tired legs

Run 574
Average pace: 5:49/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 1:47 pm
Distance: 5:03 km
Time: 29:20
Weather: Clear, some cloud
Temp: 12-14ºC
Humidity: 40%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 163
Weight: 167.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 4455 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone 8

Today’s run can be divided into Good and Bad.

Good:

• the weather was pleasant and mild, the sun actually felt nice
• my knees surprisingly didn’t bother me
• I didn’t experience any other issues, though I could feel a bit of that “not-quite-in-shape” burn
• two geese standing right next to the trail at an especially narrow point did not react as I passed close by, apart from one shifting slightly. There was no hissing or pecking, from either the geese or myself.
• the bugs at Deer Lake Brook were gone, possibly having already died from old age
• the new bridge is in at Still Creek

Bad:

• I had the first taste of dry mouth for the season, as it was rather breezy
• my knees actually felt worse on the walk back after the run, though they’re fine now
• I was surprisingly slow at 5:49/km. I think the weekly pace (ie. running only once per week) is catching up to me. I plan on running on the holiday Monday to start getting into regular runs, totally for real this time.
• the new bridge at Still Creek is closed, so you still have to use the old one. For now they co-exist peacefully.
• a weirdly large number of cyclists on the trail getting in the way and such. Also briefly a horse, though the rider stopped just short of moving onto the “no horsey” part of the trail.

Signs of spring were all around, too:

• the water fountain by the dam was awakened from its winter slumber
• the “Icy conditions” signs have been removed
• general increase in green, with trees budding and blooming all over

The skunk cabbage is also on the verge of blossoming, too. This is the time of year when it looks pretty and isn’t stinky.

Four (!) trees have been cut down since my last run at the lake, including several that had been leaning rather precariously. A fifth that had a large branch angled over the path, requiring you to either duck under or go around has also been amputated. This past winter has probably seen more trees come down (via storm or chainsaw) than in the seven years I’ve been running here.

Overall, I am left a bit nonplussed by the run. I was hoping to get a pace in the 5:30s range, but at least the knees were fine. Well, I shouldn’t say fine. I’ve come to realize that for awhile now (several years, at least) my knees have been very tender whenever I have to use them, like when I kneel on the floor to tie a shoe or scrub something off the kitchen tile. They feel weirdly sensitive. I can replicate this by going into a crouch. I have no idea if running caused this, or if it’s hereditary (my dad had bad knees) but I’ll keep running for as long as I’m able to or possibly get bionic knees.

One other positive was the BPM holding at 163. It’s been remarkably stable, which seems like a good thing. As I get in better shape it should go down. I just need to do more stuff to actually get in better shape. 😛

Run 557
Average pace: 5:35/km
Location: Langara Trail
Start: 12:27 pm
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 28:03
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 7ºC
Humidity: 80%
Wind: light
BPM: 170
Weight: 163.4 pounds
Total distance to date: 4335 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

For the first time in awhile I actually ran  mid-week, taking advantage of the current dry weather to run the loop around the Langara Golf Course.

The first 500m or so I felt like I was pushing way too hard but this has happened before on this trail and I’m not entirely sure why. It starts on a slight downward slope but I’m not sure that’s it. I felt more or less normal later, though my body is still a bit weirded out by the different dynamics of this trail, with its long downward and upward slopes. I’m tempted to try the Nike Run Club (NRC, nee Nike+) app again to see if I can get a bit more granularity in the post-run stats and see exactly how and where the terrain affects my pace and BPM.

Speaking of BPM, it’s still up there but no better or worse, so in line with my current fitness level, I suppose.

Overall I had no issues apart from a brief sensation of weakness in one leg a little over a km in. It just felt very briefly wobbly, possibly because of the combination of doing two runs close together for the first time in more than a month and the unfamiliar route. It went away quickly and didn’t last.

And I was slow. My last 5K here was 5:20/km, today it was 5:35/km. Ouch.

I expect to be a little sore tomorrow.

Here’s hoping that I regain my stamina reasonably soon if I keep up the regular runs. If nothing else I’m at least moving in the right direction now.

Run 556
Average pace: 5:50/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 11:08 am
Distance: 10.03 km
Time: 58:35
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 6ºC
Humidity: 83%
Wind: light
BPM: 171
Weight: 161.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 4330 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

This was not a good run. It wasn’t a bad run, either, just thoroughly blah.

One complication–my left hip felt a bit sore for no apparent reason, but it largely worked itself out by the end of the run and was fine on the walk home.

