kitchen faucet...again...

I put this on FB but forgot to blog about it. Yeah, I'm not terribly handy so I gotta brag about the few things I actually CAN do around the house :).

I've done this before, twice...apparently I'm better at installing faucets than picking a good model. The new one was fairly pricey and so maybe it's better? Maybe. Probably not. But one can hope. At least I'm getting good at installing the darn things.

slow, but I finished

Today I was to do 20K. Haven't done that since the race a couple weeks ago, and knew it would be a toughie. It was.

First, it was hot by our standards, and humid. It was overcast, and here that means humid in the summer; humid here is a mere 60%, but believe me, it's enough to make one miserable. It was a very warm morning, too - 74F (23.3C) at the start of my walk and 77F (25.0C) at the finish. That's about as warm as mornings ever get here. I drove over to the Jordan River trail because it's flat and pretty, and I haven't been out there in a while (the river was the highest I'd ever seen it, BTW, and looked like it had been higher in the past few weeks!).

Secondly, I foolishly ate a rather large frozen yogurt treat last night. I thought that will all the probiotics I'd be OK. NOT. I had horrible GI trouble this morning, cramping and having to stop twice for the bathroom.

By 6.5km, I was pretty worried. I was so tired already! I wondered if I'd be able to finish. Good thing I did an out-and-back route or I would have been tempted to throw in the towel. Fortunately, I perked up a bit when I turned around at 10K, and then at 16K got a bit of a second wind after seeing another racewalker (of course I knew her!) and stopping to talk with her.

I took jelly beans (sports beans) at 10K and 15K, and that helped, and I drank a LOT of water. Needed it in the heat. When I finished my face was crusted with salt. Good thing I had the sports beans.

Regardless, my legs were tired today, I generally felt fairly tired and crummy, and I was just glad to be done. I had to stop a lot for restrooms, water, etc. :(. My time is quite slow compared to other 20Ks this year, but it's one of the faster ones I did last year, so that shows my improvement that a slow time now is my former fast time.

My coach said it would be tough building back up again and I knew he was right. He always is! I'm glad he told me to take it a bit easy and not worry too much about the time. For now, what matters is getting my mileage base back up there for the marathon, which isn't too far off.

Pet peeve of the day: slower walkers taking up the entire 2m-wide pathway. One guy with his two dogs on retractable leashes was hogging the whole thing and of course didn't hear me approach. Another couple and their dog managed to block the whole thing as well. Grrrr. At least the bicyclists were polite and pretty careful this morning.

Summary: total time 2:09:36, ave HR 146, 6:29/km pace. Splits: 5K 31:35, 10K 32:48, (1:04:23), 15K 32:50, (1:37:13), 20K 32:23 (2:09:36). Could be worse, I guess. At least the splits were fairly even.

I am SO tired now. Nap time!!!!!

Garmin connect data here.

5K fartlek

I took a rest day yesterday because I had surgery on an ingrown toenail on Wednesday afternoon. It was still very sore and a bit numb yesterday morning, so there was no way the planned 15K was going to happen. That's OK. One missed workout is not a big deal.

Oddly, despite yesterday's rest, my glutes/top of hammies were still fairly sore. I'm not sure what from - probably from Monday's 10K race, but could also be from the elliptical since I haven't done it in a while and I did it on Tuesday & Wednesday. I was grateful for the warm-up to work out some kinks in the legs. I felt SO stiff on the first 400m! I did 1600m in 10:04, with strides, and then did some dynamic flexibility drills, focusing on the ones that stretch out the glutes & hammies.

Oh, before I continue, on my first time around the track I saw this, occupying lanes 1-2.

Um, yeah, right. Whatever...some high school girls (and guys? not sure?) were sleeping on the track. Yup, in lanes 1 & 2. Morons! Fortunately, the rails had been removed from the track and so I was able to cut just inside them in between the inner white line on lane 1 and the steeplechase pit. Very annoying! I should also note that the sprinklers were on at the track, watering the football field, and also watering select parts of lanes 1 & 2. Extra showers! Oh boy! Actually it didn't feel too bad as it was warmish (67F, 19.4C) and I was sweating quite a bit.

I felt looser after the warm-up and stretching, and immediately got started on my workout. The first km felt pretty good and fast, but it was only 5:34. The next 2k felt pretty good, but I wasn't very fast on the fast segments: 500m medium 3:01, 500m fast 2:50, 500m medium 3:04, 500m fast 2:52, to 3K in 17:22. Yeah, I was not fast today. And I was starting to feel it. My legs felt really trashed on the last 2K: 500m medium 3:07, 500m fast 2:52, 500m medium 3:08, 500m fast (really working it here) 2:51. Total 29:22. Not bad for the first speed work in a few weeks, but the first speed workout after a rest is always painful, and this one was no exception. I'd be really nervous about the 10K fartlek I'm to do on Tuesday, except that experience tells me the 2nd one is usually lots better, and I'm still really fit so it should be no problem...I hope.
Garmin connect data here.

today's workout

More cross-training = 45 min elliptical plus some weights and core - very light since I haven't done any in a while. Felt good, though.

