fast legs

The shorter, zippier run

Average pace: 4:37/km <– personal record

Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW), Brunette River trail and Lower Hume Park
Distance: 8.03 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 21-18ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 545
Total distance to date: 1741 km

Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

Usually my runs are the time when I let all the other distractions fall away and my mind focuses on either the run or just drifts through various random thoughts, kind of like how you start on a Wikipedia page about barn owls and end up on one for moon landings. But tonight the distractions wouldn’t go away and I didn’t feel like committing to a full run. Instead I headed to Burnaby Lake, ran all three optional loops and when I came out from Piper Mill trail to the main trail I turned back. Shortly after passing the Cariboo dam starting point I hit 5K — not bad, but not enough. I decided to save time on the trip home by running much of the way back. After a brief pause to cross traffic-laden Cariboo Road I continued down the road to the RV park and then onto the 2 km-long Brunette River trail. I hit 7K there but kept running, across East Columbia and into Lower Hume Park. My destinations was two fold: the water fountain at the covered picnic area at the far end of the park and the 8K mark. I finished at 8.03 km and had a nice drink at the fountain.

It was strange to finish a run in only 37 minutes. It was also strange to have the temperature be lower at the end of the right instead of higher. I think the dog days of summer may be behind us now. The early evening is much nicer for running and that’s boosted my energy levels. Strangest of all was my average pace — a zippy 4:37/km, eight seconds better than my previous best. Granted that was with a shorter run but still, the change of route would seem to have had quite the positive effect on my speed.

This was further corroborated by two new records for fastest 5K and fastest mile. I missed fastest 1K by two seconds:

5K: 22:58 (finally breaking the 24 minute mark)
1 mile: 7:18

All told, an unexpected and unexpectedly good run.

Chart

Date Average Pace
August 22 4:37
August 20 4:47
August 18 4:51
August 15 4:46
August 13 4:55
August 10 4:48
August 8 4:45
August 6 4:58
August 3 4:56
August 1 4:50
July 30 4:57

The dodging around people run

Average pace: 4:48/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 11.44 km
Weather: Hazy sun, sun
Temp: 22-24ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 811
Total distance to date: 1694 km

Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

It was warmer today but not uncomfortably so. As such I was able to maintain a decent pace and came in at 4:48/km, my third fastest run to date. I was feeling zesty and ran all three optional loops.

I had a few fleeting moments of heartburn/acid reflux which I attribute to some Coca Cola Zero shortly before the run. I need to stick to water (I had water, too) but other than that the run was trouble-free.

In terms of annoyances there was one biker on the trail and he was riding faster than he should have been, especially considering he wasn’t even supposed to be there to start with, but I managed to get by without incident and the rest of the run was mercifully free of unpredictable dogs and the like. There was a weird mini-trend of people walking three abreast and I had to duck around a few of these people blobs but again did so without incident.

The section of trail that had heaved off into the bog had traffic cones and tape around it today to keep onlookers from taking a tumble. I’m curious to see how they repair it. Some other parts of the trail have been shored up with planks to prevent erosion and it wouldn’t surprise me if they did that here. Or maybe they will move the fallen branches from the opposite shore over and use them to create a barrier!

Chart

Date Average Pace
August 10 4:48
August 8 4:45
August 6 4:58
August 3 4:56
August 1 4:50
July 30 4:57

The disappearing trail run

Average pace: 4:45/km <– ties personal best

Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.21 km
Weather: High cloud, some sun
Temp: 20-22ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 795
Total distance to date: 1682 km

A big ol’ thunderstorm rolled through the area last night, bringing rain and, of course, lots of thunder. The rain had stopped by morning but the cloud cover persisted for most of the day, along with notably cooler temperatures. As such the run was done under mostly an overcast sky, with the sun only poking through briefly a few times.

The branches were still there. I think the park crew has determined that they will slowly decay on their own over time and as such do not require immediate removal, just a few hundred years for nature to do its thing. In better news the broken faucet by the Cariboo dam has already been fixed. Since I ran clockwise today I discovered this at the start of the run and headed out knowing I could drink like a horse after I’d wrapped it up.

