hilly 12k; brain all a-mush

Today went well given the circumstances. I still feel like things are turning the corner though I know from this workout it doesn't look like it. But I have optimism anyway, because I feel like once I am feeling a little better things are going to turn the corner.

I have felt pretty ill the last couple days - avert your eyes and skip to the next paragraph if squeamish. Otherwise, read on....you've been warned. Thursday night I went to bed a bit late (~11?) after reading an e-mail that stressed me out a bit (everything is fine but it was anxiety-provoking). I woke up at 2am because I had diarrhea (probably from the antidepressant leaving my system - this has been a persistent and annoying symptom) and I started thinking about the e-mail and then could not get back to sleep for 2 hours. Then I slept from 4-6 and woke up and couldn't sleep more. I still felt pretty sick.

Friday morning, despite feeling a bit ill (dizzy, fatigued, mild brain zaps, a touch of nausea, sleep-deprived) I got on the elliptical for 20 min, because exercise does help one get through the day even if stupid tired. I think it helped. I made it through a tough day at work and when I got home I crashed for about 30 min. Got up and made dinner, then after dinner I went to bed at 8:00 and went to sleep at 8:45. I slept for almost 9 hours :) and woke feeling a bit better, but still dizzy and fatigued. I have not taken any medication since Sunday night, when I took 2.5mg of escitalopram. I'm hoping to gut it out this weekend and hoping that the symptoms ease by Monday so that I can work.

Today has been stupid busy but I'm sorta managing. The 12K was slow; I did the first 6k alone and then 6k with Calvin and at one point in the last 6k I got really emotional. Poor Calvin got kinda mad at me and wouldn't walk with me again until I apologized, which I did, because I was being stupid. It's just hard to be so slow, and to know I'm signed up for World Masters, and to know I can't train as hard as I want. I'm still going to try. The 12K was 7:02/km for 1:24:30 with ave HR 141. Also, it was warm and humid (for here), at 26.1C (79F) and 42%. (That was at 6:30am...ughhh!).

You probably don't care that then I helped our pastor's family move (Calvin helped too), and then went tile shopping for the bathroom because it's impossible to get over to the showroom before 4:30 on weekdays and the tile place my contractor likes closes at 5. Or that I then took our summer roommate Jonathan over to Costco because he doesn't have a membership and needed some things. Or that when I got home I was stupid tired and I might have yelled at the kids and husband because the dishes weren't done (I'd asked the kids to please do them while I was gone and the husband to please stay on them to do it), or that Calvin put a hot pan lid on our dining room table, which is my one favorite piece of furniture, aside from the piano, and the only really nice furniture that I have ever purchased new, and that it now has an ugly ring (which is admittedly faint but I'm still very angry). I might have gotten very upset and was angry not just because the table is now marred, but also because I do love Calvin much more than I love the table and am angry at myself for being angry at him. I might have had a meltdown while making pizza dough for our homemade pizza (Saturday tradition) and Calvin might have given me a very sweet hug. I told him how I felt and that I love him more than the table but that I'm still angry about the table but also that I'm mad at myself for being mad at him. I think he understands?

It might be time to take a short nap before I melt down more. I'm so tired.

SugarHouse Park - overcast, warm, humid

With the boy I love much more than my table...sigh.....

workout updates

June 25: Easy 5K at Zermatt Resort; 33:12, 6:38/km, ave HR 145. Felt a bit tired, but not bad.

June 26: 45 min elliptical at Zermatt. Felt good.

June 27-29: recovering from huge anniversary party on the 26th (25 years!) and prepping for vacation to Indiana. Stupid busy and stupid tired. Did nothing. Also, feeling pretty ill from not taking the escitalopram; have had to take 2.5mg every few days to just manage, but don't really feel great.

June 30: easy 5K in Grand Junction, CO, where we were camping on the 1st day of vacation. 34:05 for 6:49/km with ave HR??? Forgot my HR monitor :/. My Fitbit says 123 but that's not right...that must include a stop or 2 for photos/rest at 2.5km point.

July 1: rest day - camped in Salina, KS and thunderstorms kept us up much of the night. UGH! I felt lousy.

July 2: easy 6K in Indiana at Laurie's house. SO HUMID. 40:30 for 6:45/km with ave HR 147 according to my Fitbit. Seems close anyway.

July 3: Cross-training - rode Matt's bike outside for 45 min, and went about 19km (11.8 miles). Much more comfortable than walking in that humidity.

July 4: easy 6K in Indiana. Still SO humid. 40:55 for 6:49/km with ave HR 140 according to Fitbit.

July 5: felt lousy. Took another rest day. Just couldn't face the humidity!

July 6: Drove to Peoria, Ill., and met Ollie for lunch. Did 10K at his pace (1:20:53, 8:05/km), which was fine given that it was 27.2C (81F) and 54% humidity, which is high for me (and for Calvin, who tagged along). It was definitely cooler than normal for there in summer, but felt pretty hot to me. I have to do some heat training....(ugh). Maybe when I feel a bit stronger. Then we drove to Keokuk, IA to meet up with my family members (aunt, cousins, etc).

