3K fartlek

Sunday: 20 min elliptical, because I was in the mood, even though it was an optional rest day. The hotel ellipticals are good, but they are a different brand than my gym, so my calves got verrrrrrrry sore from using it. Plus lots of walking around the city and the SfN conference.

Monday: cross-training; 25 min elliptical and 20 min on stationary bike. Lots of walking around the city and conference again too.

Today: Calves hurt oh so oh so oh so much! It's actually pretty amusing. But I was determined to do my fartlek anyway. I went down to the Riverwalk for a warm-up, and then over to the Lakeshore Trail heading south for the workout. My warm-up was not tracked at all correctly on the Garmin; apparently the tall buildings and/or the sunken path by the river mess it up. It was amusing to see the track it put on the map. My calves felt really stiff and my gait awkward during the warm-up, but some strides seemed to even things out a bit. Still, I feel disoriented and a bit weird doing a workout in the middle of the day in a strange city. I'm enjoying the conference but ready to go home, and glad I don't have a job that requires regular travel like this all the time - once in a while is fun, but it'd get old for me fast.

Then after dynamic stretching and bridges and clamshells for glute activation, I got started. It was 70F (21C) and quite windy, at 14kph steady (~9mph) with bigger gusts. It is kind of humid too, especially compared to Utah, so I was pretty warm. I didn't have any high expectations, as my legs were sore and I felt out-of-sorts and it was warm outside. However, I did really well! Go figure. It might be the altitude; I find I do speed work much better at sea level.

My time was 17:14, and my splits were: 2:42.0, 2:53.8, 3:01.7, 2:44.4, 3:03.9, 2:49.1 (tired on that last one!). Ave HR for the whole workout was 163, and I pushed it very hard especially at the end (mid 170s). This is the best fartlek I've done in a while, and it's good timing as I'm going to race this weekend. And that was with sore calves and wind in my face pretty hard the second 500m.

Garmin data here. 

16K - Chicago Lakefront Trail

Loren and I are now in Chicago for me to attend the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting and present a poster. We left the kids in my parents' capable hands, and the house and dogs in the care of our awesome house sitter, and here we are.

The meeting didn't have much going on until 1pm today, so today was the ideal time for my 16K. I was thinking to do 16-18km, but my legs were definitely still a bit tired from yesterday's speed work, even though it was short, probably because of the fast 200s that I haven't done in a while. So at about 10k today I was pretty sure 16k was a good distance rather than 18k. The weather was good for fall here; 40F (4C) and windy. The wind was in my face on the first 8k, at a steady 19kph (12mph) plus gusts, which was definitely enough to slow me down and tired me out a bit. The lakeside scenery was beautiful though! For my international readers, a bit about Chicago: though in the middle of the country, it's next to a huge lake (Lake Michigan), and is the 3rd largest city in the US, behind New York and Los Angeles. It's pretty cold here in the winter, much colder than Salt Lake, though it doesn't snow as much as in Salt Lake. It's also famous for being windy here, and the city's nickname is "the windy city". But in October, windy or not, it's lovely --- at least it was today. And it's also only about 180m (590ft) above sea level, and very flat, perfect for RW. The Lakefront Trail here is an amazing paved trail along the lakeshore, and it's something like 20 miles (32km) long, adequate for almost any kind of training.

The trail was busy today with tons of runners, walkers, and cyclists; the runners were pretty good, as I only passed a handful in the 16K. During the first 8K into the wind, my legs felt decent, though it was nice to stop at the turnaround and get a few photos. I noticed the wind at my back right away when I turned around, and in fact I managed to negative split the workout, probably due to the tail wind; my legs were tired then. The first 500m was NOT right (3:45? not that slow...) and neither was the last 500m (2:42? no way!) so I figure that along the river walk my Garmin had a bit of trouble. But close enough.

I finished in 1:41:45 for 6:21/km and had splits of 32:00 (5K), 51:19 (8K), 1:03:53 (10K), 1:35:35 (15K); the last 8K was 1:41:45-51:19 = 50:26 for a negative split :).

Garmin data here.  

cross-training; 3x800/200

Yesterday: rode bike to work and also did a brisk casual walk to and from coffee with a friend in SugarHouse.

Today: met Kelly at the track for 3x800/200 (she was just doing an easy 45 min). I warmed up a bit sluggishly in 10:26; had only 5 hr sleep so maybe that had something to do with it :)? Also, it was SO VERY VERY WINDY. Garmin website says 18kph but I am sure it was more than that, from the east. It was insanely windy. Normally I'd have taken it indoors, but this workout doesn't work on a 292m track with no markings, and Kelly would've had to pay $6 to get in, so I just did it outside anyway. At the end of the workout I took a picture of the flag - see? It was WINDY.

I did some dynamic stretches and then some bridges to activate my glutes and off I went. The workout went pretty well, I thought. Some speed is coming back, though I have a ways to go to get back to where I was 2.5 years ago (feels like a lifetime ago) before I got sick. Still, baby steps!

