5K

Run 707: Horse poop detour

Today was one of those days when there just wasn’t a good time to run.

But I ran anyway, opting for an early morning start with the moderate temp/high humidity combo, since it was expected to get as high as 33C later in the afternoon.

In the end, the humidity, which started at 71% (!) defeated me and I only did 5K instead of a planned 10K, but at least I did a run. Plus, I did some decent interval running on the rest of the way around the lake.

Other than the copious sweating, the other notable part of the run was the start of culvert work along the Avalon Trail, which resulted in a detour along a horsie trail that ultimately connects to the Freeway Trail, then finally back to the main lake loop. It was longer than expected, at around 2.6 km, but it was kind of neat being on a new trail and much of the horse trail is, uh, rustic? Less groomed? And also covered in lots of horse poop. I encountered no actual horses, though. When it connected to the Freeway Trail, I thought I only had a short way to go before being able to get back on the main trail, but it went on much longer than I remembered. And this trail has no tree canopy at all, so the sun was blazing away on me the whole time (not forgetting that 71% humidity, too).

I actually posted fairly good times for the first three km, but by the fourth I could feel myself flagging and the thought of running the sixth km on the long, exposed Cottonwood Trail made me opt for the 5K. This actually worked well, since I was able to stop/start as I saw fit, making for a more pleasant finish to the lake part of the outing.

Weirdly, no dog issues today! And I saw the spitfire. She seemed to be suffering a bit from the heat/humidity combo, a bit. As we all are.

Oddly, my hip/left leg felt sore after the run, and not so much during. Not terribly or anything, but there it was as a reminder. If I could clone my right leg and copy it over to the left side, that would be spiffy. Short of that, I’ll just keep monitoring the left leg, I suppose.

The high is “only” supposed to be 24C on Friday, so a full 10K should be a lot more doable then. We’ll see.

Here’s a post-run shot of the trail around the athletic fields, showing one of the sections especially prone to flooding. You can see the fresh gravel used to level out the surface on the left (and how much was needed). The whole thing still looks unfinished to me, and would definitely still flood, so I’m hoping this is just the first part of a full resurfacing. This is also where the geese like to sit sometimes, for some reason. They were over on the shady bits of the field this morning, though.

Happy trails…until it rains (or someone runs the sprinklers).

Stats:

Run 707
Average pace: 6:06/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 9:39 a.m.
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 30:40
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 22-24ºC
Humidity: 71%
Wind: nil to light
BPM: 154
Weight: 160.6
Total distance to date: 5187 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Brooks Caldera 5 (295 km)

Run 702: Sweaty, sticky, with trick hip (ee)

Blargh, I say.

I did not want to run today, but I did That One Weird Trick To Make You Run–I put on my jogging clothes. Once I’m dressed to run, it’s extremely rare for me to not go out.

And so I did, around 12:30 p.m., once again rolling the dice on the higher heat of the afternoon being better than the higher humidity of the morning. But it turned out I got both, anyway. It was 29C and humidity stayed at 45% through the run, which made the stretches without shade feel very hot and awful. The timing of my first two km was slow, even though my BPM was trending above 150 and even though I turned in a nice 6:03/km on the Cottonwood Trail for the fourth km, I decided to just do 5K today. Adding to the hot ‘n humid conditions, the sore upper left thigh (let’s call it the hip for short, shall we?) at first felt like it was just reminding me it had been sore, but then it became clear it was sore.

Perhaps not as sore as last week, but sore enough to tamp down any thoughts of sprinting. I mean, given conditions, it was academic, anyway, but still. I am concerned what Wednesday is going to be like. They’re currently calling for a high of 25C (not bad!) and T-storms, which makes me think of letters raining down from the sky. So, assuming no lightning strikes, it may be a much more reasonable day weather-wise. We’ll see how it goes, with caution as my middle name.

Also, I encountered four Parks putt-putt cars on the trail, which I think is a record. And there was a guy (without helmet) riding a bike. I secretly wished him flat tires, as I do all cyclists who go to Burnaby Lake.

