Africa hot

The Return to Africa hot run

Average pace: 5:19/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Ran Piper Mill Trail and Conifer Loops
Distance: 11.41 km
Weather: Sunny, Africa hot
Temp: 23-27ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 825
Total distance to date: 2389 km

Blergh.

For some reason runs always seem to go worse when I run clockwise around the lake. But I get ahead of myself.

I was curious how today’s run would go because I was heading out around the same time of day but with a few differences: it was much warmer (bad) but there was a breeze (good), it wasn’t as humid (good) but it was sunny instead of cloudy (bad).

It was my second run in three days after a slothful five days off.

I started out about four seconds off my previous pace, slipped a little further and ended with a time of 5:19/km, pretty lousy after getting as low as 5:07 previously. On a positive note my feet were both fine, though the left one was a tad sore on the walk back (not enough to slow me down, though).

On the negative…this was a very dry run. I felt parched and with the breeze I had a definite case of desert mouth. The temperature rose rapidly from 23 to 27ºC, the kind of change that is noticeable and not in a good way. Worse, though, the lingering effects of either a nascent head cold or some fun new allergy meant I had a pressure headache before heading out. I dealt with this by taking two Advil. The headache went away but at around the 5 km mark I felt very odd, a mix of light-headed and weak. I was passing by the athletic field at the time and wanted to just lay down on the nice soft grass for awhile. Instead I mustered on, got past the wooziness and even managed a slight uptick in my pace after bottoming out at the 10K mark.

Barring actual injury, I’m all but guaranteed to do better on the next 10K+ run.

On the run itself there were two things of note. The first was a rare triple rule violation. Seeing people walk their dogs without leashing them is pretty common. Seeing people riding bikes on the trail is (thankfully) less common. Today I saw a mother and her son both riding their bikes, with an unleashed dog in tow. Good job, I say!

We met up at the dam as I ended my run, dehydrated and cranky. I still managed to sound fairly polite as I said to her, “Actually, bikes aren’t allowed on the trail.” She didn’t seem to hear and hoisted her bike up and over the stairs on the dam, rolling it to the other side. By coincidence I was going the same way to get a long drink from the faucet nearby. I watched as she walked her bike down the path past me. I kept drinking. She waited for her son to catch up. Then she waited some more for no apparent reason. I finally got my fill of liquid nirvana and headed off. I’m sure she hopped back on the bike as soon as I was out of view. All I can hope is that she skidded out on some horse poop on the Avalon trail and landed face-first into it.

The other odd sight was a man jogging ahead of me. Occasionally I see people running with  smartphones strapped to their arms. This guy was like that except instead of a smartphone it was a tablet, either a 7 or 8 inch Samsung tablet. It looked huge and uncomfortable. The guy had his tablet arm raised straight up, as if hailing a cab. With his free hand he seemed to be making some adjustments and was not having much luck. As I caught up he got things settled and resumed a regular running pace. Or as regular a running pace as you can manage with a freaking tablet strapped to your arm. It was weird.

A July record that won’t be beat

The Vancouver area officially went the entire month of July without any precipitation. We also set a record with 411 hours of sun (the average is around 270).

But as a reminder of where we are, a weak low pressure drifted in and started a shower about an hour after the record was set.

For my runs I think the average temperature has been around 26ºC, a good 2-3 degrees above normal and it’s often been even warmer than that. July was a weird month.

As I write this the low pressure system has gone and we’re back to where we left off (it’s 24, feels like 25 at 11:30 in the morning). I’m not complaining, mind you, I don’t mind the warm weather, even if it makes my runs harder, and as the olde song goes, “Cause I’m never gonna stop the rain by complainin'”. Er, or the sunshine. Basically nature is gonna do what nature is gonna do.

And I’m going to drink some lemon lime soda.

A decent run with bonus new mulch and crazy person

Average pace: 5:09/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops
Distance: 11.1 km
Weather: Sunny, humid
Temp: 21-25ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 802
Total distance to date: 2355 km

The crazy person was not actually on the run and I have no actual evidence that he was crazy except that he was sitting in the shadows under the Highway 1 overpass along the Brunette River trail, wearing a white suit jacket and as I walked by on the other side of the trail, completely unaware he was there he called out to me and started talking about some question or something and how I shouldn’t answer now but later and so on and so forth and it really sounded like was saying, “I am mentally unstable, keep away and avoid direct eye contact.”

