5K

More leaves are self-explanatory. There are a lot of leaves that ain’t waiting till fall officially gets underway. Fortunately, the worst spots seemed to be on the post-run parts of the trail, but it did make me wonder if fallen leaves were on my list of worst trail running weather conditions. They are not! Probably because the hazard has been more potential than realized.

I had another nutty idea on starting the run. I originally planned a short loop and my idea was to go CCW, but start rough 1 km further back, so that by the time I cleared the Piper Mill Trail, I could just immediately circle back on the regular part of the trail. But as I neared the 0 km marker (the “official” beginning of the lake loop), I realized I was dumb, because I had assumed there was a one km gap between the 10K and 0K markers¹My brain tries to be logical to a fault, sometimes.. There is not! It is more like 0.38 km. With this realization, and the weather being pleasant, I decided to just go all the way around the lake (but still only a 5K run).

The results were nearly identical to Monday, just a tad faster. I am good with that.

Again, there were a fair number of people out, a mix of walkers, joggers and people with dogs, but no issues encountered. Plus, I got a chance to feel “fast” when I eventually caught up and passed someone on the Cottonwood Trail. If he had been a little farther ahead, I would have probably finished my run before catching up to him. I take these victories where I can.

Finally, the last of the 50s: My birthday is tomorrow, so this is the last run I’ll do as a 50-something. The fact that I am still running is reason enough to celebrate, as far as I’m concerned. Go me!

Stats:

Run 887
Average pace: 5:41/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:01 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:34
Weather: Sunny, some cloud
Temp: 17°C
Humidity: 78-75%
Wind: light
BPM: 151
Weight: 165.9
Total distance to date: 6,295 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 6 (80/174/254)

With apologies to DEVO.

Conditions were slightly warmer and slightly sunnier today (though high cloud blocked the sun most of the time), but not enough to make a difference compared to the last few runs.

What did make a difference was my spontaneous decision to veer off the usual course taking me down the Southshore Trail and to continue straight ahead instead down the Freeway Trail. I’m not sure why I did this, but it may have been that I was planning a short loop and realized this was one way to make it more of an actual loop, instead of simply backtracking the way I’d come. Variety, and all that.

It would also have the effect of slowing me down, which I wanted to do, so I don’t push my legs/knees/miscellaneous organs too hard as I get back into a regular run routine. The Freeway trail is more uneven and hilly than the lake trail, so it would either slow me down (yes) or I’d have to push extra hard to compensate (haha, no). I probably ran around 2 km or so on it before diverting back to the regular trail.

The diversion also had the added benefit of getting me away from the crowds, because it felt unusually busy for a Monday morning. I don’t know if it was my slightly later start or people panicking and trying to get in activity before summer ends, but after the weird absence of people last Wednesday, it’s been People++ since then. No issues, though, which is nice.

The Freeway Trail did indeed slow me down, as my pace was 5:49/km along that stretch, which brought my overall pace to 5:42/km, which is still perfectly fine. The legs and knees held up, with no pain or discomfort. The shins are still adjusting, but again, no real issues.

Overall, a perfectly cromulent start to the week.

P.S. There was a BDI¹Bad Dog Incident post-run and I was going to detail it, but I’ve decided to just let it go. No one got hurt, so I’m not going to dwell on it.

Stats:

Run 886
Average pace: 5:42/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW, short loop)
Start: 10:42 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:39
Weather: Sun with high cloud
Temp: 17-18°C
Humidity: 71-69%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 151
Weight: 165.9
Total distance to date: 6,290 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 6 (75/161/236)

My two goals today:

• Adopt a more moderate pace, to reduce the possibility of injury
• Finish before The Rains moved in, as they were forecast to do this afternoon

Success on both counts, if only technically. My overall pace was 5:37/km, which is slower than the 5:35/km on Wednesday, but in practical terms, it’s not really much different. I did start out slower, with my initial lap being 5:41/km, and felt kind of weird/off, as if I hadn’t eaten enough (I ate a normal breakfast before heading out). Whatever it was, I shook it off and caused a weird reversal, as my 3rd and 4th km were faster than the first two, which happens approximately never. But it happened today!