The 800/200s work like this: 800m, rest 30 sec, 200m, rest 2 min, repeat. Simple, but good for the fast-twitch muscles.

My times were as follows: 4:34.2, 59.0, 4:32.8, 59.2, 4:32.7, 59.8. Very consistent and decent speed. I was glad I only had three, though. My legs were kinda tired after that!

Garmin data here. 

3K fartlek + 4x500m; indoor track

I've been staying up too late, and it finally caught up with me. I slept until 6:45 am (9 hr of sleep!) and then didn't have time to hit the outdoor track before work. Oops! Plus work is really busy, working on a poster for the Society for Neuroscience meeting and also getting a demo of this very cool zebrafish behavior monitoring rig today. But I did make myself go to the indoor track after work and got in a very nice workout even though I was tired.

The workout was 3K fartlek + 4x500m, and because I was on the indoor 292.6m track I modified it to be 2 laps fast, 2 laps medium, 2 fast, 2 medium, 2 fast (2926m for 3K fartlek), and then 2 min rest followed by 585.2m (2 laps), 2 min rest, 2 laps, 2 min rest, 2 laps, 2 min rest, 1 lap. Total was 17 laps or 4974m. My total time for that was 28:36 (36:36-8 min rest), which works out to 28:45 for 5K, which I think is pretty good for that workout right now, so I'm pleased. Here are my splits, below, for what it's worth.

First column is lap #, then time, then cumulative time, then ave HR for the lap and finally max HR for the lap. Garmin data here. 

My legs were pretty tired afterward, but nothing a good night's sleep won't cure. Quads are still sore from the running on Tuesday morning :). Haha racewalking problems!!!

1	01:36.1	01:36.1	146	160
2	01:40.3	03:16.4	160	161
3	01:46.6	05:03.0	156	160
4	01:46.3	06:49.3	154	158
5	01:39.0	08:28.3	162	165
6	01:39.8	10:08	166	168
7	01:49.1	11:57	162	168
8	01:48.1	13:45	159	161
9	01:40.0	15:25	164	167
10	01:39.5	17:05	168	170
11	01:59.9	19:05	142	169
12	01:37.8	20:42	153	164
13	01:40.5	22:23	165	167
14	02:00.5	24:23:00	138	167
15	01:38.3	26:02:00	154	164
16	01:39.7	27:41:00	166	168
17	02:00.9	29:42:00	135	167
18	01:38.4	31:21:00	153	164
19	01:39.9	33:01:00	165	168
20	02:00.1	35:01:00	140	168
21	01:35.8	36:36:00	154	166
Summary	36:36:00	36:36:00	154	170

Just converted these times to 500m times and they are fast! Nice!!! The 3:01.8 and 3:05.5 are the medium effort intervals on the fartlek. All my fasts are under 2:50 but one, and the last one was 2:43.6! Yay!

02:47.7

03:01.8

02:49.8

03:05.5

02:50.4

02:49.3

02:49.1

02:49.3

02:43.6

cross-training

I was going to do speed work today, but I've not been getting enough sleep and it's affecting me too much. Time to re-prioritize! I went to the Taylorsville High track and met Kelly at 5:45 (UGH!) because she had to work in Provo today. I warmed up with 1600m racewalking but legs were really sluggish; still, my strides were OK. I decided to stretch and start my workout and at least go 500m and see how it was. When the first 500m was 2:56, I decided that perhaps I should do this workout tomorrow instead. So, I jogged with Kelly for the remaining time until 6:30 when she had to leave, which was about 20 min. My quads are now killing me because I NEVER run, so I admit I'm a bit amused. I don't think that will mess me up for tomorrow's speed work, but if it does, well, then I'll be the stronger for it.

Total: about 15 min racewalking and 20 min running.

rest day; 8K with 3x2' @ 5K pace

Yesterday: rest day :)

Today: 8K w/3x2'@5K pace. Met Kelly at the JRP at 6:20am and we could definitely tell that it's fall. It was dark and seasonably chilly (it's been so warm that we are spoiled!) at 7.8C/46F. I wore a long-sleeved shirt and shorts, which was fine, but forgot my gloves and wished I had them for the first 4-5km, after which my hands were fine.

I was a bit tired this morning, but it was self-inflicted, as I stayed up a bit late last night assembling a new desk (for me! yay! have been wanting my own desk for years but had no room for it in the old house) while watching the Chicago marathon (DVR'd it from Sunday morning when I was too busy to watch). Loren did the desk with me and we enjoyed the project, but it was late when I got to bed, and then getting up early was tough.  But my legs felt good even if my mind was a bit addled, and I had a good workout. I did the 8K at 6:19/km average pace with ave HR 144. I included 3x2'@5km pace and that went great as well. I calculated that I'd go 348m in 2 min at 5:45/km, and on the first 2' interval I went exactly 350m. On the second I forgot to note where I started, so I'm not sure how far I made it, and on the last I went 380m!!! Fast - that's 5:16/km! OK, so it was only for 2 minutes, but still...nice! My dog Sugar even kept up on the fast intervals, no problem.