I opted to take the SkyTrain on the return trip because I was feeling like my left foot might act up so I don’t know if he was still there an hour and a half later. Probably not, though it was certainly cooler in the shade, especially for those wearing white suit jackets.

It was warm and breezy and a bit humid but all of these things seemed to cancel each other out, so conditions ended up being not bad overall, though the rising temperature is probably what slowed me down the last few km. I had been naughty and not run for four full days so I was unsure if the extra rest would result in me being faster or perhaps slightly less tuned and slower. As it turned out, my pace was exactly the same as the last run–5:09/km.

One noticeable change on the trail was the fence along the athletic field has been removed and the section of trail beside it has been temporarily roped off, forcing one to jog on the field itself. As it’s well-watered, it actually has a nice springy feel to it. At the end where it reconnects to the trail they have for some reason spread a swath of mulch (right on the corner of the field). I don’t know if this is intended as a new part of the path or what, but a liberal spread of fresh mulch on top of springy grass is not the most stable surface to run on. Fortunately it only amounts to a few seconds of running.

Apart from the flagging around the 8-9 km mark, I maintained a decent pace and probably would have bested Monday if I had been more consistent. I’m still pleased overall.

The left foot was signalling a certain displeasure as I started walking back so I chose to take the SkyTrain home.

The mid-July better run

Average pace: 5:09/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops
Distance: 11.04 km
Weather: Sunny, humid
Temp: 25-26ºC (felt like 26-28ºC)
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 797
Total distance to date: 2344 km

Today’s run was a little less humid and not quite as warm and the breeze was a bit breezier. The combination meant I finished with a pace of 5:09/km, 12 seconds better than my last run and nearly catching up to my previous 5:07 pace.

I ran counter-clockwise and am thinking this is easier when conditions are more Xtreme™ because the north side of the lake is more shaded. This means I can establish a decent pace by the time I hit the hotter, more exposed south side of the lake. When I do it in reverse it feels like my energy reserve gets exhausted before I can hit my stride and the back half of the run tends to fizzle out.

Or something like that.

The left foot behaved for the run and started feeling sore on the walk back but not nearly to the degree of Saturday’s run, so a definite improvement there. Overall I’m pleased to see that the horrible run on Saturday was probably just an anomaly.

Africa hot meets Vancouver humidity

Average pace: 5:21/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops
Distance: 11.2 km
Weather: Sunny, humid
Temp: 26ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 810
Total distance to date: 2333 km

It was 26ºC when I headed out for today’s run around 1 p.m. but the weather site ominously listed it as feeling like 28. It also noted 57% humidity. I also had a strange bad feeling about my left foot.

All of these bad feelings made no difference as I started out. Despite having to come to a dead stop on the Avalon Trail to let a car pass (first time ever) and eating its dust for the next ten seconds, the first km was quite brisk, so brisk that the second km looked plodding in comparison (a whopping 10% drop in pace). The worst was yet to come, though. The high humidity sapped away my energy and before long what looked like plodding was actual plodding.

On the plus side, I did improve my pace marginally or hold steady at the 7, 10 and 11K marks and my right tendon behaved itself, making its presence known in a very mild way for the last few km. The left foot did the same and didn’t affect the run. It did start to hurt on the walk back along the river trail and began to plainly hurt as I continued up Fader Street, a few blocks from home. This is the first time the foot has really hurt in awhile so while I’m relieved it didn’t start till after the run it’s still a disappointment.

The horrible, sloggy pace of 5:21/km (14 seconds off the last 11K run) was also disappointing but July has been a strange month, weather-wise, with a combination of both higher-than-average temperatures and on many days much higher than normal humidity to go with it. The combo is not conducive to a good run. In fact at this point I can safely say that I’d have preferred it to be several degrees hotter if the humidity was similarly lower.

While it’s nice to not have my mouth parched dry on a summer run, running through what feels like warm molasses is not better.

I may run again tomorrow, either early or late and see how it compares. Or maybe just take a cold shower.