Conditions were quite similar to the previous run, and my BPM dropped another smidgen, right to 150. Once I shook off the initial weirdness, I felt fine and picked up the pace without really trying to, which was nice.

And unlike Wednesday, there were people on the trail today, probably because I headed out later. There was a large walking group, but they were spread out, and I managed to pass them without incident.

And leaves. There were bunches of leaves here and there, a reminder that fall is officially only nine days away.

As for The Rains, they started just minutes after I got back home. I would have stayed dry for the run itself, but would have been soggy on the walk back, so woo for keeping dry.

Overall, a good way to wrap up a full week of running.

Stats:

Run 885
Average pace: 5:37/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:16 p.m.
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 28:19
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 16-17°C
Humidity: 78-75%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 150
Weight: 166.4
Total distance to date: 6,285 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 6 (70/153/223)

My original plan today was to take it a bit easy, as my right shin felt just a little tender after Monday’s run. This is pretty normal–when I’m starting to run regularly again, the shins go through a phase where they are a bit tender before adjusting to the increased workload. I did not execute my plan, but I sort of had a reason–the weather.

It was cooler at 16C, and had showered just before (it stayed dry for my run), which meant it would be “easier” to run. I proved this with a snappy starting pace of 5:32/km. I did slow toward the middle, but by the last km, I felt energized and lengthened my stride to finish, coming in at a brisk 5:27/km. My overall pace ended up 5:35/km, which is pretty good. My legs are holding together fine as I write this summary.

The showers must have scared off everyone, because for the 5 km that I ran I encountered not a single person. I was like The Omega Man, if he jogged. I did encounter many slugs, however, and they provided extra challenge as I dodged and skirted around them. I did see two people on the trail post-run, but also nearly at the very beginning. The solitude was kind of nice. As was not having to wear sunblock.

In all, a fine mid-week effort.

Stats:

Run 884
Average pace: 5:35/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW, short loop)
Start: 11:34 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:07
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 16°C
Humidity: 77-79%
Wind: light
BPM: 151
Weight: 166.8
Total distance to date: 6,280 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 6 (65/140/205)

Today’s run was under pleasantly cloudy skies. My only complaint, weather-wise, was a complete lack of wind. A bit of a breeze might have been nice. Conditions were decent, otherwise. At one point the sky started to brighten and I was concerned the sun would come out–not a terrible thing, per se, but with the humidity so high the sun would have made it Super Muggy™.

It was busier than expected, but the business–mostly people just walking, not too many with dogs (all on leash) didn’t present any issues. One huge gang of people congregated near the turtle nesting area, so I was able to get by them early on.

As for the actual run, I started out fast at 5:35/km, slipped to 5:45/km, then surprisingly improved after that and finished with an overall pace of 5:39/km, my best pace in a fair while. I’m not trying to get faster, mind you, I’m just trying to improve and make sure my knees or other body parts don’t explode. So far everything has stayed intact. This pleases me.

As does the lack of bears, mountain lions or Bigfoot sightings. Occasional off-leash dogs are bad enough.

Overall, a good start to the week.

Stats:

Run 883
Average pace: 5:39/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:37 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:25
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 17°C
Humidity: 83-81%
Wind: light
BPM: 154
Weight: 167.0
Total distance to date: 6,275 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 6 (60/132/192)

I did a strange thing today–I headed out relatively early! I had reason, as it’s sunny today, with a high expected of 27C. Not gross and hot, but warmer than I’d like, plus running under the sun saps my energy like nobody’s bidness, as the kids say.

So I was off at 9 a.m., running by 9:54 and back before noon. So efficient!