I was expecting a temperature of 1-3ºC but it was actually 6ºC when I started out. Again, the difference in temperature here is quite noticeable so while I was not over-dressed with two layers on top and running pants instead of shorts, a jacket and gloves would have been too much. I passed a number of joggers early on and everyone wearing a jacket either had the jacket fully unzipped the next time I saw them or the jacket was tied around their waists.

I wore my fancy new Under Armor jogging pants that include zippered front pockets and everything and they kept my legs nice and warm on the walk to and from the lake. For the actual run I would have been fine with shorts, especially since it was dry with little wind. I also had fancy new Under Armor underwear to go with the pants and they are thin and silk-like, so they stayed dry and pretty much felt like they weren’t there. Gear-wise, the run was a success.

The walk to the lake was one of the slowest ever at 9:41/km. My usual pace is below 9:00/km. The walk back was a bit better but still slow, while the run itself was a full ten seconds slower than last Saturday’s at 5:50/km. Lowlights included a couple of km where the pace was over 6:00/km. By the third km I was already feeling tired, though I got my second wind and felt decent for the last few km, even if my pace never improved. The cold seemed to keep my BPM up, too. It also doesn’t help that each run I’m getting a little heavier.

Basically I need to eat better and exercise more, just like that doctor told me way back in april of 2008. And I will. I’m taking my running gear to work and will dash around the golf course at lunch instead of dashing food into my face at the cafeteria. It also helps that after next week the cafeteria will be essentially closed for inter-session (no classes, no exams).

Since the weather was nice a lot of people were out, though I didn’t encounter any large roving gangs of walkers. Instead of dodging puddles I dodged people. I think I prefer puddles if I’m honest about it. Puddles don’t make sudden movements.

Overall, a slog but I finished it and to quote Elton John, I’m still standing (though I’m sitting as I write this). I plan on doing more and shorter runs this week, rain or shine (but no snow, please). We’ll see if I start to regain some form before year’s end.

Run 514
Average pace: 5:44/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 1:53 pm
Distance: 10.02 km
Time: 57:34
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 24-25ºC
Humidity: 37%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 153
Weight: 159.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 3990 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

I indulged in a bit of a lazy morning and started today’s run early in the afternoon as a consequence. In terms of temperature it wasn’t too bad, only a few degrees hotter than the morning and at 24-25ºC still below the “this is kind of too hot” point. On the northern side of the lake I sweated a bit but didn’t sweat much at all on the southern side. A good breeze helped, too.

For whatever reason, though, I was tired for the whole run. Even the walk to the lake was a bit slower than recent days. Because it was afternoon I choose to go with a steady but slower pace, anyway, but my legs especially just seemed to lack the fuel to carry me much beyond a plodding pace that averaged out to 5:44/km. This isn’t terrible–in fact, it’s about what I would have expected for my first 10K last weekend (where much cooler weather helped), but it was still enough that by the 6K mark I seriously considered calling it. I also mulled pausing the run or walking for a bit.

In the end I turned my mind to other things to distract myself and got through the full 10 km. There was no photo finish. 😛

The trail itself is seeing construction/resurfacing along several areas. The rocky section by the 5K marker I complained about previously did indeed turn out to be a base layer that has since been covered over with crushed gravel. It looks like most of that stretch that floods is going to be built up with new material, leaving only a few other small areas that are still affected by heavy rains.

The work on South Shore trail and Avalon trail doesn’t appear to have progressed much, though I’m curious to see how they resurface Avalon. It’s a shared use trail that horses are allowed on and is the only place on the Burnaby Lake Loop with a rock dust surface, which is very fine and maybe better for horses? Most trails feature either crushed gravel or compact dirt. I’m assuming they’ll keep it the same for the horses. Won’t someone think of the horses?

There was a notice posted at several entry points to let people know the Cottonwood trail would be closed for a few weeks to have its footbridge replaced, starting July 31. Indeed, I could see piles of gravel and three steel girders near the bridge as I ran by. Since there’s no detour route on the Cottonwood trail, this means the loop will not be doable for at least two weeks.

Those two weeks exactly coincide with my vacation, when I played on…running the loop. I’ll have to run clockwise to Still Creek and double-back, which will get me 10K. Not as satisfying as a full loop around the lake, but better than a kick in the pants. I’m hoping that, as with the boardwalk replacement in 2012, the time estimate is overly generous and it only takes them a week or so to complete. It’s not a big bridge. I clear it in about four steps.