 

The two-wheeled distraction run

Average pace: 4:53/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.02 km
Weather: Sunny, humid
Temp: 27ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 363
Total distance to date: 2322 km

Same run as on Tuesday but with the bonus of being two seconds slower on average. Woo. The reason? Not because it was sunny (it was probably ever-so-slightly cooler) but because it was much more humid. I now refer to humidity as the energy vampire.

I also had unexpected accompaniment for the first km or so as my partner Jeff was coming back on the river trail from his bike ride. He swung around and rode alongside me, which made me want to run faster to show off, be faster than the bike and generally be stupid and macho. I probably would have thrown up at some point but he sensed I was distracted and headed off home. After a midpoint sag my pace jumped up and down but despite pushing hard at the end I could not match my previous pace.

The feet were okay, so I’ll chalk this up as a victory all the same.

The sun-free Africa hot run

Average pace: 4:51/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.02 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 28ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 363
Total distance to date: 2317 km

The last 5K I did it was sunny and 20ºC. Tonight it was 28ºC and cloudy. The absence of sun made pretty much no difference with the temperature so much higher. As a result, I pushed through the thick, muggy air with a pace four seconds slower than last time, coming in at 4:51/km. I pushed at the end to try to at least match the prior time but ultimately couldn’t do it. I did manage to pull off what I think is a first, though–my pace at the end of the run was actually faster than at the beginning.

I slumped a little at the midway point due to the heat but coming back on the river trail the path gently slopes down for stretches, making it easier to pick the pace back up, which I did.

The run otherwise went well. The right tendon felt stiff at the start, probably due to the two days off, but it loosened up in time and wasn’t an issue. The left foot again behaved.

And that’s about it. The run was otherwise fairly ordinary–a good thing!

An improved run with desert mouth

Average pace: 5:07/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops
Distance: 11.2 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 27ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 810
Total distance to date: 2312 km

It was hotter today compared to my last run around the lake but there was also a stronger breeze and a lot less humidity. This meant that while my mouth felt like a mini-Sahara, it was much easier to breathe and I didn’t start to wilt dramatically.

I could feel where my left foot would normally start to hurt before I headed out, having walked around a decent bit before the run but it behaved itself, only making its presence known in the last few km and not actually hurting. Likewise for the walk home, though if that had stretched a few more km it may have started to be a bit of a bother.

The right tendon was in good form pretty much throughout.

Looking at the graph of the run it’s a lot smoother than some of the recent runs, more like what I’d consider normal. Coming in at a pace of 5:07/km, a full seven seconds better than the previous run was encouraging, as it seems I may be both getting past the hump in terms of performance and also in my feet healing up and no longer acting as clamps on my natural pace.

I came very close, within maybe 20 paces, of hitting 5K at the unofficial halfway point at Still Creek. When I do that I’ll know I’m really back to form.

The run was otherwise unremarkable, with surprisingly few people out for a late Saturday afternoon. Maybe they were all swimming.

A simulated hothouse run

Average pace: 5:15/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops
Distance: 11.15 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 27ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 808
Total distance to date: 2318 km

Another quite warm run, though it was done after work so later in the evening than usual (the running part began at 7:12 p.m.). In addition to being warm it was also very muggy and with little wind to relieve the mugginess. This made the canopied areas of the trail feel a bit like hothouses, with the sticky hot air trapped by the surrounding vegetation.

I mustered through, though, determined to make up for the disappointing slip to 5:22/km on the previous lake run.

And success! I finished with a pace of 5:15. seven seconds better and three seconds better than the pace prior to that. The left foot behaved itself throughout and this is definitely a contributing factor to the improved time. I’m also feeling I’m starting to get past the point where my stamina kicks up another notch, as the overall pace of the run shows a smooth, gradual decline, without a lot of ups and downs, along with the usual spike up, this time starting a full 1.5 km before the end.

Pleased with the progress, especially with the torrid conditions.

Happy feet, slow feet

Average pace: 5:22/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops
Distance: 11.02 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 21-25ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 798
Total distance to date: 2284 km

The best part about today’s run was that I managed 11 km and my left foot did not hurt. Woot, I say. It did start to feel a little sore on the walk back when I was on the last block of Fader Street, about 100-200 m from home and even then it was fine to walk on. To quote Portal, this was a triumph.