***

This afternoon I had ingrown toenail surgery...again. The one last May didn't take - the nail grew back in and I noticed it just before I was to go to Sacramento. I went in to the podiatrist, who trimmed it so that it wouldn't bother me, and made an appointment to have it removed today. Oh yay! So far all is well, as the toe is still blissfully numb from the local anesthetic. I am supposed to walk 15K in the morning, but might have to change that, depending on how it feels. We'll see.

official race results

...are in from the Deseret News 10K here.

I entered in the Athena category (women >140 lb) and placed 8th out of 42. Not bad! Better yet, I was 2nd Athena in ages 40-44, so I might have a medal getting mailed to me :). And this is against RUNNERS, so I'm particularly pleased.

Goodbye, Copper

Our dog Copper made it much longer than the pathology report predicted; 18 months ago the diagnosis was malignant fibrosarcoma, median life expectancy 4 months. We got a lot more time than that. Still, it was really hard to let her go.

We picked her up from the kennel yesterday after our vacation, and the staff noticed that in the last day or so her abdomen had swollen up. Sure enough, she didn't look good - sunken eyes, dry mouth and nose, general signs of dehydration plus the swollen abdomen. Uh-oh. I called Loren right away...our vet was closed for the Pioneer Day holiday. He said she'd be OK until he got home in a couple hours, and when he looked at her he agreed it wasn't good. However, he thought she'd be fine overnight, and we really wanted to take her in to our own vet who knew her history, etc.

He called first thing this morning to get her in to the vet. Meanwhile, the kids and I said our goodbyes, knowing this might be the last time we'd see her. I took the kids to day care & summer camp, and Loren took Copper to the vet. The vet took one look at her and knew it wasn't good. He tapped her abdomen and it didn't look good, and he felt a large mass on her liver. He discussed it with Loren and they agreed that euthanasia was best at this point.

It's been hard on all of us. I couldn't focus much at work, and Loren didn't even go in (maybe he was the smart one there...). We'll be OK, but we miss her.

cross-training

This morning: 45 min on the elliptical. I enjoyed reading V.S. Ramachandran's book "The Tell-Tale Brain" while working out. It's a great book on the latest in neuroscience research, for the layperson, but it's written in such a way to appeal to the scientist too.

Jim sent me my new training schedule today. Next big race: Top of Utah Marathon on Sept 17th. Yup, just 8 weeks to whip my butt into marathon shape. However, I've got a good base and Jim has written a hard schedule for me. Gulp! I'm shooting for a 4:25-4:30 or less on this nice downhill course.

Deseret News 10K - WOW!

I'm officially nuts. I did the Deseret News 10K race this morning. Yeah, I know, I got home from my trip at 10:00 pm last night and turned off the lights at 11 pm. My alarm went off at 4:45 am so that I could meet Sarah at 5:15 am, drop off one car at the finish, and drive the other car to the start, which was at 6:05 am. The weather was warm (71F, 22C) and humid for Utah, at about 45%. Not ideal race weather, but not too bad either.

I wasn't sure how hard I would race it. I decided I'd start fast and see how I felt, and if I was doing lousy and/or feeling bad, I'd slow down and just finish easy. It's such a nice downhill course, and therefore really fast and just right for a PR. It's downhill about 222m, according to my Garmin, which is a lot in just 10K.

I did the usual warm-up of about 10 min easy walking with some strides. I was still a little sore in the glutes/hammies from racing and walking in Disneyland last week, plus probably a bit from being in the car all day yesterday, but other than that I felt good. I was as ready as I was going to be.



It was fun to be there with my friend Sarah! She was hoping to better her 10K PR and hopefully get under 1 hr. Her last 5K was 28-something and I told her she'd be under an hour for sure on this nice downhill course.

After the national anthem, the wheelchair/handcycle people went, and then we were off! It was pretty crowded for the first 500m but I still made good time. I had to dodge in and out of people quite a lot and even ran over a grassy median :). The first mile is nice and downhill and as usual I was fast for it, getting there in 8:43. Why the markers for splits are in MILES in a 10K, I have NO idea...pretty dumb, but they are, so I went with it, pressing lap at each mile. That first mile felt really easy, so I figured I was good to go. The second mile I held the pace - another 8:43! Nice! Maybe I'd be able to race the whole thing? I kept pushing and it did feel harder by this time. The aid station just before 3 miles was the usual disaster that the aid stations are in this race - I really needed just a sip of water (dry mouth) and probably lost 10-15 sec going around the table to grab it myself. Still, I was fast, getting to 3 miles in 9:09 and to 5K in 27:25! Wow, that's a 5K PR! The nice downhill helped a lot though.