Stats:

Run 702
Average pace: 6:18/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 1:25 p.m.
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 31:42
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 29ºC
Humidity: 45%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 152
Weight: 164.2
Total distance to date: 5145 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Brooks Caldera 5 (253 km)

Run 699: A bear runs through it

This run was odd in a number of ways:

  • I don’t normally run on Sundays
  • I ran in the early afternoon when it was already Africa Hot™
  • The course I took was a never-before crazy quilt of a little of everything

To explain:

Nic and I may go birding tomorrow, which is normally a run day, so it occurred to me that when I went out for my walk today, I might do a run instead and get one in if I do miss yesterday.

I decided it might also be a good chance to test the “higher heat is better than higher humidity” theory. Verdict: Higher heat is better! My first km was a zippy 5:55/km. And the reason I flagged a bit after is more due to the circumstances than anything else. To explain even further:

I was a little over a km into the run when I saw a young couple with a kid in a stroller approaching me. I eyeballed the route to the right I would take to navigate around them, but then the guy gestured like he wanted to talk to me, which he did.

I had a sense of déjà vu.

Sure enough, it was the same subject the woman had warned me about last week:

Note: Not the actual bear or trail. BUT THEY COULD BE.

But even better, they reported not just a bear on the trail, but a mother bear and two cubs. You know how sensible mother bears can be when they think their cubs are threatened (do you see me getting gutted with one swipe of a claw? I do!. I nodded to them in appreciation for the info, said, “No thanks!” and immediately turned around.

My plan was to simply reverse course and run counter-clockwise. By the time I got to where the bears had been seen, they would be long gone, possibly sated by having gobbled up other joggers in the meantime. Or berries.

I made my way around and at the fork where the trail splits between main and the Spruce Loop, I chose the side trail, as I always do. As I approached the first corner I heard what sounded like barking up ahead (at this point I had turned the music off so I could hear my surroundings) and this seemed odd, because just past the trail here is a business park where you wouldn’t normally find dogs. It spooked me and I noped again, turning back and deciding to finish the run by doing a combo of:

  • Lake trail
  • Crossing Cariboo Raod
  • Running up Cariboo Place
  • Running the river trail until I hit 5K

Here’s what the route looks like from the Fitness app:

Yes, I do jog close to Costco.

In the end I did complete 5K, and it actually wasn’t that bad considering the heat. The volume of bear sightings is more concerning, though. I called this one in and am hoping they can capture and relocate the bears. I have no idea where they are coming from, since the lake is almost completely surrounded by two highways. Maybe they are driving in by van. For future runs, I am going to invest in a clip-on bell, so I can jingle all the way and alert the wildlife to my presence long before they see me. I may also look into bear spray, though I don’t like to imagine scenarios where I would feel it necessary to use it.

As for the run itself, no issues despite the heat. This coming week should be more like normal summer weather, so as long as it stays bear-free, I expect it to be generally more pleasant.

Stats:

Run 699
Average pace: 6:14/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW) and Brunette River Trail
Start: 1:11 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 31:21
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 32ºC
Humidity: 42%
Wind: light
BPM: 150
Weight: 163.8
Total distance to date: 5120 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Brooks Caldera 5 (228 km)

Run 698: A bunny, a good call, a 5K run

Cottonwood trail: When it’s hot, it feels like it goes on forever. (It goes on for about 2 km)

The plan today was to do a 5K, stretch past that if I felt like it, and to run clockwise, figuring I’d have more shade and it would generally be less gross. And I was right.

Temperature was about the same as Wednesday, but humidity was a bit higher. Blergh. Fortunately, going clockwise mitigated a lot of this, as the south side of the lake is generally cooler and shadier. I actually didn’t feel that bad at the 5K mark, but knowing I had the slog of the Cottonwood Trail ahead of me (about 2 km in the sun) and with temperatures continuing to rise, I opted to walk the rest, which turned out to be a good idea, because I was pooped.

I’ve been seeing a bunny every time I run lately. But only ever one, which is odd. Is it the same bunny? Is it their chosen representative? Are all the bunnies at the lake brown? Will I be seeing many more of them soon?

