Here are a few photos from the track meet; this is the toughest competition in the state and Calvin's best was 4th of 6 in the 1500m with a pretty fast time of 6:33, despite being sick. He did a 6:26 a month ago, and I could tell today that he wasn't feeling well. I'm still proud of how well he did and mostly just thrilled that he enjoys running so much. Grace competed in the 400m for the first time ever, and while she was last (of only 5 girls), I was proud that she tried and was out there. We need to work on her fitness a bit, though bicycling to Club U this summer will be a huge help there.
Back to me: I thought I was sick on Friday, but now I'm not so sure. I think it was just the fatigue, perhaps? I was congested and felt "off" but other than sleeping an extra 3 hr in the middle of the day, I was OK. Needless to say, I took a sick day from work, and obviously needed the rest. I thought I might have what Grace had, and what Calvin now (apparently) has, but maybe not. Loren has it - sore throat, fatigue, malaise, etc., but I feel fine today.
This morning I met Kelly (yes! Kelly! my racewalking buddy!) at Liberty Park for 8K. She is not up to RW at my speed yet, so she ran and I RW. Poor Kelly's been through the wringer lately, and actually wasn't even up to running 8K. She did 5K (in 32:51; 6:34/km) with me and my dog, Sugar, before calling it quits and waiting for me to finish. I picked up the pace a bit after she stopped, surprising myself (19:25 for the last 3K, for 6:28/km). Overall it was still a pretty slow walk, but my legs felt pretty good until about 6K. Then I had a bit of the weird soreness, though it wasn't bad. It was just enough to notice, and happily didn't bother me one bit sitting at the piano at church today.
My total time today was only 52:17 (6:32/km) with ave HR ??? as I forgot to wear my HRM (it was on the kitchen table…duh!). The weather was a lovely 64F (18C) with a gentle cool breeze, and it felt SO VERY NICE to be outside RWing. After Kelly stopped, I was walking around the park alone with my thoughts and realizing with such clarity how much I love racewalking. I love the smoothness of it, the fact that I am propelling myself to observe my surroundings, the beauty of being outdoors, and the strength I feel from exercise. I have been so concerned lately about my weight gain, and this morning that moment of clarity spoke to me - I am NOT the same person that I used to be, and I am not going back to that lifestyle. Yes, I have gained weight, but that is not permanent. I have a choice for things to be different. The scripture from I Corinthians about how I am a new creation in Christ popped into my head, and hit me afresh…I pondered it quietly and thought about how God has not brought me this far to drop me like a hot potato and leave me floundering. Difficulty feels permanent, but experience tells me it is transitory.
The sermon at church reinforced what I was already thinking about, as the focus was on Pentecost and the work of the Spirit in breathing new life into us, and enabling us to serve and love others with that energy and life. I thought of Kelly and the hard times she is having, and how I am privileged to stand beside her and offer support. I think of others I may touch without realizing it, and of those who have supported me in my own difficulties. Sorry for the long-windedness here, but I just needed to get this down so I can go back to it when I need it!
Some concrete thoughts I had this morning about my own issues:
1) I have fresh motivation to move my eating habits in the right direction.
2) I have thoughts on replacing my bad habits with new habits, and some concrete ways to do that - books, music, walks with the family enjoying the summer evenings, etc.
3) I have decided to go gluten-free again after my blood test on Tuesday, because I really feel it made a big difference. I am definitely not feeling as good as I was in mid-May. It can't hurt, and might help, regardless of the results of the test. If I don't actually have Celiac's, I could have NCGS (Non-Celiac's Gluten Sensitivity), which is turning out to be surprisingly common these days from what I've read. If it keeps me feeling good then I will stick with it permanently; either way, I should be able to tell from how I feel in a few weeks.
4) I know I want to RW again, seriously. I want to train for Portland-to-Coast. I would love to do a 50K again, if not this year (very dubious), then next year or whenever I am feeling better. I want to do the weight training, the good eating, all of it. I feel better when I am training!
Right now, though, I want a little rest and relaxation with my Kindle and a good book, so I'll sign off. More tomorrow!
Garmin data here.
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