rest days, then 5K fartlek

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: Rest days, though on Friday night I walked about 3-4km with my husband on our date night. Rather than taking the car, we ate at a restaurant close to home, and then walked around a bit on our way home. I slept Friday afternoon after leaving work early due to fatigue. I was very tired Saturday, though Sunday I did feel a bit better. It helped that it was Mother's Day and the kids and Loren and my dad actually spoiled me and my mom :).

Today: Jim said that if I felt good I should try a 5K fartlek. I woke feeling decent and warmed up by walking down the street to 800 East, which is relatively flat. Since the track is closed, this is my next best option. I felt good on the ~1500m walk over there, so I decided to go for it. Why not? I felt I really needed a confidence boost and that a good workout would make me feel more sure that 1) the mystery illness was not relapsing, and 2) that I would be feeling decent for Sunday's 15K, which I am admittedly a bit nervous about.

I got started and felt good, and on the slight downhill 1st km, did 2:48.4 + 2:51.3 for 5:39.7. Good start. Then there's a slight uphill (OK this whole course is pretty flat, but there are noticeable though very slight inclines and declines) and my medium effort 500 was a slowish 3:10.9. Then a decent 2:53.3 fast (flat/slight downhill), a slowish 3:13.3 (flat), and then a nice 2:51.4 on a slight downhill. Then it got harder - slight uphill for the next 1km, and on tired legs it yielded a 3:18.0 and then a 3:00.5 (slow!) but clearly the incline was a factor as my last km was 3:15.3 and then a nice fast 2:50.2 to finish. Total time was 30:11 and considering I've had 3 days off and that my legs felt shaky and Jell-O-like for the last 1.5 km, I'm quite happy with this. I worked VERY hard, as my HR on average was 164. I feel like I've shaken off the cobwebs and am going to be ready for Sunday - good confidence-boosting workout. I know it was kind of slow and that my recoveries weren't that good, but considering how I've been feeling I think it was a good effort and it shows that my legs will be OK.

I have had no weird soreness or anything like that this morning, and I did sit for an hour at the confocal microscope. Whew.

A photo with my rosebushes after the workout is above
:). I love roses!

Garmin data here.