Run 795: Slightly damp

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run. Clouds!

Today’s run was a change-up, weather-wise. With the forecast ominously calling for “heavy rain” I expected a good soaking and indeed, it was showering as I headed out. But the rain soon tapered off to an intermittent drizzle, and it remained pretty much dry for the run itself.

Temperature-wise, it was a whopping 10 degrees cooler than Friday’s run, at 17C. This was nice. The humidity was literally twice as high, at 90%. This was…fine. It felt a bit muggy, but wasn’t that bad, and was definitely better than dreaded Dry mouth Syndrome.

I chose to do a short counter-clockwise loop at the lake and it went fine. My pace was improved on Friday, which was nice, and I came oh-so-close to getting under 6:00/km again. The knees behaved, though the left hip was acting ornery. It settled down on the walk back home.

The trail proved to be in good shape, despite the rain–no puddle dodging required!

Overall, not bad, especially considering I missed Monday’s run and had four days off–a little longer than I’d like.

Trail-side fungus, post-run.

Stats:

Run 795
Average pace: 6:00/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 11:41 a.m.
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 30:15
Weather: Cloudy with some light drizzle
Temp: 17ºC
Humidity: 90%
Wind: light
BPM: 152
Weight: 166.8
Total distance to date: 5855 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (525 km)

Run 794: Running on a hot afternoon is unsurprisingly not the best running experience

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run

It still beats tripping on a tree root or falling over a dog, though.

I was doing stuff in the morning and kept thinking, “I need to get out and do my run before it gets hot” and all of a sudden it was past noon and oops.

It was just past 2 p.m. and 27C when I ran, which is the hottest it’s been in a while. Humidity was 45%, so I brought the water bottle. Oddly, though I sipped from it a few times during the run, my mouth never got super dry and at times it felt more humid than the numbers indicated. Weather is weird, yo.

But the hot sun had a definite effect, and I knew I was in for a slower run when my first km on the “easy” way around the lake was 5:59/km. My average heart rate was down to an even 150, though. I couldn’t muster the effort to raise it much beyond that, really.

While both knees came through fine, I did notice my upper left leg/hip was sore. It’s possible I may have tweaked a muscle in it before the run, maybe while stretching. I don’t think it’s serious, but it probably had some impact on the overall run, and was more noticeable on the walk home. My training status remains Productive, though!

At several points during the run I thought about pausing and taking a break, but kept putting it off and then the run was over, so that worked out. I’m no quitter, etc. etc.

I am tired, though. At least I have multiple days to rest now.

And I was finally able to take a photo of the new playground, because apparently no one wants to play when it’s 27C.

The fountain features SunBlast™ technology, to insure every drink is searing hot!

Stats:

Run 794
Average pace: 6:06/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 2:13 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 30:42
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 27ºC
Humidity: 45%
Wind: light
BPM: 150
Weight: 168.2
Total distance to date: 5850 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (520 km)

Run 793: Now with pictures

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run

The right knee was fine.

But I again felt like the run was taking more effort than it should have. Temperature was fine, humidity should have been okay, starting at 56%–not too high, not too low. My BPM of 151 overall indicates I was not exerting myself too much–and yet for much of the run it felt like a bit of a slog. Am I just that much off my peak? Is the humidity being tricksy and affecting me more than I realize?

I may try running earlier in the morning on Friday to get some kind of comparison.

Given that my knee held up, I can’t complain too much. I did a short loop and the Garmin Forerunner approved, keeping my training status at Productive.

Overall, not bad, just…fine.

And now, a map to illustrate all the highlights (?):

If it’s easier, I run on the right side of the trail. Also, no matter how much you zoom in, you will not see the tractor. Sorry!

Stats:

Run 793
Average pace: 6:00/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop1Short loop means I ran about half the distance, then doubled back to finish the run.)
Start: 11:10 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 30:10
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 22-23ºC
Humidity: 56-52%
Wind: light
BPM: 151
Weight: 166.3
Total distance to date: 5845 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (515 km)

Run 784: Slugfest! ~or~ Bridge out!

