Burnaby Lake runs

I missed Friday’s run for reasons and postponed my usual Monday run due to a rainfall warning. The warning proved to be quite accurate.

But today the weather was milder and with no threat of rain, I headed out. I debated a short loop but in the end, the conditions persuaded me to do a regular 5K. I stopped at the first boardwalk to retie my left shoelace (Ol’ Loosey, I call it now), but generally the run went without issue. Two things to note, though:

• Somewhere around the 4K mark or so I almost started to develop a cramp. I didn’t, but IU could feel it trying. I was probably just pushing too hard.
• My left foot twinged a few times, never quite hurting, per se, but getting close, if that makes sense. One theory is the foam in the insoles of the shoes is starting to compress, so it might not be providing enough support. I may end up having to put my grubby old orthotics back in.

Overall, though, I maintained a good pace throughout, and even on the 4th where I lagged a bit, it was only by seven seconds. I saw Servo Girl, too, so at least some of the regulars are still getting out.

As mentioned, conditions were relatively mild. I probably only needed two layers, but three did not prove to be uncomfortable. The trail was generally in good shape, though the branches (and twigs) were indeed out, scattered all over the place. I guess yesterday’s storm had something to do with the debris. I finished the run and was perfectly dry, then had to face Puddle Town by the sports fields and ending up spraying mud up one leg and generally getting my feet quite wet, because the puddles are too big to avoid and the edges are all soft and murky. I will be writing to Metro Vancouver, because I’ve been running here for 14 years and they have never addressed the regular flooding on this section of trail.

Other than that, it was a pretty good run.

Stats:

Run 991
Average pace: 5:33/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 9:47 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 27:56
Weather: Mix of sun and cloud
Temp: 7-8°C
Humidity: 91-90%
Wind: light
BPM: 153
Weight: 167.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,785 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (45/76/121)

Music: Beauty and the Beat, The Go-Go's

Conditions were pretty similar to Monday, though it was a bit more humid (I couldn’t feel the difference). I dressed in three layers again and since I ran at the lake today, the third layer was nice for the 4K walk there and back.

My watch told me to do a shorter recovery run, so I compromised and did my usual 5K, but eased up a bit, with an overall pace of 5:45/km and a BPM of 149. The only time I notably picked up the pace was when I was passing by the Nature House/Piper Spit and one of the park putt-putt cars was heading out. I looked behind me and could see it was coming my way, so I goosed it a little to stay ahead of it. It was pulling a cute little trailer, so I don’t think there was any serious chance of it catching me.

I did not have any issues on the run, and the trail was sparsely populated. Once again, I did not see any of the regular runners. Kind of weird at this point. Maybe they take winters off.

In all, a fine mid-week effort and any run in December where it isn’t raining or freezing is A++ for me.

Stats:

Run 990
Average pace: 5:45/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 10:56 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:57
Weather: Overcast
Temp: 5°C
Humidity: 91-89%
Wind: light
BPM: 149
Weight: 166.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,780 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (40/63/103)

Music: Shuffle mode

I missed two runs this week:

• Monday: No good reason, I just didn’t want to go. Bad.
• Wednesday: Waited all day for a delivery that never arrived. Thanks, massive retail conglomerate! The weather was decent, too.

But today the weather was clear, if cool, so I headed out nice ‘n early and did an actual run at the actual lake. I wore two layers and shorts. This proved sufficient for the 6C start, the coldest yet this fall. A lot of the water had mist pooling over it, which was a nice effect.

The first km revealed what a week off, plus a cold start can do–my pace was a slothful 6:01/km. I expected the rest of the run to be similar, but actually found my form fairly quickly, with the last two km coming in under 5:30, bringing my average pace to 5:46/km, pretty much the same as my last run a week ago. My BPM was higher at 153, probably a combination of the colder weather and the time off.

I didn’t experience any issues during the run and even passed another jogger, woo. The trail was mostly dry but there was post-run puddle navigation required around the sports fields. The trail there is legitimately terrible now. I should really write a letter.

There were more people than usual, I’d say, no doubt brought out by the sun, but not enough to become an actual crowd.

And after the run, I had about a dozen people on horseback turn onto the trail ahead of me, which was different. None of the horses pooped, which was nice of them.

In all, a nice return.

Bonus shot: Mist before starting out:

Stats:

Run 988
Average pace: 5:46/km
Training status: Strained
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 9:57 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:01
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 6-7°C
Humidity: 83%
Wind: light
BPM: 153
Weight: 166.2 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,770 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (30/51/81)

Music: The Turn of a Friendly Card, The Alan Parsons Project

I opted to do a repeat of Friday’s run. Most of the conditions were similar, except there was drizzle and light rain. This made it feel a lot cooler, so the two layers felt appropriate both before and during the run.