As for the run, while it was definitely the right call to go clockwise, I can say I’ve had my fill of the hot and humid combo. I didn’t have any issues while running, though, and actually emerged less sweaty than the previous run (though still quite sweaty). I also put a pasty on my right nipple (uh, trigger warning for people sensitive about sensitive nipples) and it seems to have worked really well. I’ll scream loud enough to let half the city know when I go to take the two band-aids off.

Also, today’s run gives me a palindrome for the total distance. Enjoy, number nerds!

Stats:

Run 698
Average pace: 6:15/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 9:54 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 31:26
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 26-27ºC
Humidity: 64-71%
Wind: nil
BPM: 148
Weight: 165.2
Total distance to date: 5115 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Brooks Caldera 5 (223 km)

Run 697: Strategic retreat, a phantom bear and sensitive nipple

It’s a little of everything today! Also, I divided the run report into sections because why not?

Early start, early shmart

I once again set out early (8:30 a.m.) to beat the heat, but did not beat the heat. It was 26C when I arrived at the lake. This is actually not so bad, but the humidity was still 60%, which made for another gross, sweaty run. I kept at a pace of around 150 BPM and made the decision around the 4K mark to only do 5K and run/walk the rest of the way out, which I did.

I am comfortable with this decision. I am running to keep healthy and in shape, not push myself to XTREMES. So if the weather is going to be stupid and muggy, I will adjust accordingly! For the next run, I’m going to start clockwise, which should make the earlier part more bearable as the south shore:

  • Has more shade
  • Seems to have more breeze (the north side, especially the long Cottonwood Trail, seems to be a wind-free environment
  • Is more interesting, so if I only do 5K, it will be a better experience overall

I’ll judge how I feel at the 5K mark, then either continue to run, or choose a more leisurely pace.

On the plus side, doing a 5K today gets my run stats to a nice even 5110 km.

Trigger warning: Explicit nipple discussion

Other than being all sweaty and yuck,y I didn’t experience any issues today except for The Sensitive Nipple™. Warning: If you are sensitive to discussions about sensitive nipples, you may want to avoid the next paragraph. I’m not kidding!

The Sensitive Nipple: So the issue seems to happen when we get that magical combination of high temperatures and high humidity. I wear t-shirts that wick away sweat, but when you start sweating excessively, there’s only so much they can do. At that point the shirt becomes saturated and instead of billowing freely, with air happily passing through and about, the damp fabric clings to your skin and the movement of your body as you run causes the fabric to ride over the skin repeatedly. When the skin is actually a nipple, this can cause Sensitive Nipple. Basically, my right nipple (and to a lesser degree the left one, though I can’t figure out why they are affected differently) will get irritated to the point where it…sort of lactates blood. Yes, it’s as gross and weird as it sounds. Now, it’s not gushing blood out in a big jet of ichor, it’s more just a little dot will form on my t-shirt and then slowly soak in and spread. And also the nipple becomes extremely sensitive to touch, but not in a sexy “nipple play” way, more of a “touch this and I WILL KILL YOU” kind of way.

Anyway, my best solution will likely be to cover it with a band-aid when running, to prevent chafing. I have a hairy chest, so taking the band-aid off afterward is good times, too.

Phantom Bear

After the run and between the 7-8K mark on the lake loop, a woman approached me as if she wanted to say something, which she did. She asked me if I had seen the bear that was allegedly spotted in the exact area I had just come from. I said I did not see the bear. She said there was a report of another bear, too, though this may have been the same bear spotted twice. I must have sounded convincing, as she continued down the trail into Bear Country. I was kind of bear-wary the rest of the way, though it always surprises me when bears are spotted, as the lake is square in the middle of a dense urban area. Heck, there are highways to the north and south of the lake. Maybe they hitchhike in.

Stats:

Run 697
Average pace: 6:17/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 9:24 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 31:35
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 26-28ºC
Humidity: 52-60%
Wind: nil
BPM: 149
Weight: 164.6
Total distance to date: 5110 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Brooks Caldera 5 (218 km)

Run 543: Annoyed

UPDATE, August 21, 2022: The update is just to fix minor typos I noticed when reading through this post years later. I do have to LOL (as the kids say) when I refer to my pace being "plodding" at 5:20/km, when today that would be blazing fast. Good ol' aging!
Run 543
Average pace: 5:20/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:01 pm
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 26:48
Weather: Party sunny
Temp: 12-13ºC
Humidity: 63%
Wind: light
BPM: 173
Weight: 153.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 4222 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

Note to self: NEVER RUN ON A STATUTORY HOLIDAY

I didn’t feel like running today, but by late morning, a combination of guilt and rainy skies predicted for tomorrow prompted me to head out.