Hoping for good knees

I gave myself some extra time off (four days between runs) and here's how the right knee performed:

For the first km or so, it felt stiff and a bit achy. It didn't affect my pace and it wasn't painful, but it was there. After this, most of the rest of the run it settled down and felt fine. Were endorphins masking the discomfort? Possibly. If so, they did a great job! I did feel some mild discomfort return when I had to unexpectedly detour and divert up a reasonably steep hill near the 4 km mark. It settled back down after that.
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run

My original plan today ranged from:

  • Maybe rest another day
  • Just do a moderately-paced walk. Walking is still exercise!
  • A run on the river trail

I headed off under cloudy skies on this last day of spring, and when I got to the river trail I felt I wasn’t ready, so I kept walking. I also realized that when I paused the workout to wait for the light to change at Braid, I forgot to restart it, meaning I lost nearly a km on the walk. Whoops!

I kept walking and then decided I would run a short loop at the lake, clockwise. This is the “easy” direction. As I began, it occurred to me that it might be easier to just run the whole 5K clockwise, because if I stop and turn halfway through, I’m now going counter-clockwise and much more uphill. Bad! So that’s what I did. I then broke the walk back home into two parts again–5K around the lake, then a rest and 4K for the rest. I also moved slower for both than I normally would.

The right knee was feeling stiff but not painful as the km piled up, but I elevated and iced it when I got home, so it doesn’t feel too bad now as I type this, about an hour later.

The run was fine–153 BPM, 5:46/km pace. I am fully confident I could do more if I wasn’t being extra cautious right now.

It was 15C and 73% humidity, so conditions were actually quite nice. Some fancy young guy whizzed by me in the other direction (I’ve seen him before). He might be fast, but he dresses like a noob, because he was wearing a jacket and it was way too warm to run with a jacket. Another guy passed me around the 1K mark, but I passed him around the 4K mark when he was doing the walking part, so that felt nice. He was not wearing a jacket, but he was wearing a backward baseball cap.

As for the slugs: yes. They were everywhere. I dodged many.

As for the bridge out: Technically, it was just closed “for a few days” for repairs. This is the rickety ancient bridge over Deer Lake Brook. I’m not sure what they can do in a few days to make it seem safe. Maybe encase it in concrete? I have to believe Metro Vancouver Parks has plans to eventually replace it.

Overall, things went better than expected. The knee survives. I am tentatively going to say it’s not getting worse. But is it getting better? Answer unclear…for now.

One of the million or so slugs, seen post-run
Bonus shot of Still Creek, also post-run

Stats:

Run 784
Average pace: 5:46/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 2:26 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:00
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 15ºC
Humidity: 73%
Wind: light
BPM: 152
Weight: 164.5
Total distance to date: 5805 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (477 km)

Run 783: Fire danger over, knee danger TBD

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run
Hoping for good knees

I figure while my knees are being a bother, it might be easier for future reference to have an easy-to-reference update on them at the top of the run summary. so here it is!

 This was the first time recently that I resumed a normal run cadence (one day on, one day off). The knee was feeling OK heading out to the lake. Around the 3K mark it started to ache a bit, but that seemed to work itself out after about half a km. It was more of less OK for the rest of the run. It felt a bit stiff on the walk back, but is not overly sore or anything post-run.

I did a few things differently today:

  • As noted above, I returned to a normal running schedule, taking one day off before heading out again
  • I returned to the lake for the first time in just over a week
  • I risked not wearing sunblock because the forecast said it would be mostly cloudy (it was mostly sunny)
  • I ran in the morning! My start time was just after 10 a.m.!

The last point is significant, because it meant the humidity was still around 64%, while the temperature was a comfy 16C. Even with the sun, this made for good running conditions and no dry mouth.

I did a short 5K loop, starting counter-clockwise, and was able to run on the freshly-resurfaced Piper Mill Trail. Strangely, it didn’t feel much different, with a lot of it still kind of lumpy and even looking a bit unfinished. Maybe it is unfinished? I did encounter a tractor hauling gravel that I had to let pass, but it was going to the connector trail leading to the Nature House, probably resurfacing that part with Bonus Gravel left over from the work on Piper Mill Trail.

