7.5K

Due to waiting for a delivery yesterday (it was a no-show) and the absence of birding today, I opted to do a run! The watch was recommending a run of 54 minutes (!) at a pace of 8.3 km/hour. I pondered this briefly and rejected it, as I always do. But I was feeling a little frisky, so I decided to try for 7.5 km for the first time in…a long time.

And I did it! My pace hovered around the six-minute mark the whole run and while I knew I could probably come in under if I pushed, I made myself not push, but instead maintain that steady pace. The extra distance (adding about 15 minutes to the run) actually felt fine–I did actually increase my pace very slightly, so I was not flagging at all.

The first minute or so my right ankle felt very creaky. I almost thought of pausing the run, but was reasonably confident it would work itself out, which it did.

I did pause the run to swing my belt with the phone in it around, so the phone was in the small of my back instead of out front, as it’s starting to droop and I had a theory it was somehow making my shorts curl up. I know it sounds strange, just trust me on this. I’m also going to be looking into longer shorts as we get deeper into fall. The five inch ones are nice for showing off my sexy legs, but maybe they’re bulking up too much or something, because the bottom edges are constantly starting to curl up. It’s annoying. Anyway, whatever is causing the curl won’t happen if the shorts are longer.

As for the rest of the run, my BPM was a very fine 147 and apart from the ankle, I experienced no issues. I saw one topless runner, though he didn’t start topless (I passed him twice). No armband, though. But about every other runner was wearing one of those lace-up vests, so they are apparently the hot thing in the runner world right now. I feel like a rebel by not wearing one.

In all, it was good to stretch out the distance for the first time in a long time and have it go well. My next run will either be the same or be 2.5K. We’ll see!

Stats:

Run 1,069
Average pace: 6:00/km
Training status: Productive
Performance Condition: Unknown
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 12:03 p.m.
Distance: 7.51 km
Time: 45:05
Weather: Partly sunny
Temp: 14–15°C
Humidity: 75–67%
Wind: light
BPM: 147
Weight: 173.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 7,152.5 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, Samsung Galaxy S26, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Scarpa Golden Gate ATR 2 (132.5/271.5/404)

Music: Shuffle play

My last run was only 2.5 km, so to address the OCD of having my total run distance end in a decimal, I either had to do another 2.5 km or up the proverbial ante and do 7.5 km, which I haven’t done since June 25, 2025.

I chose to do the 7.5K. It went fine!

To make sure I’d have enough stamina, I set off at a deliberately slower pace and finished with an average of 6.01/km–so close to coming under the six-minute mark! My BPM was a bit higher, but despite being milder (7-8C), it was also breezier, so 151 seemed acceptable.

I didn’t experience any issues, though a stitch in my side threatened but didn’t fully materialize after the 5K mark. As a minor boost to my ego, I even passed another runner around 7 km in (she was running very slowly).

The trail was a bit damp after yesterday’s showers, but the newly resurfaced section along the sports fields is still holding up. The section past this, before you get to the rowing pavilion parking lot, is pretty floody and required a few dextrous leaps past some large puddles. Hopefully they resurface this bit soon.

Overall, a fine start to the week, and it’s nice to know I can push past 5K without any trouble (though I suspect my legs will be a bit stiff tomorrow).

Stats:

Run 1,010
Average pace: 6:01/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:26 a.m.
Distance: 7.5 km
Time: 45:12
Weather: Clouds and sun
Temp: 7-8°C
Humidity: 83-79%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 151
Weight: 170.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,880 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 265, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (140/217/357)

Music: Shuffle mode

Today’s run was also kind of weird, but generally not in weird ways that were also bad.

• I ran two days in a row. This is definitely weird.
• I ran 7.5 km. More on this below.
• The weather promised clouds, but it actually showered for the first three km or so.

My OCD: I ran 2.5 km last night. This meant my total running distance now ended with .5 rather than a simple 5 or 0. This bugged my OCD, so I had to contemplate fixes to this:

• I could run another 2.5K today to round up to a nice 5. But this would mean two short runs in a row.
• I could run 5K and just ignore it for now.
• I could run 7.5K, treat it as a prelude to running a full 10K and also sate my OCD at the same time.

I chose the latter option and so started at a slower pace than normal, to help conserve energy. I was also running with less recovery time than usual, too, though I had slept well.

The first km was 6:04/km and my pace stayed close to the six-minute mark for the first few km, then began improving. As I approached the fifth km, I kept the foot off the gas and just kept going. My pace remained pretty steady and I was mildly delighted to finish the full 7.5 km with a pace of 5:59/km.

I didn’t experience any issues, and my BPM was lower at 148. As mentioned, it lightly showered for the first 15 minutes or so, but the tree canopy mostly shielded me from the rain, and then it stopped. Later a bit of a breeze came up, but by then it felt kind of nice.

In terms of conditions, they were generally fine, but the weather meant I mostly encountered other joggers. I had to do a jump over a puddle on a narrow part of the trail just past the 5K mark, but did so with gazelle-like reflexes. Well, maybe not gazelle-like, but I did make the jump. The trail was otherwise dry, and most of the hazards were the slugs drawn out by the un-summerlike weather.

Overall, I’m pleased with the results. I didn’t have any issue extending the run, so I’m hopefully in good shape for my eventual return to 10K. I also got caught up after having a run deficit for the week.

Stats:

Run 937
Average pace: 5:59/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:53 a.m.
Distance: 7.50 km
Time: 44:52
Weather: Cloudy, some showers
Temp: 16°C
Humidity: 81-82%
Wind: light
BPM: 148
Weight: 165.7
Total distance to date: 6,520 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (115/228.5/325.5)

Music: Sounds of Summer, The Beach Boys