I was still feeling pretty good, so I though I'd make a race of it, especially since I was doing so well. The crowds lining the parade route (the race is for the unique Utah holiday called Pioneer Day) were cheering a lot and that helped me keep going. This race is a lot of fun for that reason. I pushed through to mile 4 and got there in 9:06. About this time the heat started catching up with me. I felt quite hot and wondered if I'd be able to push hard enough the last 2 miles. I told myself that was less than 20 min and that I could do anything for 20 min, and kept going. I got to mile 5 in 9:12, and that's the end of the downhill on this course. Miles 5-6.2 are pretty much a slight uphill (ugh!!!). I was worried about that as I was REALLY HOT. Seriously hot. Like wondering if I was overheated hot. Thankfully, there was an aid station at mile 5, and though it was a bit disorganized too, I drank a cup of water and dumped 2 over my head, probably losing 15 seconds, but I had to in order to keep going. The water and the cooling helped me pick it up a bit and I felt fresher though quite tired. I gave it a good hard effort, and got to mile 6 in 9:34, which is good considering the slight uphill and tired legs. The last 0.2 were in 2:01 (slow! ugh!) but I was working it as hard as I could and got to the finish in 56:31!!!! WOW! That's a huge PR of over a minute! Of course, it was downhill so not surprising, but it was awesome to go under 57 min, especially just 8 days after a hard 20K, and with sore legs, and in less than ideal weather.

Garmin connect data here.

the week in workouts in Southern California

I took it really easy this last week while we were in Disneyland. We walked A LOT every day in the park, and I had some blisters (hahaha) despite wearing RW shoes! I'm sure it was because walking sloooowly and standing a lot is quite different from racewalking.

I ate a lot, didn't racewalk much, and yeah, gained some weight. But it was fun, and the weight will come off.

I did an easy 5.27K on Monday, in 32:46, ave HR 130, ave pace 6:13/km.

On Tuesday I rested, and then on Wednesday did 9.9K in 1:03:00 for 6:22/km, ave HR 140.

On Thursday I managed an easy 5.25K in 32:31, ave HR 137, ave pace 6:12/km.

Friday and Saturday were more rest days! Yeah, I took it REAL easy.

Sunday morning I met Lauri Berger in the park in Huntington Beach for a nice easy 5.34km. Lauri is a fellow RWer from Arizona, and she was at the 15K in Riverside (she did the 5K) in May. I got to the park a bit earlier than she did, and so I did 1.07km (one park loop) before she got there. This is the course that they use for the USATF Masters 20K championships in March each year. I was glad to check out the course, since I'd love to do that race. I was going to do it this year, but that didn't work out. Maybe next year. Anyway, Lauri and I first took pictures of our matching license plates, and then did a nice slow walk at about 7:30/km (she usually does 5K races in 33-34 min) and really enjoyed socializing. She told me all about how she accidentally met Deena Kastor in Mammoth Lakes a week or so ago - she was camping there and went for a short training walk up and down a residential street, and ran into Deena walking her very large dog. Quite a story.



After the walk, I drove back to the hotel, packed up the car, and we drove the 10.5 hrs back to Salt Lake, arriving at 10 pm (with the hour lost to time change...sigh...).

WMA 20K - finally!

It's been 3 days since the race, and I'm just now getting a chance to blog about it. After the race, we ate lunch (ravenously hungry!), got our medals (sloooowly - disorganized!), and then just had time to go home and shower before heading out to dinner at the Buckhorn steak house in Winters, CA. Mmmmm, nothing like a nice steak after a long race! Then on Sunday it was off to watch the marathon early with David (Lis and Nyle cleaned the house - thanks guys!), home to pack, then on the road to southern California. We arrived at our hotel about 8 pm, got dinner, then crashed. Monday was spent at Disneyland and then I was waaaaay too tired at 9 pm to blog. So now it's Tuesday pm and I'm finally getting around to it!

***

Race day dawned overcast and cool in Sacramento, but by the time our race started at 10:15 am it was sunny and warmish. It got up to about 75F (24C) by the end of the race, which isn't THAT hot, but it was certainly warm enough to affect walkers in a longer distance like the 20K.

I felt stiff but not too bad on the warm-up. I thought I was recovered enough and ready to roll. Yeah, my legs were still sore from the 10K, but I've done hard workouts like that and been fast, so I figured it was no problem. Well, it was a problem. The lack of harder longer training due to my shin injury reared its ugly head pretty early in the race, and by 8K I knew (and told David who was walking next to me) that it was gonna be a tough race. The splits pretty much tell the tale of how I felt: 29:25 (5K), 30:03 (59:28, 10K), 30:10 (1:29:38, 15K), 30:59 (2:00:37, 20K). Ouch. The first 5K was fine (I enjoyed walking with Franz from Austria and David from Australia!), the next 5K was so-so, and the last 10K hurt. A lot. I did get pretty warm as the race went on, and dumped water over my head and used the sponge station every lap. I drank at least a liter of water during the race (from my personal water bottles - easier to drink from than cups!), but even so I ended up a bit dehydrated. Not as much as my friend Nyle, who walked a very fast 1:56:54 for a huge PR...and then ended up in the medical tent with crazy blood pressure and overheated, etc. She was fine about 15 min later, though, thankfully.

