Burnaby Lake runs

Sorry for the non-imaginative title.

Yes, today was my first run of the Year 2024, and what a kooky and possibly terrible year it may be!

But today’s run was fine. I ran on another odd day, as I opted for two days of rest after Saturday’s run. It was cool, so I wore two layers, but I beat the forecast light showers, so remained dry for my short loop clockwise at the lake.

My BPM was the same as the previous run at 157, but my pace improved by seven seconds, to 5:41/km, which was nice to see (I am not trying to run fast at this point). The knees felt fine, the left hip was a bit cranky, but tolerable. I should probably get it looked ta, as I suspect it is not going to magically improve as I keep getting older.

Conditions were good–the trail was dry, there was little wind and while it was 6C, it never felt cold.

Overall, a perfectly cromulent start to the new year, running-wise.

Stats:

Run 843
Average pace: 5:41/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW, short loop)
Start: 9:48 a.m.
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 28:35
Weather: Cloudy, some very light drizzle
Temp: 6ºC
Humidity: 83-84%
Wind: light
BPM: 157
Weight: 172.0
Total distance to date: 6105 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (240/450/690 km)

Whoops, I somehow didn’t run all week and after eight days of non-running, my Training Status per my Garmin Forerunner regressed thus:

• Maintaining
• Recovery
• Detraining (!)

Way to make me feel like a lazy slob, watch. I corrected this by going out on a rare weekend run and despite possible showers in the forecast, it remained dry and unusually mild once again. How mild? The Apple weather app is showing this currently:

This breaks the record for high temperature on this day, too.

So I headed out with just a single layer up top, which was perfectly fine. At first, I was going to just run the river trail and call it good, but after I got there, a woman with a rather large dog a short distance ahead of me stopped and took her dog off its leash. Bad dog owner! She then used one of those throwing stick things to toss a ball down the trail for her jumbo-sized dog to fetch, repeatedly. I fumed about this for a bit, then changed my mind and decided to run at the lake after all. So thanks, bad dog owner, for making me get even more exercise than I planned!

As the weather seemed to be holding at cloudy, I also decided to not do a short loop and did a full trip around the lake. My 5K pace was very similar to my last run at 5:48/km, though my BPM was higher at 157, not surprising given the eight days off. I am also feeling a bit stiffer than I normally would post-run, but nothing a good day of rest won’t fix.

Pleasantly, the trail was not that busy. Maybe the clouds–which did look a bit threatening–scared a lot of people off. Many people were bundled up, which would normally make sense. I mean, December 30th is very much winter, after all, but 11C is the kind of high temperature we’d normally get in March. You really don’t need gloves and a parka when it’s 11C.

Also, as a change of pace, I skipped the Spruce and Conifer Loops, after starting my run by the fountain near the dam. This meant that I was about 0.22 km short of the 2 km mark when I passed the 2K marker. I did not like this. I closed the gap a bit by taking the Piper Mill Trail, but I normally hit the markers pretty much right-on or even slightly ahead by taking the side trails, so I’ll probably go back to them next time. Still, it was nice for a change of pace.

In terms of issues, none really. The left hip was a bit crankier because of the time off, but didn’t factor in much. The left knee is a bit stiff, but more in the not-running-for-8-days way, not because of knee issues in general.

Anyway, it was nice to get out and get back on track. That will be a wrap for my runs in 2023, a year of ups and downs, for sure.

Stats:

Run 842
Average pace: 5:48/km
Training status: Recovery
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:43 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:13
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 11ºC
Humidity: 88%
Wind: light
BPM: 157
Weight: 171.1
Total distance to date: 6100 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (235/441/676 km)

KNEE ALERT: A short way into the fourth km, my left knee began to feel stiff. I kept running, and it seemed to be okay after a bit, but I am noting it here in case it turns into SOMETHING.

I decided to flip directions and run clockwise today and did a full loop (5K run), as I want to prep for a possible 10K soon™. As mentioned above, my left knee started feeling stiff after the 4K mark, but it seemed to settle down and overall I felt fine for the rest of the run. It was a bit cooler, but still very calm and my pace of 5:38/km is, somewhat remarkably, exactly the same as the last time I did a clockwise run.

As I left for the run, it was mostly sunny. That changed to partly sunny for the run, then pretty much cloudy by the end. At least I got back before any possible showers. I took before and after shots from the dam, and they almost look like different days. Conditions were otherwise fine, with the only complication coming when I hit the second boardwalk, shortly before the 4K mark. There’s a nearby house on private property, and they apparently have a wood-burning stove or something, because the smell of wood smoke suddenly appeared and hung thick in the air for a couple of hundred meters. It’s not exactly pleasant stuff to breathe in while running, but I knew it would fade away after a few minutes, and it did.

