Average pace: 5:12/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.02 km
Weather: Clear
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 398
Total distance to date: 2531 km
Tonight’s run was the opposite of Monday’s. I initially felt stiffness in the shins and my endurance pegging but then I found my pace and fairly early on at that. The discomfort washed away and I completed the run a full ten seconds better than the previous pace at 5:12/km. It’s also my best run so far in 2014.
I may run on Friday or opt to wait the extra day and do a bit more on Saturday at the lake. Plus the lake has cute ducks.
Average pace: 5:03/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Ran Piper Mill Trail and Conifer Loops
Distance: 11.06 km
Weather: Sunny, somewhat humid
Temp: 21-24ºC
Wind: nil to light
Calories burned: 799
Total distance to date: 2405 km
This morning I was greeted by the shocking sight of rain showers. Normally rain showers rate very low on the shocking scale in the Metro Vancouver area but given that we had no rain at all in July and August thus far has been rather dry, I was surprised to see a fairly heavy shower merrily showering away until about 11 a.m. I pondered the pros and cons of running when the sun returned. On the plus side, cooler temperatures. On the con, higher humidity.
I wanted to at least “finish” yesterday’s run so off I went around 1 p.m.
(I forgot to mention that yesterday was the first run where the fire hazard signs had gone back up at the entrances to the trails. It is somewhat ironic that the next day I see the sign is after it had rained.)
The sun made quick work of any rain that hadn’t already soaked into the ground, so there was nary a puddle to be seen, apart from the top of the dam, whose uneven concrete serves to collect and retain water much like one would expect a dam to do. Even that had mostly dried up by the end of the run.
As I had to make use of the port-a-potty before heading out I opted to run clockwise, my less-preferred direction for assorted reasons. Given that two of the three previous runs were dismal and the other being salvaged through the expedient of ending it prematurely I did not have high hopes. I set off.
Immediately I felt different. I made a spontaneous decision to try a rare balls-out approach and deliberately run faster for as far as I could, hoping I could bank enough steam to get to the end without a total second-half collapse.
Surprisingly, it worked!
I was confident my 1K time was pretty good and when I hit the 4K mark shortly after starting along the second boardwalk I was suitably encouraged. This meant I’d covered over a third of the run without my pace appreciably falling off.
I thought that with the rain in the morning the shaded areas may feel cooler than they might otherwise and that the air in general would be fresher, despite the higher humidity (68-73%) and this was indeed the case. For once the humidity didn’t make the run feel like a slog. That, combined with a modest rise in temperature allowed me to keep the energy level higher until about the last km where the run finally started to catch up to me.
But it wasn’t enough to drag down my overall pace appreciably, which was my best in quite awhile–5:03/km. That’s a full 16 seconds better than my last 11K run. It was, as they say, just what the doctor ordered, at least in terms of encouragement.
The only down note was my right tendon began to feel sore for the last few km. Not enough to slow me down but a sign that the total distance over the last two days was probably more than it was able to comfortably manage. It’ll get a couple of days to rest so should hopefully be good by the next run.
Average pace: 5:13/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Piper Mill Trail and Conifer Loops
Distance: 11.15 km
Weather: Sunny, humid
Temp: 26-22ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 806
Total distance to date: 2366 km
The portable toilet that was kindly placed near the end of the Brunette River trail for public use was tipped over backward. This is a heavy thing with a fairly solid foundation (to keep it stable) so the vandals were dedicated, if nothing else. And nothing else would definitely be the case. Jerks.
I was curious how the run today would go, only 24 or so hours after the previous 11K. Conditions were very similar but because I started later in the afternoon, the temperature actually went down instead of up, which should have helped to maintain a better pace.
Note I say “should have”.
As I started off, again running counter-clockwise, I debated over whether I wanted to do the optional loops or settle for a 10K+ run instead. At the last moment I maintained my course and stayed off Spruce Loop, the first of the three loops. I instantly regretted my move, especially as Sundays have more traffic on the regular part of the trail, so when the trail forked again, I headed down the Conifer Loop. As it hooks back slightly before reaching the point where it and the Spruce Loop intersect, the total distance probably ended up nearly the same.