I was shooting for 9:14 per lap for a 1:58 20K, but knew after a couple laps that would not happen. I did a fast 7:08 for the first 1.24K (5:46/km) but then settled in to a good rhythm of 9:20-9:22 per 1563m lap. My first 4 full laps were 9:22, 9:22, 9:20, 9:22. Not bad! Then I got tired...like I said, between 7-8 km I couldn't hold that pace any more. I did 9:30, 9:35, 9:31, 9:30, 9:30, 9:30, 9:33, and then kicked it up for a 9:19 for the final and fastest lap. I was able to do that partly because I chased Maite Moscoso for the last half of that lap - she's a 1:48 20K walker from the USA and I was amazed that I was so close to her (she must have had a bad day? I didn't ask after the race - didn't see her) so I tried to catch her. I failed, but was only 2 sec behind her at the finish. I also passed Pam Tindal from Australia in the last couple laps - she is a very fast walker in F50-54 who can normally do much faster than me, but she hadn't trained the long stuff much so I actually beat her by a minute or so. I passed Katie Grimes (a 1:53 walker), too, but that was because she raced to get the gold and strategically stayed slow behind her competition until a couple laps from the end (she's in the 45-49 age group, not mine, thankfully!).


walking with Franz early in the 20K

trying to stay cool

right at the finish - great shot from Lauri :)

When I got to the last lap I could see that I'd be over 2 hr, and I was a bit disappointed, but I raced it hard anyway and I figured that given the previous two hard races and all that it was still a good time. 2:00:37 was my official time, and it was good for my third silver medal in W40-44, and is also a PR since I have never raced 20K before (lots of 1/2 marathons, which are 21.1K, but no 20Ks). Not bad considering all I've been through this past year. I wanted to train harder, and couldn't, and that has been frustrating. However, my coach is awesome and somehow managed to whip me into pretty good shape despite it all.

3 races - 3 silver medals - 3 PRs - gold medal in team 10K. 5K 28:04, 10K 57:35, 20K 2:00:37. I need to sit back and savor the accomplishments for a bit, and then get back out there and train! There are more races ahead, more World Masters (2016 is in Perth, AUS!), and lots of reasons to stay in shape.

Next goal race: Top of Utah marathon on Sept 17, 2011. I'd like to do a sub-4:30 or sub-4:25 marathon :).

Garmin connect data here.

10K race report; other stuff

Finally I'm going to put up my 10K race report! We've been busy since then, having fun, so no time to blog properly. Now the details are fading a bit but hopefully I can still come up with a good report.

The weather was about as perfect as it gets in Sacramento in the summer. That's not to say it was perfect for racing; it was in the upper 60s to start, and maybe mid-70s at the finish. I dumped water over my head and used the sponges for the last 3-4 laps, and I was definitely hot, but I don't think it affected my time very much.

The race started a bit late, but I just relaxed and listened to some music (U2) to calm myself after I warmed up. I felt good on the warm-up, which was about 1.5km with some strides. The 10km is my least favorite distance - it's not all-out like a 3k or 5k, but you still have to race very hard for quite a long time. The 5km is faster and harder, but it's over in less than 30 min. The 10K? Yeah, it hurts for a long time! The 20K is better because you have to start out conservatively, and you don't go as hard. Yeah, it's longer, but I think I'm a bit better at endurance races. Actually, I have never done a 20K before - but it's essentially the same as a half marathon, which is 21.1K, and I've done a lot of those, so I know what to expect. Anyway, because I don't like the 10K much, I really had to steel myself for what was to come.

The gun went off and I started out pretty fast, but felt well within myself. The first 0.62km were at a 5:31/km pace, according to my Garmin. Oops! Too fast! I settled in quickly, though, and felt quite good for the first 2 laps of the course. Becky Klein, who is in charge of the course, judges, etc. told me that each lap was 0.96 miles (1.544km). I did the first full lap in 8:59 and followed that up with a consistent 8:59. Good. The only thing that was worrisome to me was that my heart rate was a bit high (ave 167 and 169 for the first 2 full laps). However, I FELT good, so I went with how I was feeling and kept pushing. I knew it might be hard at the finish, but I though I would have what it took.

The next two laps were just in cruising mode, working hard but trying not to push too hard so that I'd have something left. Nyle was quite a bit ahead of me (150m?) and she looked strong. I put that out of my mind and just tried to walk my own race. The middle of a race is tough - you know you have to stay strong and not lose ground, yet you also want to save something for the end. I did a good job of pacing myself, doing laps 3 and 4 in 9:03 and 9:00. My ave HR was creeping up, though, at 170 and 173 for laps 3 and 4. Whoa...that was high...but I felt OK. I think maybe race day adrenaline was contributing to the high HR.