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada, a stat holiday. It is also a day I normally don’t run.

I started walking down the river trail, undecided on what to do, but leaning toward some kind of 5K. As I entered the river trail, I noted a couple with a lovely small dog. The dog was leashed. What smart and responsible dog owners, I thought! They stopped for a moment by the Canine Code of Conduct sign and the woman unclasped the dog leash, freeing her mutt. I was still 20 minutes from running and already annoyed. Later, I watched a pair of people look at one of the new STAY OUT signs posted at the entrance to one of the unofficial trails, then promptly take off down it. They probably had no idea where the trail led, but no sign was going to boss them around! I predict traffic on these trails will increase as a result of these signs (UPDATE, August 21, 2022: All the signs were vandalized and removed within about a month of going up and were never replaced).

I ended up doing a rather plodding 5K, sticking to the usual counter-clockwise route. The first three km were strangely sluggish, despite an equally strangely high BPM of 173. By the fourth and final km my pace improved significantly, but I opted to end it there rather than continue, netting an average pace of 5:20/km. If I had done a full 10K I probably would have finished with a decent pace rather than a mediocre one.

The left leg’s tendon felt a little tight toward the end, but was otherwise manageable. Conditions were also fine–dry and cool, temperatures hovering around 12-13ºC throughout my non hour run time.

As is always the case on a stat holiday, lots of people were out, especially people who like to clump awkwardly and block the trail. Multiple times I had to slow down, divert (in one case entirely off the trail) or even briefly stop. As I was coming out of the Conifer Loop trail, I saw three people ahead of me. Two moved forward to study the map at the intersection of the trails. The third–who clearly saw me–hesitated, then moved forward at precisely the right time to get in my way. How do people pull off these inept moves with such precision? I do not know.

Likewise, I continue to be baffled by my amazing ability to flip small rocks into my shoes now while running. I’m not sure if my gait has changed or if it’s the newish Brooks Cascadia shoes I’m wearing, but I have become expert in the whole “flip a small sharp piece of gravel into the air and have it land on the back of your shoe and then promptly slip down into it and lodge uncomfortably under your foot” thing. This time the gravel was sharp enough that I had to pause the run to fish it out of my shoe and toss it aside while muttering colorful metaphors.

By the end of the run I just wanted to leave, so I turned and headed back to the Burnaby Lake SkyTrain station instead of walking out. I don’t regret my choice.

Overall: bleah.

Run 429: Gadgetpalooza

UPDATE, August 21, 2022: Updated to add more tags for easier searching, as this is one that features my late Tom Tom Runner Cardio watch.

Run 429
Average pace: 5:23/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 27:10
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 17ºC
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 156
Stride: 182
Weight: 164.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 3452
Device used: Apple Watch and iPhone 6 and TomTom Runner Cardio

Tonight I headed out for a cautious run, with clouds overhead but otherwise unseasonably mild and with a nice breeze to keep things from getting too warm, which is not something you normally worry about here on May 3rd.

I also did my first Apple Watch vs. TomTom Runner Cardio test, wearing the Watch on my left wrist as per usual and the TomTom on my right wrist. I probably looked like a dork but that’s okay. Also, anyone who thinks the Apple Watch is bulky should really compare it to something like the TomTom because the Apple Watch looks downright petite next to it.

The results between the two devices were not outlandishly different but they were different. The actual timing of the run on each device is slightly shifted because I bobbled the start time on the Watch when Siri wouldn’t cooperate but the TomTom had already started tracking.

