sore legs

The day after the day after (and bonus pandemic update)

The sun was out, so I asked my legs for permission to walk to the mall (a 30-minute walk). My legs were, “All right, but we reserve the right to yell at you in all caps later if it turns out to be a bad idea.” But it was fine. The leg muscles are still sore, but in a distant sort of way. I can feel the soreness, but it’s buried down below.

While at the mall, I contemplated getting something to eat at the food court–how post-pandemic of me! Except in the end, I couldn’t find anything that grabbed me, and skipped it.

And speaking of the pandemic (queue segue music)…

The Omicron variant wave is ending, and we’ve been without a mask mandate for just under three weeks now. A few days in the past week have seen hospitalizations in BC go up (though they did drop today) and looking around the world, it appears that another surge is all but guaranteed, this time courtesy of the Omicron sub-variant BA.2 (“The most infectious variant yet! For now.”) During BC’s now-diminishing Omicron wave, we saw:

  • A high degree of vaccination
  • A wide public mask mandate
  • Caseloads go through the roof anyway. Basically, everyone ended up knowing someone who got infected with COVID-19
  • Hospitalizations managed to stay below critical levels, though

Now, with an even more contagious sub-variant taking hold and the mask mandate lifted, what will happen? I figure a lot of people will get infected again, hospitalizations will go up again, then peak before going critical, and the wave will subside in time for summer.

If the pandemic continues as it has for the past two years, we’ll get a very brief respite before yet another wave starts with a new variant that can infect people who just happen to exist at the same time as the virus or something. I mean, I don’t know. It all seems kind of silly and unending now.

My new hope (“Help me, Obi Wan!”) is that the pandemic will be considered effectively over, even if COVID-19 is not gone, by the end of this year. That would be nice. I like nice things.

The day after

Not to be confused with movies about nuclear war.

Today was the day after my first 5K outdoors in months, which also featured 8 km of walking to and from the lake. And how did I feel?

Tired. Very tired. I napped in the afternoon.

Sore, very sore. My legs are like, “What have you done to us? We treat you so well with the mobility and such and this is our reward?”

As of writing this now (around 5 p.m.) I have managed a 15-minute walk to limber up without overdoing it and I have a little more energy. I suspect most of the fatigue and stiffness will be gone by tomorrow, but it is an interesting and fun (?) reminder of how keeping in shape requires…keeping up with regular exercise. Weird, I know.

Here is an animated gif of a cat running as reward for reading of my suffering:

Run 640: A properly prepared stat holiday outing

Run 640
Average pace: 5:44/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 12:25 pm
Distance: 10.01 km
Time: 57:27
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 11-12ºC
Humidity: 71%
Wind: light
BPM: 164
Weight: 166.2 pounds
Total distance to date: 4800 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (160 km)

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada and the weather was cool, but clear. Knowing how past runs have gone on stat holidays, I expected crowds and planned for it. And my planing paid off!

Yesterday I wasn’t sure I’d be running at all. I was congested, had a pressure headache and was certain I was coming down with something. My legs had that “wet noodle” feeling that usually means the onset of a cold or worse. But today the noodles were firmer, though the congestion and sinus pressure persisted, so maybe just allergies?

I took a blast of decongestant spray to my nose, then set off around 11:45 a.m. I wore my long-sleeved Nike shirt and while a short-sleeved t-shirt might have been fine, I didn’t feel overly warm in the Nike shirt. There was a light breeze and the sun was out, though it is already not providing much in the way of summer-like warmth anymore.

I chose to run clockwise, which worked out especially well today, as most people travel the lake in the opposite direction, meaning I’d be running toward most walkers and unless they were strolling with their eyes shut, they would see me approaching and presumably do something to let me by (I can report all did). For those I approached from behind, I switched to calling out, “Behind you!” to those who gave no indication they didn’t see/hear me coming–and it worked! Yay.