I suspected I would be slower and I was, which is fine. Again mirroring Friday’s run, my left shoelace came untied, forcing me to stop just past the 2 km point to tie it. Just prior to this, a guy jogged past me, and I briefly entertained a delusion of catching up to him. But then I had to tie my shoe, so that became impossible. Now I can safely pretend I totally would have caught up to him otherwise (ho ho).

My overall pace was 5:40/km and my fastest was at the end, 5:30. BPM was 149, which is good.

While it was kind of drizzly or lightly showering for much of the run, it wasn’t bad at all. I never had to look over my glasses to see. However, it had clearly rained a fair bit earlier because there were puddles aplenty and the trail next to the sports fields was basically puddles with small sections of trail between them. I may write a letter.

But other than having to carefully navigate puddles post-run, it was a perfectly adequate way to start the week.

Stats:

Run 986
Average pace: 5:40/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 10:00 a.m.
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 28:28
Weather: Drizzle, light rain
Temp: 8-9°C
Humidity: 89-87%
Wind: light
BPM: 149
Weight: 166.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,760 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (20/34/54)

Music: Voices, Hall & Oates

I missed my Wednesday run because I was waiting for a delivery and the timing was about what you’d expect (vague window of many hours, then delivered some time after that window had passed), so I was unsure how today would go.

One thing I changed up, though, was my insoles. My Peregrine 15s come with unusually cushy foam insoles and I decided to just leave them in, instead of putting in my increasingly worn orthotics that date back to the simpler days of 2016. And it actually went fine! The only foot-related issue I had was the left shoelace threatening to come untied just as I was heading past the parking lot at the rowing pavilion. I stopped to re-tie it, then finished the run, which was already in its final km at that point.

As for the run, it went well. I started strong and only dipped to 5:40/km for one km, then finished strong, with an overall pace of 5:34/km and BPM of 148. It was the coolest¹Not Fonzie cool, of course run of the fall yet–only 7C to start, but I wore two layers and the utter lack of wind meant it was fine. I never felt cold. I saw half a dozen or so other joggers, though no regulars. Someone who had just finished a run was returning to their vehicle at the parking lot by the aforementioned rowing pavilion–and had gone sans shirt. Show off. Admittedly, he had stuff to show off, but still.

One other thing of note. I am considering making an inquiry to Metro Vancouver, as the trail adjacent to the sports fields is very swampy and puddle-rich, as seen in the photo below. It’s a pretty miserable experience for both joggers and walkers. Even skirting the puddles is iffy, because the grass is often saturated with water, too. I’m hoping they finally do something about this, but I’ve been running here for 14 years now, so I’m not exactly holding my breath.

Overall, a good run to wrap up the week. Hopefully next week stays dry and I get in all three runs.

Stats:

Run 985
Average pace: 5:34/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 9:48 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:00
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 7-8°C
Humidity: 87%
Wind: light
BPM: 148
Weight: 165.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,755 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (15/21/32)

Music: Green, R.E.M.

For some reason, I was very unmotivated this morning. Monday blahs? Moon madness? SAD¹Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Whatever it was, I almost reached a point of not running at all, which would have been bad, because it has been four days since my previous run and I don’t like long gaps between runs. They have a tendency to grow.

Also, it wasn’t raining, so I really had no reason to not get out.

I started my run just shy of 1 p.m. under extremely mild conditions–it was 14C, which is 5 degrees warmer than normal, with little wind. I wore two layers, which felt like too much until the walk home, when the wind did pick up and the cooling sweat began to chill.

My ambition on the run was to just do it and have a respectable, if somewhat plodding pace. Mission accomplished, as my overall pace was 5:47/km, rather pokey by my current standards. I did get faster as I progressed, at least, and managed 5:39/km for the final lap. The trail was not too crowded even at this later time, probably because while it didn’t rain, the overall feel was kind of gloomy.

Or maybe that was just me.

Also, it’s bring-your-own-water until probably March 2026:

In any case, the first run of the week is done!

Stats:

Run 984
Average pace: 5:47/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 12:58 p.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 29:06
Weather: Mostly cloudy
Temp: 14°C
Humidity: 82-80%
Wind: light
BPM: 148
Weight: 165.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,750 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: Saucony Peregrine 15 (10/8/18)

Music: Face the Music, ELO

I headed out a little later than usual today for no real reason, just a slower start. The weather was around 10C and blessedly, there was no rain in the forecast. I wore two layers, despite little wind, but this still seemed the right choice, as there is a definite chill to the air now. The sun sort of poked out a few times, but it was mostly high cloud.

I was prepared to do my usual bear-avoidance at the lake by sticking to the north side, but another runner headed off clockwise along the south shore just before I started. I figured he could be my bear detector and so I also headed off clockwise for the first time in a while.