There were multiple herons about. I have no idea why they were so prominent today, but I like to think they were quietly observing and probably laughing because we have to run and they can just fly.

While the run went fairly well, possible knee issue notwithstanding, the time before the run had three dog incidents, one minor, one major, and one incidental:

• Minor: I was heading down the trail/stairs from Hume Park to Lower Hume Park. A woman with a giant dog on leash was coming up. The dog was not acting aggressive. The woman began to make some motions to move to the side to let me pass and initially I was going to do so, but she kept fussing and something about her body language struck me as off. I stopped, gave a bit of a shrug, and turned to detour around and take the other stairs down. She said, “Don’t worry, he’s friendly” and she may have been right, but it felt weird and I wasn’t in the mood to take chances.
• Major: Walking on the river trail toward the lake. Two women are ahead of me, both with large dogs, though not as large as the pony-sized dog mentioned above. One dog is leashed. The woman with the other dog leans down and appears to be letting the dog off-leash as I approach on the other side of the trail. The dog immediately takes off directly at me. I stop. It veers away and wanders past me. The owner calls it. It ignores the owner. She calls again, it keeps meandering off. I tell her, calmly, twice, to leash her dog, then keep walking. I look back and she has caught up to her dog. I can see more people closing in the distance. She looks like she is going to just hold the dog by the collar, but then maybe moves to put the leash back on. I couldn’t tell at this point. What I can verify is that I sarcastically said, “No, don’t leash your dog” several times. I don’t think it was loud enough for her to hear. But maybe.
• Incidental: I am atop the dam, ready to take my pre-run photo. A woman is approaching with a dog on leash. I move down to where the space on top of the dam expands, so I can give them extra room to walk by. As they do, she lets the dog go to where I am to give me a good sniff, completely defeating the purpose of my move.

There were also dogs during the run, but all were leashed and well-behaved there. I grow ever less impressed with the average dog owner, though.

But the run went well!

Bonus shot!

Stats:

Run 839
Average pace: 5:38/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 10:14 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 28:22
Weather: Partly sunny
Temp: 7ºC
Humidity: 88%
Wind: light
BPM: 154
Weight: 171.1
Total distance to date: 6085 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (220/411/631 km)

A rare weekend run! The weather was entirely pleasant at 9C, with high cloud and little wind. I once again talked myself into doing a full loop around the lake, albeit still sticking to 5K runs for a bit longer. I have a strange (?) preference for not backtracking on a run, so if the weather isn’t grossbuckets, it’s what I tend to do.

I started out a bit slow, picked up the pace slightly for the second km, then got a bit of zoom-zoom going for the last three km, finishing the last stretch at a pace of 5:30/km. BPM was fine at 154 (the watch rated conditions as +1). I didn’t experience any complications and feel fine after, so that’s all good.

On the run itself, the amount of other people was not that bad, even with my later start. There were a decent number of others out running, as one might expect, including one who was running on the left side of the trail (bad) and have me little room as we passed. Many dogs were being walked, and this is where I noticed the only real difference vs. my weekday runs–many more dogs were allowed to run off-leash. Note to dog owners: This is bad, and you should feel bad for doing it.

Still, there were no incidents, and the run went well, so my complaints are muted by these things.

Stats:

Run 838
Average pace: 5:43/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:14 p.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 28:44
Weather: Mostly cloudy
Temp: 9ºC
Humidity: 82%
Wind: light
BPM: 154
Weight: 170.7
Total distance to date: 6080 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (215/398/613 km)

I was not sure if I would run today, then I did!

I was not sure if I would do a regular run at the lake (rather than just a short loop), then I did!

I was not sure if I would have an incident with my shorts early on, then I did!

Specifically, as I started my clockwise run around the lake, I had my phone in my SPI-Belt™ per usual, with it slung around in the small of my back, out of the way. Except something wasn’t sitting right and as I headed down the Avalon Trail, my shorts also began heading down, pulled by the weight of the phone. I had to pause my run to address these suddenly droopy drawers. I managed to get everything sorted, then continued on.

I don’t often describe runs as delightful, but it was delightful to not be jogging in the rain. This no doubt had a positive effect on my pace, something my Forerunner picked on, because at the first km, it rated the performance conditions as +4, the highest I think I’ve ever seen them.

