Run 321
Average pace: 5:00/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Sunny, somewhat humid
Temp: 20ºC
Wind: moderate to gusting
Calories burned: 388
Total distance to date: 2727
A shorter run tonight and with the hip not being sore exactly but feeling a bit more noticeable after a pair of longer runs, I didn’t plan on pushing too hard. Toward the end of the run I thought I had a good pace going so I pushed anyway and finished at an even 5:00/km–one second off my best pace of the year. If it wasn’t for the mysterious sag at 3.5 km…
Although it was warmer and a bit humid the later time kept the run comfortable. A breeze strong enough to make me tug my cap down tighter helped, too.
Overall this was a better-than-expected run and a nice continuation of the improved time from the previous run. Excelsior!
Run 320
Average pace: 5:12/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Ran Spruce and Conifer Loops and Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 11.04 km
Weather: Cloudy with heavy rain
Temp: 17ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 849
Total distance to date: 2722
My goals today were:
run a full loop around the lake
beat the slug-like pace of the previous run while also avoiding actual slugs
As I head off to the lake I noted the sky to the south looked mostly friendly, while the sky to the north looked dark and ominous, with a curtain of rain already falling over Burnaby Mountain. I was unsure which side would win this North vs. South scenario but had not prepared for rain.
You can probably guess how this ends up.
I tried applying a little more gas this time and the hip was again mostly fine, only making its presence felt when the other parts of my legs quieted down, as if they had all agreed that balance was essential:
Hip: I’m feeling pretty good now. Someone want to take over?
Left thigh muscle: I’m on it. It’s only been a few km, I can start throbbing for awhile.
Hip: Sounds good. How about you, Left Foot Pad?
Left Foot Pad: I’m lined up to start hurting around the 8K mark.
Hip: Excellent. We’re set.
I knew my pace would generally be slower since my body is still not tuned for longer runs quite yet but could feel I was ahead of the last run’s languid saunter.
Everything was fine and just as I hit 4K mark the first few drops of rain began to fell. These few drops turned into a torrential downpour that lasted the next four km. For the final three km it eased off into light showers. I was left suitably drenched.
It didn’t affect the run, though. Except for a dip as I neared the 10K mark I stayed on a fairly even pace and finished at 5:12/km, a whopping 15 second improvement over the previous run. I also didn’t step on any slugs to my knowledge. Mission accomplished.
As a final note, the number of puddles I dodged was approximately ten million.
Run 318
Average pace: 5:01/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 5.05 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 18ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 388
Total distance to date: 2700
Tonight’s run was a strange, contradictory and somewhat unpleasant experience.
The good news: My second best pace of the year at 5:01/km. This was due mainly to cloudy skies and cooler temperatures, a nice change from the mugginess of late.
The strange news: both of my thighs, but especially the left thigh, were noticeably sore during the run and even on the walk after. If any part of my legs are sore from a run it’s typically the calves or tendons.
The contradictory news: combining the above two items and having my second fastest run of the year.
The somewhat unpleasant news: I had to go to the washroom (in all ways) when I got to the lake and had to use the port-o-potty. At least they refilled the hand sanitizer.
The soreness of the thighs and the hip, come to think of it, both started after I got the new shoes. I think my stance may have changed somehow and it is now Wrong. I plan on getting new shoes–even if it’s another pair of my Nike LunaFly 3’s–before next week. They must have Laces Never Untied® technology.
Overall I suppose I am pleased more than not by this Jekyll and Hyde run. The stamina held up thanks to better conditions and the ailing parts can hopefully be corrected by better technology.
As long as it doesn’t require bionic limbs. I can’t afford those.
Run 315
Average pace: 5:03/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 5.05 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 19ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 400
Total distance to date: 2684
The second run of June proved to be a nice recovery after the rather yucky run on Sunday. It was cooler and my various body parts were all better-behaved, with the hip not really factoring at all. I finished with my third best 5K pace of the year at 5:03/km. Not too shabby. Everything felt fine after, too.
As an additional bonus, there were fewer slugs (less dodging) and fewer giant clouds of bugs (less inhaling giant clouds of bugs).
I did silently curse a cyclist who was just entering the trail as I was exiting but other than that, the run was blessedly uneventful.
Run 313
Average pace: 4:59/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Ran Freeway Trail
Distance: 5.04 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 14ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 400
Total distance to date: 2671
The weather was nearly perfect for this post-dinner run, with the sky clear, the air crisp, the temperature mild and a nice cool breeze to top it off. I opted for a clockwise spin around the lake and again decided to stick to a shorter route, with the plan being to try a longer one on the weekend.
The Avalon Trail had enough slugs on it to qualify as a slug land mine field. I don’t think I’ve ever zigzagged on a straight stretch so much before. I toyed with the idea of detouring down the Freeway trail. On the negative side it would stretch out my run but on the positive i’m sure there would be few if any slugs.
