Run 388
Average pace: 5:21/km
Location: Brunette River trail and Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 7.03 km
Time: 37:40
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 26ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 520
Weight: 159.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 3164
Device used: iPhone 6
Good news: I beat my last 7K pace by a solid eight seconds.
Possibly bad news: My right Achilles tendon was sore and stiff to start, felt better after warming up, but I could still feel it a little through most of the run.
Good news: The tendon did not affect my pace.
Conclusion: I think it may still be sore but not actually injured.
I did a 7K run tonight and though I felt a little tired along the middle stretch I still finished with a pace of 5:21/km, easily beating my previous 7K pace of 5:29/km. By the end of the run I felt pretty good and other than the tendon being a bit sore there were no other issues worth noting. It was sunny and warm but not humid so it didn’t feel uncomfortable. It still seems a bit weird to have this summer-like weather so early. Today could easily have been a day in mid-August.
Speaking of weird, the fire danger signs they put up after a long dry spell were up at Burnaby Lake today, the earliest I’ve seen them go up in the four years I’ve been jogging there. Right next to them was a bear warning sign. I’m expecting a third sign soon showing a bear on fire. A smokey bear, if you will.
Noteworthy bits: My first km was 4:32/km, one of my fastest of the year and my pace improved for the last three km after I flagged, especially on the second and fourth km (moreso the fourth, the second seems steeper because the first km was extra-zippy).
Overall I am pleased with the result and cautiously hopeful that the tendon is just sore and out of shape. This weekend I will be looking for new trail runners as I’m climbing ever-closer to 400 km on my New Balance MT110s (and have probably passed that if you count the walk before and after each run). I am leaning toward getting another pair of minimalist shoes but haven’t made up my mind yet because my mind is all fickle and indecisive.