July 7: Finally some good weather! Did 9.5km at 6:54/km and ave HR 131 according to Fitbit, for what it's worth. It was 17.2C (63F) with 77% humidity. It felt really nice out. My legs got really tired at the end, and it was a bit hilly (60m elevation gain along the route), but so nice to do a bit of a nostalgia tour of where my grandparents used to live, and where my parents went to high school. Then we drove all day and camped in Ogallala, Nebraska.

July 8: rest day - driving home! Got home about 6pm and made dinner. Felt very nauseated/headachy/dizzy so took 2.5mg escitalopram. Felt better later in the evening.

July 9: Legs were really off from being in the car so much, but went out for a walk anyway. It was warm at 23.9C (75F) and quite humid for Utah at 54%, and my legs were definitely annoyed with me, and I felt sluggish. 6K at 6:58/km with ave HR 139. In other news, signed up for WMA 2018 in Malaga, even though I'm deathly slow. Maybe I'll feel better by then. Maybe I won't. I won't be last, so I'll probably compete. I'm having trouble getting excited about the trip to Spain, and sorta wishing I hadn't bought the tickets, except that my kids and hubby are super excited to go. Sigh....I was hoping this mystery illness thing would be better by now.

July 10: Knew I had to do some speed work, and am finally feeling semi-human from decreasing the escitalopram (though not 100% by any means). Jim had tasked me with a 5K fartlek at 85% effort for the previous day, but because of vacation did it one day late. Wow, was I ever slow, but hey, I'm just grateful I could do it. 33:30 for 6:38/km with ave HR 152.

July 11 (today): Cross-training. Rode my bike to work, uphill...about 25 min of good cardio. Then home (flying!).

This time I really mean it. Resuming training, yet again. PTC training - week 1. Weight Watchers Summer - week 1.

My last post was entitled "Resuming Training". Um, yeah. That went well (not).

Fatigue has continued to be an issue, but at least in the last month I know it's because I was totally burning the candle at both ends with our pastoral search committee work for church. I made the deliberate choice to take another break and try again starting this week. Then my dad got really, really sick (bad bad bad GI bug) and my mom is vacationing in Spain, and yeah, that was stressful. I mentioned all this to my family doc, who has tried in the past to find answers to my fatigue, and she said we should try upping my anti-depressant/anti-anxiety meds - could be related to depression. OK, sure, why not? I will do anything. I just want to feel better.

I did all my workouts this week. They were slow, but whatever. I am telling myself that I am just happy to be out there at this point, which is (mostly) true.

Sunday: 6K trail run (not on the schedule, just did it with Calvin)
Monday: 6K 6:44/km
Tuesday: 4K 6:55/km plus 3x200m @85% in 3:21
Wednesday: elliptical 40 min
Thursday: 3K fartlek (19:34; legs like concrete; warm at 22.8C)
Friday: elliptical 40 min
Saturday: 10K 6:50/km (photo above - me & boy-o and dogs)

I also went to Weight Watchers today. Weight - an ugly 169.4. (At home - 168.0). That has to be down to about 160 by August or I might die of embarrassment when staying with my very fit friend Katie.

OK, have got my work cut out for me. Onward.

cross-training; 8K on tired-ish legs

Sunday: weather was amazing for early February - low 60s and sunny - so couldn't resist some basketball with Calvin. Loren and Grace came to the park, too, and we all played HORSE for some shooting practice, and then Calvin and I played one-on-one half court for about 45 min. It was great exercise and a lot of fun, too! I'm a dismal shooter, so even though I am double Calvin's weight and a foot taller, he actually did pretty well against me. We were really breathing and worked up quite a sweat - Calvin's face was all red when we were done. He actually laid down on the grass and crashed when we finished. I regard it as a supreme accomplishment to have worn out my 10-year-old. I felt fine...yesterday...but today I'm quite sore :) (and Calvin is NOT!). 10-year-olds have some advantages!

Then last night the kids' youth group went ice skating and of course I couldn't resist coming along for the fun. I skated a lot and practiced all the moves I remembered from my classes. It was good to be back on skates again. My toe was very sore after the basketball and a bit sore after the skating as well; I iced it after each event.

Today: still nice weather. It was 54F (12C) and windy this morning. Not too windy to racewalk outside though. I wore lightweight tights and a long-sleeved shirt because of the wind; normally at 54F I'd wear short sleeves and shorts, but not today. I took the dog and tried holding the leash by draping it over my left arm and then holding the end in my fist, but it was too hard to RW that way, so I went back to tying her around my waist. I just hope she doesn't freak out randomly again.

