Run 569 Average pace: 5:25/km Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 1:53 pm
Distance: 5:02 km
Time: 27:15
Weather: Sunny with high cloud
Temp: 5ºC
Humidity: 54%
Wind: light
BPM: 174
Weight: 166.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 4430 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8
Due to a very late start and being naughty again by not running during the week and also recovering from a pulled muscle in my mid-back, I opted to skip the full 10K run at the lake today for a 5K at the river. I did get some extra walking in by starting at the end of the trail first.
It was a rare sunny day but a brisk 5ºC so I wore two layers up top, but stuck to the shorts. It worked out fine.
I briefly experienced two issues: a cramp near my right shoulder that sorted itself quickly, and my left knee started feeling a bit stiff about 3.5 km in. The knee never got really sore and was not a factor, really, as my fastest pace was in the last km.
My overall pace was 5:25/km, which is not bad for a pudgy, out of shape 5K run. The BPM was 174, which is again too high, but perhaps understandable given the combination of cold, flabbiness, and exertion.
I may run again tomorrow, assuming I don’t wake up in the morning feeling like a broken pretzel.
The gate to gate distance on the river trail is said to be 1.9 km, so after I started my run, I checked when I got to the second gate and it was, to my surprise, showing 1.9 km. What’s weird is that the 5K ended with around 610m left. If you add up the two full lengths I ran–3.8 km–then add what is needed to hit 5K–1.2 km–that means there should have been about 700m left when I stopped running. Now, there was a delay of a few seconds after I stopped the run and started the walk, but not enough to account for 90m of walking. Still, it’s actually better than I expected, so maybe the GPS is in the iPhone 8 is magically improving or something.
Anyway, here’s to more runs and staying healthy in 2018.
Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 12:32 pm
Distance: 5.01 km
Time: 32:07
Weather: Foggy
Temp: 2ºC
Humidity: n/a
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 166
Weight: 162.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 4380 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone, Nike+ Run Club app
Today I decided to be wacky and use the Nike+ Run Club app for my run, since it now monitors heart rate. And I got wacky results!
My pace was a strangely slow 6:24/km–this is more of a joggish than jogging pace, and while I was running slower due to some lingering icy patches on the trail, as well as to keep my BPM down, I wasn’t that slow. Another sign that things were off was the distance I had to travel to get to 5K. At the point the Apple fitness app would be reporting I’d completed the run, the NRC app was saying I’d only completed around 4.41 km. That’s a huge discrepancy.
There is no way to calibrate the Nike app, so I’m not sure why it was so bonkers. It seemed to get the BPM about right, since that data is pulled directly from the watch (it was 166, still a tad high but much lower than the last few runs so yay on that). I wonder if the app somehow didn’t use the GPS and instead relied on the much -less-accurate accelerometer. On the other hand, I’ve found that non-GPS runs tend to err on the side of being too generous with pace, not too stingy. A further complication is that what you get in the watch and phone apps depends on whether you are using one of the Nike-branded watches, as they come with some exclusive features, such as built-in Siri support. It felt wrong having to start the run by pressing buttons and stuff.
It was almost worth it for the better stats and ability to access the runs on the web (I find it immensely irritating that the fitness workouts through Apple’s app can only be reviewed on an iPhone–not even an iPad, which would at least give you a bigger map to look at).
The final quirk was no audio notifications. I wondered if this was another feature locked out of the non-Nike version of the watch, but it turned out to be working. I just didn’t hear it because the audio literally comes from the watch, not through the phone via the watch. So I was getting alerts but was oblivious to them because of the music blaring away. I only caught a bit of the summary at the end when I’d paused the music. I could fix this by starting the run from the phone instead of the watch or by syncing the AirPods to the watch (which also means listening to music from the watch, not the phone).
Anyway, it was in all a disappointing experience.
The run itself was okay, no issues other than the left knee being stiff to start but warming up not too far in. I did 5K on the river because I’m pretty sure the lake trail is still a pathway of treacherous ice and adventure.
I’ll walk tomorrow at lunch, which will allow me to survey the Langara Trail to see how it has weathered (ho ho) the recent snows.