Interestingly, conditions were nearly identical to Monday in terms of temperature and humidity, but there was one distinct change–it was sunny instead of cloudy. Actually, two changes: there was also much less wind. The change from cloud to sun had a noticeable impact–I started out fast, but kept losing steam until pushing a bit in the final km, so my overall pace was 5:45/km, five seconds slower than last time. However, my BPM remained the same at 153. I felt fine.

The trail was lightly populated, and a group of four walking ahead on the trail presented no issue as I approached them. I said, “Coming up” and “Behind you” and the woman directly in front of me popped out of the way with impressive nimbleness. I actually said thanks as I passed. I like when people are courteous!

Overall, I’m glad I got out and had a respectable run, especially after yesterday’s slothful, sort of awful day hunkered inside the condo. Touching trees (or just running by them) is good for the body and for the mind.

Stats:

Run 882
Average pace: 5:45/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 9:54 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:54
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 19-20°C
Humidity: 80-77%
Wind: light
BPM: 153
Weight: 167.4
Total distance to date: 6,270 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 6 (55/119/174)

It’s Labour Day, which is a stat holiday, and that means bonus people on the trail for my run!

Likely due to extensive cloud cover, the crowds were smaller and actually were not an issue at all. Once again, people lived up the ideal of the polite Canadian. Dogs were leashed, people were accommodating and the weather was perfectly pleasant for running, with the temperature right around 20 and a pleasant breeze helping with the higher humidity.

As a result, I lopped a full 11 seconds off my previous run, coming in with an average of 5:40/km. I even had the gas to get 5:29/km in the last lap. Another small bonus: despite the increase in speed, my BPM was down slightly, to 154.

The trail had a few more slugs than I expected, so there was a decent amount of dodging. I am pleased to report no slug families were orphaned today.

In less pleasant news, the resurfacing of the trail from the rowing pavilion to the bridge at Deer Lake Brook is…not great? I am reserving final judgment, as I’m not 100% sure they are done yet, but the portion of the trail from the bridge to where the trail splits is especially lumpy and uneven now. It was actually much smoother and flatter before the resurfacing, so they’ve essentially downgraded it. It’s easily the worst resurfacing job I’ve seen since I started running at Burnaby Lake in 2011. But like I said, maybe they aren’t done, so I’ll give it a few more weeks and see how it shakes (or evens) out.

Overall, though, this was a fine run in good conditions and the crowds were a pleasant non-factor. Yay.

Stats:

Run 881
Average pace: 5:40/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:45 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:32
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 19-20°C
Humidity: 81-78%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 153
Weight: 167.6
Total distance to date: 6,265 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 6 (50/106/156)

First, after my last run on August 19, it may have seemed like things were going spiffy. And they were!

Or so I thought.

But after that fourth run in a row, my right knee started to feel not-quite-right. It wasn’t hurting, per se, but was clearly feeling some strain from the runs, and the Baker’s cysts seemed bigger. I decided to take a cautious approach, and kept up with a series of walks and walk/runs, but it wasn’t until today when I somewhat spontaneously decided to, that I ran a full 5K.

It went fine. The right knee is not hurting, though I can feel where it would be, but it seems to have survived both the run and the extended walk around the lake and back home. To encourage myself to not put the metaphorical pedal to the metal, I opted not to time either walk post-run, allowing myself to adopt a more leisurely pace.

Speaking of leisurely paces, I knew to not go all-out for today’s run, but the 10-day layoff insure that wouldn’t be an issue. I could definitely feel those ten days. I started out relatively strong and fortunately capped out at 5:56/km on the third km before picking up the pace a little, then a little more to finish with an overall average of 5:51/km. It was warm, but not hot, somewhat muggy in the shady bits, and I experienced a bit of Dry Mouth Syndrome™ at times, though it was tolerable. I began thinking of how gels might work better than carrying a water bottle in situations like these. Not hair gel, since I no longer need that, but the sporty kind you enjoy on the go. I may look into it. On the other hand, summer is over in three weeks, so maybe I can hold out for now.