My legs were pretty sore from yesterday's basketball and skating, and by 5km I was very tired. However, I still managed a decent time, and besides, time still doesn't matter. I just need to get out there and get back into it. I did the 8km in 52:20 for 6:32/km with ave HR 145. HR was lower than it has been - that might be a good sign.

Garmin data here. 

In other news, my boss got into the Wasatch 100 in the lottery. I think he's insane, but I admire it all the same. Our lab might set up some aid stations for him and cheer him on to the finish.

And finally, can't remember if I posted that I lost 1.6lb last week. I'm doing a bet on stickK.com, and welcome your support. I want to be at a decent weight for the 15K in May :).

easy 5K

Today an easy 5K was on the schedule. I was glad it was only 5K because my legs got a bit tired around 3K. No weird soreness, though, so we are all good so far.

It was a bit warmer this morning - unusually warm for January, in fact. It was 2.8C (37F), calm and cloudy. The pollution levels were higher, in the "yellow" zone, with PM2.5 at 13 ug/m3. That's still pretty low here for January, so not complaining too much there. I did my part and took the bus to work this morning, and walked the kids to school.

Total for today was 32:18 for the 5K, which is 6:27/km with ave HR 145. 

It's been a very stressful week with lots of things to take care of regarding Loren's dad's estate, and lots of conversations with family members. Some very stressful, and some very nice, mostly depending on which family member we were talking too :). I'm just noting this because I want to sort of keep tabs on the stress levels in my blog, so if that affects things a lot I'll be more informed.

Very difficult week

The last week has been ridiculously hard. I am not going into the details here; suffice it to say that my father-in-law died last Tuesday, and we had to suddenly pick up and go to Bakersfield, CA, where he lived. My husband is the executor of his estate, which is a difficult job, especially in this case.

I did manage to exercise. Some. I didn't eat too much, which is amazing. I actually appear to have lost a little weight, which is good.

Wednesday - prepping for trip. No time to exercise.

Thursday - driving all day. No workout.

Friday - elliptical 45 min at a gym in Bakersfield.

Saturday - elliptical 40 min and 20 min RW on treadmill at said gym. Toe was OK with that. I hate the treadmill but got Loren to walk on an adjacent treadmill so that was good.

Sunday - elliptical 45 min at gym.

Monday - driving all day. No workout.

Today - back in Salt Lake; went to the gym and did Kit's 6am spinning class. It was good, but I'm very, very tired now. Hopefully more sleep tonight.

***

Injury update: my toe is improving. It doesn't hurt as much for casual walking, though I still have a slight limp. Putting on socks is no longer painful as long as I'm careful. After all day on my feet, it still swells and is uncomfortable, but at least it's not hurting all the time. I can racewalk limited amounts and it does all right. Now that it's been 7 weeks, I might try racewalking a bit longer distances, though my muscles will object. I wish I could have racewalked this week, but it just wasn't in the cards with the location of our hotel and all the family business that had to be taken care of.

***

Here's a photo of Loren's dad which I really like, from the early 70s (I think). He died peacefully in his sleep at home, which we were all grateful for. Cause of death was heart disease/chronic bronchitis officially, but emphysema was his companion for the last few years. Yes, he was a long-time smoker. If you are reading this and you smoke, please do yourself a favor and quit.

Still here

Workouts ---

Sunday: rest day

Monday: Spinning with Jen, 1 hr class, nice and hard. It was a steady state workout, but I pushed it because I was in the mood for a good hard workout.

Tuesday: Spinning with Miguel, 1 hr class, amusing! Miguel has the largest collection of very very bad 60s and 70s covers that I have ever heard. They were so bad that they made me laugh. His class was also rather, um, interesting. He liked to spin very, very, very fast (i.e. he was going at probably 110rpm much of the class) in very low gears. Either that, or max the gear out climbing. I aimed for somewhere in between and actually got a great workout. He was a pretty funny guy, and I think he's the regular sub for spinning at the gym. People seemed to know him, at least.

Today: Spinning with Jen, 90 min class, but I got there 5 min late and the class was more like 85 min, so it wasn't quite that long. She had us do a good steady-state workout; the main set was 7 minute chunks divided into hard climb at 60-70 rpm and flat road at 100 rpm with 10-sec accelerations every minute on the flat road. The first one was 1 min climb, 6 min flat road; then 2 min climb, 5 min flat road - etc. until 7 min climb, then 7 min flat road. I tried to keep my heart rate low to mid 140s for the workout, like I would racewalking on an easy day. That worked out well.

***

Mood and other things: I'm definitely moderately depressed again. Sigh. It's not too awful, but it's certainly not the best. As a result, I'm continuing to struggle with my food intake, and am just feeling really tired all the time. The exercise is probably the only thing keeping me from feeling worse. I know I have a bit of seasonal affective disorder, so I got out my light again and am giving that a go. It's probably only natural to feel a bit down, as 1) it's winter (and has been bitterly cold the past couple days, setting off my Raynaud's phenomenon), 2) my toe still hurts and I still can't racewalk (though actually the toe is gradually improving - still hurts to put on socks, but not as much; still hurts to walk, but not as much), 3) work has been busy and family has been busy, making me more tired than usual.