With the temperature forecast to climb to 28ºC by afternoon, I headed out at 11:30 a.m. and started my run near the parking lot by the lake, heading clockwise. This was a good choice as the sun stayed on my back for the run instead of the opposite, which generally feels a lot worse.

As the temperature climbed I found myself feeling sluggish. The breeze helped but the high humidity of last weekend was gone and the dry heat tends to leave me feeling parched and without energy. As a result my pace was 5:22/km, a full four seconds slower than my last 11K run. Disappointing, especially with my feet bothering me quite a bit on the previous long outing. Maybe I ran faster just to get it over with.

I pulled the calf of my left leg last night and felt it twinge a few times but not enough to account for the slower performance. Likewise, I had a few seconds of cramping but it subsided and never slowed me down.

The graph on the Nike+ site is one of the weirdest I’ve seen. Most commonly the line from the start of the run to the end does a gradual decline, levels off about halfway through then ticks up at the end. This one basically follows the pattern except instead of leveling off, each km looks like a mountain valley, up and down, up and down, like I kept fighting to push ahead and then my body said “Nope!” and eased off. I do not remember experiencing anything like this during the run itself.

I am thinking about possibly running again tomorrow to see how it would compare to today’s.

One other thing I’ll say: when I finished I went to the faucet near the dam and drank about eight handfuls of cold water and it was the best water I’ve had all year. There is something absolutely wonderful about cool, fresh water after a long, dry run.

A blissfully uneventful short run

Average pace: 5:00/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.04 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 26ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 365
Total distance to date: 2265 km

Tonight was a short run on the Brunette River trail. Although it was still fairly warm it wasn’t quite scorching and there was even a little breeze blowing.

My pace of 5:00/km bested my best weekend time by six seconds, a nice illustration of how temperature really affects performance. The feet were fine so not much else to add.

In which I decide to run twice when it’s 32 Celcius

Average pace: 5:06/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce and Conifer Loops and Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 5.1 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 32-30ºC
Wind: nil
Calories burned: 372
Total distance to date: 2255 km

Average pace: 5:16/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW), Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.02 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 30-28ºC
Wind: nil
Calories burned: 363
Total distance to date: 2260 km

Today I deliberately planned to only run 5K, following the same route as yesterday. There were two changes. The first was starting time. I didn’t head out until about 6:50 p.m. and didn’t start the run until 7:24 p.m., hoping to avoid the sun and the worst of the day’s heat (despite it being even hotter than yesterday). The second was applying a liberal spraying of Off to my legs to avoid adding to my modest bug bite collection.

The change in time seemed to work, slightly. The run still felt more difficult than normal but I did finish with a better pace of 5:06/km, two seconds better than yesterday. I even saw a few other nutty types running. Given that it was 32ºC it actually didn’t feel as bad, again due to the higher than normal humidity.

The run otherwise was a match for yesterday and my feet held up nicely. I began walking back and along the way those same fee started getting itchy. I didn’t want to walk all the way back but neither did I want to cheese out by taking the SkyTrain when I exited the park. So after walking 2 km I set up another 5K run and took off again, running the rest of the lake trail, across Cariboo Road and back onto the Brunette River trail. I got maybe a third of the way up that when I hit 5K and then settled into a brisk walk for the rest of the way back.

The 2 km of walking between the runs didn’t really serve as a proper rest, as I kept moving at a good pace but it did allow me to catch my breath, cool down and settle my heart rate. I expected my time to be worse and it was, coming in at 5:16/km. On the other hand, I’m certain it would have been even worse if I had run the full 10K uninterrupted.

The forecast keeps changing hourly (“It’s going to be even hotter tomorrow! No, it’s not. Wait, yes it is! No, it’s going to be cooler. Wait, we were kidding. Hotter, definitely. Hahaha.”) so I have no idea what to expect come Tuesday but I suspect it will be about the same as it was yesterday–hotter than normal and probably too much to handle a full 10K. But we shall see.

Surprisingly, splitting today’s 10K in two seemed to work for the feet, with both still feeling fine afterward. The right tendon only twinged slightly on the second run while the left foot pretty much behaved itself.

I also managed to break 100 km for the month of June, which was nice and somewhat unexpected, given the number of shorter runs I’ve done. My stats:

103.94 km
5:06/km average pace

Compared to June 2012 when my feet were in much better shape:

140.54 km
4:54/km average pace