For this run, I opted to maintain a steady pace throughout, unsure how I would feel. Indeed, by the 6K mark I was feeling a bit tired, but pressed on, got my second win and finished with a near-identical pace compared to Thursday, at 5:44/km. Even better, my BPM was down to 164. Other than getting a bit tired midway through, I experienced no issues or complications, despite the heavier-than-usual traffic.

It doesn’t escape me, either, than I’ve been rather lucky with the weather being so nice for these runs. I know one day it will be raining and I won’t want to run, but the rain will persist and I’ll have to. Then I’ll grouse about it here. 😛

I saw another snake on the trail, and like the one on Thursday, it may no attempt to move as I jogged by. This must be “fall snake” behavior, where they are too preoccupied soaking up rays to keep warm to bother getting out of the way unless they really have to. Or a bunch of snakes are slithering onto the trail and lapsing into comas or dying. I’m not a snakeologist, I don’t know.

The next run will likely be on the treadmill at the Canada Games Pool, as sunset is happening around 6:20 now, which is before I usually finish my runs. Plus the weather this week looks stinky. But I might try one more during the week before declaring them done until the spring.

Run 637: Also inconsistent, but with bonus being slower, too

Run 637
Average pace: 5:35/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 6:23 pm
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:14
Weather: Clear
Temp: 15ºC
Humidity: 68%
Wind: light to nil
BPM: 168
Weight: 166 pounds
Total distance to date: 4770 km
Devices: Apple Watch Series 5, iPhone 8
Shoes: Saucony Switchback ISO (130 km)

Conditions for tonight’s run were good, with the temperature only slightly cooler than Tuesday, but still dandy for running. I knew almost as soon as I set off that this run was not going to proceed as well, though.

For whatever reason–perhaps the shock of doing a full 10K, followed by a 5K and now another run–my legs were creaky and sore. Not just the knees, but the shins and upper leg muscles, too. It took a few minutes to warm up, but they were okay after that. This early stiffness convinced me to maintain a moderate pace–helped even more later by a stitch threatening to develop–and I correctly predicted I would end with a pace over 5:30, coming in at 5:35/km.

A few puzzling aspects, though. For one, my BPM was the highest its been in awhile at 168 and I’m not sure why. Because it was cooler and my body was working harder to stay at the same level? That seems like the likeliest explanation. I’m curious to see what BPM will be after the next post-work run (though there won’t be a whole lot of those left for the year, it was already noticeably dimmer running tonight vs. just two days ago).

The other puzzling part was a repeat of the wild inconsistency. As I said up top, I did not fire the afterburners or put in any extra effort, I just keep going steadily–and indeed, I felt fine stamina-wise–yet my pace is all over:

First km: 5:22
Second km: 5:42 (a whopping 20 second increase)
Third km: 5:49
Fourth km: 5:25 (a 24 second decrease)
Fifth km: 5:39 (14 second increase)

I would not have guessed that my speed shifted up or down so dramatically at any of the above points. It’s weird.

I’ve had two anomalous results now with the Series 5 watch, but maybe it’s just a coincidence. The overall pace for both runs seems about right, so in the end it looks okay, but the huge shifts in pace are strange. I’m curious to see how this will play out at the next run, which should take place at the lake. If the forecast stays accurate, my luck will hold and I’ll get another run free from rain. And I won’t complain. (I’m a poet.)

Run 601: On the run again

Run 601
Average pace: 6:08/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 1:16 pm
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 30:52
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 7ºC
Humidity: 76%
Wind: nil
BPM: 177
Weight: 169.2 pounds
Total distance to date: 4585 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

Nearly three months after my last outdoor run, I finally returned to Burnaby Lake, eager (?) to see how the long layoff would affect my effort.

And it did affect my effort. But there was good news and bad news.