Also, this marks the first run of the year. If I keep up this pace I’ll complete 365 runs by year’s end! That is somewhat unlikely, but I’ve already topped the number of runs I did in January 2016.
Run 561 Average pace: 5:55/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:10 am
Distance: 10.03 km
Time: 59:25
Weather: Cloudy, light snow
Temp: 0-1ºC
Humidity: 92%
Wind: light
BPM: 172
Weight: 161.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 4370 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone
It was snowing this morning, which was actually good for the run. While that may sound like crazy talk, hear me out.
The snow on the ground now is getting more compacted and turning slick, which is bad for traction and good for falling on your face. The new snow piling on top is providing more traction, making for a grippier, less falling-on-your-face experience.
I dressed a bit differently this time, choosing a long-sleeved shirt and my running jacket. This turned out to be wise as the jacket’s lining provided enough insulation to keep me toasty warm–almost too warm, in fact. When zipped up all the way, the collar stands up and helpfully keeps snow from going down the back of your neck, too.
Even though it was only slightly warmer than Sunday’s run, I ended up doffing the gloves around 2 km in and didn’t put them back on until I was around the 7 km mark.
One brave runner was wearing shorts. I wonder if he regretted it later. I saw him at the start of his run so he was still all smiles with his partner (who was all bundled up).
There were more people out than expected, but it wasn’t too bad traffic-wise.
The snow had mostly stopped by the start of the run, which is good, because snow and glasses don’t mix well. I had this emphasized when it began snowing again around the 8K mark and my glasses grew clumped with blobs of snow. Also, feeling the very tiny specks of snow bapping your face is a weird sensation.
The trail was caught between having too much compact snow and not quite enough fresh snow, so traction wasn’t as good as it could have been. I only felt a foot slip about two times but I was constantly making adjustments in foot placement and stride. The extra effort showed in my BPM, which was back up. The bridges were again kind of bumpy and unpleasant and the first boardwalk was especially bad, the snow so crusty and uneven it was difficult to exceed a walking pace without losing my footing.
The left knee got a bit stiff but leveled out and was not bad for the latter part of the run. The other lower left butt muscle did start to make its presence known in the last km or so, but it never got painful.
The overall pace of 5:55/km was slower but unsurprisingly so. The snow kept coming down at a decent pace on the walk back, so if I’d started the run an hour later it probably would have been easier.
Still, this is the first time in about seven years that I’ve run in a real snowfall and while it slowed me down, it didn’t stop me. Damn snow.
Run 560 Average pace: 5:51/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:42 am
Distance: 10.04 km
Time: 58:53
Weather: Cloudy, compact snow
Temp: -1ºC
Humidity: 79%
Wind: light
BPM: 158
Weight: 163 pounds
Total distance to date: 4360 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone
As the year winds down, so does the temperature. Or at least this week it does.
Heading out to the lake this morning, the temperature was below freezing, making this my first sub-freezing run at the lake in either a very long time or possibly ever, with it staying firmly at -1ºC throughout on a cloudy day that mercifully had little wind.
I dressed accordingly and was reasonably comfortable:
two layers on top
running pants with sexy running undies
a form-fitting toque instead of my usual cap–this worked well in keeping my ears partly covered and warm
my olde Nike running gloves–I could have doffed these partway though but probably only briefly and I only experienced light sweating wearing them. They otherwise proved very handy (ho ho) in keeping my hands toasty instead of frosty
I was curious what the trail would be like as the Brunette River trail is a mix of bare patches and compact snow a little under a week after our latest blast of wintry weather. It turned out that while there were some clear patches, particularly in areas where the trees were close to the trail or the opposite where the trail was completely exposed (like along the sports fields), the majority was covered in compact snow. I had to adjust my gait and pace a little to insure optimal traction but the only genuinely slippery section was the small straight stretch leading to the bridge at Still Creek. My feet lost traction a few times there, but there was never a great risk of going splat.
All of the bridges were covered with crunchy, uneven snow, including the boardwalks, which made them strangely uncomfortable for running across. Not slippery, just odd and unpleasant.
The Spruce Loop and Conifer Loops had the most snow, with almost no melt at all. Because of this, they were actually pretty good to run on, as the snow was thick enough to provide grip, rather than having turned into a more icy surface seen elsewhere.