Thankfully, I will have a 4-day weekend and will not have to come in to work at all, which I sorely need right now. In addition, the family obligations have tapered off. I'm glad, because I feel I just need to be at home reading and sleeping and just trying to recuperate.

Tailspin? (OR) Not. Giving. Up.

I'm not sure what to call this post.

Option A:

Tailspin?

I've had a bad couple of days in the food department, despite my resolution earlier in the week. The scale is ugly right now. Really ugly. I feel like I'm going to spinning class in vain. I can't out-exercise my fork...and I know this to be true...and I feel like giving up.

So hard. Have been working several hours a day even though it's "vacation" because a grad student who went out of town unintentionally dumped a LOT of work on me. Said grad student honestly didn't realize how much work it was going to be to continue the project. But I am stuck with it, and for the first time in memory, I had to work on Christmas Day for a rather lengthy period of time. I know it could be worse; doctors, nurses, police, etc. work lots more on holidays. But I usually don't.

Lots of family in town, which is fun but also more work. I have been doing lots and lots of cooking, cleaning, etc. I'm pretty tired, which lowers my food resistance. Add in the fact that there is a LOT LOT LOT of junk food around the house and it's just a nightmare. This too shall pass, but I need to get out alive. Feel like I'm in a tailspin.

Option B:

Not. Giving. Up.

What is my alternative? If I'd given up earlier in the month, this would be even worse and the scale would have an even higher number. Seems impossible, but must be true. Seriously, if I hadn't been trying to keep the weight and the appetite at bay (which I have...believe it or not!), I bet I could have gained 20 pounds in one month. It's ridiculous.

If I give up now, I know I will just be completely miserable. I don't ever want to go back to the way I used to live before I lost the weight. I'm not that person any more, but I also still have plenty of issues. It's confusing.

So....

I went spinning this morning. It was a great class, with Jen. I'm motivated to reset the food intake, and today is more relaxing, as everyone but me and Calvin is out skiing. I can't ski (broken toe) and don't want to unless it's cross-country, but of course they are downhill skiing. However, I have to go to work (again........whee.........), and we are all going out to dinner tonight, which presents its own fun set of challenges. I'm mentally prepared now, but by evening my willpower is usually depleted a bit. A nap might help. Relaxing WILL help. Calvin and I plan to chill and shop for books, and hang out and play games a bit. I am looking forward to a day with my boy :). (Wow, this paragraph is really disjointed stream-of-consciousness!). The point is that I really am NOT. GIVING. UP.

Today is a new day. Get ready. Reset. Go.

cross-training mode

I'm in full-on cross-training mode. Discovered yesterday that the elliptical doesn't hurt :). That's HUGE :). So now I can spin or do the elliptical; I could possibly swim but I know it'd hurt to push off the wall with both feet, and I'd probably have to use the pull buoy - not sure I could kick. Besides, I don't really enjoy swimming that much, and would rather do the elliptical or bike. I enjoy reading novels and/or the newspaper on the elliptical (on my Kindle), so that works well. Exercise AND reading at the same time! Hard combination to beat, if you've got to cross-train.

I'm trying to avoid asking "Why me?" questions, and instead just focus on "What will I do with these circumstances?". It's a better and more useful question anyway. I'm thoroughly enjoying the extra sleep that I'm getting on this long weekend, and the chance to do a bit of housework (toe permitting...periodically I have to stop and ice it, as it gets really sore). Yesterday I did the traditional day-after-Thanksgiving turkey soup and tree decorating with my family, and though my toe did require that I stop after a while, I still very much enjoyed the day.

Training -

Friday: 30 min elliptical; 15 min stationary bike.

Today: 45 min elliptical; 15 min stationary bike.

Foot photos, and a few others:

cross-training; 6K

Yesterday: 25 min on stationary bike, then rode bike with kids to Club U, then rode up the hill to work.

Today: 6K racewalking :)! Felt good. Nice weather this morning after the rain and cold; it was still chilly for June at 48F (~9C) but I felt good in my capris and long-sleeved shirt. Didn't wear gloves and that was OK. Brought the dog, and she enjoyed it :).

Today was good - no weird soreness and finished my walk in good form and feeling decent. Happy!

Total time 38:06 for 6:21/km with ave HR 142.

Garmin data here.

Edited to add: after this I rode my bike to work. Probably shouldn't have risked it, but I'm feeling better and the weather is so lovely that I couldn't resist. I feel good now (lunch time) with no weird soreness at all, so I think that it was a risk worth taking.

