This week - still not improving

I'm not improving. But then again, I haven't rested well. I wanted to, but with the bathroom remodel comes certain obligations, unless I want to spend even more money, and it's already stupid expensive. I took Sunday & Monday as rest days, but I had to paint on Monday & Tuesday (Tuesday was a holiday here, and I'd arranged for the long weekend). I didn't want to, but that was how the timing went with the remodel. I did have some help from Kathryn (church friend) and Calvin, thank goodness, but even with that it was VERY taxing. It's not a small room, and I had to do the ceiling, and I wanted to do a really, really good job since the rest of the room will be a high end remodel thanks to my amazing contractor Jesse. I got it done, but at the cost of my health I'm afraid.

Add in the 10K "race" I was registered for that I did on Tuesday (the Deseret News 10K, which I usually LOVE to do), walking casually with Calvin, and racewalking just 3K (time 1:22), and that put me over the edge. I was really just dead on my feet. 

I went back to work on Wednesday and felt terrible. Definitely no exercising. I intended to just work a few hours and take some sick time, because of how I felt, but I ended up staying for my usual ~7 hours. Same on Thursday, though I felt a bit less terrible and did 20 min elliptical before work. On Friday I actually felt better, and did 30 min elliptical before work.

On Friday I also had an appointment with the hematologist to see what he thought about my anemia. Remember, I have mild anemia with a hemoglobin of 12.3 and hematocrit of 37.5. Normal for women is 13 and 39, minimum. I have a history of at least 7 years of mild anemia and my family doc thought I should get it worked up with my continuing fatigue and my desire to racewalk competitively. Add in a low white count and mild neutropenia (low # of neutrophils, which help fight infection) and it was cause to get a referral. The hematologist was excellent (and in fact, knows my boss in a roundabout manner), and we hit it off well. He looked me over carefully, took a thorough history, and had good news and bad news. The good news is that I don't have a major hematologic disorder (like, say, blood cancer). The bad news is that I have what they call "anemia of chronic disease", which means that my anemia is merely symptomatic of some other disease process, likely chronic inflammation of some type or some autoimmune disorder. Since I've been to rheumatology (the autoimmune specialists) and they didn't find anything, this is more perplexing. There is something wrong, but no one knows what it is. He suggested an immunologist, perhaps, but the direction is a bit unclear from here. I am definitely going to go back to my family medicine doc and sports medicine doc and see if they have further advice.

Meanwhile, something is very, very wrong, and I have no idea what or how to feel better. It's bad enough now that it is affecting my work and personal life, which is worse than just affecting racewalking. It's bad enough that social media is painful because then I see all my racewalker friends' accomplishments and feel worse. On the bright side, I seem to be over the worst of it as far as my antidepressant withdrawal. I'm still pretty emotional, but the nausea, dizziness, headaches, and brain zaps are gone. Still, it will take my body a while to make more serotonin, and I'm likely to feel fairly lousy for a bit because of that, which is definitely not helping things. I'll get through this, but it's not fun.

12K

Yesterday: I was supposed to do the 12K yesterday, but I woke up feeling unbelievably tired and decided there was no way it was going to happen. I'd been sleep deprived for a couple days and it wasn't good at all. I don't think it was the mystery fatigue, but I'm watching for that. I've had a few times this week when I felt like I could possibly be getting a touch of the fatigue so I'm watching it. I NEED TO GET MORE SLEEP (yelling at myself). Anyway, by noon I felt better, despite going to Weight Watchers and gaining 6 lb in 2 weeks (yeah, I knew I was eating poorly, but geez!). I'm back at it again, needless to say. Spent the afternoon doing a lot of fairly heavy-ish yard work because we had to --- I was tired and didn't want to, but the problem is that we need to get it done, and it keeps raining on the weekend. This was the first weekend in a bit we've had a chance to work on it, and we wanted to take advantage. A few more good weekends and we should have most of it done, but here in SLC if we don't do it now then it just gets WAY too hot to do it. Spring is unpredictable though, so it's hard to find the right window to do yard work when it's sunny and it's the weekend!