With 2 laps to go, I figured this was where the race really kicked in. I tried to pick up the pace a bit, but wanted to stay within myself. I ended up doing my slowest lap, at 9:07, with ave HR 174. I was really starting to struggle but knew I had 1 lap left, and it looked like I'd be sub-58:00 for sure, as the clock said 51:35 when I heard the bell for the last lap. I also saw that I was catching up with Nyle - she was only maybe 100m in front of me now. I pushed as hard as I could, and managed 8:59 for the last lap (average HR was a whopping 176! Whoa!), finishing in 57:35, a new 10K PR! My previous PR was 57:57 on a downhill course (which this was NOT - it was flat with very slight rises - maybe 2m?), and 58:43 on a flat road course in Spokane in 2008 (judged). So, I beat my judged 10K PR by over a minute :)! Awesome!!!

Nyle had finished in 57:03, and so she got the gold medal. I was pleased that I had come as close as I did to catching her, given the fact that I haven't been able to train as hard as I wanted to this spring. It gave me hope that maybe we could have a close race in the 20K; however, she had GI issues during the 10K and so if she feels good it might be a different story.

Team USA had 3 women in my age group, and we finished the fastest (Team Russia also fielded 3 people, bringing some down from an older age group) getting the team gold. It was fantastic to hear the national anthem played for us :).

Garmin connect data here.

***

This morning Nyle, David, and I all did 20 min easy with some strides. It was lovely weather, and SO very very nice to be racewalking with 2 friends the same speed. We all agreed that we SO wish we could train together all the time. I'll really miss Nyle and David when they leave.

We did a 6:02/km pace, and it felt nice and easy. We were all a bit stiff to start off, and began at a 6:30/km pace, but picked it up and we just cruised for 10 min. We threw in 4 nice hard strides in the last 10 min, for 3.31km total in the 20 min.

Garmin connect data here.

***

The rest of the day we have done nothing but relax. We did go to the Fleet Feet running store here in Davis, and I picked up a pair of New Balance 1400 racing flats. I love them! I wish I could have trained in them so I could race in them...but I will wear my trusty NB 205s tomorrow. Never do anything new for a race! I got a good nap this afternoon and soon I'll hit the sack for some good zzzzzs before the race :). I feel relaxed and as ready as I'm going to be. As much as I love racing, I'll be glad when these races are over - it's a lot of racing in a short time. However, I'm going to be really sad to say goodbye to my racewalking friends. It's such a great, supportive community.

***

I have posted lots more pictures of things on Facebook, so go check them out there. I will post more on my blog, but I need my rest now for the 20K.

3x800 @ 85%

We're off to the SF Zoo, so quick post first. I warmed up with 1600m in 10 min flat (Calvin ran with me the whole way - and he could have gone faster!!! He's got some talent for a 6 year old!). Then Nyle and I did our 800s. We were thinking to do 4:30s, but I took off kind of fast and we did 4:20 for the first one, though it did feel easy. We did 4:25 and 4:27 for the last two, and again it felt pretty easy. We are both feeling a bit stiff from the hard 10K race, but not bad. I am a bit sore in glutes and a little in the hammies, and also in the trapezoids, oddly. Felt good to loosen up and do a bit of speed work.

Plus 3 data here - garmin connect is acting up

videos from the 10K

Yeah, I know, I haven't written my race report yet, but I'll get to it soon I promise :).

Here are a couple videos you can watch in the meantime, from the 10K:

cross-training

I did an easy 35-min bike ride this morning, while David walked the course in Land Park. It was 62F (about 16C) and overcast and windy - unusual July weather for Sacramento.

I feel good today - recovering well from the race. Nothing hurts, believe it or not. Just some minor soreness in glutes (good! I'm working them!) and adductors. No hamstring soreness at all, which is great. I think my technique changes are kicking in!

***

We toured the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield, CA this morning, introduced David to chili dogs at Nation's burgers, and then rested this afternoon. Tonight we enjoyed the athlete's party in Old Sacramento. Tired. Going to bed soon; tomorrow we plan to go to the SF zoo with Loren and the kids, who arrived last night, as well as Loren's mom, who arrived today. Full house here now!

WMA 10K - silver medal, team gold, new PR!

Too tired to write a race report --- busy day after the race, because it took us 4 hr to get our medals (yeah, standing in the sun, hot, irritating to wait so long).

So, quick summary and more later:

57:35 - new PR for judged 10K by over a minute (previous PR 58:43!).
Silver medalist; Nyle won the gold in 57:03. I was getting closer to her each lap but mostly because she had serious GI trouble; nevertheless, she was able to hold me off for the gold.
Team gold - Team USA had 3 walkers in our group; Team Russia got the silver.

Garmin connect data here.

***

My kids & husband arrived tonight and I was so happy to see them :)!

strong and ready

I'm feeling strong and ready for tomrrow's 10K race. I watched a bit of a video from last year's USATF Masters Nationals --- and was reminded just how much stronger I am this year. I am ready to rock n roll!

who says racewalkers don't have any fun?