Good news: I finished the full 5K without any difficulty. I never felt like I was pushing too hard, never had any cramps (one on the abdomen threatened at one point, but never materialized) and my first km was a reasonably zippy 5:41/km. It was also cool, but sunny and with no wind at all. Once I got underway, it actually was quite comfortable. Best of all, my knees behaved. The left knee did start to twinge a little about two-thirds of the way through, but this was more of a “not used to running like this” thing and not related to the sore knee tragedy of 2018. I also picked up steam, with the last two km being faster than the first three.

Bad news: My BPM was up to 177. Yikes. That is a lot higher than I’d like to see. By comparison, my run on October 20, 2018 had a BPM of 167. I am also nearly four pounds heavier than that run, too (working on it). My overall pace was a sloth-like 6:08/km, a full 14 seconds off the October run, but about what I expected.

As noted, conditions were good, though I was heading into the sun at the start and the Avalon Trail was covered with a glistening mud that was shining so brightly I actually had to shield my eyes. Once I got onto the main part of the loop, it was fine, and the trail overall was in good shape,. with only a bit of a muddy stretch leading up to the athletic fields.

After, the knees still seem to be holding together. though I’ll see how everything feels tomorrow. It could be a thousand agonies, or one agony or maybe no agony at all. I really can’t say. But I am pooped. It’s a lot (when you also add the 14 km or so of walking) after only a handful of treadmill runs leading up to it.

Still, I am pleased that I managed the full 5 km without any difficulties. I kept a more deliberate pace and it seemed to work. As I get in more runs, I expect my BPM to drop, but it’s definitely the thing I’ll be watching closest over the new few runs.

Run 571: It’s all in the knees

Run 571
Average pace: 5:53/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:29 pm
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:37
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 9-11ºC
Humidity: 43%
Wind: light
BPM: 163
Weight: 168.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 4440 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

This is what happens when you take five days off between runs. You get sore knees. Actually, the sore knees is kind of new (both being sore, that is), which is a tad worrisome but we’ll see if they’re just creaky from lack of use or getting ready to fall apart when I resume a more regular running schedule.

Which should start happening soon as we switch to Daylight Saving Time tomorrow. Yay!

The bridge replacement at Still Creek is still being rescheduled so I took advantage and ran counter-clockwise. The mild conditions meant I wore my usual–t-shirt and shorts–and apart from the arms being a bit chilly early on, it was fine.

This run was curiously hard. I mean, I’m not in peak condition, obviously, and five days off between runs is not great, but still, it just seemed like more of an effort. The topper was ending up over two minutes slower than last Sunday’s run. Oy. I opted out of doing a full 10K as it seemed like it might be a special agony, but ended up jogging on and off regularly for the 9 km walk back home. The average pace of that walk was 8:33/km, which is approximately impossible at an actual walking pace.

While I didn’t suffer any issues during the run, I could feel my leg muscles already getting sore on the walk, home, much like the previous run. The knees also seemed achy, though that diminished significantly once I got home.

As good as I felt with the last run, this one has left me with more of a “Hmm” feeling. But I am going to try running more often now and that should help (?).

Run 570: Hello legs

Run 570
Average pace: 5:27/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 2:06 pm
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 27:29
Weather: Cloudy with some sun
Temp: 5ºC
Humidity: 72%
Wind: light
BPM: 162
Weight: 169 pounds
Total distance to date: 4435 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

Answering the question, “How well will a run go if I take three weeks off?” with “I’m pretty sure my legs are going to be super-stiff tomorrow but otherwise not bad!”

The only runs I’ve done since February 10th were three on the treadmill ranging from about 12-120 minutes total and the last of those was almost two weeks ago. Since then I’ve done almost no exercising at all while battling a cold.

The cold is largely vanquished now and I actually wasn’t feeling bad at all after yesterday’s unplanned 16 km walk, so I set off to the river under a semi-cloudy sky, bundled up with two layers up top because it hovered around 5ºC.

