Today my BA (Bear anxiety) was low, but I was also curiously unmotivated and didn’t actually head out until after 11 a.m. By the time I started my clockwise run, it was already 26C and humidity was still 50%. Who would win, me or humidity?
Okay, I spoiled the answer already, but at the start I felt pretty good and my opening pace was 5:51/km, but by the second km it plunged to 6:13/km after I set a usual pace of 150 BPM. As I continued, the thought of doing 10K dimmed, and ultimately I settled on 5K, with a bit of a boost at the end to lift my overall pace to 6:09/km. After walking for a km, I found some renewed energy along the shady Cottonwood Trail and actually ran the entire 7K stretch, albeit at a more casual pace. The one downside was the industrial stink coming from across the road, probably from one of the constructions sites. It wasn’t fresh asphalt, but it had a similar and horrible chemical odor that pervaded almost the entire length of the trail.
In the end, not a bad result, and I definitely feel better after than I did on Wednesday, but still kind of blah. At times it really felt fine, and at others the air was absolutely stifling. Do not like.
I am very tired of high humidity for runs, though. Fortunately, the weather should start changing in the next few weeks as we move toward fall, then I can start complaining about how cold it is, as nature intended.
Also, I saw a heron right belong Cariboo Dam at the end of my run. Enjoy this blurry, zoomed-in photo from my iPhone:
Stats:
Run 711Average pace: 6:09/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 12:14 p.m.
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 30:54
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 26-27ºC
Humidity: 50%
Wind: nil to light
BPM: 151
Weight: 159.6
Total distance to date: 5212 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Brooks Caldera 5 (320 km)
I headed out with a high amount of BA (Bear Anxiety) but the lake was bear-free, at least as far as my time there.
Another earlyish start to beat the heat, but not as successful as Monday. It jumped to 25C by the time I got there and was 27C by the 5K mark, which is where I stopped. My pace was actually pretty decent, given I was running counter-clockwise, but the humidity and sun were just too much. I probably could have done 10K, but the run was an unfun slog, so I did 5K, then intervals the rest of the way.
I don’t feel bad about this! And if the forecast is right, this is likely to be the last truly hot day of summer (the high is expected to be 32C), with the rest of the week seeing higher-than-normal temperatures, but staying in the 20s.
Oddly, my first km was slowest. Had I not started out so cautiously, I would have been under the six-minute mark–but I’m okay with that, too!
Along with the sun and high humidity, there was once more very little in the way of a breeze. When I was under the full glare of the sun, it felt exactly like that–a glare. Basically, I’ve had my fill of this weather. I’m ready for a change. I don’t want to fully embrace the R-word just yet, but at least it might make runs more palatable.
Friday is “only” going to see a high of 27C, so I’m hoping conditions will be better for a full 10K. For now, I hydrate and rest.
Stats:
Run 710Average pace: 6:03/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:21 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 30:25
Weather: Sun with some high cloud
Temp: 25-27ºC
Humidity: 52%
Wind: nil to light
BPM: 152
Weight: 160.4
Total distance to date: 5207 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Brooks Caldera 5 (315 km)
Today’s run didn’t go at all as planned, but it almost didn’t happen at all, so in the end it went surprisingly well, all things considered.
First, the bug bites from Saturday (of which there were many–at least 18 on my right leg, eight on my left) were flaring up again this morning, all red and itchy as heck. So walking and running would make this even worse, probably, and for that reason I thought it might be nice to just spend the day in the bathtub instead.
But I did get changed and used cheap motivational tricks to get myself heading out.
Right around the 1 km mark of the walk, when I was traversing down the stairs into Lower Hume Park I suddenly remembered my pasties. My nipple guards. If I was doing a 10K and sweated copiously, there was a distinct possibility that both nipples would bleed like they were extras in a Saw outtake. Going back would mean adding 18+ minutes to the whole thing. I just kept heading to the lake, mulling a potential Plan B.
Potential Plan B’s:
Don’t run at all, just do an epic 18 km walk around the lake and back
Do a 5K run instead, so less overall sweating
Do a 10K and hope that the cooler temperatures would offset the humidity and result in less sweating
As it was, I ended up going with Plan C:
Do a crazy back-and-forth combo of main and side trails for a total of 5K after three different people warned me about a mother bear and two cubs “ten minutes” up the way I was heading
A man and a couple (walking in close proximity of each other) flagged me down as I set off clockwise down the Avalon Trail, where four fresh new culverts have been installed. As expected, the man warned me he had seen a mother bear and two cubs wander off the trail and into the woods about ten minutes back (roughly a km or about six minutes for me at normal running pace). He seemed somewhat confident that the bears would be gone if I continued on, but when it comes to a mother bear and the potential to see me as a threat to her cubs, then mauling me to death, I am good with giving the bears an extremely wide berth, and switched to counter-clockwise and made the call to do only 5K by looping around the side trail and out, which I did.
Because the run was relatively short, I had no issues and felt very springy, finishing with a pace of 5:57/km and a BPM of exactly 150 (it got as high as 157 on the last km as I stepped on the gas a little).
The hip didn’t actually make its presence known at all until I was walking back on the river trail, but it was no big deal. I ran a fair bit there, too, since I had energy to spare. Funny how 5K almost feels short now.
Overall, a decent, if shorter than expected, start to the week.
I look forward to the bears hibernating.
And here’s the map of my route (I have no idea why Apple uses a dark map, it looks terrible, but Apple gonna Apple). The leg on the right was my expected route, before I doubled back and did a couple loops over on the north side of the lake (oh, and so it doesn’t drive you crazy, the cut-off text says Warner Loat Park):
Stats:
Run 709Average pace: 5:57/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (a little of every direction)
Start: 10:11 a.m.
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 29:54
Weather: Sun with high cloud
Temp: 21-22ºC
Humidity: 67-54%
Wind: light
BPM: 150
Weight: 160.9
Total distance to date: 5202 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Brooks Caldera 5 (310 km)
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 707Average 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)
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 702Average 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)
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 699Average 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)
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 698Average 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)
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 697Average 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)
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.
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 Watch
TomTom Runner Cardio
Time
27:10
26:42
Average pace
5:23/km
5:18/km
BPM
156
154
Distance
5:03 km
5:03 km
Calories
331
367
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 Cardio
5:18/km
Apple Watch
5:23/km
Strava
5:27/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.
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
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.
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.