Stats:

 Apple WatchTomTom Runner Cardio
Time27:1026:42
Average pace5:23/km5:18/km
BPM156154
Distance5:03 km5:03 km
Calories331367

The biggest difference for me is pace. I haven’t looked into it but I suspect the Apple Watch is doing some kind of manipulation of the data where the TomTom simply presents it raw, as it was recorded (and is more accurate from that perspective). The TomTom is also hooked into my Strava and Nike+ accounts and each of those also interpreted the pace differently:

TomTom Runner Cardio5:18/km
Apple Watch5:23/km
Strava5:27/km
Nike+5:31/km

I’m officially™ going with the Apple Watch since I’ve been using it regularly and it still makes me look reasonably zippy.

As for the actual run, I set out a relatively gentle pace and this is reflected by the TomTom’s stride stat of 182. This is steps per minute and the ideal zone for most runners is between 160 and 190. Being at the upper end reflects the cautious approach I took, minimizing how much I stretched out as I ran. Surprisingly my pace was still essentially tied with my previous best 5K this year.

The right leg still felt a bit sore, especially around the upper area, but not enough to make running painful. By comparison, tonight’s run felt a lot more comfortable than Sunday’s.

I may try the dual-wielding watches again on Thursday if I run the Langara trail, as I’m curious to see the pace breakdown on a map. If Apple adds maps to the Fitness app, I would probably never switch away from it.

For tonight’s run, I’m pleased that I was able to get through without the right leg feeling worse and, in fact, feeling a bit better. I am guardedly hopeful that the muscles will heal up as I continue to run not like a cheetah.

Run 427: Tee’d off

UPDATE, August 21, 2022: Replaced golf course image with newer, larger image, added some additional tags.

Run 427
Average pace: 5:26/km
Location: Langara Golf Course trail (CCW)
Distance: 5.05 km
Time: 27:32
Weather: Sun and cloud
Temp: 15ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 160
Stride: n/a
Weight: 163.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 3437
Device used: Apple Watch and iPhone 6

For the first time since last June I ran somewhere new. It was somewhat exciting!

I have long thought about running the trail around the Langara Golf Course. It’s next to my workplace, which means during the week I can run at lunch and not have to spend part of the evening jogging when I’d much rather be loafing. The course is just long enough at 2.7 km that I don’t get the sensation of running in circles, which sometimes happened with China Creek Park’s 550 m loop. Except for a small paved stretch near the tennis courts, it’s a combination of packed dirt and gravel.

On the negative side, there is always the chance of getting clobbered by a stray golf ball.

You can see parts of the trail below but most of it is hidden by trees (image taken from Google Maps):

Langara Trail
Langara Trail

Running counter-clockwise (as I did), the lower-right corner is where the trail starts sloping uphill. It’s not a steep incline but it is longer than the ones I experience at Burnaby Lake. My first loop my legs felt ablaze as I tried to maintain speed. My second loop I was in more of a rhythm and handled it better. I will likely use my TomTom on the next run so I can get an actual map showing where my pace goes from “yay fast!” to “legs now hate me forever.” I should point out that the left (west) side of the trail is almost completely on a similar but downward slope, which is almost a zany treat for a runner.

My right leg felt a bit sore afterward (and felt a bit sore after Tuesday’s run, though it felt fine on the run itself). I’m not too concerned as I am stretching before and after runs now and it doesn’t feel like the muscles are on the verge of being blown out. I am prepared to eat crow (or possibly a running shoe) on this if I am proven wrong, however.

With a new course, I wasn’t sure what to expect and it felt like I started too fast. It took me probably half the run to really settle into a comfortable pace and the uphill portion is going to be a drag on my times until I get used to it. Overall, though, I was pleased by the effort and my average pace of 5:26/km was in line with my other recent 5K runs.

And I indeed enjoyed some sweet, sweet loafing tonight.

Run 408: The unexpected run with bonus Watch and nippy dog

UPDATE, August 21, 2022: Updated tags for better searching and to note this was the first run using an Apple Watch (Series 0).

Run 408
Average pace: 5:42/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.0 km
Time: 28:35
Weather: Overcast
Temp: 7ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 172
Stride: n/a
Weight: 165.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 3320
Device used: Apple Watch (debut, Series 0) and iPhone 6

Here it is a mere four and a half months later and I’ve completed my next run, which I was totally not expecting.