Garmin data here. 

8K, 14K

Thursday: cross-training; rode bike to work and did 30 min elliptical too.

Friday: 8K easy with Kelly on the JRP. My legs were tired to start, but perked up after 2k. I was pleased with the workout and felt good when we finished. I did 6:24/km for a total of 51:18 with ave HR 143. Garmin data here.

Today: Was to do 12K, but I still have delusions of grandeur and want to do the 20K on October 25, even if it's at an easy pace. So when my legs felt good, I added another 2km and did a total of 14km. Plus I was nice & fast and my heart rate was very reasonable at an average of 146; however, I did have to stop a lot for the dog (pooped THREE times!!! - apparently she's been saving it up since we moved?) and for drinks at the water fountains, and because I ran into a work friend on the JRP, so my HR would've been a little higher if I'd gone continuously. Regardless, I felt very good the whole time and pulled off 6:16/km for 1:27:51. I'm super happy with that. Garmin data here. 

My toe is still sore and tender, but it only bothers me a bit when I racewalk. Otherwise, things are going very well. My hamstring seems to have improved.

6K fartlek

This morning: got up early and met Kelly at the Taylorsville High track instead of my usual track (East High). It's close to Kelly's work, and halfway between our houses, more or less, so it's perfect. It has a very nice Mondo surface in fabulous condition, and convenient parking and easy access. The weather was beautiful this morning, and I'm savoring that while it lasts. It won't be shorts and T-shirt weather much longer. It was 11.1C (52F) and calm and clear, and the moon, Venus, and Jupiter were all lined up beautifully - a gorgeous sight!

I did the usual 1600m warm-up with strides, in 10:12; legs felt pretty good. Did some bridges for glute activation and then I got started on the workout. I felt really good for the first 3k and then I did get tired, but I'm still pleased with how I did, especially considering that I did 8K at 6:21/km yesterday. My fast 500s were all 2:50-2:53 except the last one, which was 2:55; I did get pretty tired at the end (though I continued to push very hard). My medium effort 500s started off well (3:06!) but then quickly degenerated to over 3:10...to 3:14. Still, I finished the workout in 36:08, which I am quite happy with.

I'm also happy because I've managed to maintain my weight through the move. I was 152.6 this morning, which makes me very pleased. Only a few more pounds to drop to be at racing weight :). Realistically, that might take a while, and the holidays are coming, so I have to be careful. But that's the lowest I've been in a couple years, since the mystery illness took hold. I'm so glad that I'm feeling better - it's amazing to be healthy, and I don't want to take it for granted.

Garmin data here. 

Here's a photo of the track as I was leaving.

Good 7.9km walk!

I was moving all weekend, so I didn't blog.

Thursday: 5K with Calvin, some slow so he could racewalk. Yep, I'm teaching him! We'll see if it sticks but he seems quite interested...finally! Most 500s he walked a bit and ran a bit, so I had to go a little slower for him on his walking parts...thus the overall time is a bit slow; 33:14 for 6:38/km.

Garmin data here. 

Friday: 6K with Kelly around Liberty Park. MOVING DAY! Tired from packing...and it's time to start moving stuff to the new house. But the walk went well, and the weather was warm and very nice. 13.9C (57F) and cloudy and a bit windy, but not too bad. Legs felt pretty good, and we walked well, at 6:30/km for the 6K in 39:03.

Garmin data here. 

Saturday: 45 min easy with Kelly on the Jordan River Parkway. This after both of us were moving furniture and boxes all day Friday. Exhausting! We had to go early (6am) because Kelly had to work, and so got stuck in a light to moderate rain for the whole time. Fortunately, it was relatively warm out so I didn't get cold, but I didn't have my baseball cap because I'd packed it (GRRRRR) so got pelted in the face with rain. Oh well. I lived :). It was 12.8C (55F) and not windy at least. We did pretty well on very tired legs, at 6:34/km for the 6.86 km (45:02).

Garmin data here. 

Sunday & Monday: rest days from exercise - on Saturday afternoon after we got out of the house, I was SO dead tired. Felt terrible! Sunday all day I did pretty much NOTHING and I'm sure that helped. Monday we had to redistribute furniture in the new house (could only put it in one (big) room prior to that, as the seller needed to live there through Monday morning), and that was enough workout for the day. Whew.

Today: Wasn't sure how my legs would be, but they actually felt really, really good. I met Kelly at the JRP for an easy 50 min, and we did very well in nice weather (16.1C, 60F and breezy). 7.89km in 50:03 for 6:21/km with ave HR 150. Felt great to move well. Legs a bit sore afterward, as is the rest of my body, probably from moving. But other than unpacking and moving one more big piece of furniture (a bookcase that has to be disassembled and reassembled to move it into our bedroom), we are done. YAY!!!!!

Garmin data here.