***

Now if only I could keep my eating under control. After a good start to the week, Tuesday and Wednesday were not good :(. Grrrrrrrrrr. Am thinking I might start e-mailing Kelly my food for each day, so that I have some accountability. Not sure that will help, but I don't know…have to do something. I thought being able to train again and focusing on Portland-to-Coast would help, but so far I have not managed to get back in the mental groove. I know one thing: I do not want to show up and be a drag on my team! So I have to figure this out.

***

Had breakfast with my dad this morning for Father's Day (delayed), and really enjoyed it. I like seeing dad first thing in the morning, when we are both at our best for the day. Good times. It's not easy to pencil into my busy schedule but it's worth it. :)

Saturday-today

Saturday: 35 min elliptical

Sunday: rest day

Tried to rest up a lot on the weekend, and was mostly successful. Of course there was still laundry, cooking, and yeah, even a bit of work (a couple hr on Sat, and an hour on Sun). But I did feel I got a good amount of rest.

Monday: 20 min elliptical (slept very poorly - middle of the night insomnia, which is not like me usually, but seems to be a feature of my illness - and this was all I could manage).

Today: Woke unrefreshed but I didn't have middle of the night insomnia, so it was better than how I felt yesterday morning. Sort of. Legs were sore (why? haven't been doing anything?), mind felt foggy. I went out and did 5K with the dog, and I'm glad I did, even though it made my legs hurt the rest of the day (weird soreness upon sitting - and I sat a good amount at work because I was planning some molecular cloning projects I need to work on - sat in front of the computer staring at DNA sequence for a while, trying to figure it out). Total time was 32:21 for 6:29/km with ave HR 146. Kinda slow. Whatever! Garmin data here.

I went to my family doc this morning, along with Calvin. He had a well-child checkup, and happily all is indeed well with him. He didn't even need any vaccinations, as he's all caught up and there aren't any more until he is 11. He was happy about that! Since I have a captive audience, here are 2 photos of the kiddos from today. They're just too cute :). Of course, I'm obviously a bit biased. Grace had her face painted in her Spanish & art afterschool program ("Arteprimero"), and Calvin is chowing down on a cannoli from Harmon's Emigration Market, just before soccer practice.

Back to my doctor appointment. My family doc has no idea what is going on, essentially. He said it could possibly be chronic fatigue, but that is a diagnosis by exclusion and so it's a tough call. He seemed to think a repeat visit with my rheumatologist was a good idea. I called yesterday to move up my rheumatologist appointment from June 17 to sooner, but the soonest they could move it to was May 27. That's not very soon, but I'm grateful nonetheless.

So meanwhile, I wait, and feel tired, and try to be grateful for what I DO have :).

I can still racewalk short distances and enjoy the outdoors like I did this morning.
Though I've gained some weight, it hasn't been a lot and I am managing it OK. Could be better, but could be a lot worse.
I am glad for my amazing kids. Their summer goal is to read the Harry Potter books in Spanish. Last summer they read them all in English, so now we're upping the challenge.
I'm grateful for a very good job that I do love, even if it has been a bit frustrating lately.
I'm grateful for music, and thinking I need to spend a bit more time doing music, since I can't exercise as much.
I'm thankful for books. I've been reading more, and it's wonderful.
I'm glad Loren has felt up to helping around the house a bit more, and we have made some progress on our bedroom redecoration/refurnishing project.
I'm grateful for my good friend Sarah, who listened to me ad nauseum last night with love and concern.
I'm glad my parents live nearby and that we have a good relationship; I very much enjoyed having breakfast with my dad last week and I also enjoy coffee with my mom on a regular basis.
There's lots more…but I am feeling better just listing what is here :).

Hiking, rest day, and cross-training

Friday: My brother, an avid mountaineer, was in town. So I took the day off and we went hiking, of course! He originally had planned for us to do Lone Peak or Twin Peaks, but decided those were too hard for Erica (his wife) and I to do, so he switched our hike to Pfiefferhorn. It was still very difficult! If I'd been in better shape to start with it wouldn't have been as hard as it was, but even so, the class 3 scrambling with exposure was pretty scary for me and I doubt I'd do it again. I'm glad I did it, but...yeah...scary.

It was about 15K total (actually a bit more, at 9.5 miles or so), with 3800 feet (1100m) of elevation gain and then loss on the way back. Wow. But it was very beautiful hiking through forests, past alpine lakes, through meadows of profuse wildflowers, and then over boulders on a knife-edge ridge. The summit views were spectacular, showing us the Salt Lake and Utah valleys, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Mt. Timpanogos, and more.









On the way down, all was well until about 12k, when my right IT band pulled its usual hiking stunt and started to hurt. The last 3k was a slow slog for me, but I made it. My quads are seriously paying for the adventure now, but oh well. It was worth it.

Here are all of the photos. Here's my Garmin data.