The trail was fairly bereft of people, though I did encounter a decent number of other joggers. I also encountered a guy with two kids biking. I told them bikes were not allowed as I ran past, scowling at them on the inside (too much energy to also do it on the outside). No off-leash dogs, though!

Also, I saw two snakes. One was quickly slithering off the trail into the grass, as they usually do. The next was post-run and did the same thing, but seemed a little more relaxed. He (she?) hung out in the grass for a bit, allowing me to get a rare (for this summer) garter snake photo (see below).

Overall, a decent outing, and I’m hopeful that I won’t need to go another 10 days before my next run.

Stats:

Run 880
Average pace: 5:51/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 1:16 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:23
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 23°C
Humidity: 60%
Wind: light
BPM: 154
Weight: 166.4
Total distance to date: 6,260 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 6 (45/93/138)

First, this is my fourth regular run in a row, woo. And no cheating, also woo.

But I headed out later than planned and that meant it was sunny and humid, so boo (on me).

I opted to go clockwise again, figuring it would be shadier and also for the additional variety. This was fine, save for two things:

• It was strangely crowded in the first 300m or so. I have no idea why so many people were bunched up like that on a Monday morning. Maybe everyone is heading out because they feel summer is slipping away.
• I forgot they are resurfacing the trail from the bridge at Deer Lake Brook to the parking lot by the rowing pavilion. This seems a bit odd to me, as the section leading up to the bridge is still in very good condition and doesn’t need to be resurfaced (IMO), but I guess they have a set schedule or something. It looks like they may have started today, right from the bridge itself. They had done the first bit of compacting and the guy there seemed to be signalling me to go to the right, which would have been the ditch. This part of the trail essentially has no shoulders. I then ran across the non-compacted bit after, which had the consistency of semi-solid cement, leaving distinct footprints they probably had to fix. Oops. Still, I wasn’t going to go off into the ditch and risk twisting an ankle. Pedestrians are an occupational hazard when resurfacing a pedestrian trail.

The recent showers, combined with the sun and humidity, meant it would be muggy–and it was! This meant I worked harder to be slower, but I felt I turned in a solid performance. After getting progressively slower with each km, I managed to pick up the pace a bit at the end, for an overall pace of 5:49/km.

And I wore a new belt! Jeff picked up an $18 SPI-Belt knockoff and I wore it, and it worked surprisingly well, staying nice ‘n snug with my phone tucked inside. And unlike my old belt, I could have the phone on the front, where I could access volume controls easily. Which I did not do. But still, having a non-saggy belt was spiffy.

Overall, a good start to the week. If the forecast is accurate, Wednesday may be a bit damp. We’ll see!

Stats:

Run 879
Average pace: 5:49/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 11:11 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:13
Weather: Mostly sunny
Temp: 21-22°C
Humidity: 61-57%
Wind: light
BPM: 154
Weight: 166.9
Total distance to date: 6,255 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 6 (40/80/120)

I succeeded in getting an earlier start today and was able to run under delightfully cloudy skies, with conditions remarkably similar to Monday. Checking the hourly forecast, I was probably safe from the sun trill 2 p.m., but I wasn’t taking any chances after messing it up on Wednesday.

I started out a bit slower than Monday and lagged a bit at the 3K mark, but cranked it up for the final two km and finished with an overall pace of 5:44/km, only two seconds off Monday’s pace. That’s pretty good, all things considered.

There were no issues on the run, my BPM was fine, people on the trail were relatively sparse and all dogs were leashed.

It feels like a long time since I’ve done three runs in one week. Hopefully it won’t be a rare thing going forward. I’m talking to you, right knee!

Stats:

Run 878
Average pace: 5:44/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW, short loop)
Start: 10:08 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:53
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 18°C
Humidity: 68-66%
Wind: light
BPM: 152
Weight: 167.2
Total distance to date: 6,250 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 6 (35/67/102)