I got closer, they actually began a kind of pincer movement, moving in toward each other and giving me nowhere to go. I managed to squeeze through without collision.

I wonder if people like this just exist in a perpetual state of obliviousness around others or if it’s just the first time they have ever walked on a public trail.

The others were post-run, on the river trail. The river trail is a service road, so normally there is never any issue getting by people, because it is generously wide. But!

These two people were walking down the centre for reasons, so I had to pass either left or right. Since I was already on the right (as one should be), I opted to pass on the right. Right. Wrong! As I got close, they must have heard me, and I guess they thought they’d give me room to pass–by moving to the right, or directly into my path. Again, questions were raised (in my head), and collisions were avoided.

All dogs seen, however, were on leash!

Oh, and the run:

It went well. I started a little slow, then dragged a bit in the middle, but made up for it in the last two km, with an overall pace of 5:47/km, better than Monday, with the same BPM. It was cool, but not cold and cloudy, despite the weather app weirdly reporting “mostly sunny.” I found myself not thinking about my knees, but my stamina and general energy level, which is a positive sign, I think. I will probably do a full loop around the lake on Friday (though still only a 5K run. I likely won’t try a 10K again for another week or so).

Stats:

Run 830
Average pace: 5:47/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 11:09 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:06
Weather: Overcast, some low mist
Temp: 8ºC
Humidity: 88-90%
Wind: light
BPM: 152
Weight: 168.8
Total distance to date: 6040 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (175/326/501 km)

I postponed my run for a day due to my left calf getting weird and achy while I slept Tuesday night. I think it was just a weird sleeping position thing, but erred on caution.

Also, the weather was looking nicer for Thursday.

And it was nice! I mean, it was sunny and no wind, but also the coldest run of the fall yet–a chilly 3C to start and only 4C by the end. I wore two layers up top and my running pants and was fine. My arms felt a little chilly walking to the lake, but it was quite acceptable.

As expected, I warmed up pretty quickly, turning in a good first km, slowing a bit on the second, but then the third and fourth I edged over the six-minute mark. Egad. I believe this was a combination of still recovering from the week off, plus the colder temperatures. I wasn’t pushing, and as such my usual effort, plus the cold = slower. I did push a bit for the final km, which came in the fastest at 5:31/km. My overall pace of 5:50/km is still perfectly good. And my BPM was the same as Monday’s run at 155, despite the chillier temperatures.

Other than the slowly sinking boardwalk being a tad slippery in spots, the trail was fine and conditions, as noted, were otherwise pretty good. I did get some of that strobing effect when I was returning on the back half of the 5K, where the sun (still fairly low in the sky) flickered through the now bare tree branches. I could have avoided it by doing a full loop around the lake, but felt…disinclined to do so today.

Overall, though, a nice, if brisk, run. And no rain. I am likely going to run next on Saturday, and so far the forecast looks milder and decent for that.

Stats:

Run 828
Average pace: 5:50/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW, short loop)
Start: 9:55 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:21
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 3-4ºC
Humidity: 85-82%
Wind: light
BPM: 155
Weight: 168.4
Total distance to date: 6030 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (165/314/479 km)

A week ago I did my first 10K in seven months, then the next day, I stretched my left leg out repeatedly on top of my right leg while sitting in my office chair. This was apparently a bad idea, because it left my left knee feeling rather sore. The right knee, usually the problem child, was fine.

I decided to pass on Wednesday’s run to allow the left knee to recover. Then I did the same on Friday, favouring caution.

Finally, today rolled around, and I decided to give it a go, planning a short counter-clockwise loop. As often happens, I changed my mind and did a full loop around the lake, 5K running, 5K walking. And it was fine.

The left knee did start to ache a little around midway through, but it actually receded away as I kept running and feels fine afterwards, as I type this, so I think I am past the weird leg-folding incident. Continuing to be cautious, I will likely stick to 5K runs for the rest of this week, though.