The trail was fairly quiet, with only a small number of walkers and other joggers out. No one was wearing shorts.
The more measured pace meant my time was back up to 5:51/km, but it also meant my BPM was significantly lower, at 158 (vs. 173 last week). I felt almost relaxed at times, and never really pushed, because pushing on snow usually means falling on snow when you’re running.
The tendons around my left knee started to make their presence known about halfway through and they’re still a bit stiff now. This seems to be a long term thing at this point. I wonder if one of those knee things would help. You can tell how often I’ve used them because I can’t even recall the proper name without searching the internet (compression knee sleeves/braces, it turns out). On the one hand, it could prove to just be a placebo. On the other hand, if it still worked, that’s good enough for me. I have to admit I’d feel a bit like a dork wearing one. Or maybe I’d look manly. “Look at that dedicated runner, going out even when injured!”
Something to think about.
Overall, though, this chilly went surprisingly decently, given the condition of the trail. We may get snow tonight, so that could complicate runs in the near future. Damn snow.
Run 559 Average pace: 5:27/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 11:18 am
Distance: 10.03 km
Time: 54:49
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 4-6ºC
Humidity: 88%
Wind: light
BPM: 173
Weight: 161.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 4350 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone
My goal for today’s run was to simply maintain a steady pace and perhaps beat last Saturday’s 10K pace of 5:50/km, which is rather sluggish.
Before getting to the run I’d like to say I’m convinced that my brisk walking pace that I adopt when heading to the lake is absolutely being interpreted by my body as the rhythmic signal to evacuate my bowels and/or bladder because I yet again had to go when I got there. Which I did, grateful for the sanitizer in the Jiffy John™.
Having concluded my bathroom business, I turned to the running business. I’d left my Cascadia shoes at work so I ran using my old Hoka Speedgoats. I’d forgotten how much they squeak. The shoes nearly double as an early warning system to other people on the trail. They were otherwise fine.
I also wore my AirPods because I apparently forgot my regular earbuds at work. It was cloudy but not looking particularly like rain, so I deemed it a reasonable risk. They performed fine and remained snug, though there was some confusion between it, Siri, the watch and the phone. Maybe too many Apple products together is actually a bad thing. Perhaps AI-based rivalries form.
It started out fine, with me selecting music: “Hey Siri, play The Go-Go’s.” My phone began playing The Go-Go’s.
Next, I started the run: “Hey Siri, start a 5K outdoor run.” (I always default to 5K because I’d rather go over than finish under.)
This seemed to cause the first bit of confusion. Instead of continuing to play the paused song, it moved to the next one. But it was still The Go-Go’s, as was the song after that. I also delighted in the watch audio signals for each km completed piping through the AirPods. But the fourth song that played was “Wasted Time” by The Eagles. The Eagles, as you may know, are not The Go-Go’s. I also realized that The Go-Go’s songs had been playing in alphabetical order, which was not my preference.
“Hey Siri, shuffle The Go-Go’s.” This fixed the music for the rest of the run. It also broke the audio piping in from the watch. Oh well.
The Eagles song is stored on both the phone and the watch and it looks like the watch or AirPods decided it would be a good time to play music from the watch instead of the phone because why not? So it just grabbed some random song. I’ve fixed this problem before by nuking all the music from the watch, but that’s sub-optimal. There is a watch update, so maybe that fixes it.
Anyway, onto the run.
My first km was 5:36/km, so in line with my stated goal of being faster but not, you know, fast.
In terms of issues, I felt a brief soreness in my right calf (that weak feeling again, like the muscle is flabby and out of shape, which it kind of is). It didn’t last long. I also briefly felt some stiffness near the inside of my lower left butt cheek. I don’t have a good explanation for this, except that the stiffness did not arise from doing anything fun (nor I think, from running). It also didn’t last long.
The trail was lightly populated, perhaps a combination of the cold and the threatening sky. I liked it. The “Beware of bears eating you” sign has been replaced with “Caution: icy conditions” sign. It wasn’t really icy, though.
I only felt like I really pushed at one point, along the Cottonwood Trail, where a fellow jogger suddenly sprang from the woods onto the path ahead of me (I suspect the urgent need to pee was involved). She began a pace that was almost but not quite as fast as mine. This was nearly 7 km into the run and I was not feeling super-energetic but it became clear I’d either have to deliberately hold back or expend some extra energy to pass her.