Dedicated spambots scraping this blog for running articles may recall that my last run was on August 3rd, the first official day of my vacation. The run ended with my right hip (not actually my hip, as it later turned out) being hurt sufficiently that I knew I would be out for the rest of the summer or, as it turned out, almost the rest of the entire year.

Once I had sufficiently mended we were past summer and into fall and the days grew short and it was difficult to run after work. Running on the weekend also proved difficult because I just plain lost my mojo.

Today I had a Clif Bar for lunch (usual as I quest toward my target weight of 150) but a short while later I caved and had an apple strudel. It was loaded not only with sugar but also guilt. I had made a vow to stop snacking, and this was a clear violation. I soaked in the tub and contemplated how this, along with a planned pasta dinner, would contribute to The Fattening. I felt bad.

I decided to run.

I got changed and because this wouldn’t be an “official” run, I chose to not wear the TomTom watch. Instead I thought I’d give my fancy new Apple Watch and iPhone a workout (ho ho), using the Watch’s Activity app.

Setup was simple. I chose Outdoor Run, it advised me as this was my first run that I should run for at least 20 minutes to let the watch suss out my average pace. I planned 5K so this would not be an issue as I have not recently had bionic legs surgically attached.

I decided to walk the length of the Brunette River trail first, then start the run at the opposite end. This would get me heading in the right direction on the home stretch. I wore my usual gear, though the t-shirt was swapped for the long-sleeved version. This was not an unwise choice as it was 7ºC, not exactly tanning weather.

Upon arrival at the river trail I noted the bear sign was still up. It’s December 20th, I’m pretty sure the bears have gone south or started hibernating or whatever it is they do in the winter.

Using the watch, I selected my running music (from 1987, see previous post), chose the Outdoor Run activity and set the distance at 5 km. I tapped the Start button and three seconds later I began my first run in a good long time.

I kept the pace deliberate and actually had no trouble completing the full 5 km. A stitch threatened early on but never fully materialized and the only discomfort I felt was the usual “this is what it feels like to use certain muscles again after not using them for 18 weeks.” The left foot started to hurt but stayed tolerable. I stuffed toilet paper into the shoe to help provide extra cushioning but toilet paper squashes easily, something I forgot since I’m not in the habit of squashing it.

My pace seemed about right, given the layoff: 5:42/km. I broke the five-minute mark on the first km, slowed over the next three and picked up on the final. Again, this is all more or less normal. The BPM came in at 172, much higher than the 160 of my last run back in August. I’m not sure if this is accurate and thus worrisome, or inaccurate and no big deal.

While everything worked well enough with the Activity app, it is too self-contained and lacks some stats to really prove useful in the long term. I may try the Strava app on my next practice run, as it’s supposed to be spiffy.

Three other things of note on the run:

  • There were a lot of fishers out there and more people in general than I expected
  • As I looped back to the entrance of the trail, a Metro Vancouver worker was removing the bear sign, as if he had read my mind; for reasons unknown (conspiring with bears?) the other sign at the western end of the trail was left up
  • Some dope with a dog let his dog off-leash and while he was bent over tying his shoe on the other side of the trail, the dog came running after me, nipping and barking at my heels. It wasn’t scary so much as annoying. I shot the guy a dirty look as he called Cujo back, then observed, with no surprise, as they headed off, the dog was still unleashed. I pondered what it would take to get him to decide it was a good idea to put the leash back on (he had a leash with him). I decided nothing would because he was a stupid, selfish jerkface.

I now wait to see how my body feels tomorrow (I’m thinking a little sore but not bad). I could potentially run again in three days, but may wait until next weekend. The important thing is I ran, I survived, I worked off that strudel, and I’m curious to go out and do it again.

Run 394: The TomTom and obstacle course run

Run 394
Average pace: 5:20/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 26:53
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 27ºC
Wind: nil to light
Calories burned: 864 (!)
Weight: 155.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 3204
Device used: TomTom Runner Cardio

First, a new milestone as I passed the 3,200 km mark. Hooray for legs that still work!

