Average pace: 4:38/km Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.02 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 14ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 354
Total distance to date: 2043.5 km
Today was the first time this year I followed up a run with another two days later, as per my normal running schedule. After getting home from work I donned my jogging duds and set off for a 5 km run down the Brunette River trail. The weather was sunny and pleasantly mild.
Foot-wise it was similar to Sunday, with the right foot feeling a bit sore early on but improving dramatically after warming up and feeling fine afterward.
Stamina-wise I ended up a bit slower — 4:38/km instead of 4:34/km, but I think that was mainly due to my body adjusting to the shorter gap between runs (or rather, doing runs plural at all). I again avoided any outright discomfort from cramping and whatnot.
Overall, a good stepping stone on the road to running recovery. Mmm, mixed metaphors.
Average pace: 4:34/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.02 km
Weather: Partly sunny
Temp: 7-9ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 357
Total distance to date: 2048.5 km
Today was my first official™ run of the year. With the wind light, the sky nor threatening rain and no handy excuses for not heading out, I donned shorts, t-shirt and cap and set off for Burnaby Lake. My plan was to walk to the lake, run 5 km (or make a brave attempt) then walk the remainder of the lake and back home.
The one warning sign I had heading out was a certain level of discomfort in my left foot, where the pad and the toes join up. This is also the part that hits the ground when walking. It was sore because without my footrest I sometimes stupidly slouch in the computer chair and press the foot into the wall in a way that is, shall we say, sub-optimal.
I arrived at the lake, set the shiny new iPod to 5 km and set off on a pace that was deliberately deliberate. I was going to be extra-careful about overdoing it.
Much to my surprise I kept up a consistent pace and reached the 5K mark in a little under 23 minutes, finishing with a pace of 4:34, impressive even for 5 km. While my chest felt like it was going to cramp for most of the run it never did and though each incline felt like tiny anchors were suddenly attached to my feet I kept up the pace. Overall I’m pleasantly surprised and pleased by the performance.
The right foot also felt fine. While the bump where the tendon was hurt can be felt it’s not at all painful and was fine before and after the run. My left foot (not to be confused with the movie) hurt like almighty heck on the 10 km or so walk back home, though. Holy cats it was bad. I may need to set up some kind of electro-shock thing to make sure I never ever slouch and press my foot against the wall again.
It feels mostly fine now.
The most notable thing about the run was probably the debris left over from yesterday’s storm (which featured rather intense hail at one point). On the top stairway leading down to Lower Hume Park a tree had collapsed, smashing through the railing but thoughtfully landing in such a way that it didn’t block the stairs. At about the 8 km mark of the Burnaby Lake trail another tree had snapped and managed to plunge itself top-end first into the trail itself (probably a good 20-30 cm into the earth), the rest sticking up at about a 45 degree angle. It was a rather bizarre sight. A number of other trees look like they are set to give way and some recently chainsawed pieces were evidence that more still had recently come down.
My next run is set for Tuesday after work and I’m planning on another 5K to see how that goes. Excelsior!
Today under sunny skies and with the temperature a positively balmy 15ºC I headed back to Mercer Stadium to do one more calibration run.
My plan was to do four laps or 1.6 km and I completed the run with a corrected pace of 4:59/km. Pretty slow compared to a typical pace but being able to clock under five minutes after four months off is not too bad. The little Achilles tendon lump in my foot could be felt for the first lap or so but I didn’t notice it for the rest of the laps. My stamina felt a wee bit improved over the last calibration and this time I was able to calibrate to the actual distance I ran so in theory it should be accurate as all get-out.
The only incident of note was when a small kid (maybe 3 or 4) stood by the inner lane on the playing field. I watched as he was poised to directly enter my path. He father, a distance away, was calling for him to come over. The kid did exactly what you’d expect–he stepped off the field and into my path just as I approached. Fortunately I had expected the worst case scenario and scooted by in the next lane over without incident.
It still amazes me that any kid survives long enough to become an adult.
My next planned run is on Monday and will probably be a 2 km gate-to-gate dealie at the Brunette River trail. This will be my first official™ run of the year.
Take 2 of my calibration attempt was made under sunny skies at Mercer Stadium again. Once more, I opted for 800 m (two laps) and reminded myself to not screw up the calibration like last time.