I had no expectations, I just wanted to get through and keep my BPM under 170. I ended with a pace of 5:27/km, only a few seconds off from February 10th’s run, which is pretty good, and my BPM was actually lower than that run, coming in at 162. I was also tubbier today, a fairly chunky 169 pounds. That’s like 500 stones or something. A lot of stones. The weight was a not-insignificant factor in prompting me to get out.

Along the way I felt a few minor creaks but nothing really of note. The left knee was fine. I experienced a bit of cramping right near the end, but that was probably a combination of me pushing to end the run and also an impending bowel movement. I swear my bodily functions are now wired directly to running.

Overall, a pleasing result after a long stint off. With Daylight Saving Time starting next week, I should be able to start doing runs after work pretty soon, too, so woot for that. 150 (pounds) here I come! (And also no more snacking, I swear-ish.)

Run 568: Like a bear in the woods

Run 568
Average pace: 5:57/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 12:29 pm
Distance: 10.03 km
Time: 59:41
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 8-10ºC
Humidity: 86%
Wind: nil
BPM: 161
Weight: 166.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 4425 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

I was bad and did not run last weekend–but I was also good because I used an elliptical trainer for half an hour on both Saturday and Sunday. While the combined calorie burn is similar to a 10K, there is no doubt that it’s an easier experience, so I was ready for today to be a bit tougher.

Because there was a chance of rain I wore a long-sleeved shirt, but it stayed dry and was quite mild.

The iPhone 8 again was consistently reporting distances as shorter. Suddenly 4 km was not really 4m so to walk 4 km I had to walk more than 4 km. Kind of annoying but no so far out of whack that I feel compelled to spend time researching the issue. Plus a little extra walking and running is fine, anyway.

I was unsure of the status of the bridge at Still Creek–the original end of the replacement project is this month and as of two weeks ago they’d done essentially nothing–so I chose a clockwise route. This would allow me to get to 5K regardless, and allow me to turn back to get the other 5K. This didn’t prove to be necessary because while the project has advanced (new additions to signs note that Phase I began on January 25) the only change was several large piles of dangerous-looking rocks near the bridge, along the river bank.

Surprisingly, my legs felt pretty much fine, though I had a few moments of creakiness in my right knee (the good one). The lack of running may be having the side benefit of healing. I did feel some cramping in the abdomen and it persisted for awhile, though it wasn’t too severe. It was hard to imagine it was from running too fast because I did not feel too fast. Or fast.

Still, I kept going and there was no doubt I’d complete a full 10K, so even though the pace was pokey–5:57/km–the BPM was fine (161) and I generally felt okay.

The bear in the woods part came around the 9.27 km mark. I had used the bathroom before heading out (I’ve learned my lesson) and even took a quick whiz upon arrival, but a little over halfway through it became clear that I would have to commit to number 2. Just past the 9K mark the urge to go was becoming, let’s say, a force of nature. It would take me 6-7 minutes to finish the run and get to the Jiffy John™ and those minutes felt like hours. I made a bold decision.

I paused the run and leapt off the trail like a deer spooked by a poopmonster. Then I committed the deed behind a large tree. Just in time, as I passed someone shortly after resuming the run and frankly the big tree didn’t really provide as much cover as you would expect from a big tree.

The rest of the run felt much better.

I should also point out that my weight loss regime has gone completely bonkers and I weighed 3.2 pounds more at the start of today’s run vs. the last one. Yeesh. At least I finished lighter (TMI, I know. sorry.)

Overall I was glad to get back out again, and doubly glad to do so without being in the rain. Triply so for the BPM staying reasonable.

I can feel the legs already stiffening up. There will be a reckoning for all those regular runs I’ve skipped. Stiff legs, basically.

Still, progress! This time last year I was still not able to run outside at all due to the Snowpocalypse and the mild temperatures means there is little chance of a sudden repeat this year. Yay.