I chose to pass, then maintained that elevated pace until I reached the Piper Mill Trail where I gratefully dropped down a notch or two. My pace at this point was a zippy 5:19/km. I felt it.
In the end I finished at 5:27/km, slightly faster than Thursday’s 5K and substantially faster than the last 10K–a full 23 seconds faster per km. I really wasn’t expecting the result, which is pleasantly surprising.
Less pleasantly, my heart rate was elevated to right near the maximum of what I’m comfortable with at 173 BPM. The combination of the cold and the effort and being kind of flabby and out of shape is not a good one.
But I will try to ease up next week, with two runs planned for work before the holiday starts, then a week and a half of runs at the lake, barring sudden and annoying blizzards.
Run 550 Average pace: 5:26/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:49 pm
Distance: 10.04 km
Time: 54:39
Weather: Cloudy, cold
Temp: 1ºC
Humidity: 67%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 175
Weight: 157.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 4275 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone
With the temperature just above freezing this morning I took some extra time pondering how to dress, wanting to avoid both overdressing and underdressing (the former is usually a lot more likely). I initially settled on two layers up top and my usual shorts. I went outside and after maybe 20 steps turned around, went back in and switched the shorts in favor of my running pants, which I have not work for multiple years.
The pants are comfy and work well, but they lack pockets and a liner, meaning that without a jacket (I wore a sleeveless shirt as the base layer and my heavier gray long-sleeved running shirt as the outer) meant I had no place to keep my hands warm while walking to the lake. I debated gloves but again, had on place to put them if my hands got hot and sweaty. I was forced to wear undies but again lack proper running undies (something that wicks, unless my normal underwear) but I figured it was cold enough that it shouldn’t be a big issue.
Clothing verdict:
Top: Base layer and outer layer worked well. I stayed warm but did not get sweaty and yucky.
Bottom: Running pants were fine, though my tush felt slightly cool toward the end.
Gloves-free: My hands started to warm up a few km in but by around the 6-7 km mark they were getting cold again. It would have been nice to have had gloves.
I may look for a better running jacket (the one I have is fairly small and a bit snug for my liking) so I can wear gloves then stash them in the pockets if I want to take them off. New running pants with pockets and possibly a liner (or sexy sports undies) would be good, too.
The run itself stood out in a few ways. It was easily the coldest run I’ve done in quite awhile, which may also partly explain my really high BPM (175!). The leaves were so thick in some areas that you could not see the edges of the trail, just leaves and more leaves. Fortunately it was dry so it wasn’t like running on a field of banana peels.
Oh, and it snowed. Sure, the flakes were tiny and they didn’t stick, but there was actual snow falling during a run for the first time in years.
Damn snow.
My pace was 11 seconds faster than the last 10K at 5:26/km but I’m feeling a bit stiff now. Hopefully once I’m into a regular routine again for a bit my legs will revert back to normal runner legs.
Run 482 Average pace: 5:54/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.06 km
Time: 30:04
Weather: Partly cloudy
Temp: 6-7ºC
Wind: high, with gusts up to 13 km/h (probably higher, it was reporting 13km/h when I got home and the wind had eased up a bit)
BPM: 162
Stride: n/a
Weight: 166.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 3800 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch, iPhone
For the first time in three weeks, I returned to Burnaby Lake, the snow at long last completely gone. It was around 7ºC heading out–not exactly balmy, but with the sky clearing and the sun poking out, I figured I could safely switch from my long-sleeved running shirt to a short-sleeved one.
This proved to be an interesting decision.
Every other jogger I encountered was bundled up like it was winter (it is, officially for two more days). Some wore gloves or long pants, others wore jackets. I was the only one dressed as if for summer, wearing only a t-shirt and shorts.
The one thing I hadn’t anticipated was the wind. Sometimes it can be breezy. Today was not one of those days. The wind was ripping. The flag at the Hume Park Home Learners School (a name that seems like an oxymoron, really) was pointing straight out and rippling so hard you could hear the fabric snapping.