Today: Got up and was a bit sore from the yard work, plus had to prep for having people over for Easter dinner today. Got the ham in the smoker, and made a Jell-O salad, and put candy for the kids in eggs for our Easter egg hunt, and then I had to run off to church to be there at 8:30 for music practice - I love playing for Easter so that was pretty awesome - some great piano and organ stuff. Needless to say, the 12k didn't happen until we got home from church, I made 2 pies, and then we did the Easter egg hunt. Then I could finally go racewalking, and though it was warm outside (not hot, but nicely warm - a bit warm for RW this early in the season for me) at 17.8C (64F) I actually had a decent walk. OK, it was slow, but I did a hilly route AND my legs were tired from yard work AND it was warm outside, so I think given all that I did a really good job. Photo of how GORGEOUS it was outside today above at left - SugarHouse Park was so fabulous.

After getting home I finished making dinner, entertained until 8pm (see photo above with our friends!), cleaned up until 9pm, and now ... I'm TIRED!

still alive... 6K

Yes, I'm still alive. It's been interesting. Not at all the way I wanted to start training, but life happens and you have to roll with the punches.

So I was very sick for about a week because of a tooth, which cracked in half and had to be pulled. Thankful for modern dentistry! I will be getting an implant later, but for now... yeah... I'm missing it. The before pic at top shows the crack - all the way through the tooth (1st molar, on right of photo). The after pic is the meth-head look ;). Sigh...

Then, three days after my tooth was removed, and on my second day back at work after missing three days (I was really, really sick...antibiotics are helping), my daughter broke her arm (radius, distal) AND leg (tibia) roller skating. Both are non-displaced fractures so she won't need surgery, but she cannot go to summer camp and cannot be left alone because she can't get herself around the house. She's wheelchair bound but can't get to the bathroom alone. At least now she can get to the toilet from the wheelchair and back to wheelchair; initially she couldn't even do that much and we had to lift her onto the toilet...oh yay. Plus I've had to sleep with her in the guest room because she can't go up the stairs to her room, and she can't get anything she needs in the middle of the night (pain meds, ice, bathroom, etc.). Sleep is a loose term, since I get about 2-3 hr at most before she needs something. Hopefully that will improve as she continues to have less and less pain. I expect she won't need me at night after a few more days. I hope.

I felt good enough myself to try the elliptical on Saturday, despite residual dizziness and fatigue, and I did 45 min without too much trouble. I rested Sunday and then racewalked today. I was surprised how poorly I felt today racewalking, but it went all right considering. I was really tired and still pretty dizzy, which made me glad I didn't try to RW on Saturday. I was slow, but otherwise not too bad, and my hamstring felt decent. And I did make it 6K in a pretty slow 6:45/km. But I'm trying to focus on the positive - I got out there and walked, and it was all right. Hopefully tomorrow I can do 8-10km at a better pace. Maybe I'll sleep better tonight which will help?

Garmin data here. 

Still 3 months until the 30K. I hope I can do it.

10K

It's been a good week for workouts. Today was the third day in a row that I've racewalked, and I'm happy to say that it went well. My legs were definitely tired from yesterday's 5K fartlek, and I had to push pretty hard for the last 3K to keep going at a good pace, but I did it! And with very little pain! I'd say that today might be the first day since my injury that I basically walked pain-free. Not to say that I didn't notice the injury site, but it was more awareness rather than pain, for which I'm grateful.

It was pretty nice out this morning, at 3.9C (40F) and clear and calm. Calvin and the dogs came along, and we met our friend Thomas at Liberty Park for a lap around the park and then we walked by his house before heading back toward our house. I left Calvin at the alley and went back out for my last 3.25km, since Calvin didn't want to do the full 10K; he opted to go home and play a little Mario Kart Wii before school :).

Totals for today: 1:05:41 for 6:34/km with ave HR 145. I'm every so slowly getting faster, I think. Progress is slow, but it's still progress.

Edited to add: my 2.5km splits were remarkably even at 16:18, 16:28, 16:28, 16:26.

I'm glad tomorrow is a x-training day; I have PT in the morning as well. That'll keep me busy :). But I need to rest up a bit before Saturday's 16K.

Canyonlands Half Marathon 2016 edition

Pre-race: we got here late last night, at about 9:45pm, because Grace had skiing lessons at Snowbird until 4:30pm. But the drive went well, and we arrived feeling good. I discovered that if I leaned the front seat back quite far that my hamstring was much happier, and Grace (sitting behind me) did OK with that, for which I was very thankful.