In a hopeful sign, my lungs, while still burning fiercely, took ever-so-slightly longer to do do. Even better I actually set the calibration properly. The only point of concern is that calibration can only be set within a certain range. I ran exactly 800 m (on the inside lane, just as they recommend) but I could only adjust the calibration up to 770 m. This is still fairly accurate and I can probably boost the accuracy by running farther so I may adjust it again sometime in the weeks ahead. I was a bit surprised that it was off by as much as it was, reporting 200-300 m to go as I finished. My pace was 4:43/km, not bad for 4+ months off, except my fastest km is 4:15/km. Rusty!
The right foot is still sore from the injury (meaning if I press a finger into it I can feel it) but it seems to be a build-up of some sort and my doctor is convinced that stretching and running should be okay. It doesn’t hurt while I’m running so I’ll keep ramping up for now. Next time I’ll see if I can run for over five whole minutes!
Today was the day I finally started my road back to jogging regularly. Which is somewhat ironic, given that I don’t jog on roads.
Instead Jeff took me up to the zany looking track at Mercer Stadium (pictured below courtesy Google Maps, as I lack a blimp with which to fly over the track to take my own photos).
After four months to nurse my right Achilles tendon back to health my goal tonight was simple: don’t break anything and complete a couple of 400 m laps to calibrate my new iPod nano.
Some observations:
It felt great to be running again.
The actual running felt like agony, with my lungs on fire after a piddly 400 m lap.
I defeated the entire purpose of the run by screwing up the calibration at the end. I had set the distance to 0.8 km (two laps) and at the end of the run when it pulled up what it thought I’d run vs. what I’d really run, I adjusted it to 0.40 km, exactly half the intended total. I couldn’t bear the thought of running again to fix it so it will have to wait until the next time, probably in a few days. My real pace was around 4:20/km, which is remarkably good for a four month layoff (and probably explains the lungs of fire, too).
The problematic right foot did not hurt, though I could feel where it had been hurt. Ominous sign? Perhaps. The good news is it feels perfectly fine now.
No more clickwheel. Woo!
Here’s hoping that the next run goes smoothly, that I calibrate my iPod properly and that the properly-calibrated data uploads to the Nike+ site without blowing everything up.
While I am still not quite ready to return to running I decided to take advantage of the mild ‘n dry weather and do a simulated run around Burnaby Lake by walking the route. I estimated it would take around 3 hours and the pedometer on the iPod said it took 3:04 hours, so I trucked along much as I had anticipated. I even stretched the walk out a bit by taking the freeway trail (which I used for three weeks last summer when one of the boardwalks on the lake was being replaced). By the time I was heading back alongside the Brunette River I was getting tired and a little cranky.
The rounds on the elliptical are helping but I’m clearly not in prime condition. Also I didn’t wear my spiffy new running shoes and instead wore my cheap-o ones that are designed for maximum discomfort. In all, not my best-planned effort but it’s always nice to eat ice cream guilt-free.
I managed to start the sequel to the head cold I had over Christmas last night and like many sequels, it sucks. It didn’t affect my walk but here in the evening I’m feeling tuckered and my throat is irritating me, even more than when I try to sing. I’ll probably head off to bed early and dream of the wonderfully creative things I may have done if I didn’t feel like poop.
In the meantime, here is a stock image of my new running shoes, the Minimus 1010s. They are much like my previous pair but are blue instead of glow-in-the-dark orange. I kind of miss the orange, actually. Reading reviews on the New Balance site, it sounds like I may be looking for another pair shortly after I resume my runs. That would be rather disappointing, as my last two pairs of New Balance shoes have been very durable.
Average pace: 4:42/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 11.05 km
Weather: Rain
Temp: 12-13ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 749
Total distance to date: 2042 km
Today’s run was done under a heavy rainfall warning for the area. As on Monday I donned my cycling jacket and this time it came in handy as it rained the entire run. I was lucky in that although it was a steady rain it also turned out to be light. It was also fairly mild. I stayed dry under the jacket except for the sweat again getting trapped in my shirt. It wasn’t as bad as on Monday, however.