I continued on, rejecting a short loop and going the whole distance. For a change, everything just seemed to hum along nicely. Even my left hip seemed content to stay quiet. By the end, I had finished with a BPM of 151 (nice) and an average pace of 5:38/km (!), something I would not have predicted going in. The best part is, I never felt I was pushing hard for this, it just happened organically.

So mark this as a nice late fall run.

(It felt cold on the walk back, though. I think maybe the wind was picking up a little by that point. It was nice to get home with heat and warmth and stuff.)

Stats:

Run 837
Average pace: 5:38/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 10:52 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 28:21
Weather: Low cloud
Temp: 6ºC
Humidity: 79%
Wind: light
BPM: 151
Weight: 170.2
Total distance to date: 6075 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (210/385/595 km)

I’ve been using my Garmin Forerunner 255 watch for about a year now and mostly I quite like it for my runs. I get a nice array of stats, it presents lovingly in a web interface, as well as in the requisite app. It performs well and remains easy to use in all kinds of weather. It’s accurate.

Well, it was accurate until today.

As you can see by the chart below, my heart rate went up rather dramatically right near the beginning of the run, when my BPM is usually on the lower side (since I’m just starting my workout). It then stayed really high (pushing 190) for a little over the first km before abruptly dropping down and staying in a typical range for the rest of the run.

I first suspected something was up at the end of the first km, when I got my usual performance conditions alert. This puts together various stats to give me a rating of how the run is expected to go. I usually see it fall in a range of -1 to +2. Today it reported -9, which I think would normally mean it was making the assessment when I was still laying in bed at 6 a.m.

I did check my heart rate later in the run several times, when it reported 151 and 155. I think 155 is probably close to the actual overall average.

At the end of the run I got a message about how it had “adjusted” my heart rate somehow, along with a context-free “+180” and I still have no idea what the +180 was referring to. I can’t find the message now and wish I’d taken a photo of it with my phone, but alas. The best I can guess is it was adjusting the overall heart rate based on the spike, making it 160 overall.

But mainly I think the sensor wigged out for some reason. I’ll probably power-cycle the watch or check for updates before the next run, just to be thorough (though once it settled back down, it was fine, and reported normal activity for the 4 km walk home).

As for the actual run, I had four days off, so I was feeling a little rusty, but no issues to report otherwise. It was drizzly, and my glasses started getting coated, but at least it was much milder than Friday’s run. This was also the first run since the storm bearing an atmospheric river came through, and sections of the trail were either washed away or in otherwise rough shape. A quite large tree at the start of the Spruce loop did not survive:

The freaky heart rate kind of spooked me, even though it was almost certainly a sensor glitch (I checked as I was writing this and there is, in fact, an update for the watch due out today or shortly after), but the run itself was pretty normal for four days off.

Stats:

Run 835
Average pace: 5:47/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 9:42 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:04
Weather: Cloudy, drizzle
Temp: 8-9ºC
Humidity: 91%
Wind: light
BPM: 1601See the explanation below for this (probably more like 155)
Weight: 169.8
Total distance to date: 6065 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (200/368/568 km)

For the first time in a week I was not totally unmotivated to run, woo.

I pondered how to dress. It would be 0C as I headed out and probably only a bit higher for the run. I decided on:

• Running pants
• My long sleeve Nike shirt
• My ancient and barely worn heavier gray long sleeve MEC shirt I bought before I even started running, which means it is turning 15 next year

I wore the lighter Nike shirt on top and overall this worked. Because it was colder (it got to 2C) I never felt overly warm, unlike Monday’s run, so this should work for similar conditions.

And speaking of conditions: Yes, it was cold. It got to 2C and stayed there for the run, and it was foggy at the lake, though much lighter than last November’s fog. It started to coat my glasses, but not until later in the run, and I could still actually see where I was going, which is a nice thing when you are running on a trail with big trees all around you. I actually wasn’t expecting fog, because it was sunny when I got to the lake (see the photo above), but once I got past the Avalon trail and closer toward the lake, the fog settled in and remained in place for the rest of the run.

I originally thought of doing a short loop counter-clockwise, then changed that to clockwise once I got there, then changed to a full loop around the lake because the fog was pretty, and I wanted to take photos. Yes, I added an extra 5 km to my walk home to take a few photos. Because I am weird like that.

I didn’t have any issues on the run. My BPM was higher at 156, but expected, given the cold conditions, and my pace was a very cromulent 5:44/km. There weren’t a lot of people out, which was nice. Maybe people find fog spooky or cold or something.

