Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Distance: 11.5 km
Weather: Overcast, humid
Temp: 17ºC
Wind: light to none
Calories burned: 815
Average pace: 4:56/km
Total distance to date: 1370.33 km
Ran: Conifer Loop and Spruce Loop.
Today’s run I planned to ease up a bit as a precaution against injury and the weather helped me in that regard. It was mild but after the rain yesterday and in the morning the lake was quite humd and much of the run felt like running through soup. Thin soup but soup all the same. The extra work on breathing resulted in a naturally slower pace and I finished at 4:56/km — still my second best run to date. The Nike+ site erroneously records it as 4:57 because somehow when I pressed the center button on the iPod (with End Workout selected) it instead simply gave me an update and kept the clock running. I walked for a number of seconds before realizing this and by the time it shut off properly it recorded the last .05 km at a stupidly slow speed of 6:20/km (because I was walking).
I am beginning to dislike the clickwheel on the iPod and by extension the iPod itself more as time passes.
The interruptions on the run came in three forms:
Man: When I saw fresh grass trimmings along the side of the trail I figured there would be a parks worker ahead and sure enough there was, safely nestled inside a giant mowing machine. He saw me and pulled over as much he could. I threaded by, trying not to fall in the bramble.
Nature: One section of trail by the fields usually floods after a good rain and it was flooded today. I usually cut to the right onto the field itself but opted to take the narrow little hill to the left that parallels the fence. This little trail-ette was obviously made by someone as a bypass for just such an occasion. Today I had no sense of balance for some reason and twice as I picked my way over what amounts to little more than a hump of dirt, I nearly fell off. To my left, brambles and bog, to my right a large pool of mucky water. I managed to get over without incident.
Bird: Further up I came around a corner and the goose family was there, spread out all over the trail. The goslings are definitely growing up but most of them were chilling out as I approached. Upon seeing them I immediately slowed and gave them as much clearance as I could. The parents hissed until I was safely past. The goslings are adorable, as always.
The most unexpected event of the run occurred as I was nearing the end of the Conifer Loop, the second optional loop. A dog about 30 feet or so ahead of me started running as I approached but strangely took off into the brush. As I got nearer I realized it was actually a coyote. Yikes! Still, it ran, so it would seem it was not in the mood to socialize. I’m okay with that.
I felt a few brief tinges in the left shin but nothing more than that and the legs were fine after and during the run, otherwise. The left foot was a little creaky again but the creakiness didn’t show up until late.
This is pretty close to exactly what the coyote looked like:
Chart (average pace is bolded if different than the last km):
| km | Jun 1 | May 30 | May 28 | May 24 | May 22 | May 18 | May 16 | May 14 | May 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:42 | 4:37 | 4:48 | 4:46 | 4:42 | 4:42 | 4:54 | 4:51 | 4:50 |
| 2 | 4:46 | 4:45 | 4:51 | 4:51 | 4:47 | 4:47 | 4:57 | 4:55 | 4:56 |
| 3 | 4:49 | 4:48 | 4:52 | 4:53 | 4:51 | 4:51 | 4:59 | 4:59 | 4:59 |
| 4 | 4:51 | 4:49 | 4:53 | 4:53 | 4:53 | 4:53 | 5:00 | 5:02 | 5:01 |
| 5 | 4:51 | 4:50 | 4:54 | 4:54 | 4:54 | 4:54 | 5:01 | 5:03 | 5:02 |
| 6 | 4:52 | 4:50 | 4:55 | 4:54 | 4:55 | 4:56 | 5:01 | 5:05 | 5:02 |
| 7 | 4:53 | 4:51 | 4:55 | 4:55 | 4:56 | 4:57 | 5:02 | 5:06 | 5:04 |
| 8 | 4:54 | 4:52 | 4:56 | 4:56 | 4:57 | 4:59 | 5:03 | 5:08 | 5:05 |
| 9 | 4:55 | 4:52 | 4:57 | 4:57 | 4:58 | 5:00 | 5:04 | 5:07 | 5:05 |
| 10 | 4:56 | 4:53 | 4:57 | 4:58 | 4:59 | 5:01 | 5:04 | 5:07 | 5:06 |
| 11 | 4:56 | 4:52 | 4:57 | 4:58 | 4:58 | 5:02 | 5:04 | 5:07 | 5:06 |
