Wednesday, August 29, 2012

rest day; 20K

I'm still catching up on my blog after Portland-to-Coast! I got really behind on life in general and when I returned I did things with my kids, so I'm actually behind on more than just my blog. Oh well. I'll catch up somehow.

Sunday I took a rest day; I flew back to Salt Lake, took the kids ice skating, went to book club and then to a church bbq. Hmmm, not very restful, but fun. I didn't exercise other than the skating, which wasn't much as I was mostly helping the kids skate.

Monday I had to do 20K, and I had to get the kids to school by 8 am. I woke up at 4:20 am, and started my walk at 4:57 am. I felt really good when I started. It was quite warm, as it has been all summer. It was 73F (22.8C) with 50% humidity. Wheeeee. I am used to it now, so it actually wasn't so awful, even though I did feel hot. (Incidentally, it set a heat record for the date, getting up to 98F...or was that yesterday? It's been hot).

I was fast to start, getting through 10k in 1:00:43. But then I had to slow down a little - my right hip started to hurt like it did on my 30K a week ago :(. It wasn't awful but I didn't want to aggravate it. It's a fairly sharp pain in my hip itself and it comes and goes - it'll jolt me and then be fine for several minutes. I suspect it's the piriformis, as when I stretch that muscle it seems to help and I feel better for a bit. I stopped and stretched frequently and slowed my pace a little and made it to 20K just fine (I'd been concerned that I should stop). The last 10K was going to be a bit slower anyway, since it was slightly uphill at the end.

I finished in 2:02:31 for 6:08/km with average HR of 147. Wow, you know, a few years ago I thought 2:02 was likely a 20km RACE pace. My coach Jim is awesome! He has really helped me get faster!!!

Hopefully with the taper my hip will be rested and I'll be OK to make it through 40K.

Garmin data here.

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