The cooler temperature and lack of sun made a dramatic difference. I lopped a full 13 seconds off Monday’s pace, coming in at 4:45/km, tying my fastest-ever pace. There was no real downside during the run. I felt good throughout, despite sleeping lousy last night and waking up with some vague stomach nausea (that fortunately dissipated by the time I ate breakfast). The only real down part was at the very end when my naughty nano would not behave. Despite my hands being dry the clickwheel refused to acknowledge the touch of my fingers. This no longer amuses me. After some fiddling and wiping the iPod on my shorts in an attempt to dry it (which did cause it to activate) I finally managed to bring the run to a halt. Methinks the iPod is starting to wear out after three years of service (apart from the clickwheel being an inherently lousy design).

The title of this post refers to a section of the trail a few meters or so wide on the south side that had slid off and into the bog. I’m assuming this happened last night as a result of the storm and it’s the first time I’ve noticed the trail deteriorating because of the weather. The strip itself was fairly narrow so only the edge of the trail was affected but it definitely looks like more could slough off f it’s left unattended (like tree branches).

Chart

Date Average Pace
August 8 4:45
August 6 4:58
August 3 4:56
August 1 4:50
July 30 4:57

The detour-be-gone run

Average pace: 4:47/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.15 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 18ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 791
Total distance to date: 1625 km

Continuing this week’s theme of wild temperature swings, today’s run was done under a cloudy sky and a high of 18ºC. With a light breeze blowing conditions were about perfect for a run.

After a brief meeting with an odd cyclist (more on that later) I headed out clockwise, again opting for the detour first so I could gauge later and extend the run if I felt up to it. My goal was to improve on my previous run’s pace of 5:04 but again to not push too hard.

As I approached the familiar temporary yellow fencing on the blocked part of the trail I noticed the fence was pushed aside and all construction equipment was gone. I tentatively headed down the regular trail, thinking it wouldn’t be accessible if they didn’t want me to be here.

A lot of new fill had been brought in to shore up the trail after the equipment had been running back and forth over it. I arrived at the boardwalk and it was new! And finished! (ave for the bench, which will be added back soon, no doubt) The straight stretch seemed a bit longer than before but I’ll have to check my photos to see for sure. As expected, the planks had their orientation switched to match the other boardwalk, now set down left to right  instead of parallel to the path. This reduces the springiness of the boardwalk and probably extends the life of it. A final bonus was the path being built up to the boardwalk on both ends, eliminating the small step from before. Runners will especially appreciate this, as it lets you maintain your pace.

I was unsure how my pace was going, exactly, but I knew it was going much better than the last two runs. I didn’t push, except to maintain my pace as best as possible. Along the way I encountered a lot of Bs — a bicyclist (grr, though he stayed well out of the way), a bug (it flew into my lower lip and got glued there. I had to wipe it off, which was mildly yucky) and branches — specifically a large clump of branches off a tree that covered the entire section of the Cottonwood Trail. I had to dip off the trail to get around it. Although park workers were out trimming and such this didn’t look deliberate so I’m not entirely sure what was up with that.

With the detour no longer extending the run I ran all three optional loops and end at just over 11K. My time turned out to be a zippy 4:47/km, tying my second best-ever pace. Woot. I also set a new pace for fastest mile at 7:19 which was a nice bonus.

Overall, very pleased by this return to form. The knee remains fine and no other notable issues showed up, apart from a very mild stitch around the 8-9K mark that didn’t last long.

Chart

Date Average Pace
July 27 4:47
July 25 5:04
July 23 5:07
July 18 4:55
July 16 4:55
July 13 4:59
July 11 4:55
July 9 4:54
July 6 4:58
July 4 4:54
July 2 4:47

A slightly damp record 5K run

Average pace: 4:47/km

Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 11.52 km
Weather: Mainly cloudy, some light rain
Temp: 16ºC
Wind: light to none
Calories burned: 817
Total distance to date: 1511 km

Ran: Spruce and Conifer loops.

I was waiting and hoping that the light rain that was falling this afternoon would stop — and it did! But only after I started my run. Fortunately it was light so I had pretty much dried by the time I finished the run. With temperatures significantly cooler than Friday and a weekend of rest I was more energetic and able to maintain a steady pace more reliably. The left foot and shin also behaved enough to not be factors. This allowed me to clock my second best pace to date at 4:47/km as well as my fastest 5K at 23:16. I also passed 1500 km tracked, woo.