As mentioned in the callout, the knee started to ache a bit around the 3K mark, but settled back down and didn’t seem to affect my pace. I could feel the difference running here vs. the river trail. I worked harder (average BPM of 155) and was slower at 5:51/km–though that pace is still much better than the horribad results from last Wednesday, when the humidity was negative five thousand or so.

Considering I’m not hobbling or in any particular pain or discomfort post-run, I am potentially pleased at this outcome. I’ll see how the right knee feels later.

On a more positive note, today marks me officially1Unofficially it’s higher, because I didn’t track my runs when I first started way back in the olden time of 2009 hitting 5,800 km run. Woo.

Stats:

Run 783
Average pace: 5:51/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW then CW)
Start: 10:14 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:23
Weather: Sunny, with some high cloud
Temp: 16-17ºC
Humidity: 64-62%
Wind: light
BPM: 155
Weight: 166.2
Total distance to date: 5800 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (472 km)

Run 782: Beating the storm (but still getting wet)

Brunette River, showers tapering off, post-run

A scary-sounding storm was forecast to come rolling in tonight, with heavy rain and winds up to 70 kph. I checked current conditions and it looked to be mild and cloudy before then, so pretty good for running!

Let me back up a bit. I ran today, Tuesday, and skipped my usual run yesterday to give my right knee an extra day to recover, as it was feeling stiff ‘n sore after Friday’s run. I think this was wise.

As I type this now, shortly after getting home from the run, I can report:

  • The run went well
  • The right knee is currently doing OK, though the stiffness/soreness usually comes later, so I will update this post as needed

As for beating the storm, technically I accomplished this. The storm has yet to arrive. But, dear reader (or LLM1Large Language Model. This is a very 2023 post.), I kid you not–a shower started a few moments before I started my run, then ended a few minutes after I was finished, like I had my own private little rain cloud following me2I checked and it appears the forecast has completely changed, with the Big Storm basically being cancelled. Well then..

It was actually slightly better than Friday, though, more shower, less rain, if you know what I mean.

The stats, both for the weather and the run, are nearly identical to Friday, so it was kind of a déjà vu thing. I did not feel as creaky starting out, though again the calf and shin muscles of the right leg (not the knee) took a few minutes to warm up. I suspect the tightness there may be contributing to the knee issues, so the stretching exercises will hopefully help there.

Overall, I am pleased with the result, especially since I was fearing the worst with regard to The Knee.

Stats:

Run 782
Average pace: 5:45/km
Location: Brunette River Trail
Start: 1:093 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:55
Weather: Light showers
Temp: 18ºC
Humidity: 74%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 152
Weight: 165.7
Total distance to date: 5795 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (467 km)

Run 781: The rain that refreshes

Foamy run-off on the Brunette River, post-run

I don’t think I’ve ever been so pleased to run in the rain.

After Wednesday’s miserable Sahara-in-my-mouth slog, I was actually looking forward to running in cooler, showery conditions.

Sure enough, it showered for the entire run, and the walk to and from the river trail. Since I didn’t head out until late, I kept the run compact, by walking the 1.5 km to the river trail and starting right from the entrance. I was a bit concerned after the right knee being stiff and sore after Wednesday’s run, but it was feeling much better today and was fine for the run. Both knees feel fine now as I type this, about half an hour after getting back.

What did bother me, for the first stretch, was my right shin–and stretch is the right word, because I think it’s the shin muscle getting stretched that was feeling it. It settled down after the first couple of km.

As mentioned, it rained the entire time, but it was a light rain and the wind was lower than it has been lately, so it didn’t feel cold. I only lagged slightly on the second km but otherwise kept up a steady pace and with a BPM of only 148, reflecting the smoother terrain of the river trail. I also blasted away the Wednesday pace of 6:11/km by a whopping 27 seconds, coming in at 5:44/km, so that was nice.

Overall, it was a nice way to end the week, run-wise. I’m not saying I want it to shower every time I run, but if I have to choose between hot and dry vs. mild and wet, I’ll go for the latter every time.