When I got the report that conditions were +9 at the 1K mark, I was surprised, but I did have a good opening lap at 5:36/km. I lagged slightly on the next km, then got progressively faster, with another 5:32/km overall finish.

Even better, I broke my 1K and 5K records again (for the Garmin Forerunner 255), as observed below (highlights are mine):

I’m well past the point of trying to get a PR, but it’s still nice when it happens.

The only issue I experienced were my left toes feeling a bit sore, ironically from a massage last night.

Other than that and a few more people because I was out a little later and the weather was benign for a change, it was a fine start to the week.

Stats:

Run 982
Average pace: 5:32/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 11:26 a.m.
Distance: 5.05 km
Time: 27:55
Weather: High cloud and veiled sun
Temp: 10°C
Humidity: 77%
Wind: light
BPM: 142
Weight: 165.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,740 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (335/703/1,038)

Music: Savage, Eurythmics

After missing Monday’s run due to vaccine-related recovery, I was unsure how I’d feel going out today. My pace was not quite as brisk as it’s been recently, but I turned in a respectable 5:41/km overall, and my BPM was 151. I didn’t experience any issues, so in all, it was fine.

The Garmin watch declared me “maintaining”, which is an improvement from the recent “strained” it was slapping on my efforts.

The weather was fine–humid, but relatively mild at 10-11C, with little wind (despite a warning of gusts). I wore two layers and for the run, one probably would have sufficed, but this, too, was fine. For a change, there was no rain and the sun even poked out–after I’d finished my run. But still.

I got out a little bit later than intended and apparently hit field trip time, encountering three groups of (mostly) well-behaved kids on the trail. I did not bowl over any wee ones. I saw Hang Dog and his running partner just as I arrived.

As for the turtles, the fence around the turtle nesting area is down.

I assume it’s going to be rebuilt, but who knows. Maybe the turtles have fled (slowly) to some other place. I’ll know more soon.

Stats:

Run 980
Average pace: 5:41/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 10:35 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:36
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 10-11°C
Humidity: 87%
Wind: light
BPM: 151
Weight: 165.0 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,730 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (325/686/1,011)

Music: We Too Are One, Eurythmics

A few things:

• Yes, I beat the rain again. Yay. It’s still not raining yet but if the forecast is accurate, it will start within the hour.
• I think something is up with either my Garmin watch or me. More below.
• I set a new 5K record on the Garmin watch. Yay. More below.
• Psychic music prediction: I was listening to a playlist on shuffle mode. It consists of 53 songs. It was wrapping up “Apparitions” by the Mathew Good Band and I predicted it would play “Sharp-dressed Man” by ZZ Top next–and it did!

I wore two layers, thinking it might be a bit of overkill for the run, but nice to have on the walk there and back. I was correct! And it wasn’t even overkill. There was very little sweating today and, despite minimal wind, it felt chilly in that, “Yep, it’s fall” sort of way.

Other than beating the rain, I had no specific plan going in, but I did have a concern. The HRV status tracked on my watch has plunged from Balanced to Low. In fact, it’s so low it’s almost as far to the left as it can get (which means no exercise/flabby, etc.). I missed two runs last week, but have remained fairly active and did a run Monday per usual, yet it seems to not be budging. Also, even stranger, the watch claims I had an average BPM of 68 on my 4 km walk to the lake before today’s run. This is basically impossible, unless my heart teleported out of my body for about a third of the walk. For reference, my heart rate is usually 110-115 on these walks.

For the run it was 145 BPM, which is low but not implausibly low (I’ve hit 147 on some recent runs), especially with favourable conditions. My performance rating 1 km in was also +7, which is very high, adding further confusion to my training status at the end being listed as “strained.”

In all, it’s disconcerting, but I think it’s more the watch–or Garmin–than me. In fact, this came up when I was checking stats on my phone:

Quite possibly unrelated, but still an interesting coincidence, if nothing else.

Back to today’s run: I decided, somewhat randomly, to start at the 10K marker and skip the side trails, as I would double back the same way post-run. I managed to improve on my pace each km and finished with an average of 5:32/km–and my best 5K since adopting my Garmin Forerunner 255 just under two years ago:

I believe the time is faster than what’s recorded in the stats below because it is capturing the exact 5 km, not the additional 0.04 km before I stop tracking the run. Or something like that. I don’t know how math works.

Right near the end of the run, I usually go straight off the bridge at Still Creek and do the small loop around, but today I had to cut left and stay on the main trail due to construction:

I’m not sure why they are digging up this strip of trail here, but you can see a new concrete culvert (?) in the shot below, which might be a clue. Alas, this does not seem to be part of a larger project to resurface the trail along the fields, though it badly needs the work.

Overall, I felt good, pushed but never felt I was pushing excessively, and put in a very solid mid-week performance, weird glitches and all.