This morning: My hamstring felt good, and my legs felt rested and ready to go. We picked up our packets at the late packet pick-up, got Calvin on the bus for the 5-miler, and then Diane and I (we drove my friend Diane down for the race) walked to the half marathon buses. The scenic drive up the canyon next to the Colorado River on highway 128 is great, and even better, we got to traverse that route for the race :). Have I said yet that I love this race? All except the last 2 miles, on highway 191 back into town, which is hot and noisy, and by then you're tired! 

The race: The weather was amazing; it was calm for a while when we were waiting for the start (they bus you up there 1.5-2 hr before the race), and it was the warmest it's been pre-race. It was 13.9C (57F) at the start at 10 am. Lovely! The wind picked up and was 16kph (10mph) but it was swirling and wasn't too much of a factor as it wasn't a headwind most of the time, only occasionally. 

I felt great and quite strong for almost the whole race. I focused a LOT on my form and keeping my pelvis properly aligned. I did get quite tired at about 18.5-19km, but hey, with how little training I've had, to only have the last 2-2.5km be difficult was terrific. 

And yes, I was slow - slowest I've done this race - but it actually felt better than the last two years when I really lost it the last 3-4 miles. This time I felt much stronger. I'm pretty pleased with my slow time :), especially because the hamstring only bothered me a bit - pain was mostly 0-1/10, with occasional spikes to 2, but easily controlled with form adjustments. I think I'm finally pretty much better!!!

Oh, and I got a fun compliment about mile 11. A runner passed me, and she said, "I think you are SO bad-ass for walking this whole thing" :). 

2:18:58 for 6:35/km (hilly race, so this is pretty good I think, compared to recent workouts), with ave HR 155. 

***

Best of all, Calvin did the 5-miler and got FIRST PLACE in the 11 and under age group!!!! I am so proud of him!!!!!!!! :)

6K

Everything felt OK today. I was slow, but no slower than I have been lately. One of these days I'll get some leg speed back, I hope. Hopefully before too long, or I'm going to worry about Perth!

Calvin and the dogs came along, and we met our friend Thomas at Liberty Park for him to do a lap with us, which was quite enjoyable. The weather was really lovely, a bit overcast and 7.2C (45F).

My hamstring was OK; pain 0-1/10.

I've been very, very tired this week - feel like I haven't slept well or enough. Been going to bed a bit late; need to keep an eye on that or I'll risk fatigue problems again.

Total was 39:42 for 6:37/km with ave HR 147.

not-quite-10K

Don't worry, I'm fine. I just 1) ran out of time, and 2) had very heavy legs. I almost made it but had to stop to get the kids to school.

First, yesterday: Yoga for runners, the hard DVD. Plus a whole lot of planks and PT exercises. Wore my legs out a bit...

Today: My legs were, unsurprisingly, tired and heavy after the DVD and the PT. So, yeah, I was slow, but I am not at all worried about that. I know in the long run this will make me much stronger and less injury-prone, so I'm totally fine with being slow for now. Because I was a little slow, and because I brought Calvin and he was slow getting ready, we had to cut it a little short to get him to school. As it was he was very nearly late.

The good news? My hamstring felt very good - pain was mostly nonexistent, and sometimes 1/10. Yay!

It snowed last night and was seasonable this morning at 1.1C (34F), and the roads were (thankfully) clear and wet but not slippery.

Total: 9.54km in 1:04:27 for 6:45/km with a nice low average HR of 142. 

16K! (10 miles!)

OK, so I was slow, but I made it 10 miles for the first time since my hamstring injury in early December. I'm inching my way back, bit by bit.

 The weather was gorgeous this morning - so unusually warm - just enjoyed it for all it was worth, since it's pretty much guaranteed to snow several more times. It was 52F by my iPhone but Garmin says it was 55F (12.8C), so I dunno. But either way, it was shorts and T-shirt and no gloves weather! YAY! Calvin came along and planned to do 10K with me and the dogs, but then he was feeling really good and talked me into changing our route and we ended up doing 11K together, leaving only 5K for me to finish alone. Nice! I am very much enjoying his company as he actually loves to run and loves being outside. His commentary on everything cracks me up and entertains me as I train. Plus he's pretty silly - here's a photo of him climbing the railroad ties at 600 East at the S-line (~2500 South); I had stopped there to put Powder's poop bag in a trash can, turned around, and then he was up there. Haha!