Nyle told us waitstaff in NZ would never EVER sing happy birthday to customers - and so we had the staff at Chevy's sing happy birthday to HER even though it wasn't her birthday!!! :) hahahahahahaha!!!! LOL!

videos from the 5K

20' easy with strides

This morning I did 20 min easy with strides at the track (because David was working out at the track). I felt GREAT and fast and strong, and I had no problems at all with my shin or adductors. Whew.

The weather is NICE and cool for Sacramento in the summer. It's supposed to be about 64-69F (18-20C) from 10-11am tomorrow morning. That's about as good as it gets here. Of course I'd love it to be 10F cooler, but this is pretty darn good and I'm NOT complaining!

Garmin connect data here.

cross-training

Biking 12.48 km in 31:14; 24 km/hr average, ave HR 140. This was on my brother's heavy mountain bike. It was gorgeous out - 12C, 54F, sunny, not much wind.

We're off to San Francisco for the day!

Garmin connect data here.

4x500 @ 85%

This morning I warmed-up for about 10 min w/strides (1.67km) and then did 4x500m @ 85% effort. I really did take it easy on these, except for the last one, which I did at about 90%. The second one was 0.01km short; I was not on the track and I was measuring by looking at the Garmin. My 500s were 2:44, 2:35 (short --- so probably 2:40ish), 2:40, and 2:38. Nice! The 2:38 was the fastest 500 this year, and I know I could have gone a bit faster, so I'm quite happy with this.

OK, got to go --- off to Lake Tahoe!

Garmin connect data here.

World Masters 5K race

I was nervous. It was warm (25-26C; about 77-79F). But I was also strangely calm, after warming up with Katie Grimes and Nyle. When they stood us on the track to line us up, I closed my eyes, focused, and had a U2 song ("Magnificent") going through my head. I remembered the quote from Chariots of Fire, "When I run, I feel God's pleasure" and thought about the real reasons for racewalking. I was seriously in my zone.

Nyle and I were a little intimidated by the Russian woman. She was statuesque, gorgeous, and amazingly fit. She did have a taped left hamstring though. I told Nyle that appearance means nothing and that we are to walk our own race, and I promptly stopped worrying about her.

The start gun went off and I told myself to go easy. I was probably in about 10th place coming around the first 200, but not too much jostling. I got to the first 200 in 1:04, which was just about right where I wanted to be (1:07/200m would be 27:55, which I figured in this heat was about right?). I settled in and then never really paid attention to my 200m splits again, which is unusual for me. I got in the zone and just kept clicking away the laps. My lap counter was SO nice and was yelling them out for me and I just felt like I was cruising. I was a bit disappointed that my first km was 5:36 but then realized that was perfect for the conditions. I just kept going, and cruised the first 3km. My splits were 5:36, 5:38, and 5:39 - slower than I'd wanted, but in hindsight I think it was perfect for the conditions. I was focused and in my zone.

At the 4th km I sped it up, because my coach said the race begins at 3km. Not long after that I lapped the Russian woman (whew!). I pushed hard from there to the finish, and with 2 laps to go felt so relieved it was almost over. It hurt, but felt good too. I did 5:34 for the 4th km - pushed my watch a few sec early so it says 5:31 on Garmin connect, but it was 5:34. I was about 100m behind Nyle for the whole race, and tried to catch her, but I was in my zone and just had no more. I didn't mind though - I was racewalking my own race and it felt good. The last 2km I just floored it is hard as I could and gave it my all; I pushed super hard for the last 400m and was so very, very relieved to finish. My last km was also a 5:34! Nice pacing!

I hugged Nyle and Katie right away and congratulated them. Whew...it's over...we chatted a while and then we went over to hug David, who was waiting on the other side of the track. Awesome race. Nyle and I are celebrating with wine, crackers & cheese, and chocolate. We are the world champion and silver medalist, after all!

Photo below: 1st-3rd in WMA 5K W40-44


Garmin connect data here.

rest day; 20' w/strides

Yesterday: rest day. I took photos and video of Nyle and David at the track, which I will post later. I have a lot of photos etc. to post but I am working on WORK stuff so no time at all. Between being a tour guide (loving that!) and my work work, there is not much time for uploading the fun photos. I put them on Facebook but not here yet...I promise I will...

We went wine tasting in Napa yesterday - great fun!

***

Today: easy 20' with strides. Nyle talked me into wearing my new sports bra for the workout. I was a bit self-conscious as I never go out in just a sports bra, but she told me it was OK :). Here's a photo!

We did 3.34 (Nyle's watch) or 3.42 km (my watch) for an average of 6:10/km (hers) or 6:01/km (mine) with 3 strides thrown in. Fun! So so so very very very very nice to walk with someone my pace. Excellent! David had cross-training so he jogged alongside of us. We chatted it up and had a great time :). Garmin connect data here.

***

I'm getting mentally ready for the race. Yesterday I was not confident, but today I'm feeling better. I feel that I'm ready and I feel strong. I can do this! Positive self-talk today and tomorrow is the plan.

3x2K/1K/2x500

Last hard workout before the races! I was very apprehensive about this one. 8K of intervals is a toughie, and it was pretty warm. When we got back from our workout, it was 77F (25C) and 54% humidity. The humidity was quite high by my desert standards!