Near the start of the counter-clockwise run I had a Fitness Dude with armband iPod run past me. It happens, I’m not the fastest guy out there. I took two of the three optional trails, spotting him some extra distance. When I hit the Cottonwood Trail (which is a very long straight stretch) I spotted him a fair distance ahead of me. He disappeared where the trail turns back toward the lake and I did not see him again. At this point I assumed he stopped at 5K or was chased off my a wily coyote.

For the final km I found a reserve of energy and picked up my pace significantly. This was nice. Then I saw Fitness Dude coming out of the parking lot (basically the 10K point of the run), heading past me. I am now assuming that he was some kind of running robot with fully charged battery. Or maybe a clone.

In all, I was quite pleased by today’s effort. The cooler temperatures are definitely better for runs but it would still be kind of nice if summer showed up at some point.

Chart

Date Average Pace
July 2 4:47
June 29 4:58
June 27 4:58
June 25 4:53
June 22 4:45
June 20 4:59
June 18 4:49
June 15 4:51
June 13 4:52
June 11 5:02
June 6 4:49
June 4 4:54
June 1 4:57

The unimpressed-by-summer run

Average pace: 4:45/km <– personal record

Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.93 km
Weather: Steady rain
Temp: 14ºC
Wind: none
Calories burned: 846
Total distance to date: 1462 km

Ran Piper Mill Trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.

By coincidence I finished today’s run with the exact same distance as Wednesday — 11.93 km. It was not supposed to be as long but thanks to the iPod click wheel that’s how it ended up. I’ll get to why shortly.

The forecast for this afternoon was for a 30% chance of precipitation and less than 1 mm. A 30% chance pretty much means 100% so I went prepared, bringing along the plastic baggie that would keep my iPod dry and functional. The sky was overcast and while one part of it looked fairly non-threatening the other had the look of imminent rain. I walked through Hume Park and to the Brunette River trail and as I approached the overpass there the first few drops began. By the time I got to the lake it was pouring steadily and it kept raining for the entire run and the walk back. By the time I got home my hands were almost numb from the cold. Our brief summer tease of two days ago turned out to be just that, a tease.

I ran clockwise to get the detour part of the trail out of the way as soon as possible and it seems I misremembered how it sloped because there are three distinct hills going down this way, meaning it is a bit easier to run clockwise, rather than the other way around as I had noted previously. Because I was not burdened by warm temperatures and needed to keep moving just to keep from freezing I kept up a good pace throughout. I even picked it up a bit as I came out of the Spruce Loop and another runner whisked ahead of me. I had seen her prepping earlier near the halfway mark and had expected her to already be well past me as she would be only a few km in vs. my 9 km or so. I took up the challenge to keep up but she pulled ahead. I valiantly gave it my best and reached a point where she was ahead but no longer gaining ground, so I consider it a moral victory.

As I came in toward the dam for the finish I pulled out the plastic baggie and reached in to end the workout on the iPod. Although it was dry my hands were not and wiping them on my drenched shirt and shorts wasn’t helping. Even a tiny bit of moisture on my fingertip was enough to render the click wheel useless. I could bring up the workout options but not scroll down to the fourth one, End Workout. I kept running and trying, adding about 300 or 400 m to the run and was finally able to get it to shut down just as I reached the literal end of the trail (at Cariboo Road).

I then tried to see if I could get the music to at least resume for the soggy walk home but gave up after numerous attempts. I now officially hate the iPod and the click wheel. I’m seriously considering using the much heavier iPhone for my runs. Stupid click wheel.

On the plus side, I finished four seconds ahead of my previous best pace, finishing with a new record of 4:45/km. Woo! I also set records for the following:

1K: 4:28
5K: 23:31
10K: 47:23

I didn’t experience any notable pain or discomfort. Even the left foot behaved itself, more or less.

The 4:52/km run!

Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.04 km
Weather: Overcast
Temp: 16ºC
Wind: light to none
Calories burned: 783
Average pace: 4:52/km <– personal record
Total distance to date: 1358.82 km

Ran all three optional loops: Piper Mill, Conifer Loop and Spruce Loop.

Good news: My feet and legs felt fine during the run.

Not so good news: my left calf again felt sore after but recovered quickly enough. I have no idea why my runs always seem harder on my left leg.