The run seemed to go fairly well and in fact my energy level seemed improved over yesterday and my pace more consistent. I was hoping to either tie my pace or improve on it slightly but when I reached the end and got the time I was surprised that my pace was four seconds slower than yesterday–5:13/km. How could this happen? I cried out to the heavens but they did not reply.
Instead, I uploaded the data to the Nike+ site when I got home and found the answer in the splits. My first km was a staggering nine seconds slower. Looking back, my right Achilles tendon (which I should really give a short, snappy nickname like Bollocks) was very stiff, having scant hours to recover from the prior run. It took a few km before it limbered up and a little longer than that to really feel close to normal again. It definitely hindered my pace in the early going.
I was right about my energy level being better, though. In the first four km of yesterday’s run I added 11 seconds to my pace, whereas today I only added 8. I also dropped 10 seconds in the last few km yesterday and dropped 18 today, a significant improvement. It wasn’t enough to overcome the sluggish start, though. Alas.
Still, I’m pleased and the left foot actually felt good enough to allow me to walk all the way home with no discomfort. Woot.
Average pace: 5:07/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops
Distance: 11.2 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 27ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 810
Total distance to date: 2312 km
It was hotter today compared to my last run around the lake but there was also a stronger breeze and a lot less humidity. This meant that while my mouth felt like a mini-Sahara, it was much easier to breathe and I didn’t start to wilt dramatically.
I could feel where my left foot would normally start to hurt before I headed out, having walked around a decent bit before the run but it behaved itself, only making its presence known in the last few km and not actually hurting. Likewise for the walk home, though if that had stretched a few more km it may have started to be a bit of a bother.
The right tendon was in good form pretty much throughout.
Looking at the graph of the run it’s a lot smoother than some of the recent runs, more like what I’d consider normal. Coming in at a pace of 5:07/km, a full seven seconds better than the previous run was encouraging, as it seems I may be both getting past the hump in terms of performance and also in my feet healing up and no longer acting as clamps on my natural pace.
I came very close, within maybe 20 paces, of hitting 5K at the unofficial halfway point at Still Creek. When I do that I’ll know I’m really back to form.
The run was otherwise unremarkable, with surprisingly few people out for a late Saturday afternoon. Maybe they were all swimming.
Average pace: 5:15/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops
Distance: 11.15 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 27ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 808
Total distance to date: 2318 km
Another quite warm run, though it was done after work so later in the evening than usual (the running part began at 7:12 p.m.). In addition to being warm it was also very muggy and with little wind to relieve the mugginess. This made the canopied areas of the trail feel a bit like hothouses, with the sticky hot air trapped by the surrounding vegetation.
I mustered through, though, determined to make up for the disappointing slip to 5:22/km on the previous lake run.
And success! I finished with a pace of 5:15. seven seconds better and three seconds better than the pace prior to that. The left foot behaved itself throughout and this is definitely a contributing factor to the improved time. I’m also feeling I’m starting to get past the point where my stamina kicks up another notch, as the overall pace of the run shows a smooth, gradual decline, without a lot of ups and downs, along with the usual spike up, this time starting a full 1.5 km before the end.
Pleased with the progress, especially with the torrid conditions.
Average pace: 4:50/km Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 19ºC
Wind: nil
Calories burned: 364
Total distance to date: 2240 km
I’m trying an experiment where at least one of my weekly runs will be split into two shorter 5 km runs, to help reduce the stress on my left foot and (to a lesser extent) my right Achilles tendon.
With the cushy new shoes on I found that I was able complete the full 5K without my left foot experiencing any kind of discomfort and I ended with a respectable 4:50/km pace. With the unfinished gravel path in Lower Hume Park being rather lumpy, my fastest stretch was actually during the second km.
The only real discomfort take from the utter lack of wind. Once the temperature starts warming up a small breeze makes a big difference. Without it the air feels dead and breathing feels harder, even if it really isn’t.
Not much else to report. A short, decent run.
Oh, one more thing–I’ve decided to retire the “______ run” shtick. I’m just going to use whatever title comes to mind, whether it’s blah (like tonight), zany or just plain ordinary.
Average pace: 4:35/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Ran Freeway Trail
Distance: 13 km
Weather: Hazy cloud, sun
Temp: 22-24ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 940
Total distance to date: 2219 km
This was a weird run.