As for the run, it went better than expected. I started slow, which was unsurprising–I was being careful, I was cold, and I’d had a week to get soft and flabby. But my pace improved as I went, and my final average of 5:47/km is perfectly cromulent. My BPM was higher at 155, but I chalk that up to the cold and the week off. I actually felt pretty good.

Remembrance Day was on Saturday, which meant most people got today off, so the trail was much more crowded than it would normally be on a Monday, but that was also fine. There were no egregious trail hogs, dogs were leashed, with only a few exceptions. Everyone was just enjoying the cool but mostly sunny conditions.

Plus, I saw a rainbow!

Stats:

Run 827
Average pace: 5:47/km
Training status: Recovery
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:51 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:02
Weather: Partly sunny
Temp: 8ºC
Humidity: 84%
Wind: light
BPM: 155
Weight: 170.2
Total distance to date: 6025 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (160/306/466 km)

I was yet again not feeling it for today’s run, but donned my running clothes (just a single layer for the top this time, which was sufficient) and headed out in mild and more seasonal conditions.

And it was fine. My upper right leg felt a bit stiff and I think I need to resume doing the upper leg stretching exercises again. I started out a bit faster than Wednesday, ticked slightly slower for the middle, then finished strong, with the final km coming in at 5:26/km. It actually didn’t feel that fast to me, which is good, I suppose. I came in at what is now my average pace of 5:45/km, but with the bonus of a nice low BPM of 149.

Despite rain yesterday, conditions were good, and the trail was clear, for the most part. It really wasn’t until just after the run that I encountered a surprising number of off-leash dogs and a pair of cyclists. You can see both of these in this handy photo I took as I began my walk out from the lake:

They can’t take away from what was a perfectly good run to end the week, though. Maybe I’ll try a 10K next week. Maybe.

Run 825
Average pace: 5:45/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:21 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 28:55
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 11-12ºC
Humidity: 90%
Wind: light
BPM: 149
Weight: 169.2
Total distance to date: 6010 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (145/285/430 km)

I’ll explain the title in a moment.

First, a clothing note: I wore two layers (undershirt, long-sleeved shirt) and it was fine for walking but too warm for running, especially with little breeze. The long-sleeved shirt would have been sufficient.

It was 11C, which is not particularly warm, but actually feels kind of warm compared to 5C. Again, there was little wind, but I was unmotivated and running (ho ho) late, so I decided to do a short counter-clockwise loop. I started sluggish, but that was OK, then did something that doesn’t happen that often: I got progressively faster each km. Observe:

• Lap 1: 5:57
• Lap 2: 5:55
• Lap 3: 5:49
• Lap 4: 5:39
• Lap 5: 5:37

Fun factoid: My best pace came during the fourth km, where I briefly hit 5:16/km.

The two things I noted today were a lot of photographers or people taking photos and a lot of squirrels. The two may have been related.

As for the run, it was fine. At some point early on, my legs felt a bit cranky and stiff, but it went away, and I felt good on the walk home. There were no issues, even as a pair of putt putt cars approached me nearly in tandem at one point. I don’t know why the park workers would drive together like that, but I’m sure it was important in some nature-related way.

Toward the end of my run, I passed a guy jogging while pushing a stroller. A short time later, I looped around and started back. Eventually I caught sight of him again and began catching up. He was clearly younger (probably in his early 30s) but you know, pushing a stroller does slow you down a bit. Too fast and the stroller goes up on two wheels on corners. But a funny thing happened. He either heard me or saw my shadow, because he looked behind and saw me approaching–at this point I had already moved to the left to pass. After spotting me, he picked up speed, like one of those drivers that is suddenly, “Uh uh, you ain’t gonna pass me, buddy!” And indeed, he started to widen the gap. A bit after that, I diverted left to the Conifer Loop, and he stuck to the main trail. I didn’t see him again, so I’ll assume I either won, or he got sucked into some mysterious forest portal and was never seen again.

In all, and especially given my motivation, this was not a bad run.