Overall, it was a nice and surprisingly more ambitious mid-week outing.

Oh, and the bunny: About 3 km in, a small brown rabbit hopped across the trail ahead of me. I’m going to say that means good luck (unlike when black cats do it, not that black cats normally hop), so I fully expect to win the (checks) $44 million Gold Ball 6/49 jackpot tonight! If I do, I totally swear to use my winnings wisely, and for good, unlike, uh, anyone else who might win. Yeah.

Anyway, I’m uncertain what to do for Friday’s run, because the weather looks awful. Might need to wear the rain jacket. Or run virtually, like in my head.

Stats:

Run 833
Average pace: 5:44/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 9:46 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 28:49
Weather: Light fog
Temp: 2ºC
Humidity: 86%
Wind: light
BPM: 156
Weight: 168.6
Total distance to date: 6055 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (190/356/546 km)

I almost talked myself out of running today, but finally headed out, later than normal. The funny part is that I was thinking of doing a short run on the river trail, to get it over with as quickly as possible, then ended up doing a full loop around the lake and posting my fastest run of the week.

In general, this was all good, with one notable asterisk, which I will get to in a moment.

First, a list:

• It was 7-8C for the rub, but it felt much colder. In fact, it felt colder than the 3-4C run I did a week or so ago. Weird, and I have no explanation. There was no wind, hence no wind chill. It was especially cold in the shade. This leads to…
• Sun good: It felt noticeably warmer in the sun than in the shade
• Sun bad: Along the northern side of the lake in particular, the sun was flickering through the now naked trees, producing a strobing effect that’s kind of annoying even when you’re just walking
• People confused: A family (I can’t say for certain due to the aforementioned sun getting in my eyes) was on the trail ahead of me, with a dog off-leash. One of them had the dog by the collar and the dog seemed fairly docile, so not terrible. But the people did this weird slo-mo panic at my approach and moved in every direction to make room for me, which resulted in no room at all, so I threaded through while applying the brakes.
• I was surprised by the pace, especially the stronger start, because I did not feel like I was pushing at all. Maybe I was running faster to keep warm.
• This leads to my next point…

My BPM was 155 overall, which is fine considering my pace (a brisk 5:40/km) and the weather (also brisk). However, my heart rate peaked at a rather alarming level:

I checked and it looks like this:

Generally this is pretty normal–the BPM ramps up as I start my run, then levels out and fluctuates in minor ways as my speed ebbs and flows. But from 1.18 to 1.44 km it shoots way up, peaking at 178 before drooping quickly back down to a normal ranger, then staying there for the rest of the run.

My pace during this section is not unusually fast (I had faster stretches), and in terms of distance, I’m in the first half of the second km, when my energy is still relatively high. This is weird. I usually aim for 150 and try to never go above 160, so 178 is breaking that by a lot. In terms of total time, this covers about 1:47 minutes. I don’t recall feeling any different, certainly not like I was over-exerting myself. The stretch of trail would cover the first boardwalk, where, if anything, I would be more cautious.

It’s possible it may have been an anomalous reading, too. I mean, at that level I would almost expect the watch to blare an alarm and say HEY YOU ARE NOT 29 ANYMORE, SLOW DOWN.

Despite this, it was nice to have an unexpectedly faster pace and to round out the week with a full loop around the lake. I warmed up fairly quickly, but the walk back was a tad chilly, even with two layers.

Stats:

Run 831
Average pace: 5:40/km
Training status: Productive
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 12:12 p.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 28:33
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 7-8ºC
Humidity: 70-66%
Wind: light
BPM: 155
Weight: 169
Total distance to date: 6045 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (180/339/519 km)

I can’t remember the last time I saw so many birbs flitting about the lake trail on a run. They were everywhere. It must have been birb lunch hour. It was kind of cute!

Less cute were two couples I encountered. The first was during the run, a couple that chose to walk with each on the opposite edge of the trail, forcing me to run between them. I thought they saw me approach, but apparently not, because as I got closer, they actually began a kind of pincer movement, moving in toward each other and giving me nowhere to go. I managed to squeeze through without collision.

I wonder if people like this just exist in a perpetual state of obliviousness around others or if it’s just the first time they have ever walked on a public trail.

The others were post-run, on the river trail. The river trail is a service road, so normally there is never any issue getting by people, because it is generously wide. But!