This made the 7ºC–which dropped by a degree by the time I started the run–feel more like something much, much colder.
As I entered Burnaby Lake Park the inevitable happened and the wind whisked the cap off my head. I retrieved it and screwed it down tight. It didn’t come off again and for this I was glad because my buzzed head would have been frigid without.
I ended up frigid, anyway, just not my head. For a few moments I marveled over the impending signs of spring: the fragrant aromas in the woods, the trees starting to bud, even the skunk cabbage starting to sprout in the numerous stands of water along the trail. This marveling went away as my arms and hands turned to icicles. They were so cold that in that first five minutes I considered calling off the run altogether.
Instead, I kept going, hoping the thin warmth of the sun would provide at least a psychological boost, and that the activity would warm me up enough to ensure this wouldn’t remain Mr. Freeze Goes Jogging.
It sort of worked.
After the first km (a sluggish pace of 5:33/km) I did warm up a little but it remained uncomfortable until around the 3 km mark, where it finally became tolerable. My second km was a staggeringly slow 6:20/km as I simultaneously passed the initial burst of speed and began feeling the full effect of the icy wind.
The wind did not relent for the entire 5 km. It didn’t even really start subsiding (a little) until the walk back. It was not fun. I blow a raspberry at you, wind, though I’ll know to check wind conditions before the next run.
The trail was dotted with puddles from yesterday’s monsoon-like rain, with many areas of mud, more mud and also mud. I finished a bit muddy, though I skirted all of the puddles. Despite never really feeling warm, I opted to walk home instead of taking the shortcut to the Production Way SkyTrain station. It just seemed like too much of a bother to go up there and wait for possibly multiple trains before getting on one. Plus I was already cold so it didn’t seem to matter much by that point.
I could feel the effects of the exercise even as I walked home, the rare treat of being sore not the day after but the hour after. I expect it to be worse tomorrow, but in time my legs will get back their sexy running form.
Despite the chill wind, it was still good to get back on the trail. But, uh, no wind next time would be spiffy.
Run 475 Average pace: 5:33/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 28:04
Weather: Clear, windy
Temp: 5-6ºC
Wind: Moderate to high
BPM: 172
Stride: n/a
Weight: 160.2 pounds
Total distance to date: 3765 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
It was downright chilly today and a strong breeze before the run made it feel cooler still. Temperatures hovered around 5 and 6ºC for the run but my long-sleeved t-shirt has extra long sleeves, so I was able to keep my hands covered until they warmed up a few km in. After that it was fine, plus those first few km made me look like I had no hands, possibly earning unintended sympathy from passersby, noting my triumph over adversity.
I didn’t feel like I was overly pushing myself but it definitely felt like I was putting in more effort. I’m not sure if it was the cold, the wind or some combination of factors but my BPM was higher, my place was slower and overall the results were not nearly as dazzling as last week. One factor was the trail itself, dotted with enough puddles and muddy stretches that a lot of dipsy-doodling was required to navigate.
I also think I’m finally past my fear of the side trail after The Big Trip. It helps that most of the foliage is stripped away now, making visibility on the trail quite good. The only real chance of tripping now comes from paying absolutely no attention.
The park itself must have had some special event going on because the parking lot near the dam was completely full. In five years of jogging at Burnaby Lake I have never seen it full, let alone full to the point people were parking on the road leading in. It was odd. Adding to the oddness, the trail was not packed with people. In fact, given the sunny conditions, there were fewer people out than I expected, though most of them were acting as if it were National Don’t Leash Your Dog Day.
Overall, the run was mildly disappointing in terms of pace, but I should be working in more runs during the week soon and my stamina will get closer to where it was in the summer. If I stay healthy this will be my first full winter of running in several years. I look forward to ice and snow hazards to go along with tree roots, dogs and hail.
Average pace: 5:21/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Partly cloudy
Temp: 4ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 398
Total distance to date: 2506 km
With two weeks between runs again I was not expecting to exactly zip along, though I was hoping that my walk yesterday would give me a boost to my stamina.
As it turned out I recorded my best pace of my few runs so far in 2014, coming in at 5:21/km. For the first km my legs from the knees down were lighting up like an emergency panel at a nuke plant going through a meltdown. My muscles cried out. My tendons joined in chorus. I got a stitch in my side. I felt like a slug. But I kept going, found my pace and my legs settled down. The only negative afterward is the blister on my right foot is even bigger, mainly due to the walk to the river.