Stats:

Run 824
Average pace: 5:48/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 12:20 p.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:09
Weather: Cloudy, some sun
Temp: 11ºC
Humidity: 67%
Wind: light
BPM: 153
Weight: 168.3
Total distance to date: 6005 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (140/272/412 km)

It was the coldest run of the fall, again! This was the first time it never climbed into double digits. The shady parts of the trail were frosty, but it wasn’t frozen or slippery where I was running, so I only had to worry about tripping on my own feet. Which I did not do.

I took Friday off, so had four days off and was very unmotivated. I had no idea if I would even run at all. In the end, I surprised myself by doing a 5K at the lake, running clockwise, and going all the way around. My pace was a bit slower and my BPM a bit higher than the previous run, but I chalk that up to the noticeably colder temperatures. I wore an undershirt and my long-sleeved Nike shirt, and was fine. There was little wind, which also helped.

I remember not thinking about the knees during the run (good) but noted again the left hip (bad). In fact, just as I was nearing the end of the run, it seemed to go really off-kilter, making the final stretch more interesting than planned. It’s fine now, but I do wonder what is going on and if I’m going to have Classic Old Man Hip Problems (COMHP, which is so close to the much better CHOMP). Maybe I’ll consult AI about it. Or my doctor. One or the other.

Overall, though, I’m happy with the result. It was fairly quiet for the run, and I am happy that I went for a full loop while notching my official™ 6,000 km (I’ve run more, but didn’t track in the early days).

Stats:

Run 823
Average pace: 5:45/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 11:11 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 28:57
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 6-8ºC
Humidity: 79-74%
Wind: light
BPM: 153
Weight: 168.2
Total distance to date: 6000 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (135/264/399 km)

My goal today was to just hit around 150 BPM, meaning a likely slower run. As a pleasant change of pace, it was sunny, though at 10C at the start, the coldest run of the fall to date. It was fine once I got started.

I planned a short loop going clockwise and noticed a new sign before heading out:

Now, the odds of encountering a bear are pretty small. By the time the sighting is reported and a park worker puts up the bear signs, the big lug has probably moved on or gotten picked up by someone while hitchhiking on nearby Highway 1. But it made me think, maybe this is a sign (ho ho) to shake things up a bit, so I did!

Specifically, I ran about 2.6 km and instead of just heading back the way I came, I detoured at a convenient side trail that connects to the Freeway Trail. The Freeway Trail is a place I normally avoid. It’s completely exposed (no tree cover), so tends to be brutal in the summer, and, as you might guess, it’s close to the freeway, which is not really conducive to tranquil runs through the forest. But today I wanted a change, so I took it. Because the trail is fairly straight, it improved my overall pace, though my left big toe came to regret it.

Why the toe regret? Multiple times I kicked loose gravel with the tip of my shoe, launching said gravel into the air, only to have it land on the not-padded top of my shoe, right above the big toe, and then, as my foot would lift to take the next step, the gravel would ricochet off in a way that actually smarted a bit. Basically, my big toe was acting like a rock launcher.

The Freeway Trail was fine, otherwise. I did not see anyone else in the approximate 2 km I ran along it.

Post-run, a guy jogged past me and made a beeline to the water fountain, only to find this:

He immediately started checking his watch, as if he totally didn’t want a drink, anyway. Sadly, this means people will need to BYOB to the lake for probably the next four months or so. Stupid winter and freezing temperatures.

Overall, the run went well. I hit my goal of 150 BPM and got in a good pace while doing it at 5:43/km. My left knee felt a bit stiff as I started walking back, but it limbered up before I got home. It seems okay now. I ponder what to do for Friday, but at least the weather still looks good.

Stats:

Run 823
Average pace: 5:43/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW, short loop)
Start: 12:37 p.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 28:48
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 10-11ºC
Humidity: 54%
Wind: light
BPM: 150
Weight: 168.1
Total distance to date: 5995 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (130/251/381 km)