View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Calm, and very mild for mid-November.
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:
Winter means no water for you!
In any case, the first run of the week is done!
Silver Creek, post-run.
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)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Mostly clear at this point, and very calm.
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.
Still Creek, post-run: So very still.
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)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: A smidgen of blue sky!
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.
Turtle Nesting Area: now fence-free!
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.
Change of pace: View of the Cariboo Dam, post-run.
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)
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:
There is no explanation of this work at the Burnaby Lake website.
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.
They have widened this area and added the concrete culvert near the stump for…reasons.
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.
Still Creek, post-run. The creek is looking clearer as fall colours encroach.
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)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Sunny, but also windy.
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.
Brunette River, post-run.
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)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: The return of blue skies.
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!
Set to be replaced after 500 km, which I passed today.Still Creek, post-run. Still mostly green, for now.
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)
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.
View looking west, post-run: A pause in the showers.
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)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run. Slightly warmer, sunny and a little more humid.
Today’s run was almost an exact mirror of Monday’s, with an identical overall pace of 5:43/km and only one second difference in overall time. Kind of weird!
Also weird was how I did not see any regulars again, though almost every runner I passed waved, so it was an extra-friendly outing.
I’d been feeling the Baker’s cyst since Monday’s run, so was mulling various scenarios, ranging from not running, to running the river trail and so on. In the end I did a full loop as per usual and it was fine. I followed my pattern of late, where the first two km are slower, then the last three get significantly faster. The knee was feeling a bit stiff after, but is recovering nicely post-run, so I’m not overly concerned.
Conditions were similar to Monday, but it was a bit warmer and more humid. This might explain my higher BPM of 153 (also, the CCW route is a bit tougher than CW, due to overall elevation).
Oh, and the bear! I had finished the run and was approaching the second boardwalk. A little ways before the boardwalk, I spotted fresh droppings right in the middle of the trail (coyotes and bears always do this), so I was on Bear Alert™. Sure enough, I rounded a corner and there was a sizeable black bear right at the end of the boardwalk, snuffling around for berries or something. It didn’t notice me–I was probably about 30–40 feet away, so I quietly backed up, then lightly jogged back to where the trail splits and detoured along the Freeway Trail, which is precisely as scenic as it sounds. Observe:
Towers! Wires! Traffic! It’s the Freeway Trail.
EDIT: I have now added another bear map, to illustrate approximate distance between me and the bear. Per Google Maps, it was probably around 60 feet when I spotted it.
A little blurry because I zoomed in all the way. ENHANCE. Figures not to scale, otherwise I’d be like 20 feet tall here.
While I would prefer my runs to be bear-free, they have at least been courteous enough to not show up until after my run is complete. There’s probably a decent chance of more sightings for the next month or so yet.
Still, bear or not, this was a fine mid-week effort.
Rowing pavilion, post-run. Smooth and reflective! Also, no bears.
Stats:
Run 968 Average pace: 5:43/km Training status: Maintaining Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 9:52 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 28:44 Weather: Sunny Temp: 15-16°C Humidity: 88-84% Wind: light BPM: 153 Weight: 164.3 pounds Total distance to date: 6,670 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (265/601/866)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: Clear skies, cooler temperatures.
Today is the first day of fall and fittingly, it was 14C for the run, my coolest start in quite a while. But not too cool. And definitely not Fonzie cool.
Going clockwise for a change, right from the 0K marker, I started out slower as has been the pattern of late, but not as slow as Friday. I also finished faster (5:23/km), so my overall pace improved to 5:43/km. Even better, the cooler temperature allowed me to lower my BPM to 147. Nice.
I didn’t experience any issues during the run. The back of the right knee felt a bit sore walking home, but it resolved fairly quickly. I will inspect for fluid later, as I’m in full lazy mode now.
Weirdly, I did not see any of the regular runners again. Maybe they all run clockwise, too. I did see one guy running with his shirt off. I would not do that, even if I had killer abs. Well, maybe if I had killer abs.
Anyway, a good start to the week and to Fall 2025.
For a change of pace, the lake as seen from the turtle nesting area, post-run.
Stats:
Run 967 Average pace: 5:43/km Training status: Maintaining Location: Burnaby Lake (CW) Start: 9:06 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 28:45 Weather: Sunny Temp: 14°C Humidity: 84-81% Wind: light BPM: 147 Weight: 164.3 pounds Total distance to date: 6,665 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (260/588/848)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run. Pretty much like Monday, just Friday.