My only goal was to do better today, knowing the Achilles tendon would still be sore. It was and again it slowed me down but I achieved my goal and finished with a pace of 4:42/km, five seconds better over Monday. The tendon again felt much improved after it warmed up and stretched. I am using some stinky Rub-A535 on it now to see if that helps post-run.
The trail was an interesting spectacle. I’ve never run around the lake at this time of year so this was my first time doing so not only after heavy rain but during rain as well. The puddles on Monday had grown significantly, many others had joined them and at least four to six areas were impossible to pass without dipping your toes in copious amounts of water. None of this bothers me as I’d experienced soggy conditions frequently at China Creek but it was fun (?) to see how the weather was reshaping the trails at Burnaby Lake. Notable sections included the recently shored-up section near the athletic fields. The parks crew had covered nearly the entire section with fresh gravel, raising it up. The raising was somewhat in vain as several broad swaths of water were running over top of the area, not unlike a river. Splish splash went I through it.
The section that always floods alongside the fields had the appearance of a small lake. I skirted wide around it, knowing that the field’s edge would be similarly soggy, just hidden by the grass. As it turns out the whole damn thing was soggy. Gloop glop went I through the water and mire. Numerous other spots presented similar if smaller hazards.
By the end my feet were thoroughly soaked but thanks to the gravel there was little mud on my legs (unlike China Creek). And in a small act of mercy the rain stopped for the walk home, so I was mostly dry by the time I got home. Yay!
Average pace: 4:47/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 11.29 km
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 766
Total distance to date: 2031 km
Ran Piper Mill trail, Spruce and Conifer Loops.
With the Achilles tendon feeling a tad tender I decided to skip the last run of the week to get an extra day of rest. Today looked to be wet so I decided to wear my water-resistant cycling jacket to try to keep dry.
Naturally, the rain stopped and I didn’t need it. I’m not complaining, though it was a little warm with the jacket on and it ended up trapping sweat that would have wicked away otherwise.
The Achilles tendon did prove to be an inhibitor. It was stiff and sore and that acted as a cap on my run speed. As I progressed around the lake and it limbered up it started to feel better but I was still well below my current pace and finished at 4:47/km.
The other notable part of the run was the condition of the trail with a heavy storm having just passed through the area. I was doing some regular puddle jumping and both the Conifer and Spruce Loops had numerous twigs and branches strewn about. On the plus side, the collapsed section of trail on the south shore that resulted from a tree collapsing was finally shored up with fresh gravel.
I am hoping and expecting Wednesday’s run to be better.
Average pace: 4:38/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CW) including part of Freeway trail
Distance: 11.66 km
Weather: Variable cloud
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: moderate to strong
Calories burned: 791
Total distance to date: 1998 km
Since my bladder demanded attention just as I was ready to start my run, I started a bit short. To make up for it I voluntarily took the Freeway Trail detour I had to use back in July and August while the one boardwalk was being replaced. This helped extend my run and alleviate any guilt for not pushing 11K+. The detour looked a fair bit different, with a large swathe of land reshaped, seeded and cut through with streams as part of the environmental upgrades being done alongside expansion of Highway 1. In short, the area looks nicer. One of the streams is currently cutting across the trail and is eroding it. I’m not sure if that’s nature taking its course or if they’ll change it later. I’ll run the trail again in awhile to see what’s happened.
That was the good part of the run — along with no rain.
The bad part is my left hip was feeling cranky (I think it’s related to the office chair I use at the computer, coupled with my posture, which apparently goes into the worst position possible automatically) and this dragged down my time as it formed a hard cap on my speed. Slow and steady is a good way to describe it. My left foot also acted up more than usual for a time, worsening the effect. By the end I finished with a pace of 4:38, perfectly respectable, but disappointing coming off the record run of Wednesday.
Still, it makes it easy to improve for Monday’s run.
Average pace: 4:53/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 11.45 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 18-20ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 777
Total distance to date: 1940 km
It is fitting that today is Thanksgiving because I ran a bit like a turkey. And when I got home from the run (and Jeff from a day of dirt biking) we were both too tired to cook anything except a big frozen chicken lasagna. So technically we did have some bird, anyway.