Run 565: Creaky and speedy

Run 565
Average pace: 5:14/km

Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 1:18 pm
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 26:23
Weather: Cloudy, some sun
Temp: 7ºC
Humidity: 92%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 170
Weight: 163.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 4395 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 6

I wore close to my summer gear today: shorts, but a long-sleeve rather than short-sleeve t-shirt. Even with a bit of a breeze it was fine at 7ºC. The longer sleeves helped to keep my hands and arms warm.

I managed to beat the rain, with the sun actually poking out a few times. A couple of hours later the sky turned gray and scary and The Rains returned. It’s always nice to dodge the rain bullet.

The first few minutes the left knee was creaky again and even the right ankle briefly joined in providing a sort of stereo effect of pain. The ankle cleared up quickly, though, and the left knee was fine after a few minutes of warming up. I think stretching may be beneficial as it occurs to me that the relative inflexibility of my legs may be contributing to the issue or at the very least slowing potential recovery. And maybe I’ll toss in a compression sleeve, as I mentioned previously.

Looking at my splits, I started out at my finishing pace of 5:14/km–much faster than I was planning or expecting–but really took off for the second km where the pace dipped to 5:03/km. Looking back, I can’t think of what inspired me to turn on the afterburners here. I eased up for the next few km before finishing with a zippy 5:07/km for the last stretch. The higher speed also meant a higher BPM, though I managed to hold it right at 170.

The run even inspired me on the walk home, resulting in my first walk under 9:00/km in awhile.

Overall, a good run, though I should probably be a little less zealous and focus more on stamina, a lower BPM and all that. It’s always so weird to run so much faster than I plan to, like my legs have little minds of their own and these minds are all, “RUN FASTER LOL!”

Run 564: Creaky and a little stinky

Run 564
Average pace: 5:39/km

Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:27 am
Distance: 10.03 km
Time: 56:47
Weather: Cloudy, light mist
Temp: 6ºC
Humidity: 92%
Wind: light
BPM: 164
Weight: 163.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 4390 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 6

Today’s run was overall a positive experience, with better-than-expected results.

The stinky part refers to what must have been a leaky sewer line in the area as a couple of stretches along the trail were rather stinky, with the piquant order rather distracting, albeit short-lived. Either that or a bunch of skunk cabbage spontaneously erupted.

On the plus side, the combination of milder temperatures and rain meant the last traces of snow are gone and the trail was mostly dry, so I was no longer actively fighting the conditions.

It was hovering around 5-6ºC and I wore running pants and two layers up top. Given that there was little wind, I would have been fine with a single layer up top (long-sleeved) and shorts would probably have been okay, too, though I didn’t feel too warm with the pants.

A very light misty rain fell during the second half of the run but it wasn’t enough to cause any chafing issues with my delicate chest. The dual layers may have helped there.

The threat of rain meant the trail was lightly populated, though pairs of people proved a bit vexing at times, with joggers and walkers both providing the bare minimum amount of room to get by. On the second boardwalk I encountered two couples, the men in back and the women up front. I clomped loudly on my approach from behind to signal my imminent arrival and the guy on the left moved slightly to accommodate me. For the women I actually said, “On your left” which got no response. As I nearly bowled the women on the left, I added, “Coming through!” which got their attention but minimal movement all the same. At least the boardwalk wasn’t still decked out like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. I guess some people just get really wrapped up in their conversations or something.

My left knee was sore to start and while it isn’t slowing me down (that I can tell) it’s got me thinking more seriously about at least trying a compression sleeve to see if it helps. The second half of the run the knee did feel better, though. It was at the midway point that ailment number 2 arose, though: my right ankle started to hurt. I’ve actually felt this while walking or just ambling about in the last few days. It is random and as was the case on the run, intermittent. It persisted on and off from about the 5K to 7K mark, then cleared up after that. I’m unsure what caused this–bad posture while sitting, weird foot shenanigans while sleeping. I’m not expecting it to be a continuing issue like the left knee, but it may persist for another week or so.