I felt pretty good this morning. My pain was 0-2/10, mostly 1, some 0, some 2. Kind of the usual as of late. It felt better than last week's 15K, probably because I didn't do as much sitting the day before? Though I did some sitting last night, but it wasn't too bad. My legs held up pretty well until about 13.5K when they got kind of tired, but I was still able to push a bit until 16K. And yeah, I was slow, but was faster than last week. That counts for something right? 

I don't think I got as tired as the dogs. Powder went 11K and Sugar did all 16K. Now they are really not interested in moving much (photo at left) :).

1:45:55 for 16K (6:37/km) with ave HR 144. 

Cross-training

Today: PT exercises in earnest (I've been slacking a bit since going to San Diego) and then 40 min on the elliptical. I slept a bit longer and better last night and am feeling less tired today. After yesterday's speed work, I am keeping close tabs on my hamstring; I had some sciatica yesterday with sitting - fairly mild, but annoying - but today it feels 100% fine. It isn't even bothering me when I climb stairs, which is good :).

Tonight I'm taking Calvin to the symphony, so we'll see how it feels after sitting :/. They're performing Saint-Saens piano concerto #5, which is a wonderful piece, so I am excited to go.

3K fartlek

This morning I had a little trouble waking up :/. I didn't go to bed that late, but I am still a bit tired from last weekend. I should have gone to bed earlier last night, but have to catch up on all the household stuff after being gone. Never a break for this mom! But that's OK.

I did manage to get up soon enough to get myself and Calvin to the OUTDOOR track by 6:40am - yay! It's not under snow any more! And it's light out now at 6:40am! Well, until daylight savings starts in 2 weeks :/. I'll enjoy it while it lasts. Bonus: not only was it light out, but it was pretty warm at 3.9C (40F) and calm and clear. The sunrise was beautiful as we arrived at the track, but I left my phone at home by mistake, so no pictures, sorry.

I was happy to have Calvin's company this morning. We did the warm-up together; I started slowly and did the 1600m (with 2x100m strides in the last lap) in 10:25 or so. The first 2 laps were quite slow as I just focused on technique and getting a firm foundation for the workout. After the warm-up we did some dynamic stretches and then started on the fartlek. Calvin was new to the workout but I explained it to him as we warmed up, and he got it just fine. I told him to go his own speed, since he runs much faster than I racewalk. He is a good runner for his age! He did the 3K fartlek in 14:15, which is 7:40/mile (4:45/km), and he lapped me (of course!).

My fartlek was a little better than last week, at 17:58 total time and 2:53.8, 2:57.0, 3:11.5 (medium), 2:55.2, 3:09.8 (medium), 2:51.0 splits. I didn't push at my absolute hardest effort on the first 1km and the second 500m hard; more like 90% as I was trying to make sure I didn't hurt myself and watching my form. I am still feeling very cautious about the speed work. The last 500m I let 'er rip, especially on the last 100m, and it felt OK. Pain was 1-2/10 about like yesterday. Mostly it was just a mild aching but stronger twinges at times which is a good reminder to check form. My average HR was only 157, so clearly a little room to push more, but the last 500m was 164 average and 170 max, which is good. I have to be patient. I'm trying not to think about the fact that I need to do 20K faster than this morning's pace by October...but obviously that thought crossed my mind. I'm just not going to dwell on it. Train, eat right, sleep more (! bad at this!), cross-train, yoga, and PT, and it'll happen. Hopefully. And if not, well, I can have a good vacation with friends or something :)?

Garmin data here. 

decent 8K

Yesterday: Yoga for runners, the hard version, followed by lounging at Seaport Village and Coronado Island. Tough day ;). Flew home last night and managed to get to sleep by 11pm, which isn't too awful, but it was later than I'd have liked.

Today: when the alarm went off at 5:50-ish I wasn't at all ready to get out of bed (darn time zone thing - that is 4:50-ish in San Diego!). But I managed to get up and get out the door for 8K with Calvin and the dogs. That part was awesome. I love having company, and since Kelly isn't training with me much with all her wedding preparations, it is nice to have Calvin along (and we put on the SAME shirt, coincidentally! (our Cold Turkey 2014 shirts)). The weather was great too - warm! 6.1C (43F) and calm and cloudy. My legs were feeling a bit sore in the glutes from the yoga (good!) but it didn't seem to hurt my workout at all. In fact, Calvin noticed I was speedier today, and I was. Not that I was fast, but finally I did 6:30/km again! I did the 8K in 52:04 with ave HR 144; however, the HR would've been higher had I not had to stop FOUR (yes FOUR) times for dog poop pickup. Geez. Stupid dogs! It was like they saved up all weekend for me to come back and take them racewalking or something.