***

When I got back into cell phone range, I was stunned to have a message from the camp director of the summer camp my kids are in. I discovered that they were BOTH at the hospital (thankfully with my husband Loren) from separate accidents at the roller skating rink. Calvin fell first, bracing his fall with his arms and fracturing his radius and ulna. They set the fracture with him sedated, and he is doing fine now, though in some discomfort. Just after the camp director got back to the skating rink, Grace fell and split her chin open, requiring 5 stitches. They took her over to be with Calvin and Loren at the hospital. By the time I got back from hiking, they were almost ready to leave the hospital, so I didn't go. I was quite relieved to be reunited with them and they are going to be fine.

***

Saturday: rest day. I needed it, after all that excitement!

***

Sunday: quads still hurting a lot, and calves too. However, I need exercise! So I decided to try the elliptical, and it was fine. I did 40 min elliptical in my swimsuit and shorts, and then peeled off the shorts and jumped into the pool for 20 min of laps. That felt quite nice after the elliptical, and gave my legs a rest.

Rest day part 2

Today is my second rest day. My legs were feeling rather lousy yesterday but feel much better today. I almost feel normal again! My right hip is a touch sore but so much better overall. I hope that I'll be rested enough to do 15K tomorrow at the minimum.

***

Enjoyed taking my dad out to breakfast today for his 70th birthday (which was last week, but today is when we got around to it). Gosh, that's hard to believe.

***

In other news, here are all the pictures from the Salt Lake Half Marathon. There are lots, and I look legal in all of them. Soaking wet and legal.

6.25km and a bike ride :); Happy Easter!

I haven't done more than 5K since January 15th, but I was feeling good this morning after two cross-training days, and plus it was Easter (probably my favorite holiday?) and so I was in a good mood and felt like a longer walk. I decided to do one of my favorite routes for a shorter walk, just out to Liberty Park, around the park, and back. I did some step-downs with the band around my knees to activate my glutes before and during my walk. I stopped each 2km to stretch it, do a few leg swings, and do some step-downs. I focused really hard on keeping my form intact. I had minimal discomfort which felt a lot better after stretching; it's still getting tight when I walk, though not as bad when I really focus on using my glutes properly, especially with my left leg. After my walk (and before as well), I rolled out the piriformis on the medicine ball. Excellent! It just gets it so much better than the foam roller, for some reason.

Here's my Garmin data. I walked pretty fast; went through 5K (more downhill than uphill) in 29:31, and then finished in 37:22 for 5:59/km with average HR of 148.

***

Later, after eating a nice Easter dinner (in which I showed some restraint) and dessert/candy (less restraint...but I will use my weekly WW points for that), I decided that biking up to work was a good idea. I had to go up there to set up minipreps and figured I'd bike and get some more exercise. It was delightfully warm at about 70F (21C) and I loved soaking in the sun and the warmth. Easter CAN be cold and snowy here, so I was glad it was so lovely today.

Garmin data for bike ride.

8K

I got home late last night. I'm thankful for power, hot water, and internet access. I was very happy to see my family! As soon as I got in I went into the kids' rooms and hugged and kissed them. They didn't wake up, but I was just so happy to see them.

This morning I met my friend Kelly for a walk. We did a nice easy 8K together, and it was so nice to train with someone. We have the same coach, and we're going to ask Jim to write us programs that allow us to train together when possible. We are both thinking to do the 20K in California in March as our next race. I was going to skip that one and just do the 15K in May, but Jim is trying to talk me into it, and I will discuss it with Loren and see if we can make that work.

Anyway, the 8K this morning went well. My legs are a bit sore from the weight training on Wednesday, but not too bad. My left hamstring or whatever it is that is bugging me didn't give me much trouble today. I don't know why it's getting better, but hey, I'm not complaining! I noticed it, but it didn't really hurt much or slow me down.

Total time 49:16 for 6:10/km with ave HR just 141.

Garmin data here.

Interesting weekend...

It was an interesting weekend week in Pennsylvania. I went on Friday for my high school reunion (25 years!) Saturday night and for the 30K national racewalk held in New York on Sunday morning. I was scheduled to fly out Monday morning, but due to Hurricane Sandy my flight was cancelled. I rebooked for Wednesday but that flight was later cancelled. Finally I rebooked for today, and I'm now sitting in the airport ready to fly out. Wow.

The reunion was a lot of fun (photos here) - good friends and a good time catching up, plus a "Philly buffet" including my faves - cheesesteak, soft pretzels, and Tastykakes! I tried everything but didn't eat too much because of the race the next morning. Got to sleep around midnight and then was up at 5 am to drive to New York.

I got a bit lost in New Jersey but only lost about 20 min on the way to the race, and so I arrived 40 min before the race, which was plenty of time. You don't need to warm up much before a 30K! I thoroughly enjoyed seeing my racewalking friends and saying hi before the race. I met Maria Michta, our 20K Olympian from this summer, and talked science with her (she's getting her Ph.D. in microbiology).