I normally run Tuesday evening but given the current heatwave and the Canada Day holiday [back bacon/maple syrup joke here] today, I opted to run this morning instead. Sure it made no difference on Sunday when the mid-morning run felt like a marathon in the Sahara but it has been trending very slightly cooler so I was hopeful.

It was 27ºC when I started–higher than I like but at least tolerable–and it was still 27ºC when the run ended. Weird! The sections of the run where I was fully exposed to ol’ Sol were still Africa hot-like but overall it was a much more bearable experience.

This was borne out by my pace, which went from 5:40/km on Sunday down to 5:20/km today. Still not great but decent enough given the conditions.

I opted for only 5K as I was also testing out a new running watch (more in a bit) and experienced no issues other than sweating, sweating and also some sweating. I deliberately ran silent again and confirmed I do not enjoy listening to my own breathing. I also earned +1 on my agility stat as less than a km in a tree had fallen across the Spruce Loop trail. It wasn’t too big so I opted to leap over it and did it in a fashion reminiscent of a clumsy or drunk gazelle. I made it, it wasn’t pretty.

There was a cyclist on the trail and riding fast as well (grr) but fortunately I encountered her after the run so my trail rage was minimal. Trail rage is a term I just made up. It refers to when I fume over things while on the trail. Usually these things are cyclists. I don’t do anything else, I just fume but trail rage sounds cooler than trail fume.

Onto the running watch!

On the weekend I picked up a TomTom Runner Cardio at Best Buy. Wearable tech is apparently a big enough thing that Best Buy now devotes an entire aisle to it. I had done some research and settled on the TomTom because of generally excellent reviews and the fact that the watch has a built-in heart rate monitor, saving me having to buy and wear a heart rate monitor strap, something that had the same appeal as running in a hoop skirt. Oddly, I saw a guy running today sans shirt and he was wearing a heart rate strap. I saw another guy running topless but he was only wearing a heavy sheen of sweat.

Here is a stock image of the watch I found in the vast wilds of the Internet:

TomTom Runner Cardio
Time to run (ho ho)

Operation is pretty simple using the touch controls below the display. There’s only four buttons so your odds of screwing up are fairly low and there’s no FORMAT WATCH AND REMOVE EVERYTHING function on the watch itself that you can accidentally select.

I secured the watch firmly to my thin sissy wrist and headed off to the lake. Once there I chose the five km run option and after a few moments it found the GPS signal and told me to warm up, with a handy countdown. As I had just walked four km to the lake at a brisk pace, I started off. The watch lets you cycle through different screens while running but I was afraid to touch it on the first run so I watched the default screen which shows a circle filling in as the run progresses. When I reached the halfway point the watch vibrated and the display changed briefly to 50%. It vibrated again at 90% (500 m) which allowed me to give a final push. I do not do final pushes when it is Africa hot but it was still nice to be notified. A final buzz at 100% showed the run complete and my next question was immediately answered–if you don’t stop it keeps tracking. I tapped the controls to stop the run and it switched back to the time display, which is large and digital and makes me feel like I am in 1978 again.

For some reason the phone and watch were not synced so I ran through the process on the walk back and was able to see my stats in all their glory, including for the first time my heart rate. I have no baseline to compare with but my average beats per minute (bpm) was 160. According to the TomTom MySports site this puts me firmly in “sprint mode.” I don’t know if that’s good or “oh my god what are you doing to yourself?!” when running 5K. I’ll do some research.

A nice bonus is the watch also links to my Nike+ account, allowing me to keep tracking my runs there. The only downside is I can no longer see splits on Nike+ but they show up on the TomTom site so I can still get to them there.

As MySports is a work-in-progress, I had to make an account on MapMyFitness and then link it to MySports first. It turned out I already had an account om MapMyFitness. To further link things endlessly, I next connected MapMyFitness to MyFitnessPal. In the end, this means my runs will automatically be posted on MyFitnessPal where I currently have an 884-day login streak going. As my Fitbit Aria scale and Fitbit One are also linked, this more or less means my every movement and weight gain/loss is being monitored to a level worthy of the NSA.

And I’m okay with that.