I wonder if they might target the bridge at Deer Lake Brook. It’s bigger (and has stairs at both ends) and when I ran on it today it felt especially bouncy on the eastern end. It hasn’t felt bouncy before. Bouncy is not a good quality for a bridge to have.

One bonus of heading out later was fewer people out in general (and no cyclists, yay). Still, I’m glad I finished the run, both for the achievement and because finishing meant it was over. This is one of those rare times when my two-day break before the next run will feel truly welcome.

Run 508
Average pace: 5:36/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:57 p.m.
Distance: 7.03 km
Time: 39:30
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 25ºC
Humidity: 37%
Wind: light to strong
BPM: 164
Weight: 161.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 3940 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

Good news: I earned the National Park Challenge badge that Apple had set for today. You had to complete a workout that covered at least 5.6 km, the distance between Old Faithful and Mallard Lake in Yellowstone National Park. Completing this meant I had to do more than a 5K run, regardless of how I felt, and I love me some achievements, so…

I got off to a much later start than intended because I slept in till 10 am. To put that in perspective, on a normal Saturday run I would be more than mid-way through the run at 10, not laying in bed. I finally got started on the actual run itself just before 1 p.m. I chose to set a deliberate pace and just get through it nice and steady, as it was warmer (up to 25ºC) and more importantly, it felt a lot warmer than that. Despite a breeze that was at times strong it never felt cool or refreshing, just windy.

Getting to 5K felt a bit like a slog but I pushed past it and entertained thoughts of stopping at 6K, as I’d still meet the challenge. I passed the 6K marker, though, and somehow had enough reserves to complete a full 7K, which made me feel a bit better about feeling a bit worse.

My pace of 5:36/km is seven seconds off my best 7K this year but it actually edges my Burnaby Lake-only runs, so it didn’t turn out as bad as I thought it might. I also kept a fairly decent pace on the walk back over the 7+ km.

Then I had a bath and a nice nap.

The trail was surprisingly sparely-populated despite being a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, but there were people out and aboot, several of whom were rather annoying, each in a different way.

In order:

• a pair of male cyclists tearing down the trail toward me. I had just come down the bend heading toward the bridge at Still Creek. I called out to the second that bikes were not allowed on the trail. Still Creek, less than 100 meters away, has prominent No Cycling signs so they knew what they were doing. I hope some parks workers caught and fined them (and they were starting work on re-surfacing parts of the South Shore Trail so they were out, too).
• a wedding party taking pictures on the aforementioned bridge at Still Creek. This is not a big bridge and they were standing in a row across it, completely blocking the way. I stopped and the photographer may some motions to them and I and another person went through, though I’m still not sure if the photographer was just re-arranging people or being nice and letting us pass without having to wait through a full photo shoot. Tip: If you’re taking wedding pictures in a public place, don’t block the only access to get through!
• as I was nearing the 7K mark and running out of fuel–I did not have a spectacular finish today–a woman ahead of me suddenly started jogging. It turned out she was doing the world’s weirdest set of intervals. She would run maybe a hundred meters–which even at a slow pace is maybe 20 seconds of jogging–then walk for awhile and repeat, over and over. But for the first bit, where I was trying to finish my run, she kept a pace that put her just barely ahead of me and I had no reserves to power past her. It was even more annoying because she would drift from the left to the middle to the right and back as she ran.

I finally did find a reserve and managed to squeeze by her. Despite walking the rest of the way, I almost kept up with her until near the very end, some three km later. She also started out wearing a light jacket. Now, it’s common for joggers to overdress and I’ve done it more than I’d care to admit (though I just admitted it, oops) but picture the conditions today. It was early afternoon in mid-July, it was 25ºC, it was clear with absolutely no chance of precipitation. Running in such conditions makes you sweat quickly. Why would you wear a jacket? Did she really think she would feel cold? Blargh.

I actually met another cycling couple as I was heading out of the park but they seemed nice so I warned them bikes were not allowed and workers were in the park who might potentially fine them. They were apparently confused by a sign at the end of Cariboo Place (the short road that goes from the RV park to Cariboo Road) that seemed to indicate the Central Valley Greenway continues in Burnaby Lake Regional Park, when in fact, it actually continues by turning north and then west down Government Street. Checking the signage on Google Map’s Street View does indeed make it look a bit ambiguous. The sign is at an angle that could be pointing north or across the street, to Burnaby Lake. Once you cross, though, the signs at the lake entrance are unambiguous. There are no less than three saying bikes are not allowed and one provides directions to the actual Greenway route.