The race went surprisingly well. There are pictures here on Facebook - mostly of the men's 50K competitors and the 30K competitors who finished after me, but there are some shots of the awards too. Basically, I started out 95% sure I wouldn't finish, and about 12K into the race I was sure I wouldn't finish. I decided to get to 15K and quit. I quite literally had a "pain in the butt". But at 15K, it felt a bit better and so I kept going. It never really got bad again until I had less than 5K to go, and then I knew I would finish no matter what! It wasn't horrible, though - I wasn't limping like I was on the track a few weeks ago. I didn't push hard (for obvious reasons) and my time was a bit slow, but I FINISHED!!!!!!!! I was ecstatic to finish, and it was SO FUN to be out there racing with my friends. Yeah...time was really slow, at 3:14:03, but oddly enough I didn't care.

The funny thing is that my pain in the butt is getting better, despite the race. The day after the race I took a rest day because of the hurricane (impossible to exercise!) - rain, wind, etc. We got 75mph wind gusts - it was HOWLING out there and I was glad to be inside (my friend's parents took us in because we didn't want to have to pay for hotel for extra days; so we got to couch surf!). On Tuesday morning it was much better so I went for an easy 5K walk, and it only took about 31 min! My hamstrings were quite sore, and I have a sore toe (blisters) but otherwise it was great. On Wednesday, after almost 48 hr w/o power, my friend's mom took me to the gym, which had power! I got in an hour on the elliptical, lifted weights and did my glute exercises, and got a HOT shower :). Yay! Today we still did not have power. It was pretty cold in the house (probably 55F, 12C) but we felt lucky that we had no trees in the roof and no flooding.

I went for a walk this morning and walked a really fast 10K. Not sure how I did that - maybe the Garmin was off? I walked 58:31 and felt great. I went by my old house though, and there was a tree down and serious roof damage. It was a very large old tree and fell right into the master bath on the east side of the house. I took lots of pictures and talked with the son of the "new" owners (who most likely bought the house from my parents back in 1987, he thought). The son lives in my old room, which I thought was pretty funny. Anyway, he said this was the 3rd tree to fall on the house since his parents had bought it - one fell on the sun porch and damaged the whole front of the house, and one fell from the back yard and I'm guessing damaged the patio and room my brother used for a bedroom, as that has been removed from the house and replaced by just a flat patio. Here are the pictures I took.

I really enjoyed my walk - loved walking in the old neighborhood and seeing how it looks now - pretty similar, actually. I walked where my mom used to run back in the 1980s, and where I tried to run with her so long ago (and gave up because it was too hard!).

Anyway, I've got a plane to catch so must go!

10K

I cross-trained yesterday and Friday, and tried to rest my hip. I was hoping that I'd do well today; Jim had told me to do 20K today if possible.

It was nice out: 46F (8C) and calm and clear. I got started and felt decent for about 5K. However, that didn't last long. I did the first 5K in 31:10 or so, but then my hip really started to hurt and while I was able to walk, I was much slower and knew I'd have to stop at 10K (I was doing 5K loops). I was very disappointed, but not terribly surprised. I made it to 10K in a slow 1:04 for 6:20/km with ave HR just 139 because of how slowly I had to go and how much I stopped to stretch.

I think I'm done for the season. I could keep pushing, but it doesn't seem wise at this time. I'm not 100% for sure writing the race off, but unless my hip is a lot better very soon, it's clear that I won't be able to do it.

Amazingly, I feel at peace about this. It just seems right to stop pushing. I have to rest anyway, because I obviously can't train like this, and so I'll cross-train this week and maybe try another walk after 5-6 days. However, I am pretty sure that I'll be volunteering at the race instead of racing.

***

In other news, my coach's brother died early this morning. I'm very sad for him and for his parents especially. His brother had a degenerative neurological disorder and they had known for a while that he was not going to make it, but that doesn't make it any easier for the family. I wish I lived closer so that I could do more for them. At the very least I can keep them in my thoughts and prayers.

***

My mom continues to improve after breaking her tibia badly two weeks ago. She is feeling better now and can get around the house OK with her walker. She won't be able to drive or to walk for 5 more weeks, but I'm helping out around the house and lots of friends have brought meals to my parents, so they are managing OK. It's not been easy for them, but they are getting by.

***

All of this puts racewalking more in perspective. It's one race, and if I can't do it, so what? No big deal. I'm still healthy and in good shape, and I can train more next year. There's always another race :).

15K

Good thing my coach is so good. He knew today would be tough. I was assigned 20K, but he told me on Thursday that if I didn't have it not to do the full 20K, and that it wouldn't matter much for the 30K race. Well, he was right, and it was really hard today. My legs were still very sore from Thursday's workout, and by 6.5k they were not only sore but really tired, too. I still managed a better pace than Tuesday's 12K, so it could have been worse! Plus, it was a lovely morning (50F or 10C to start, sunny, clear) and it was SO nice to be outside. I enjoyed that much even if the walk itself really hurt. I *could* have done 5K more, but with the week ahead...yeah, not a good idea. It would have really hurt - I was slowing down quite a lot and my legs were done.