Run 393: The sounds of silence with bonus extra hot heat

Run 393
Average pace: 5:40/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 5.14 km
Time: 29:11
Weather: Sunny and hot, humid; some high cloud
Temp: 31-33ºC
Wind: nil to moderate
Calories burned: 371
Weight: 157.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 3199
Device used: iPhone 6

With the extended forecast promising hot weather and plenty of it, I opted to head out mid-morning for today’s run, when the temperatures were going to be merely in the mid-20s.

When I got to the lake I checked the weather app and it reported the temperature as 33ºC. As you might notice, this is not mid-20s.

I decided to go ahead and run anyway, setting up for a 10K, but not overly optimistic that I would last that long.

I somehow managed to trigger the countdown on the Nike+ app after carefully putting the phone in my SPI-belt, so I took off. It was then I realized no music was playing. I had a good pace going, so the idea of stopping to get the music playing was not overly appealing. The idea of trying to fish out the phone, start the music, then put the phone back in the SPI-belt while still running seemed laughable.

I kept running, with only my delightful wheezing serving as accompaniment. On the other hand, I got to hear birds chirping, which I normally never do. I believe the chirps interpreted to, “Man, it sure is hot today. Boy howdy.”

My pace took a big hit after 1K, which was not surprising. Nor was the big drop after 2K. It was 33ºC, after all. By about the fourth km, I had settled into a steady, if sluggish pace. I didn’t feel as sluggish as I actually was, probably thanks to an intermittent breeze and the sun being at my back rather than staring me in the face.

But the course forward was clear and uninviting. After hitting 5K I unzipped the SPI-belt to take the phone out and end the run. Then I changed my mind and zipped the belt back up. Then I repeated the entire thing again, once more changing my mind. At this point, the phone burbled “Workout paused” because my fiddling had apparently managed to invoke whatever magic command pauses a workout without specifically trying to do so. I glanced down and saw my pace was 5:40/km–yikes.

I ended the run.

I don’t feel too bad about stopping. The last two km my pace was creeping over 5:50/km and I wasn’t particularly enjoying myself. I hydrated before starting out so didn’t feel overly dry after (the walk back home felt worse for being parched, really) but obviously at these temperatures there is concern over dehydration and heatstroke.

The secret is to start running at 6 a.m. or something.

Also, I’ve decided I don’t like the SPI-belt/iPhone 6 combo. Separately each is fine but they are obviously not really designed for each other. On top of the no-music, I also had this weird thing where the cord on the left earbud kept tugging with each step (you step a lot in nearly 30 minutes of running). I don’t know if I never noticed this before when music would normally be playing or if it was new, but it was fantastically annoying. It made me think of getting wireless earphones until I found out how much they cost. I then chalked the tugging up to being a weird one-time thing.

I did, however, pick up a running watch after. More on that later.

Run 390: The still slow mid-week run

Run 390
Average pace: 5:27/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.06 km
Time: 27:36
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 22-24ºC
Wind: moderate to breezy
Calories burned: 374
Weight: 157.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 3179
Device used: iPhone 6

Tuesday’s run was delayed a day because I was feeling strangely tired and in fact I didn’t go into work today (Wednesday). After sleeping in and supposedly shaking off whatever is afflicting me I decided to try a run at the lake early in the afternoon.

The walk there was noticeably slower than usual, an ominous sign–though I didn’t feel awful or anything. I headed out and didn’t feel bad but didn’t feel great, either. I made an effort to not push so I wasn’t expecting to set any land speed records.

I had two big drops, 11% after 2 km and an unexpected 4% drop for the last km. These combined to give me a mediocre pace of 5:27/km, six seconds slower than my previous 7K run and 13 seconds slower than my last 5K. Blargh.

The good news was no complications. The right tendon felt a bit stiff at the start but warmed up quickly. The left foot behaved right up until the very end of the walk home.

The walk home was probably the highlight. It was only fractions of a second off my fastest pace for a walk that length (about 9 km). I was ranting in my head about things I am unhappy about and this apparently translates directly into walking speed. I may have to apply it to my next run.

The other highlight was how quiet the trail was. I miss mid-afternoon weekday runs. I’m not anti-social but a trail sans people is nice for a solo runner. Maybe I’m a little anti-social.