Stats:

Run 781
Average pace: 5:44/km
Location: Brunette River Trail
Start: 3:19 p.m.
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 28:52
Weather: Light showers
Temp: 17ºC
Humidity: 70%
Wind: light
BPM: 148
Weight: 165.3
Total distance to date: 5790 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (462 km)

Run 780: It’s the heat

I made a tactical error today by deciding to start my run in the early afternoon. It was 27C to start and 29C by the end. This was bad because:

  • I am not used to running in high temperatures yet. It’s only the first week of June, for Pete’s sake.
  • I am still well off from being in the condition I was prior to missing 25 days of running
  • In addition to being Africa hot, the humidity, in sharp contrast to last year, started at a low 32% and dropped to an even lower 30% by the end.

The latter led to EDMS1Extreme Dry Mouth Syndrome, which is quite unpleasant. But more than that, my energy was sapped out like some analogy I can’t think of right now. Like the sun was a giant vampire, and I was holding my neck right up to it.

At least I remembered sunblock and avoided getting burned again.

The heat was bad enough that I had to stop and regain some energy several times before continuing, like when I would play Halo and get my shields knocked down to nothing and have to hide until they filled back up. Except without the cool armour or aliens.

Amazingly, my BPM was only 152, probably because my pace was turtle-like for much of the run (I also saw a turtle at the lake, which is almost like seeing a unicorn) and my pace looks better because, as I said, it took a km or so before the heat really started knocking me down.

My knees felt decent, though, and they are just a little bit stiff now, some four hours later as I type this, so despite the run being a miserable slog, it’s gone better in terms of the legs holding up.

After arriving at the lake, I hydrated at the fountain by the dam and was just prepping to start when a trio of shirtless young guys (combined age probably equal to mine) came running over the dam, then stopped at the same fountain to drink as sweat glistened on their unnaturally perfect bodies. One of them was wearing shorts so, well, short, I am guessing his day job is as a go-go dancer.

I didn’t want to head out and then have them all gleefully glide past me, so I waited and sure enough, they bounded off like gazelle. It turned out they only got as far as the parking lot, where one of them was climbing a fallen tree for reasons. I reluctantly ran past them, but never saw them again, so I guess they either turned back or got beamed aboard their spaceship to be returned to the Planet of Young Men With Exquisitely Chiselled Bodies.

Anyway, it’s fitting that this was the highlight of the run, because most of it happened before I began running.

Next time I will run earlier, and if it looks to be hot ‘n dry, I will bring water.

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run

Stats:

Run 780
Average pace: 6:11/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW then CCW)
Start: 1:18 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 31:06
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 27-29ºC
Humidity: 32-30%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 152
Weight: 166.0
Total distance to date: 5785 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (457 km)

Run 779: Breezy kneezy

A few notes on today’s run in handy list form:

  • I had four days off, more than usual
  • It was very windy at times, once I could feel it doing that “trying to pull it off my head” thing
  • Humidity was low, so I experienced PDMS1Partial Dry Mouth Syndrome

I wasn’t sure what to expect today after the four days off. When I started, I immediately felt creaky–but more in the shins, probably because of the stretching. After a while this went away, and eventually I felt a bit of stiffness in the knees instead. Nothing horrible, but definitely there. That also seemed to diminish as the run went on.

My pace fell back from the last run, as I think I’d had just enough time off to start losing a bit of the conditioning I was gaining back. My best laps were the 2nd and last, both of which came under the six-minute mark.

I wanted to go sleeveless, to help work on my not-a-farmer’s tan, but my sleeveless running shirts fit a bit snug right now. While I slim down, I opted to wear a George shirt, which is a cotton blend. Fortunately, the high wind and not Africa hot temperature meant I didn’t really sweat, so I never had to deal with a sweat-soaked cotton shirt clinging to my body.

I noticed the construction equipment at the new playground was gone, so I went over to seek water at the fountain.

I was denied because they’re apparently not finished, and the whole area has a temporary fence around it. Even if I climbed the fence, the fountain is probably turned off right now, anyway.