Stats:

Run 978
Average pace: 5:32/km
Training status: Strained (?)
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:01 a.m.
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 27:50
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 11-12°C
Humidity: 75-73%
Wind: light
BPM: 145
Weight: 165.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,720 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (315/674/989)

Music: Pop Stuff (playlist, on shuffle)

How windy was it? Windy enough that I had to clamber over a downed tree on the Piper Mill Trail. Fortunately, it was not a giant sequoia, so I was able to hop over and keep running.

As for the run, I knew the wind would be strong (16 km/h and gusting at times), so I wore two layers. This turned out to be the right call, because the wind did indeed bite through when it picked up. Also, the second layer came in handy post-run, as I will explain shortly.

I missed Monday’s run due to birding (though I got a lot of walking in) and Wednesday’s due to getting an MRI scan (which involved a lot of laying on a bed while a very noisy machine whirred around me), so my plan for today was to adopt a more moderate pace, given the week off. I started with a respectable 5:47/km, then…got faster each lap, finishing with an unexpectedly strong overall pace of 5:38/km. Nice!

No issues experienced during the run, other than that weird strobing effect you get when it’s sunny and the trees are starting to lose their leaves and the sun will flicker in your peripheral vision through the increasingly naked branches. But even that wasn’t too bad.

I had a late start and did not see any regulars, but apart from the wind, conditions were pretty decent. In all, a good way to wrap the week, running-wise.

As for the benefit in wearing two layers, two blocks from home a group of crows in a yard across the street from me took over and flew over. One of them pooped on my left shoulder, but it was only a glancing blow. The OR hoodie is in the wash now, but the shirt underneath was unaffected. This is why layering is important when you go outside to exercise. Pooping birds.

Stats:

Run 976
Average pace: 5:38/km
Training status: Peaking
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 11:32 a.m.
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 28:24
Weather: Mostly sunny
Temp: 13°C
Humidity: 74-72%
Wind: light to strong
BPM: 149
Weight: 164.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,710 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (305/658/963)

Music: Savage, Eurythmics

Hooray, no rain!

This past summer has been rather bear-y at the lake, and I have directly encountered bears twice, with the most recent being just a week ago. With these bear encounters in mind, I decided to make a change with today’s run.

I opted to run counter-clockwise, but instead of continuing around the lake to head back home, as I normally would, I turned and headed back the way I ran. This was partly because the bears I’ve seen were on the south shore (while they can be anywhere, playing the odds seems like a good starting point), but mainly because the north side offers a lot more clear lines of sight, is closer to the rail lines and generally less bear-friendly, as such things go.

As part of this, I also opted to skip all three of the usual side trails. The main effect here is that I had to run a little closer to the actual 5K marker to finish the run. Sometimes change is good!

As for the run itself, the cooler conditions and slightly reduced humidity kept sweating to a minimum and the sun meant a few more people were out, but it was still pretty light, traffic-wise. I saw a decent number of fellow joggers, though. I think we are past the topless jogger season now, though you never know. Some guy is bound to think his abs are just too sexy to hide, regardless of the temperature.

Weirdly, I turned in my best pace in quite some time–5:37/km (the final lap was 5:21), with a BPM of 149. Very nice, and with no issues at all to report. I am pleased. I have no idea if skipping the side trails had any effect.

Also, I earned a new Garmin badge. I guess it’s time for new shoes!

Stats:

Run 972
Average pace: 5:37/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:08 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:17
Weather: Mostly sunny
Temp: 13-14°C
Humidity: 83-82%
Wind: light
BPM: 149
Weight: 164.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,690 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (285/630/915)

Music: R.E.M. (shuffle mode)

The title is in reference to it staying dry until I got to the lake and started my run, at which point it began to pour, then it stopped after my run ended. To be fair, the last part of the run it had eased up to drizzle.

Overall, apart from location, this run featured a similar pace and conditions to Monday’s, except I had no issues at all, yay, other than yet another run in the rain, boo.

I was originally going to run the river trail again, but it wasn’t raining, so I kept going to the lake. While it did rain steady for the majority of the run, it wasn’t as heavy as Monday and I only wore a t-shirt for the top layer, which was fine at 14C (felt like 11C per the phone). There weren’t many people out on the trail, as expected, and a few were definitely caught by the rain when it started.

I wasn’t really expecting to be so close to Monday’s pace, so that was a nice surprise. I don’t mind being a bit slower if it means not running in the rain, though. That’s a hint, Mother Nature.

Stats:

Run 971
Average pace: 5:42/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 10:49 a.m.
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:39
Weather: Rain, some drizzle late
Temp: 14°C
Humidity: 87-85%
Wind: light
BPM: 149
Weight: 162.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 6,685 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (280/618/898)

Music: Shuffle mode