I let my feel carry me where they would and took the Freeway Trail. As I’ve mentioned previously they have completely resurfaced the trail with new gravel but unlike the last time I ran it the gravel is now packed down firmly now, making the trail a much better running experience than before.
I saw surprisingly few people on the trail once I hooked back on the Burnaby Lake loop, save for the athletic fields where several groups were kicking and tossing various balls about. Despite the hip feeling much better I still opted to not extend the run, ending it at 5K. I had a little extra walking to do as a result but other than a giant cloud of gnats it was fine.
What surprised me was my pace. I suspect the switch to the uncomplicated Freeway Trail and still-improving hip were what led me to cutting another full eight seconds off my pace. The big news, though, was that I broke the 5:oo minute mark for the first time this year, with my average pace coming in at 4:59/km.
I am quite pleased by this.
I also swapped out the laces from my New Balance MT100’s and put them in my Adidas EB’s, whose unadvertised specialty is having the laces come untied. Not only did this mean the laces did not come untied (and likely won’t ever again) but the neon green makes the shoes 300% more stylin’. Yep.
Run 312
Average pace: 5:07/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce and Conifer Loops and Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 5.06 km
Weather: Clear
Temp: 19-17ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 401
Total distance to date: 2666 km (Hail Satan!)
After the previous soaking the sun was back out for tonight’s run, as were the bugs. I probably inhaled a few on the stretch toward Still Creek. Mmm, tiny nutritious flying bits. The trail was awash in many black slugs, suddenly reappearing in large numbers after almost completely vanishing. Welcome back, slugs! Sorry if I accidentally squashed any of you.
The hip continues to feel better and my start was the best of the past few weeks. If the improvement continues at this pace I’ll probably feel back to normal in the next week or two.
Right at the start of the run I had to make a detour onto the grass as a large gaggle of geese (mom, dad and at least six kids) sauntered onto the path directly in front of me. The goslings are still small, fuzzy and adorable. The grown-ups remain hissy and mean if you get close, so steering clear is the name of the game here.
The run was uncomplicated apart from a brief flirtation with a cramp just past the 4K mark. I finished under 26 minutes for the first time since the hip turned creaky, another promising sign. The weather was mild, with a pleasant breeze blowing most of the way. I will remember this fondly when it’s 30+ and humid enough to turn the air liquid.
Run 310
Average pace: 5:08/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.06 km
Weather: Cloudy, humid
Temp: 19ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 401
Total distance to date: 2654 km
Tonight I opted to walk to the lake then do a 5K to Still Creek and from there walk to the Burnaby Lake SkyTrain station.
Which I did!
The good news is my hip was the least bothersome it’s been in several runs. While I could feel it at the start it was much less noticeable than the previous run and I did not have to run for kilometers before it felt better. I feel my pace was probably affected more by the humid conditions, which sapped away at my stamina, than by the hip. My average pace of 5.08/km was a full seven seconds better than my previous 5K run on May 12. If the hip continues to behave I may be able to get back on track.
The humidity meant I worked harder while maintaining my pace and my lungs felt lightly ablaze as a result. As I jogged along the Cottonwood Trail it lived up to its name as the cotttonwood trees are starting to shed. It seems a bit earlier than usual but maybe not by much.
The one semi-annoying part of the run came just past the halfway point as I rounded a corner on a fairly narrow stretch of the trail. The vegetation is now pretty lush, which means visibility can be a bit restricted along bends due to tall grass and such. As I came around the corner referenced above, a group of eight or so joggers approached from the opposite direction, spread across the width and breadth of the trail. This meant there was no room for me.I nearly slammed into a pair of them until all parties swerved out of the way.
But come on, if anyone should know how to sensibly jog on a shared path, you’d think it would be someone who jogs with a group. Apparently not, though! Either that or they were utterly convinced they would encounter no other people on the trail so it was A-OK to take up every inch of available space.
Grr.
Still, a minor and brief annoyance on what was otherwise the best run in several weeks. Overall I say yay.
Average pace: 5:10/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Distance: 7.03 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 25ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 558
Total distance to date: 2590 km
We are in the middle of a strange mini-heatwave, with temperatures climbing into the mid-20s. I wore my long-sleeve t-shirt tonight and felt way overdressed. The strangely warm weather didn’t slow me down appreciably as I ventured out on my second 7K run, this time tackling a combo of the Brunette River trail and the northern (CCW) side of the trail at Burnaby Lake.
Overall, the run was very similar to the previous one, with the average pace one second faster at 5:10/km. After the usual faster start then dip in the second km I actually picked up the pace on the third km and was otherwise steady the rest of the way out, with the customary final km sprint-like part.
The legs and feet behaved themselves, so endurance was more of an issue, though it wasn’t too warm to affect me much.
Thursday is another 7K, probably matching the same route.