These two people were walking down the centre for reasons, so I had to pass either left or right. Since I was already on the right (as one should be), I opted to pass on the right. Right. Wrong! As I got close, they must have heard me, and I guess they thought they’d give me room to pass–by moving to the right, or directly into my path. Again, questions were raised (in my head), and collisions were avoided.

All dogs seen, however, were on leash!

Oh, and the run:

It went well. I started a little slow, then dragged a bit in the middle, but made up for it in the last two km, with an overall pace of 5:47/km, better than Monday, with the same BPM. It was cool, but not cold and cloudy, despite the weather app weirdly reporting “mostly sunny.” I found myself not thinking about my knees, but my stamina and general energy level, which is a positive sign, I think. I will probably do a full loop around the lake on Friday (though still only a 5K run. I likely won’t try a 10K again for another week or so).

Stats:

Run 830
Average pace: 5:47/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW, short loop)
Start: 11:09 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:06
Weather: Overcast, some low mist
Temp: 8ºC
Humidity: 88-90%
Wind: light
BPM: 152
Weight: 168.8
Total distance to date: 6040 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (175/326/501 km)

I postponed my run for a day due to my left calf getting weird and achy while I slept Tuesday night. I think it was just a weird sleeping position thing, but erred on caution.

Also, the weather was looking nicer for Thursday.

And it was nice! I mean, it was sunny and no wind, but also the coldest run of the fall yet–a chilly 3C to start and only 4C by the end. I wore two layers up top and my running pants and was fine. My arms felt a little chilly walking to the lake, but it was quite acceptable.

As expected, I warmed up pretty quickly, turning in a good first km, slowing a bit on the second, but then the third and fourth I edged over the six-minute mark. Egad. I believe this was a combination of still recovering from the week off, plus the colder temperatures. I wasn’t pushing, and as such my usual effort, plus the cold = slower. I did push a bit for the final km, which came in the fastest at 5:31/km. My overall pace of 5:50/km is still perfectly good. And my BPM was the same as Monday’s run at 155, despite the chillier temperatures.

Other than the slowly sinking boardwalk being a tad slippery in spots, the trail was fine and conditions, as noted, were otherwise pretty good. I did get some of that strobing effect when I was returning on the back half of the 5K, where the sun (still fairly low in the sky) flickered through the now bare tree branches. I could have avoided it by doing a full loop around the lake, but felt…disinclined to do so today.

Overall, though, a nice, if brisk, run. And no rain. I am likely going to run next on Saturday, and so far the forecast looks milder and decent for that.

Stats:

Run 828
Average pace: 5:50/km
Training status: Maintaining
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW, short loop)
Start: 9:55 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:21
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 3-4ºC
Humidity: 85-82%
Wind: light
BPM: 155
Weight: 168.4
Total distance to date: 6030 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (165/314/479 km)

A week ago I did my first 10K in seven months, then the next day, I stretched my left leg out repeatedly on top of my right leg while sitting in my office chair. This was apparently a bad idea, because it left my left knee feeling rather sore. The right knee, usually the problem child, was fine.

I decided to pass on Wednesday’s run to allow the left knee to recover. Then I did the same on Friday, favouring caution.

Finally, today rolled around, and I decided to give it a go, planning a short counter-clockwise loop. As often happens, I changed my mind and did a full loop around the lake, 5K running, 5K walking. And it was fine.

The left knee did start to ache a little around midway through, but it actually receded away as I kept running and feels fine afterwards, as I type this, so I think I am past the weird leg-folding incident. Continuing to be cautious, I will likely stick to 5K runs for the rest of this week, though.

As for the run, it went better than expected. I started slow, which was unsurprising–I was being careful, I was cold, and I’d had a week to get soft and flabby. But my pace improved as I went, and my final average of 5:47/km is perfectly cromulent. My BPM was higher at 155, but I chalk that up to the cold and the week off. I actually felt pretty good.

Remembrance Day was on Saturday, which meant most people got today off, so the trail was much more crowded than it would normally be on a Monday, but that was also fine. There were no egregious trail hogs, dogs were leashed, with only a few exceptions. Everyone was just enjoying the cool but mostly sunny conditions.

Plus, I saw a rainbow!

Stats:

Run 827
Average pace: 5:47/km
Training status: Recovery
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:51 a.m.
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:02
Weather: Partly sunny
Temp: 8ºC
Humidity: 84%
Wind: light
BPM: 155
Weight: 170.2
Total distance to date: 6025 km
Devices: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music, iPhone 12, AirPods (3rd generation)
Shoes: HOKA Speedgoat 5 (160/306/466 km)