I bought new shoes — the Merrell Trail Gloves, a minimalist trail running shoe. The construction of the shoe is immediately noticeably superior to the 1010s I’ve been using, with fabric, stitching, laces and tongue all better. The soles are not as chunky, though they are also made by Vibram, like the 1010s. They retain a lot more of the slipper-like feel of me beloved MT110s. The only downside is they are a bit tight to get the feet into but are cozy (and not too tight) after that.
I was a bit concerned about how the run would go because my left foot was already warbling even before I set out. When I got to Hume Park I noticed that I’d placed the Nike+ sensor up a little higher than I’d meant to on the laces. This meant it would not lay as flat, possibly affecting accuracy.
The weather was warm and with little wind there was a mugginess for much of the route around the lake. It wasn’t horrible but it definitely contributed to leaving me feeling worn out. Also for some weird reason I went clockwise and decided to throw the Freeway Trail detour into the mix, to see how it had changed since the last time I’d run it.
This helped stretch the run out longer than normal, probably not a great idea with the left foot already acting up, but my curiosity has now been satisfied. As it turns out, fresh gravel was poured along almost the entire stretch that I ran along, taking care of all the dips, squishy dirt and uneven surfaces. This was good. Because the trail is not used nearly as much as the others, the gravel was still loose and felt quite lumpy under my minimalist soles. This was less good.
Having already stretched the run out, I opted to skip the three optional loops I normally take on the north side of the lake. I finished at just over 59 minutes and with a pace of 4:35/km, having run a shade over 13 km.
This is the suspicious part. I went back to some of the detour runs I did last June when the first boardwalk was being replaced and compared distances. One run, in which I had included the optional loops, came out to 13.06 km, a scant 60 m more than today’s. It seemed the Nike+ sensor was being a bit generous with the distance, probably by a factor of at least a few hundred meters. However, the time of that run last year was about 64 minutes, so even taking into account the extra distance, my pace was still apparently faster today (back then it was 4:58/km).
But 4:35/km seems way off. I felt fairly springy to start but definitely did not toward the end. I felt hot, sweaty, tired, the left foot was achy (but tolerable) and the right tendon was occasionally pinging, though it ended up fine for the majority of the run.
When I uploaded my data I was informed that I had set four new records for fastest 1K, 5K, 10K and mile:
1K: 3:53
5K: 21:56
10K: 45:47
mile: 6:39
Even more bizarrely, the 1K record apparently came during the 7th km. That’s often been where I’ve started running out of gas, not magically conjuring it. My pace allegedly shot up by 11% then plunged by 13% for the next km. I’m trying to remember where the 7K mark hit and it may have been near Still Creek. A couple on bikes (grr) were there and heading the same way as me. I silently pointed to the two (1) No Bikes signs as I went by but picked up my pace to give myself a little extra distance. The last thing I wanted were a pair of cyclists at my heels on a fairly narrow stretch of the trail. They may have heeded the signs, though, because I didn’t see them again. If they did turn around and leave the trail, they’d be the first cyclists to do so and I offer my e-thanks to them for doing so!
So while 3:53 seems absurdly fast, it is at least possible that it was still my fastest km. I’m going to move the sensor down lower on the shoe and see how it compares on Tuesday. I may calibrate it at the track, too.
For the record, here’s the splits as seen on the Nike+ site:
The one lingering concern is that my right tendon, which did not bother me much at all during the run, is still feeling sore hours later. I suspect I simply overworked it (especially if the times are actually accurate) so I’m hoping it will be okay tomorrow after some rest. I’m going to start icing it after runs, I think.
Also I caught a glimpse of a snake slithering into the grass along the Cottonwood Trail, first snake of the year. It’s not a good thing or a bad thing, just a thing. Plus snakes are cool.
Average pace: 5:11/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran optional Piper Mill, Spruce Loop and Conifer trails
Distance: 11.06 km
Weather: Cloudy, some sun
Temp: 15-20ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 799
Total distance to date: 2190 km
In this case the goose-stepping was done by actual geese, as described below.