Nyle and David came to the track with me - what a pleasure to have someone to work out with! They had an easy 8K, as they have been able to train more than I have. Jim had me not tapering at all before the 5K because I am not quite up to speed yet due to the shin injury. Anyway, they warmed up with me. I did an easy 1600m in 10:04 with strides. My left adductor felt tight for 200m or so and then it was totally fine the rest of the workout. Whew.

Then it was time to get going. Ugh. I actually started to get a bit emotional, because I guess I'm more keyed up about this than I thought. Nyle and David gave me hugs, calmed me down, and helped me think positively. Thank God for friends!!!

I started off surprisingly well. I felt very, very strong on the first 2K. I wonder if it's the altitude difference? Usually I don't notice it, but maybe that was it? Or maybe I'm just finally getting fit? I did a 5:28 and 5:29 for the first 2km! WOW! I have never done a 2K under 11:00! This one was 10:57! I was starting to get pretty darn warm...gee, it was hot. But I was excited to do the next one. It was also really good - 5:31 and 5:32. However, I had pushed that one really hard to get those times, and it was hot. I felt spent. Uh-oh. I wondered how I'd do now. My legs felt like Jell-O and I still had 4K left. And it was HOT. Really HOT. (Nyle and David thought it was hot too, and they were just doing an easy 8K). The next 2K really, really hurt. Bad. I started off with a 5:39 for the first 1K, and then I caught up to Nyle, and I told her I didn't think I could make it, that I was really hurting. She sped up and walked that whole next 1K with me! It was so helpful! We did a 5:37 for that km and I was totally spent then, but glad I'd been able to do a bit faster than the first km. My ave HR for that km was 174! Yikes! I was so glad for the 3 minutes of rest. But I was seriously HOT. I hoped I had something left. I surprised myself with a 5:33 1K, then 2 min rest, a 2:44 500m, 2 min rest, and finally a 2:42 on the last 500m! Amazing! I didn't think I had anything left, but I guess I did - Nyle sprinted the last 100m with me, which really helped.

Now for the down side...on the last 500m, I felt a pull in my RIGHT adductor. Yeah, not the left one that's been hurting, but the RIGHT one. Ugh. It still hurts. I'm icing it now and will baby it; it's probably just a spasm that will be better in a few days. I think the technique changes Jim made are very, very good, but they are using muscles a bit differently, especially my adductors as I get my toes farther back. It's making me a lot faster, but the muscles are not used to it yet. I am a bit nervous that I will not be recovered by Thursday, but hoping that tomorrow's optional day and the 20 min w/strides on Wednesday will be just the recovery I need.

Garmin connect data here.

15K in Davis, CA

Weather: 68F to start and 77F when I finished; it was humid (for me...remember I'm from Utah!) at 62%. Actually, that's pretty humid for the Sacramento area too. I was definitely hot, and drank 32 oz of water. I only brought 16 oz but refilled at Noah's Bagels on Sycamore & Covell.

Adductor injury: When I started out I thought I was going to have to stop. It was really quite tender, but I figured I'd go 1km and if it didn't improve I'd quit. By 1km it felt much better, so I kept going, focusing on my right hip (which Jim and I think is the problem). It was mostly pretty good, just niggling a bit here and there until the end. The last km it tightened up a bit again, but if I'd had to I'm sure I could have made 20K. I think it's improving gradually so if I don't do anything stupid (um, yeah, like a hard 5K race on Thursday?) it should be OK. I stretched a lot when I got back.

Route: All around Davis...I got lost at one point (I used to live here so this is funny!) but it was in a neighborhood that I didn't usually go to, and so it was understandable. Fortunately, I asked someone directions and got back on track...sort of. I ended up going a bit far, so I had 1km to walk easy home after the 15K. That was a good thing, though, because it was a great cool-down for my adductor. I made sure I walked through the university, and past Russell Park Apartments, where we lived when we were newlyweds, 18 years ago. It still looks pretty much the same at the apartments, though the university has tons of new buildings of course.

I felt really pretty good today, other than being hot and drinking a lot. Obviously I could do with a bit more heat training, but the weather in SLC just did not cooperate! Oh well...I can get some while I'm here - there is still 2 wk until the 20K and I'll be more acclimatized then.

My first 5K was the slowest, probably because I was being a bit cautious of my adductor. Still, it was pretty good, in 31:35. My 2nd 5K split was a nice fast 30:53 (1:02:28), and the third one was 31:01 for 1:33:29 total and 6:13/km. Average HR was 151, which was pretty good considering the heat and all. I'm pleased with this workout and just keeping my fingers crossed that the adductor holds up OK.

Garmin connect data here.

Saturday workout; toe update

Saturday morning I hit the gym and did the elliptical for an hour. I pushed it a bit harder than usual, perhaps because I was a bit irritated about my toe, my adductor, and general lack of rest/sleep for the last month or so. I managed 8.33 miles in the 60 minutes I was on it, with ave HR 144. That's the best I've done on that thing in a while. I'll take it.