The weather was mild and overcast today and the threatened chance of showers did not materialize until some hours after I finished my run. It is funny how often my bladder determines in which direction I go around the lake. If I end up having to use the loo when I get to the lake I cross over the parking lot, use the strangely odor-free port-o-potty then head out from there in a clockwise direction, starting along the south shore. My default is counter-clockwise but since my bladder is tiny I end up mixing things up often, which is good for variety and hopefully good for reducing injuries from repetition.

The first km did not strike me as unusually fast and yet I came in at a new pace of 4:37/km. I apparently had some spring in my step. I eased up to a more reasonable 4:45 for the second km and maintained a consistent pace from the third km on, as has been the pattern lately. I was pushing a little harder today when it became clear that my legs were holding up but never over-extended myself, keeping control of my breathing and remaining cramp-free.

And the field had an adorably large group of goslings with their parents in it. One parent slept, as did most of the goslings, while the other remained vigilant against threats. So very cute.

I flagged a wee bit at the 10 km mark then redoubled my effort for a strong finish and managed to shave that extra second off as I got to the Cariboo Dam. I was rewarded with another personal record, shaving five seconds off my previous best and coming in at 4:52/km.

All told, I was pleased by today’s run and it was a fine way to end the month of May, running-wise.

Chart (average pace is bolded if different than the last km):

km May 30 May 28 May 24 May 22 May 18 May 16 May 14 May 11 May 9
1 4:37 4:48 4:46 4:42 4:42 4:54 4:51 4:50 4:55
2 4:45 4:51 4:51 4:47 4:47 4:57 4:55 4:56 5:03
3 4:48 4:52 4:53 4:51 4:51 4:59 4:59 4:59 5:06
4 4:49 4:53 4:53 4:53 4:53 5:00 5:02 5:01 5:08
5 4:50 4:54 4:54 4:54 4:54 5:01 5:03 5:02 5:08
6 4:50 4:55 4:54 4:55 4:56 5:01 5:05 5:02 5:10
7 4:51 4:55 4:55 4:56 4:57 5:02 5:06 5:04 5:10
8 4:52 4:56 4:56 4:57 4:59 5:03 5:08 5:05 5:11
9 4:52 4:57 4:57 4:58 5:00 5:04 5:07 5:05 5:12
10 4:53 4:57 4:58 4:59 5:01 5:04 5:07 5:06 5:12
11 4:52 4:57 4:58 4:58 5:02 5:04 5:07 5:06 5:12

The brown and somewhat uncomfortable but still zippy run

Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.05 km
Weather: Sun and cloud
Temp: 15ºC
Wind: moderate to none
Calories burned: 783
Average pace: 4:58/km <– personal record (tied)
Total distance to date: 1336.34 km

Ran all three optional loops: Piper Mill, Conifer Loop and Spruce Loop.

Today’s run was preceded by a few changes o’ pace: I got up early, had breakfast and lunch before heading out and found myself in the awkward position of having to use the port-o-potty at the parking lot for *everything* after having a physical in the morning. On the plus side this meant I was theoretically lighter.

The weather was back to being decent and was mostly sunny but with cooler temperatures. A few spots still seemed muggy. The heavy rains of the past few days meant that the streams feeding into the lake were rather brown and yucky-looking with all the sediment and mud stirred up.

I felt a little creaky starting out and my initial km was four seconds slower than the prior run — there were moments when I felt flashes of pain in my shins but fortunately they were fleeting. I also felt a more general soreness in my calves and this is perhaps not surprising given how I have been pushing lately.

I was fully expecting to come in slower so was surprised when the announced time at the end of the run was 4:57/km — a second faster than my best-ever pace on Tuesday. The Nike+ site did its usual rounding up, though, so I officially tied my best pace of 4:58, which is still pretty spiffy, so I’ll take it.

I may run on Saturday to keep the three-per-week thing intact but am still undecided. I will probably ease off a bit if I do go. I do not want to overextend myself at this point.