My stats for the month of April 2014:
12 runs
64.52 km
5:11/km average pace
Not bad for my first full month of running for the year. Hopefully the second and third stats will improve in May. Excelsior!
Average pace: 5:11/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 7.03 km
Weather: Partly cloudy
Temp: 11-12ºC
Wind: light to breezy
Calories burned: 558
Total distance to date: 2576 km
In celebration of today’s Vancouver Sun Run I went for a run.
But not in Vancouver.
Instead I went on my first official 7K run of the year, clockwise around Burnaby Lake. The weather was a mix of sun and cloud and was a bit cool with a fairly good breeze blowing. I had to go like no one’s business by the time I got there and after relieving myself I felt oddly indifferent about the actual run.
I headed off, pulling back a bit deliberately on the first km to make sure I had enough gas for the extra 2 km and overall the run went fine. A stitch threatened around the 5K mark but never fully materialized and the tendons on both feet were a bit sore to start but warmed up nicely and were fine after.
The only negative was again the left foot being sore on the walk after. It is annoying but so far is not affecting the runs themselves.
My prediction of a 5:18/km pace was off as I came in at 5:11/km. I’m satisfied with that for my first longer run. The plan now is to do another 7K on Tuesday and Thursday, then move on to an actual 10K next weekend.
Average pace: 5:06/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.05 km
Weather: Partly cloudy
Temp: 11ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 401
Total distance to date: 2571 km
I decided to try a 7K run on for size with my spiffy new shoes today. The plan was to run the Brunette River trail then continue to Burnaby Lake and run to Still Creek. From there I’d walk to the Sperling SkyTrain station and catch a ride back home.
And I did do just that, yet I only ended up with a 5K run.
On the weekend I bought a SPIbelt because I wanted to test out using my phone and its GPS for my runs. I opted to just carry the phone and use my iPod and use the run as a chance to see how securely the belt would hold the phone in place.
I changed my mind and used the phone. The good news is the belt worked great. The phone didn’t budge and I barely noticed it there. The not-so-good news is my times were suddenly and drastically slower. It paced my two km along the river trail at around 5:25/km. This leads to a few possibilities:
the phone is way out of whack
the iPod/Nike sensor is way out of whack
I suddenly became much slower despite not really feeling it
While I think it’s possible the iPod may be overly generous on times, it has been calibrated and it’s nothing if not consistent. I’m going to calibrate the phone/Nike app at a track to see just how accurately it is gauging distance. It seems like it may be off.
Horrified at the prospect of suddenly having pokey paces posted, I switched off the phone app and returned to the iPod once I got to the lake. This meant my run was split in two, with several minutes of walking (about 200-300m) between the first 2 km and the last 5 km.
The “real” run went well. A stitch threatened but never manifested so I was able to keep a good pace. The last two km my left shoe came untied, which is disappointing with the new shoes. but the lace did feel a little loose on the walk down, so it’s partly my fault. My overall pace for the 5K was 5:06/km, my second-best of the year.
I’ll do a calibration run on the weekend with the phone but my next one or two runs will be using the iPod as per usual.
Average pace: 5:01/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 5.06 km
Weather: Overcast, occasional light shower
Temp: 11-13ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 401
Total distance to date: 2565 km
Yesterday I went to the Running Room and spent about an hour or so trying on lots of different shoes after determining that the minimalist shoes were being cruel and unusual to my feet and legs. The staff member I dealt with was very helpful and in the end I settled on a pair of Adidas Energy Boost 2.0 shoes. They feature energy boost, as you may have suspected.
boost™’s energy-returning properties keep every step charged with an endless supply of light, fast energy
I hate to say this, but the shoes do not actually supply endless energy. If they did I’d use them to power the toaster. However, they did apparently provide a nice boost to my energy during the run because I went from a slog-awful pace of 5:18/km two days ago to my best run of the year today, coming in at 5:01/km.
No stitches, no cyclists, no discomfort to speak of.
The only downside came on the walk back when my left foot once again was sore as heck. If I could replace it with a sleek robot foot I probably would.
I think I may try transitioning to longer runs now by stretching from 5K to 7K and then to 10K.
But for the moment I shall bask in the warm fuzzy feeling of coming so close to breaking the 5:00 minute mark, something I never did last year (not counting the goofy mis-calibrated runs before I started using the sensor again).
Average pace: 5:07/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 399
Total distance to date: 2546 km
Tonight I came home tired, hungry and irritated. I wanted to work out my stress and at the same time get the run out of the way so I could take care of the hunger.
The result was my fastest run of the year, coming in at 5:07/km, a full ten seconds off the previous run and three seconds better than my best previous run.
I didn’t suffer any stitches, which was nice, and though I felt the burn in my legs I was able to settle into a comfortable pace and then push a little harder fairly early on.
With three runs this week the plan is to take two days off for the “weekend” and tackle my next run on Sunday. If my times keep hovering consistently closer to the 5:00 mark I may try a longer run in another week or so.