Two days ago I was just coming out of 17 hours in bed after being struck Friday evening by one of those flu bugs that drops on you like a piano. I had chills (no thrills), no appetite, no energy and no desire to do anything but lay there, still and sweaty (despite the chills). By the end of Saturday I was feeling human again, yesterday I felt mostly normal so today I went on my run as I had planned.
I started out a bit slower than I have of late at 4:35/km then dropped an impressive 5% for the next km, something I’d repeat two more times during the run. By the 7 km mark I was coasting on fumes and save for a blip of energy in the latter half of the 10K stretch, muddled through to the end and a sluggish pace of 4:53/km, a full 20 seconds off last Tuesday’s run (which was admittedly a record-setter for me).
On the plus side, I did complete the run and I had a rare mid-run spike when another runner caught up from behind. She appeared to my left and a few paces back and this immediately kicked in my competitive side. I found a reserve of energy and slightly picked up the pace. She was not deterred. As we raced neck and neck along the Cottonwood Trail she eventually pulled beside me and said, “I like the pace you’re keeping!” We ran together to the bridge at Still Creek, where she cut left (the short way) and I went straight (the less short way). This gave her the official lead and I was out of gas. About a km later she turned a corner and was out of sight for good. I felt good for keeping up as long as I did and bad because I simply lacked the stamina today to keep keeping up.
Wednesday’s run should be both faster and slightly cooler. Our freakish summer weather is continuing but it looks to be closer to seasonal by mid-week with actual normal weather (cool, damp) possible by the end of the week.
Average pace: 4:37/km Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW), Brunette river trail, Lower Hume Park
Distance: 10.83 km
Weather: Clear
Temp: 15ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 734
Total distance to date: 1919 km
I forgot to post this run so details are a bit sketchy. Going from my notes on the Nike+ site, I headed out around 6 p.m. and by the end of the run it was getting dark enough to be downright spooky. Such is the way of fall. The weather continues to be unusually pleasant, though, so it remained clear. The difference now is that the sun is now low enough on the evening runs that I never actually see it. It’s also a bit cool starting out, so the warm-up is really a warm-up!
I was still a bit stiff from the uber-walk but it didn’t seem to affect my time much. I came in at a relatively peppy 4:37/km pace.
As it turned out, this was also my last run of the month as I visited the island on the weekend and missed my usual Saturday run. I still managed 13 runs for September, though two of them were only 5K. Still, the monthly total was a respectable 140.99 km.
Location: Burnaby Lake, CW
Distance: 11.47 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 16-20ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 778
Total distance to date: 1863 km
Ran Piper Mill trail, Conifer and Spruce Loops.
Knowing that the bridge on the Brunette river trail would still be out, my plan today was to walk as far as the bridge, cut right, head over the train tracks and down another path that eventually loops back to Cariboo Road and the entrance to Burnaby Lake park. All told I estimated it would add about 15 minutes of walking each way.
With the forecast abruptly changed again, the temperature was rapidly climbing, from 14C when I got up to 16C as I began the run an hour later to 20C by the time I returned. Summer is really giving it for the last week. Still, the shady parts along the Brunette river were pleasantly cool. When I reached the bridge I suddenly changed my mind and instead of turning right, I turned left, following a short trail down to the river bank. There had to be a similar trail past the bridge that would lead me back up. Due to the lack of rain for some weeks the river is quite low so I had no problem walking along the bank while keeping dry. I got to where a large pipe was emptying water onto a concrete slab that funneled it down to the river. The flow was just narrow enough for me to hop over. On the other side was another trail, though it was steeper and took a little more mountain goat-like maneuvering to climb up.
This change of plan ended up shaving close to half an hour off my walk. Nice!
The run was clockwise and I set off on a strong pace but eased off and this time I meant it. I even thought to myself at least once how the run felt relaxed. Knowing my pace would be slower I was hoping to still break 4:40 and I did, coming in at 4:39/km. The soreness in my legs eased up considerably, too.
After doing a reverse of the bridge two-step to get around it I realized I really didn’t want to walk the nearly 2 km of the river trail back to East Columbia Street. Not because I was lazy or tired but simply because of the time it would take. I the, all unofficial-like, began running again and ran right to the end of the trail. This is the first time I’ve ever resumed a run like this. It felt zany and good. I may do it again.