Chart (average pace is bolded if different than the last km):

km May 24 May 22 May 18 May 16 May 14 May 11 May 9 May 7 May 4
1 4:46 4:42 4:42 4:54 4:51 4:50 4:55 4:52 4:42
2 4:51 4:47 4:47 4:57 4:55 4:56 5:03 4:59 4:50
3 4:53 4:51 4:51 4:59 4:59 4:59 5:06 5:04 4:54
4 4:53 4:53 4:53 5:00 5:02 5:01 5:08 5:07 4:55
5 4:54 4:54 4:54 5:01 5:03 5:02 5:08 5:09 4:56
6 4:54 4:55 4:56 5:01 5:05 5:02 5:10 5:10 4:57
7 4:55 4:56 4:57 5:02 5:06 5:04 5:10 5:12 4:58
8 4:56 4:57 4:59 5:03 5:08 5:05 5:11 5:15 4:59
9 4:57 4:58 5:00 5:04 5:07 5:05 5:12 5:17 5:00
10 4:58 4:59 5:01 5:04 5:07 5:06 5:12 5:19 5:00
11 4:58 4:58 5:02 5:04 5:07 5:06 5:12 5:20 5:01

The under 5:00/km run!

Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 11.33 km
Weather: Cloud and showers
Temp: 15ºC
Wind: moderate to none
Calories burned: 804
Average pace: 4:58/km <– personal record
Total distance to date: 1325.29 km

Note: I ran all three optional loops today: Piper Mill, Conifer Loop and Spruce Loop.

Due to being up late on the Victoria Day weekend (installing a near-release DVD of Vista on my old PC and then sitting through 5+ hours of downloads and updates) I was too tired to run as per usual on Monday. But not wanting to slack off, I ran today instead, curious to see how the extra day off would affect me. Sometimes it makes the run harder, oddly enough.

With the forecast offering a 60% chance of showers (translation: 100% chance, just a matter of when) and the temperature a mild 15ºC, I set out and quickly fell into my usual starting pace, clocking the first km again at 4:42. For the first seven km it remained dry but then it started to spit. The spitting became a steady shower in short order and it persisted for about 3 km before easing up. I was almost dry by the end of the run. This was the sky’s cue to open up and it poured on me on the walk home, insuring I would arrive cold and soaked. At least it stood in contrast to the dry and slightly parched runs of the past few weeks. Variety and all that.

I noticed few geese today. Maybe they were hiding from the rain. Also hiding was the train, which is usually trundling by as I run the Cottonwood Trail section. Today I had passed the midway point and was starting alongside the athletic fields when I heard a loud rumbling that I first thought was a helicopter. I looked back and over and saw the train rumbling by in the distance. Apparently my pace has picked up to where I am now getting through the Cottonwood Trail before it arrives.

And speaking of pace, I had a breakthrough today. After coming teasingly close several times I finally cracked the 5:00 minute mark and finished with an average pace of 4:58/km, beating my old record by three seconds. It also marked the first time I’d run 10K in under 50 minutes. Better yet, my legs are feeling good, not creaky, afterward.

I’m undecided if I will shift my schedule by a day for the rest of the week or try running again tomorrow. For now, I bask in my new personal best!

(Also, Lance Armstrong came on and incorrectly congratulated me for my longest — rather than my fastest — run to date. The sentiment was still appreciated.)

Chart (average pace is bolded if different than the last km):

km May 22 May 18 May 16 May 14 May 11 May 9 May 7 May 4 May 2
1 4:42 4:42 4:54 4:51 4:50 4:55 4:52 4:42 4:58
2 4:47 4:47 4:57 4:55 4:56 5:03 4:59 4:50 5:00
3 4:51 4:51 4:59 4:59 4:59 5:06 5:04 4:54 5:02
4 4:53 4:53 5:00 5:02 5:01 5:08 5:07 4:55 5:04
5 4:54 4:54 5:01 5:03 5:02 5:08 5:09 4:56 5:05
6 4:55 4:56 5:01 5:05 5:02 5:10 5:10 4:57 5:05
7 4:56 4:57 5:02 5:06 5:04 5:10 5:12 4:58 5:05
8 4:57 4:59 5:03 5:08 5:05 5:11 5:15 4:59 5:06
9 4:58 5:00 5:04 5:07 5:05 5:12 5:17 5:00 5:06
10 4:59 5:01 5:04 5:07 5:06 5:12 5:19 5:00 5:06
11 4:58 5:02 5:04 5:07 5:06 5:12 5:20 5:01 5:06

The let your (stupid) dog run free run

Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.52 km
Weather: Cloud and sun
Temp: 15ºC
Wind: strong with occasional gusts
Calories burned: 817
Average pace: 5:02/km
Total distance to date: 1313.95 km

Note: I ran all three optional loops today: Piper Mill, Conifer Loop and Spruce Loop.