5K splits: 31:38, 32:07, 32:53 for 1:36:38; 6:27/km average pace; ave HR 138.

Garmin data here.


***

Yesterday: cross-training (elliptical), abs/core/stretching with Lisa, plus biking to work.

***

Also of note - my mom was hiking yesterday in Little Cottonwood Canyon with my aunt, who's visiting from Dallas, TX. My mom fell and fractured her tibia badly; it took the paramedics almost 8 hours to get her down from the trail. They were on the Red Pine trail and were several miles from the trailhead when she fell, and she had to be carried down since she couldn't walk (of course!). She had surgery at 3:30 am this morning and is doing OK now. She'll be in the hospital a few more days, so I'm off to visit her soon.

5x800/200

Yes, I know, I was supposed to do 7x800/200. I overslept my alarm again :(. Apparently I'm still a bit overtired, despite a nice nap for an hour yesterday afternoon. Of course, before the nap I did go to church (and play the piano for prelude, offertory, and communion - the usual), do a Costco run, and take the kids to a birthday party. It was a swimming party, and I was in the pool with them a good deal of the time. Obviously I need to learn to slow it down a bit on my rest days, but it's very difficult balancing home and family life with training. I was thinking about that this morning, as I knew I was running late, and Calvin woke and asked me to fix the tape on his toe (a toenail ripped off a bit too short). I did that, and then he wanted my attention about a few other things, and finally I told him "I really have to go to the track now, Calvin. I'm late!" I felt bad about that, but Calvin can really keep you going for a while if you let him, and you have to draw the line somewhere. It's a balancing act.

So, while I was warming up on the track, I was thinking about what kind of mother I am. I was worrying that I don't have the right balance. I enjoy doing lots of things with my kids: Kindermusik, piano lessons, ice skating, helping them with homework, and special things like taking them to the planetarium, more-than-weekly playdates with their friends. However, I know that none of my friends who have kids this age expect their kids to get dressed and get themselves breakfast in the morning while mommy is off working out (and daddy is home sleeping), and I do expect mine to do that. And actually, most of the time, they DO it. They might not match their clothes well, and sometimes they dress too warmly or not warmly enough. They don't always make the best breakfast choices, either, but they are doing better. I guess as I write this that I see the benefits of expecting them to fend for themselves a bit in the mornings. But still, sometimes I wonder if I'm doing it well enough.

The weather was perfect this morning - 45F (7C), sunny, and calm. Despite that, I almost left the track after 2 warm-up laps. I knew I didn't have time to do all seven 800/200s, and the mommy guilt was getting to me. But I felt good and I told myself I'd just do ONE 800/200 and see how it went. Then if it went well, I'd keep going. I only warmed up for 1200m total with some strides and some dynamic stretching, and then got started.

The first 800 I took it pretty easy, remembering last time I did this workout that I went out too fast and it wasn't good at all. I did a 4:16.1, with average heart rate of just 142 and max 152. Wow, that was fast for the easy effort. However, my right hip was hurting a little bit...annoying...but I kept going as I basically felt pretty good. After 30 sec rest, I did the 200, and it was a smokin' fast 53.9 seconds. The 2 min rest felt nice and long, and I didn't even consider quitting. The hip continued to nag me a bit during the workout, but it never got to be more than a twinge. I was revved to keep going despite the hip. I continued to do them fast and well, feeling really in control and surprised at my times. 4:11.1, 53.1, 4:10.8, 54.0, 4:08.0, 53.5, 4:10.7, 53.1. By the last one, I was working hard but not unmanageably so. I probably should not have done that last one due to time, but I did it anyway, because I was having such a good workout. I did manage to get the kids to school on time as well :) so it all worked out just fine. I feel sure I could have done 2 more under 4:15 and 0:55; I was fatiguing, yes, but not so much that I couldn't do a couple more...but of course I didn't have time.

Well, I did the best I could, and this is my best set of 800s ever. Too bad I couldn't do all seven. My only concern is technique. I wonder what is going on w/my hip, and also hope I am still legal. I feel that I am, but any time you make progress like this you do worry a bit if you are holding your form correctly. Am I lifting? Are my knees bent? Hopefully the answer to both is no.

Edited to add: The total time for 5K today was 25:24...wow! OK, so I did rest in between, but still...wow!

Garmin data here.

12K

In a hurry...I'm in Keokuk, IA for my grandma's funeral and we've got to get going...

Briefly, 1:14:41 for 12K, 6:13/km, felt good and all was well. Rolling hills slowed me down a little but not much. Stopped a lot to be a tourist and take photos of the town my parents grew up in. It started snowing lightly at 10K, and the wind picked up so it felt cold by the end. It wasn't that cold though; 30F (-1C). Freezing rain predicted for tonight so 15K tomorrow might be on the dreadmill :(.

Garmin connect data here.

Here are some more photos of my walk.