I mixed things up for the walk home. After going 5K and arriving at the fountain by the dam, I ended my walk and checked the stats. My training status was rated as Productive. I noodled around for a few minutes, ventured over to the turtle nesting area, where two women were sitting on the bench, at least one of them smoking. Again, I note that I ONLY see people smoking on the trail after the FIRE DANGER No Smoking signs go up. I am convinced it works as some weird reverse psychological trigger for these people. Anyway, I then started another walk for the last 4 km home and assumed a more leisurely pace, to better preserve my tired knees.

When I got home I checked and my training status after this second walk was still Productive. Woo!

The knees don’t feel that bad right now as I type this, which is good. I get them poked and prodded tomorrow at my next physio appointment.

View from Cariboo Dam, post-run. Slightly different angle due to sun glare.

Stats:

Run 779
Average pace: 6:02/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 2:47 p.m.
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 30:24
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 22ºC
Humidity: 37%
Wind: moderate to strong
BPM: 151
Weight: 165.3
Total distance to date: 5780 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (452 km)

Run 778: Fire danger! Plus: Dander up

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run

Today I did a short loop at the lake, starting near the Jiffy John™ and running counter-clockwise until I hit 3K, then turning around and heading back, in order to minimize the total amount of walking I’d need to do. I still got mildly upbraided at the end of the run when the Garmin Forerunner said I was “overreaching”. This should change over time as I get more into condition.

Speaking of condition, I kept my BPM the same at 152, but did improve my pace again, this time by five seconds, to 5:55/km. After 25 days off, it took three runs to break the six-minute mark. I was pretty consistent as well, coming in under six minutes for all 5 km.

It was a little cooler and only partly sunny, but this actually made conditions quite nice for running. The trail was sparsely populated, but the cottonwood dander is all over the place early. If I was allergic to this stuff, I’d need to wear a hazmat suit for my runs.

Also of note, the FIRE DANGER signs are up, marking one of the few times they’ve gone up in May, and the earliest I’ve seen them in a few years, tidings of what may be a dry, hot summer.

Overall, this was a good run, and once again I’m not feeling any issues with the knees, other than some slight stiffness. I feel the calf and quad muscles more from all the stretching exercises (and also when I’m running, which is not bad, just something I’ve noticed).

The arrival of this sign also coincides with people starting to smoke. I AM NOT KIDDING.

Stats:

Run 778
Average pace: 5:55/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW then CW)
Start: 12:42 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:43
Weather: Partly sunny
Temp: 16ºC
Humidity: 70%
Wind: low to moderate
BPM: 152
Weight: 166.7
Total distance to date: 5775 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (447 km)

Run 777: Less noodle, more goose

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run

I headed out about an hour earlier today and, for the first time, after doing a full batch of stretching exercises, including the foam roller one designed to put your quad muscles into some kind of agony. As before, my plan was to adopt a moderate pace and just see how it went.

Conditions were very similar to Saturday, but I erred on the side of caution this time and wore sunblock.

Because it was a weekday, the trail was only lightly populated and all humans and dogs were well-behaved. I saw the spitfire again, but she was not running–or walking. She was actually standing, checking something on her phone. I’m wondering if she may have also injured herself and is just taking walks until she’s recovered.

Speaking of injuries, I felt no ill effects on the knees during or after the run. As I sit here a few hours later typing this, they don’t hurt or feel stiff. The quad muscles do, though (not hurt, but feel stiff).

My BPM dipped slightly to 152, which is nice but statistically insignificant. More significant is my pace dropped to 6:00/km, down an impressive eight seconds from Saturday. I’m shaking off the rust, woo.

Also, the field was replete with goslings. See below.

Overall, a solid second effort. I went from “maintaining” after the run to “overreaching” after the 9 km walk back. Undecided on whether I’ll run Wednesday or Thursday. But I will run!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL
(full of goslings)

Stats:

Run 777
Average pace: 6:00/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 12:42 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 30:10
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 20ºC
Humidity: 63%
Wind: low to moderate
BPM: 152
Weight: 166.1
Total distance to date: 5770 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 12 (442 km)

Run 776: Noodle legs

View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run

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:

Pretty much everywhere, it’s gonna be lily pads

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)