I was going to run on Thursday but logistically Friday was better so I moved the run back one day. Unfortunately I came home from work on Friday, laid down for a quick nap and conked out for several hours, using up all the daylight in the process. This is why you never lay down for a quick nap when you have other things planned.
I set out today during the lunch hour under a dull sky that didn’t really threaten rain. The temperature was a mild 15ºC and rose steadily to 20 over the course of the couple of hours I was out.
As I crossed Cariboo Road to the entrance to Burnaby Lake park I looked to my right and saw what will probably be the cutest thing I’ll see all month. Possibly all year. A family of geese — mom, dad and three goslings, were waddling quickly in single file across the road, with traffic stopped to allow safe passage. Once across they shifted over to the very path I was taking to the lake. I didn’t want to spook them (or worse, be attacked by a couple of hissing adult geese) so I walked slowly a reasonable distance behind them. In the parking lot of the complex to the right was another line of geese, dozens in all, with many a gosling, again marching in single file, all heading back to the lake after an adventure somewhere else.
Once the geese got to the dam I thought about running clockwise but nixed it and instead just gave them a wide berth as I started off.
After Tuesday’s dismal run I was concerned about today, doubly so considering my left foot was already acting up right from leaving the condo. I pressed on, though, feeling more energetic, whether due to the extra days off, more food in my system or just having seen a bunch of incredibly cute baby geese waddling along.
From the first few km I knew I was ahead of my pace and even better that held right to the 10K mark, which came much sooner than on the previous few runs. This was validated when I hit the 11K mark and had a reported time of 57:24 and an average pace of 5:11/km, easily besting my prior times of 5:25, 5:28 and 5:27. It was also a boost over the 5:17 and 5:18 times from a few weeks back.
Overall I felt much better. The knee was not an issue at all, the right tendon made its presence known a few times, but only for moments and not in any way that impacted my run. As for the left foot, it was sore but stretching it out on the run seemed to help. This was the first time in awhile where it didn’t feel like it was holding me back. Maybe it’s actually starting to get better!
Average pace: 4:35/km Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 10.39 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 10ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 733
Total distance to date: 2097 km
I was a bit concerned going into tonight’s run, given that it was my second 10K and only two days after the first. The results were unexpectedly pleasant.
First, my right tendon: it felt more noticeable at the start of the run–not a good thing. But it eased up dramatically and by the end of the run was a non-issue. A good thing and a consistent pattern so far in my runs this year.
Next my left foot did start to hurt again but not until later in the run and not nearly as much. While I did run 1 km less than on Sunday it was still much less of an issue comparatively.
I avoided a noticeable sag like the one I had at the 9K mark on Sunday, though there were more peaks and valleys. Strangely my fastest km was the 5th one. I wonder if I’ll eventually get back to the first km being the fastest (which it was probably 99% of the time last year).
Speaking of fast, I got informed that I ran my fastest 5K tonight at 22:09. That seems kind of nutty but I’ll take it.
Average pace: 4:34/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 11.53 km
Weather: Sun with some scattered cloud
Temp: 8-14ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 782
Total distance to date: 2020 km
I had to run a day late after a pair of interviews on Wednesday gobbled up my jogging time. That turned out to be a good thing, weather-wise, as today was sunny and yesterday was not.
I headed out shortly after 10 a.m. and when I got to the lake I spent a minute watching a park employee use a net on the lake side of the dam to scoop salmon out of the pen where they end up after climbing the fish ladder and toss them into the lake proper for spawning/dying. Kind of neat and weird at the same time. Why would they block the access to the lake for the fish? Dying fish, no less! But I am not a fishologist so perhaps there is a sound reason to this method.
As for the run itself, it started out brisk at only 8ºC but I had vowed to stick to my long-sleeved t-shirt and shorts and that was fine. I did keep track of how cold my hands were, though. It went something like this:
2K: hands are cold, feel like ice
4K: hands are cool
6K: hands are edging toward feeling neutral
9K: hands are warm, starting to sweat slightly
1K after run: hands are cold, feel like ice
As I started clockwise I got that extra bit of momentum from the small hill on the south side of the dam. As I headed down the Avalon Trail I decided to step on the gas a little. I’m not sure why, really, it just seemed like the right thing to do. I ended up having my fastest 1K ever at 4:15/km.