The start of today’s run my left shin felt a little creaky but once I’d warmed up it was fine. Conversely, my right foot toward the end of the run was hurting a bit, probably due to a pair of ingrown toenails (yuck) that I had trimmed earlier. It wasn’t too bad but I could tell I was shifting weight around to compensate. Everything seems okay now so there shouldn’t be any lasting damage. Time, as always, will tell.

I tied my best opening km today at 4:42/km — again, this was not intentional. It seems that some days I just have a lot of pent-up energy that comes out when I start. Fortunately I don’t wilt after these fast starts anymore so it doesn’t seem like as much an issue anymore. I also put in my second fastest pace overall: 5:02/km. This is only one second behind my best pace. If I had known I was going to be that close I would have pushed a tiny bit harder. Oh well, it’s nice to have goals.

Weather-wise it was a mix of sun and cloud and seasonal temperatures, with a strong wind blowing. This combination insured I would not overheat, so I’m not complaining.

As for the dogs, let me say this: grr. A lot of dog owners had their dogs off-leash today (because their dogs are always well-behaved, y’know). A larger one nearly bowled into me as it veered across the trail toward me. The couple who owned the dog seemed to find it mildly amusing. Another guy had a pair of dogs, a larger one on a leash (hooray) and what looked like a Mexican Hairless off leash. I nearly stomped the Mexican Hairless as it charged straight at me. I don’t blame it, given that its view of the world is about two inches above the ground but come on, dog owners, leashing your dog not only protects others, it protects your easily squishable dogs, too!

While passing the fields I noticed two families of geese, each with a pair of goslings. Since I had previously seen one family in the same general area with six goslings I am hoping these weren’t among the group because losing 4 of 6 goslings would be pretty harsh for momma and poppa goose.

For the first time I used the pedometer in my iPod to track the walk to and from the lake — about 38 minutes each way, a combined 9560 steps and 415 calories burned in addition to the 817 from the run. Not bad!

Chart (average pace is bolded if different than the last km):

km May 18 May 16 May 14 May 11 May 9 May 7 May 4 May 2 Apr 30
1 4:42 4:54 4:51 4:50 4:55 4:52 4:42 4:58 5:02
2 4:47 4:57 4:55 4:56 5:03 4:59 4:50 5:00 5:11
3 4:51 4:59 4:59 4:59 5:06 5:04 4:54 5:02 5:13
4 4:53 5:00 5:02 5:01 5:08 5:07 4:55 5:04 5:13
5 4:54 5:01 5:03 5:02 5:08 5:09 4:56 5:05 5:13
6 4:56 5:01 5:05 5:02 5:10 5:10 4:57 5:05 5:12
7 4:57 5:02 5:06 5:04 5:10 5:12 4:58 5:05 5:12
8 4:59 5:03 5:08 5:05 5:11 5:15 4:59 5:06 5:13
9 5:00 5:04 5:07 5:05 5:12 5:17 5:00 5:06 5:13
10 5:01 5:04 5:07 5:06 5:12 5:19 5:00 5:06 5:13
11 5:02 5:04 5:07 5:06 5:12 5:20 5:01 5:06 5:13

The it’s-not-really-the-sun-it’s-the-heat run

Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 11.51 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 19ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 819
Average pace: 5:04/km
Total distance to date: 1302.43 km

Temperatures today were only slightly above normal and with a steady breeze I wasn’t overly concerned about getting parched on the run. I opted to skip any hydration and it turned out fine. My mouth was a tad dry by the end but it was fine overall. I established a comfortable pace early on and held on throughout, using the slightly cooler temperature to boost my pace a bit to a new second-best ever at 5:04/km. I also passed the 1300 km mark, which was nice. And Joan congratulated me for 500 more km completed, which was just Joan doing her thing.

Other than that, there’s not much else to add. The run was smooth and uneventful, just the way I like it. My cranky left foot is feeling that much better and my calves and shins are holding up, too.

I ran the Spruce and Conifer Loops but skipped Piper Mill.