Today’s run was on a birthday, which is no big deal, but I was also dealing with some other baggage unrelated to my age, which was a bigger deal. At one point my Pop Stuff playlist played “Janie’s Got a Gun” by Aerosmith and the chorus of, “Run away, run away from the pain” was a bit on the nose.
I ended the first km at exactly 6:00/km and resigned myself to a slower run, but instead I managed to do a repeat of Monday and got faster as I went along, ending with 5:47/km overall, only one second off from Monday. Speaking of Monday, the conditions, start time, pace and pretty much everything else was nearly identical. A little weird.
But as a bonus, I saw three (!) guys running topless, something I did not expect to see at the tail end of summer. I also saw a cute brown bunny before it hopped back into the brush, plus a cute baby garter snake slithering across the trail while I was running. Shortly after I saw a full-grown snake near the side of the trail. It didn’t react to my presence, so I’m hoping it was just dozing and not, like, entering snake heaven.
I also saw fresh droppings, but no bears, coyotes or bobcats.
In terms of how I felt, I experienced no issues, everything held together. I skipped the run on Wednesday because my watch said Rest Day and I decided to obey, but it seems I’ve at least maintained after skipping it.
And now the weekend.
Still Creek, post-run. The early signs of fall are now starting to show.
Stats:
Run 966 Average pace: 5:47/km Training status: Maintaining Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 9:56 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 29:06 Weather: Sunny Temp: 17-18°C Humidity: 80-75% Wind: light BPM: 153 Weight: 163.8 pounds Total distance to date: 6,660 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (255/575/830)
View from Cariboo Dam, pre-run: The return of clear skies.
Under most circumstances, the title of the blog post would be a good thing, but when it comes to running, clouds are usually better than sun.
But today was an exception and the sun was actually fine, probably because it was relatively cool and humidity was a bit lower, which made a difference I could actually feel (I also sweated much less copiously than last week’s runs).
My plan was to adopt a slower pace for the start of the week and as usual, when my first pace came in a bit too casual at 5:59/km, I picked the pace up a bit, closing the run with a lap of 5:29/km and an overall pace of 5:46/km. This was slower than Friday (5:41/km), so I guess mission accomplished!
Although it didn’t bother me, I could feel the lump on the back of my right knee, named after Baker and rhymes with the game Myst. I suppose running regularly is not helping it to go away, but I will keep running and elevating my leg at night unless things gets worse. It does make me wonder when I might next try doing a 10K. I feel I have the stamina for it now.
And in another sign of the changing seasons, the tennis courts near the sport fields has put back its marshmallow (inflated) roof, where it will remain until late spring 2026. I must ponder what to wear for cooler fall running.
Still Creek still mostly still.
Stats:
Run 965 Average pace: 5:46/km Training status: Maintaining Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 9:53 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 29:02 Weather: Sunny Temp: 15-16°C Humidity: 82-79% Wind: light to moderate BPM: 150 Weight: 163.8 pounds Total distance to date: 6,655 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (250/562/812)
View from Cariboo Dam, prew-run. Even more humid, the blue sky was fleeting.
At first, I was going to take it easy on today’s run, as the suggested workout was a “recovery” run. Indeed, my first km was 5:50/km, which is a more relaxed pace.
But then I kept getting faster and by the end my final lap was a zippy 5:26/km and my overall pace ended up being 5:41/km.
I didn’t experience any issues, and even though humidity was an even higher 92% and only dipped slightly, the cooler temperature and clouds meant I did not sweat as much.
The trail felt lightly populated and I didn’t see any of the other jogging regulars–maybe I got in too early. The sun threatened to show between the 2nd and 3rd km and in those brief moments I could actually feel the air getting warmer, so I’m kind of glad the clouds moved back in.
Overall, it was a nice run and a good way to wrap up the week.
Kind of a silver/gunmetal thing happening here, looking east across the lake, post-run.
Stats:
Run 964 Average pace: 5:41/km Training status: Maintaining Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW) Start: 9:09 a.m. Distance: 5.03 km Time: 28:33 Weather: Cloudy Temp: 15°C Humidity: 92-90% Wind: light to moderate BPM: 148 Weight: 164.3 pounds Total distance to date: 6,650 km Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation) Shoes: ASICS Trabuco Terra 2 (245/549/794)