The rest of the run also went well and unlike most runs the latter half was remarkably even, with no notable dips anywhere from 6-10K. I ended with the usual upward blip in speed. The overall pace was exactly the same as Monday — 4:34/km. Talk about consistent. Joan also came on to congratulate me on another 500 km completed, only 20 km late. Thanks, Joan!
One minor note of discomfort, though it didn’t slow me down: the Achilles tendon on my right foot felt a bit sore. It is still a bit sore today if I am not walking around and keeping the muscles limber. It isn’t a serious issue and I also don’t think it’s from running but rather something weird going on with my feet when I’m in bed. I’ve actually woken up to find my feet sore. I have no idea why. I’m almost afraid to find out what’s happening. 😛 In any case, I note it here in case it becomes an issue.
Average pace: 4:34/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 11.42 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 774
Total distance to date: 2008 km
Similar temperature to Friday’s run but it felt a little more brisk today. In fact, the temperature actually dropped a little before I headed out. I managed to duck the rain again, with only a few drops hitting me as I came back home. My luck on that count probably won’t last much longer.
There was also snow on the North Shore mountains for the first time this fall. Damn snow. But pretty…as long as it stays up there.
With my hip feeling fine today the run went a lot better than the previous and I cruised to a nice pace of 4:34/km, only three seconds short of my record. I also hit a milestone by passing the 2,000 km mark. Normally Joan would pipe up and congratulate me for completing another 500 km (as she often does erroneously, bless her) but today I got nothing. This is only the fourth time it would have been legit but Joan was strangely silent. I’m wondering if a silent update to the Nike+ software on my iPod may have nuked all the celebrity athlete voices after Nike severed their ties with Lance Armstrong last week for winning the Tour de France seven times through the miracle of drugs. I guess I might find out the next I set a PR.
Other than that, everything on the run went well. The cool temperatures make for a curiously pleasant run experience and so far I have not committed the errors of under or overdressing (currently going out in shorts and a long-sleeved t-shirt).
Average pace: 4:31/km <– new personal record Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 11.41 km
Weather: Variable cloud
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: moderate to strong
Calories burned: 774
Total distance to date: 1985 km
For some reason I was very unmotivated for today’s run. There was a 50% chance of precipitation and the sky did not look threatening but I held off, skipping the morning. I had lunch then finally changed and headed out around 1:15 p.m. It was only 12ºC so I wore my long-sleeved t-shirt, which has been extremely stinky since last Friday’s soggy run–even after being washed. It’s slightly less stinky now, having been aired out for the run.
En route the Brunette River had gone back down after the heavy rain of the weekend and was once more quite shallow in parts. This made for good salmon-spotting and as the title of the post indicates, they were coming upstream in serious numbers. I counted at least a dozen at one point, which more further up. I feel kind of bad for them. They stop eating, struggle upstream, spawn then die. That’s got to be the suckiest reproductive cycle out there.
The first half of the run went fairly well. I could tell I was slightly off my best pace so I stepped up a bit for the second half and was duly rewarded by setting a new personal record of 4:31/km, beating my previous best by two seconds. Woo!
I got a closer look at the new signs put up on Monday:
Canine Code of Conduct
It’s interesting that Metro Vancouver specifies fear as one of the reasons to keep dogs leashed. Implicit in this is ‘if your dog is not leashed, you can’t control it and it will go over and terrorize that little kid, whether by design or accident’. Of course, about 100 m after jogging by one of these signs I pass a man with a large German Shepherd mix off-leash. The sign obviously doesn’t apply to his well-behaved canine! Sadly, the fine for an off-leash dog is only $50 so it acts as little incentive to get people to comply. If I was King of All Metro Vancouver Parks, I’d make the fine at least $250 and do a two week enforcement blitz multiple (and variable) times a year. I am 100% confident the fines issued would more than pay for the expenditure of the enforcement.
Back to the run to wrap up. My left foot (the cranky one) felt a bit crankier than normal to start but fortunately it settled down quickly and didn’t have a big effect. What I did notice was that despite my record pace, I only broke my 10K mark, coming in at 45:20. The reason for this is that my first half was good but not great while the second half I was unusually strong for the last two km. Definitely different but ending strong is no bad thing.
