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.
| Date | Average Pace |
| October 8 | 4:53 (11K) |
| October 2 | 4:33 (9K) |