The weather was crisp but dry. I wore two layers–a long and short sleeved t-shirt. I think I would have been fine with just the long sleeved shirt. I didn’t take gloves nor did I need them.
A little over halfway through the run I passed an older man and though I couldn’t hear him due to the earphones he seemed to be relaying enthusiastic encouragement. That was nice. I’m guessing it looked like I was in agony and he thought it might keep me from collapsing.
I had a nice soak in a tub filled with lavender Epsom salts after. It made me feel like a princess. A fat, hairy princess but a princess all the same.
Average pace: 5:31/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce Loop and Conifer Loop
Distance: 7.04 km
Weather: Fog and low cloud
Temp: 3-5ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 558
Total distance to date: 2501 km
I was going to run last weekend but both days we had monsoon-like rains and motivating yourself to do your second run after seven weeks off when there are monsoon-like rains is…challenging.
But today the weather was calm, with low fog and a brisk temperature that was only 3ºC. Still, no rain meant no excuses, so I headed out late in the morning.
My plan was to officially run 5K but to extend that if possible as I was only 6 km away from hitting the 2,500 km milestone (kilometerstone?) on Nike+. I would walk whatever was left and take the SkyTrain back from the Production Way station not too far from Burnaby Lake.
Since my last run was 13 days ago I figured my time would be worse and it was–5:31/km vs 5:22/km. Because I didn’t feel too bad while running and the time off I’m not overly concerned with the slower pace.
I also managed to push to 7 km total and really could have run farther but my leg muscles were starting to cry like a pair of kids that had their ice cream snatched away. This meant I did indeed pass the 2,500 km total. It would have been nice if I had done it while running blazing fast but I finished upright, so it’s all good.
The very tiny miracle was me passing a pair of women who were jogging ahead of me around the 4 km mark. Granted they were barely moving fast enough to qualify as running and I passed in the most deliberate way possible but still, it was nice to know I could still pass others.
I felt a stitch or two early on but nothing serious and although my left foot was a bit sore before I even headed out, it didn’t get any worse and was overall fine. The Achilles tendon was pleasantly a non-factor again. I think maybe it actually healed or something.
I’m looking forward to running more regularly and getting back into peak form again.
The light jacket and t-shirt proved sufficient despite the cool temperatures. It’s also nice to not have to bring gloves as my hands warm up fairly quickly without them. I saw a few other joggers that were bundled up like it was 40 below or something. Maybe they’re from anywhere other than the west coast.
Average pace: 5:22/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Ran Spruce Loop, Conifer Loop and Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 4ºC
Wind: light to nil
Calories burned: 399
Total distance to date: 2494 km
I had a simple goal in mind for today’s run: beat the sluggish pace of the previous run and get the new year off to a faster start.
As I’ve been waylaid by injury the past few winters I’ve not done a cold run in awhile but it was only 4ºC when I headed out early in the afternoon under sunny skies. Fortunately there was little wind but my hands still felt chilled even stuffed in my jacket pockets.
The jacket did not prove to be too much even after I warmed up but I was glad I skipped gloves because my hands were fine after a short distance and remained warm even on the walk after.
The run itself mirrored the pattern of the previous in that the first 500 meters was fairly zippy then my pace dropped precipitously and stayed fairly level for the remainder, ticking up slightly at the end. The major difference this time is that the pace leveled off sooner and came in at 5:22/km, 13 seconds better than the last run.
Surprisingly both feet felt fine right from the start. The Achilles tendon was feeling better than I can recall in quite awhile. The left foot showed signs of hurting after the run but never progressed much beyond that.
I could feel I was doing better once I got past the first km. I never felt winded or experienced any cramps. My biggest issue was probably how cold my butt was. Do you lose a lot of heat through your butt? It certainly felt like it.
Apart from that minor issue the run went well and I am pleased at the progress. It’s a good start to the year.
My next run will likely be my second attempt on the treadmill. I expect I will stop just shy of the next Nike+ milestone of 2,500 km, so I should hit that on my next “real” run during the coming weekend.