Chart (average pace is bolded if different than the last km):

km May 16 May 14 May 11 May 9 May 7 May 4 May 2 Apr 30
1 4:54 4:51 4:50 4:55 4:52 4:42 4:58 5:02
2 4:57 4:55 4:56 5:03 4:59 4:50 5:00 5:11
3 4:59 4:59 4:59 5:06 5:04 4:54 5:02 5:13
4 5:00 5:02 5:01 5:08 5:07 4:55 5:04 5:13
5 5:01 5:03 5:02 5:08 5:09 4:56 5:05 5:13
6 5:01 5:05 5:02 5:10 5:10 4:57 5:05 5:12
7 5:02 5:06 5:04 5:10 5:12 4:58 5:05 5:12
8 5:03 5:08 5:05 5:11 5:15 4:59 5:06 5:13
9 5:04 5:07 5:05 5:12 5:17 5:00 5:06 5:13
10 5:04 5:07 5:06 5:12 5:19 5:00 5:06 5:13
11 5:04 5:07 5:06 5:12 5:20 5:01 5:06 5:13

The you-got-your-early-July-in-my-mid-May run

Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 11.67 km
Weather: Sun
Temp: 25ºC
Wind: moderate
Calories burned: 828
Average pace: 5:06/km
Total distance to date: 1290.92 km

I knew today was going to be interesting with the temperature about nine degrees (!) above normal for this time of year. Looking back to last Monday’s run and how horrible that felt, I was feeling more than a bit of trepidation. As I stepped outside the heat was immediately apparent and though, mercifully, there was a decent breeze blowing, it was not cool as it has been on the previous few runs. I girded myself and set out.

Two km in I was doing fine and opted to skip the water fountain at the Nature House. I hit the 5K mark as I was crossing the bridge near the athletic fields, which surprised me, as it indicated a better-than-average pace. Further on and in one of the stretches where there is no shelter from the sun I began to feel a lot more parched but fought to maintain my pace. Despite my mouth drying out I was still breathing comfortably. Two more times I had the urge to stop but fought through them and even experienced the proverbial runner’s high at around the 8K mark. It felt a bit surreal to have this renewed energy while at the same time being ready to kill someone for a drink of water.

In another odd turn I completed the 10K while on the second walkway on the south side of the lake, again suggesting a decent pace. I soldiered on, determined to get to 11K at the very least.

I made it to the parking lot, which is right beside the damn and stopped there. To my surprise I was informed I had run 11.67 km (best for the year) at a pace of 5:06/km (tied for second best pace ever). I was pleased as punch by this but more than that, I wanted some punch or water or anything.

Fortunately a kindly soul showed me how to get water from the spigot near the dam. Apparently I hadn’t been yoinking the level up hard enough. Once done the water gushed mightily (think if your kitchen faucet only had two settings: off or on full blast. I took a few grateful mouthfuls from it and felt immediately better. I did the same at the fountain in Hume Park while noting that the water play area had its big sprinkler running, something you would almost never see in the first half of May. Weather is weird.

My calves are a little sore after the run but not hurtfully so. I am pondering if they just had to work that much harder today, if the muscles are stretching and growing or maybe just stretching and breaking. I’ll know soon enough. For now I am happy that my stamina has improved enough that a very warm run did not slow me down. And also that so much of the trail of Burnaby Lake is in the blissful shade.

Note: I ran the Spruce and Conifer Loops today but skipped Piper Mill.

Chart (average pace is bolded if different than the last km):

km May 14 May 11 May 9 May 7 May 4 May 2 Apr 30
1 4:51 4:50 4:55 4:52 4:42 4:58 5:02
2 4:55 4:56 5:03 4:59 4:50 5:00 5:11
3 4:59 4:59 5:06 5:04 4:54 5:02 5:13
4 5:02 5:01 5:08 5:07 4:55 5:04 5:13
5 5:03 5:02 5:08 5:09 4:56 5:05 5:13
6 5:05 5:02 5:10 5:10 4:57 5:05 5:12
7 5:06 5:04 5:10 5:12 4:58 5:05 5:12
8 5:08 5:05 5:11 5:15 4:59 5:06 5:13
9 5:07 5:05 5:12 5:17 5:00 5:06 5:13
10 5:07 5:06 5:12 5:19 5:00 5:06 5:13
11 5:07 5:06 5:12 5:20 5:01 5:06 5:13