***

Toe update - I visited the podiatrist on Friday. He said I'd have to have a repeat surgery. Apparently this happens sometimes. I told him I had very important races the next few weeks and asked if there was a quick fix, since the surgery does put you out of commission for a couple days. He proceeded to very nicely trim back the toenail, and he said it would last about 4-6 wk. Cool! I made an appointment for after I return from WMA. The toe is feeling much, much better now.

***

Adductor update - it's better since just doing the elliptical on Saturday. Still hurts a bit when I stretch it. I have 15K this morning so hopefully it will be OK if I watch my technique. If not, I'll quit and give it some more rest.

***

Travel update - I traveled to Davis, CA, yesterday, where my brother lives. Loren is stuck home with the kids, but my parents are helping and I think he'll live! I took Southwest, which was cheap, but there are no direct flights, so I had to fly to L.A. first. Wheeeee! Fortunately, all the flights were on time or even a bit early, and when I arrived my bag came promptly on the carousel. I was able to catch the bus to Davis easily enough (it only comes once an hour, so I was concerned about timing) and only had to wait about 15 min for it. It did take an hour to get here, but I read a book and relaxed, and then it was a short 1 block walk to my brother's house once I arrived. I let myself in with the garage code. Whew. Everything seemed to be going well! Then I grocery shopped for a few necessities for myself, David, and Nyle, worked for a while (I also worked on data analysis on the airplane and in the airport), and hit the sack about 10:30pm. I was hoping for a good night's sleep, but I woke up at 4:30 am. I've been getting up at 5:30 am in Salt Lake, so that was the same time...sigh...maybe I can get a nap?

***

On the agenda for today: 15K, clean house a bit for my guests, attend church, do some more data analysis, get more food at Costco, and pick up David and Nyle at 1:30 pm. We'll have a wine and cheese snack and hopefully a nap before we prepare dinner. They'll be jet lagged and tired, so no big plans tonight.

it's just one thing after another...

So yesterday I noticed that the toe I'd had the surgery on last year (for ingrown toenail) was a bit sore. I was so busy that I didn't really think about it again until nighttime. When I looked at it I was appalled. The toenail had grown back where they had treated it to prevent regrowth! I guess it doesn't always take...ugh. Anyway, now it is ingrown again and the toenail is in two parts. I called the podiatrist this morning and begged to get in today, since I'm leaving tomorrow. I told them I'm an athlete and going to do races out of town and could they please find a way to squeeze me in. My podiatrist has been on vacation it turns out, and today is his first day back since then, so he's really booked. Thankfully, they fit me in anyway and I can see him at 1:45 pm.

It seems like there is a conspiracy afoot to keep me down for the count. I am NOT giving up. WMA, here I come - ready or not - and I'm not sure I feel ready, but I'm still coming!!!

3K fartlek, 3x800/200

Weather: 63F and clear and calm. Nice.

Workout: 3K fartlek + 3 x (800, 30 sec rest, then 200).

Injury update: Shin is totally fine. Adductor spasm is better but still marginal. I was nervous about it.

Track: East High was locked because of the equipment out there from the football camp. Grrrrr. I drove to Highland High and the cheerleaders were there, but they graciously let me use lane 1.

I warmed up for 2K, doing some strides during the last 400m so as to ease into them and not cause my adductor to spasm. It worked. The 3K fartlek went very well; my HR was a bit high today and I think that's because of all the stress (work, getting ready for trip...). I bet my resting HR was high this morning. I was up until midnight doing data analysis for work, and then got up at 5:45 to get to the track. I'm pretty stressed out. Anyway, the 3K fartlek still went well. I forgot to bring my Garmin cradle so will upload later, but here are my splits (ave HR in parentheses): 1K fast 5:33 (159), 500m medium 2:57 (166), 500m hard 2:48 (174), 500m medium 3:03 (170), 500m hard 2:47 (175) for a total of 17:07, a 3K fartlek PR by 2 seconds. The adductor was a bit tight but felt OK.

I had 4 min rest and then the 800/200s. I knew I'd have to be a bit conservative starting out because of my adductor and accelerate gradually. I figured I'd be a bit slow, and I was. My first 800m was 4:30 (163), then 30s rest, and then I actually did a 57s 200m! Wow! That was fast! I had 2 min rest and could feel the adductor tightening a bit. I was really focused on technique to try and avoid problems, but when I started the next 800m I definitely felt it spasm/tweak. I finished the 800m in 4:31 (slow...bummer....) and my adductor was OK but not great. I decided then that this was my last one; it was not worth it to try and do all three and injure myself. So I rested 30s and did the 200 all-out in 58s (hey, that was pretty good!) and called it quits. Better safe than sorry. I figured I could do another one, but I just didn't want to chance it after the spasm in the 2nd 800.

I get to rest it a bit tomorrow with some cross-training, and then hopefully I'll be good to go for 15K in on Sunday morning.

No Garmin data online yet, sorry.