The couple seemed appreciative of the help but were still chatting when I left so I have no idea if they ignored everything I said. Hopefully not as they really may have been fined if caught.

Finally, as mentioned, there are signs warning of re-surfacing along the horse trails and South Shore Trail that started on July 10. The trails will stay open but while South Shore needs work–and it would finish what they started a year and a half ago–in my opinion the Cottonwood Trail is in more urgent need of resurfacing. There are long stretches that have a lot of exposed tree roots and every time I jog through there I need to do a little dance to avoid them all. I suppose they’ll get to it eventually.

Overall, a respectable run but nothing fancy. The achievement was decent consolation to the average pace.

Run 503
Average pace: 5:37/km
Location: Brunette River trail and Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 6:26 pm
Distance: 7.03 km
Time: 39:36
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 20ºC
Humidity: 52%
Wind: light
BPM: 158
Weight: 164.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 3909 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

I had some extra time to run tonight so I decided to do a combined river/lake run for a total of 7K. I hit the 7 km mark at a very convenient point, too, just a few steps off the bridge at Still Creek. That will make it easy peasy to compare future runs of the same distance.

The first leg (ho ho) of the run I felt a bit slow but not too bad (though the first km was a lot better than I’d have guessed at 5:09/km) but once I hit the lake trail my legs once again turned to lead-like things and the slog was on. Fortunately the last few km I got a second wind and felt more peppy. My average pace was 5:37/km, which is actually better than my 5K on Saturday so yay for that. My BPM was lower, too, at 158.

Even the feet were well-behaved, with the right heel pretty much a non-factor. I think it may actually be starting to heal up or something.

The trails were surprisingly quiet, the lake especially, with few pedestrians or runners encountered. It was a little strange, given how pleasant the weather was. But nice.

Overall, I’m pleased with tonight’s run. It could have been faster and I felt like I was struggling at times but I got through, felt fine at the end and bettered my previous (shorter) run.

Run 501
Average pace: 5:52/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 9:44 am
Distance: 7.03 km
Time: 41:23
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 18ºC
Humidity: 52%
Wind: light
BPM: 163
Weight: 166.2 pounds
Total distance to date: 3897 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

My stomach was not feeling quite right so I ended up not going into work today. After getting up things seemed okay so I thought I’d risk getting the run out of the way in the morning so I could spend the rest of the day working on my couch potato skills.

When I got to Burnaby Lake I had to use the Jiffy Potty. I think it’s called that because you don’t want to linger. I mean, you really don’t. This was somewhat ominous but I ended up being fine during the run, though the stomach/innards protested a few times on the walk home.

Despite a quite early start for me at 9:44 am the temperature still rose quickly and it was 18ºC for most of the run. Not too hot, though in mid-morning it somehow feels hotter. My plan was to set for a 5K but push out to a 7K if I felt up for it.

I started slow, even slower than normal for a lake run. I felt off. Not bad per se, and the right heel actually behaved itself nicely, but the energy clearly wasn’t there. At times my legs felt like lead poles. The fifth km was actually my fastest, which is rather unusual.

The GPS tracking of the iPhone also was off. I started at the 0K marker and ran the regular loop, skipping the side trails. As I passed the 1K marker I checked the watch and it reported 0.91 km. At the 5K marker it reported 4.78 km.

I’m going to try a few runs without the iPhone, which will force the Apple Watch to use its built-in GPS. I’ll be interested to see how it compares. The iPhone is over two and a half years old so it’s probably self-destructing with the hope of being upgraded to the fancy models Apple will reveal in September.

Back to the run, I felt good enough at 5K to press on and managed 7K without any complications. I’m sure I could have gone farther still, but 7K is good for now.

Other than the pace being sluggish the run went decently otherwise. My BPM was not too high, sweating was minimal and the trail wasn’t festooned with lots of people due to the early weekday hour. It was nice. Not that I hate people, I just prefer having the entire trail to myself.

One guy passed me at about the 3K mark, he said hello as he went by. He seemed nice. I didn’t mind him being faster as I know I’m well off peak condition. He disappeared after a couple of km so he either turned off the trail, got kidnapped by a bear or fell through a hole in the time/space continuum.

My next run is on Saturday and the forecast is mucho hot–30ºC! I’ll either try to run early or late, though earlier is probably the better choice. I’m aiming for another 7K. It’ll be fun! Fun-ish!