As for the actual running itself, I purposely slowed down three or four times to calm my breathing and bring my heart rate down. My goal was not to improve my pace, but to get the BPM below 170. In the end I did both–my BPM was 164 and my pace improved to 5:39/km, better than expected.

I am going to try to run around the golf course this week and hope that the rain doesn’t turn the trail into a big stretch on nonsense.

Overall, I’m happy with today’s run, especially considering this time last year I wasn’t running outdoors at all due to the piles and piles of snow.

 

Run 558: A modest proposal

Run 558
Average pace: 5:28/km
Location: Langara Trail
Start: 12:22 pm
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 27:31
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 6ºC
Humidity: 87%
Wind: light
BPM: 165
Weight: 163.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 4340 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

Running conditions were near-identical today to Tuesday and my modest proposal (to myself) was to simply improve on the previous run’s performance. And I did, so hooray for me!

My pace improved from 5:35/km to 5:28/km and my BPM dropped from 170 to 165. I also didn’t feel like I was exerting myself as hard, especially in the opening km.

No real issues to report, other than post-run my leg muscles are all a wee bit stiff as they got through the initial phase of getting used regularly again. It’s amazing how quickly you lose your fitness level.

I am toying with the idea of running again at lunch tomorrow since all of my gear is still at work. It’s probably a better idea than donuts.

We’ll see.

Run 538: The pulled muscle recovery run

Run 538
Average pace: 5:18/km
Location: Brunette Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:30 am
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 26:40
Weather: Mostly cloudy
Temp: 17ºC
Humidity: 57%
Wind: light
BPM: 166
Weight: 156.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 4187 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

I was originally planning to wait until Tuesday to resume my runs since pulling the muscle in my left upper leg last Friday but spontaneously decided today to go out for a 5K, since the aforementioned muscle hasn’t exhibited any sort of soreness or stiffness over the past few days.

And so I headed out after seven days off, back to Burnaby “yes, there really are bears here” Lake. My plan was to walk to the lake, do a 5K, then hitch a ride back on the SkyTrain from the Burnaby Lake station rather than face a 9K+ walk back home, which I felt might be pushing it only a week later.

I started out by making a trip to the loo, which seems to happen quite a bit now for some reason. I don’t mean going to the loo in general, just specifically when I get to the lake and my body seems to interpret that as “nature calls” (literally). After relieving myself I headed back over the dam and encountered a far-too-cheerful cyclist pulling a small wagon behind him. I secretly wished rabid geese on the bike but later found the same bike was being used to collect cones that had been placed as part of a Running Room event (the event was over by the time I got there). He was still riding too fast and was too dang cheerful, though.

A small section of the trail near the sports field was closed for repairs and a spray-painted line through the grass suggests they may actually be preparing to shore up Ol’ Floody, as I call this particular stretch. It would be nice if they fixed it to not flood, because when the trail floods and you detour onto the field you discover that the grass is actually kind of floating on a layer of mud and water that is really tricky to run on.

I did not see any bears this time, for which I am glad. I have nothing against bears, as long as they stay, you know, out of the city.

The run itself started at a steady pace and I felt fine. Conditions were actually pretty good–cloudy and temperatures in the high teens–and for the first three km it felt pretty much like any other run. Around the 3K mark I started feeling stiffness around the left knee, though oddly enough the actual pulled muscle seemed fine. I’d seen some stiffness in the left leg on previous runs and it seems the pull last week accentuated the issue. The stiffness progressed to a point but never enough to slow me down (my best times were actually in the fourth and final km), but doing only 5K seemed like the right call.

After, the afflicted muscle continued to behave and the stiffness has retreated, so I think I’m probably going to be okay if I stick to 5Ks for now.

The average pace surprised me, coming in at 5:18/km, much faster than I was expecting, so that’s also encouraging.

The run on Tuesday will wrap up right around the time the sun is setting. I’m going to have to decide on whether to run at lunch on the yucky golf course loop, or switch to running on a yucky treadmill, or coming up with some other hopefully not yucky option.