Run 499
Average pace: 5:40/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 10:50 am
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 28:33
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 15-17ºC
Humidity: 60%
Wind: light
BPM: 165
Weight: 165.8 pounds
Total distance to date: 3885 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

I returned to the lake today after a longer-than-usual three-day layoff from running. I skipped Thursday to help take care of my sick partner (it was also coincidentally a monsoon for most of the day). Conditions were generally good–overcast skies meant no bright sun beating down on me, but the air felt a bit muggy with the lingering humidity from recent rain (see aforementioned monsoon).

The first km was not great but decent but the second km my pace dropped massively, mainly due to a cramp in my lower left side. Cramps mean I’m pushing too hard, so I eased up (apparently with relish). My pace recovered a bit and I finished once again with the final km being my best. Still, my overall pace was off at 5:40/km.

On the other hand, I got out, did the run and walked back without any real issue. Even the right heel mostly behaved itself. My walking pace on the route back was also snappier than usual.

I may have also been slowed the last two km or so by by my body’s klaxon letting me know I had a bowel movement pending. As you might guess, running and pooping do not really go well together. In fact, running tends to worsen the conditions that are optimal for a movement of one’s bowels. When I finished the run I crossed the athletic field and used the toilet in the “Men Joggers room” which is a change room with showers and a single toilet stall to fight over. Fortunately the room was empty so no fighting occurred. The walk back was about a million times better than it would have been otherwise.

Also, the poop monsters were out again with their young uns. This is the only time I think of geese as being kind of cuddly. Once the down feathers are gone they become full-fledged poop monsters, bad enough to be featured on the signs warning about wildlife alongside bears and bobcats.

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Run 494
Average pace: 5:31/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 6:35 pm
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 27:52
Weather: Overcast
Temp: 12ºC
Humidity: 91%
Wind: moderate to strong
BPM: 157
Weight: 164.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 3860 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone

I was so dang busy on the weekend I did not run, plus it was weirdly warm, like end-of-July warm, so it would have been gross, anyway, especially since I’m still sluggishly recovering from the time off and the head cold.

I did run today, though, just in time for the weather to change from ludicrously nice back to unseasonably cool and damp. In four days the temperature on my runs went from 22ºC to 12ºC. The lower temperature was actually nice for running, not really feeling cold at all.

Luckily, despite a few drops on the way to the river, the showers held off and I actually completed the run without getting soaked. Yay. This was even more impressive considering how much of the day was a torrential downpour.

Looking over the splits, the second and third km were a bit slow but actually kind of comfy. The pace felt just right for my current condition. I did pick it up in the final km, which again was my best at 5:17/km and continued my overall slow improvement, chopping off a few more seconds from the previous run to finish at 5:31/km. My BPM was low again, too, at 157.

I seem to have slept on my right hip funny and it had been acting a bit tricky today at work, but proved to be a non-factor on the run. The right heel was a bit sore but not enough to make an impact (ho ho).

Overall, a small improvement but an improvement all the same. I will take it.

Run 489
Average pace: 5:47/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Start: 12:01 pm
Distance: 5.04 km
Time: 29:14
Weather: Partly cloudy
Temp: 13ºC
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 167
Weight: 165.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 3835 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch, iPhone

I was bad and did not run during the week so this was my first run in seven days.

My weight and BPM were lower, which is good.

My pace was slower, which is…okay. I actually started faster than last week but flagged noticeably by the third km, which dragged down my average pace. It’s a bit disappointing but not unexpected.

I also deliberately slowed my pace around the 2K mark when I began feeling a shoulder cramp. Cramps usually mean I’m pushing too hard, so I eased up until it went away.

Strangely, I felt a strong urge to pick up the pace on the walk home, which is around 9 km or so. As a result, I started doing quasi-intervals where I walked for a while then would start jogging for stretches of up to half a km. I did this about five times in total and it brought the overall pace of my walk back down to 8:41/km. It would normally be around 9:10/km. It was nutty but also a precursor to starting longer runs.

I’ll want to get a few weeks of multiple runs per week before starting that, I think.

The right heel proved to be a non-issue, though it feels a bit tender tonight. It always seems worse later when I am not walking on it much. As I continue to walk it paradoxically feels better. I’m sure this is a known thing, I just haven’t bothered to look it up yet.

The weather was cooperative, if still unseasonably cool, topping around 13ºC. The sky cleared early so most of the run was sunny, which has been a weird sensation so far this year. A few times it almost felt warm.

And once again on the walk out from the lake, I encountered a pair of cyclists. These dopes, a pair of guys in their teens, were moving along pretty slowly, suggesting they knew they shouldn’t be there but were at least being a little considerate while being general jerks. So pseudo-kudos to them.