Oh, and some good news: pain level today was frequently ZERO, though it was also 1/10 for a good part of the walk. Still, it's better. I am working hard on technique every time I'm out there.

Garmin data here. 

cross-training; 10K

Yesterday: cross-training, coach's orders. I did 45 min elliptical.

Today: 10K. Not even 500m into the workout I tripped (over the dog? over my own feet?) and went down, hard. I put my hands down (duh! - but in my defense it happened SO fast) but thankfully was wearing gloves (which didn't even rip - yay!) and also hit my right kneecap pretty hard. I didn't rip my tights though :) and the only residual problem is a bruise, amazingly enough. I got up and shook it off and was able to do the whole 10K, no problem.

Calvin came with me for the first 8K, as he is training for the Canyonlands 5-miler in March. I'm doing the half marathon (easy pace), assuming that my hamstring is up for it. I think it will be. I hope it will be. We brought along both dogs, and they were super well-behaved. We did have to make a pit stop for Calvin in Liberty Park, and I nearly froze waiting for him to use the porta-potty. It wasn't unusually cold, but after you've been working out for 20 min your clothes are sweaty and stopping makes you more cold! It was -2.2C (28F) with a little breeze, and my face was very cold. After you've been out a while in that weather your face muscles get a little numb and you slur your words a bit at times. It's amusing :).

A bit past 5K we found a sandwich, purchased from a store and wrapped, right in the middle of the road. Bummer for the person who lost it! The dogs thought it was super interesting and Calvin tortured Sugar a bit with it, but then I made him throw it out in a nearby trash can. Our dogs tend to get overweight so we can't feed them that much people food.

Good news: other than my knee, nothing hurt too much. My hamstring was a lot better today, and pain was 0-1/10. Sometimes it hurt a little bit, and sometimes not at all. I worked hard on my technique and continue to do my PT exercises. I thought a lot about stance width, cadence, using my glutes, and keeping my posture upright using my abs. I think it helped.

Total time 1:06:27 for 6:39/km with average HR just 144.  Not fast, but I'll take it, with the pain levels better :).

6.4km on indoor track

Woke up late :/ but did still make it to the track; it's just as well. I planned to do 8K and could've, but it might have been unwise. My pain in the butt was fine (1/10 after sitting a lot last night doing computer upgrade) but my glutes tired quickly today, perhaps because it was actually my third day in a row racewalking. That's good! But bad that I got tired. Well, we will fix that in a hurry. More workouts, better fitness, less tired.

After doing my glute activation exercises diligently and carefully, I did 22 laps on the track, stopping twice to roll on the ball (more preventative than anything; I didn't have much pain). I forgot to stop my Garmin the 2nd time so it's off a bit. Total time for 6437m was about 42:00 spot on, for 6:31/km. Hey, that's pretty good, except that my HR was quite high doing it. It was a moderately hard effort and my HR was in the upper 150s/low 160s at the end. My fitness will return if I can train, so I'm trying not to be at all concerned about that part. The good part is that I could train.

Weight Watchers is going pretty well. I am adjusting to a few changes in the program, but that's going fine. My biggest challenge (as usual) is not eating too much after dinner. I did well for a couple nights but not as well last night; still, I am within my points. I just need to watch it more carefully tonight. I can do this!

In other news, I made a house cleaning plan and the kids now have a schedule for their responsibilities, as do I. So I've done everything I set out to do almost a week ago except figure out how to fit in strength training. That schedule is coming soon, so stay tuned. But I've 1) gone to the doctor, 2) gone to Weight Watchers, and 3) made my household cleaning schedule. That's a start. I feel a lot better mentally tackling all of this rather than just feeling sorry for myself.

cross-training; Weight Watchers

Today I woke up pretty sore in the hamstring - I think from sitting a lot at dinner and the symphony last night. In addition, it was snowing outside and the roads were a mess. So racewalking was pretty much out of the question. Instead, I did the elliptical for 40 min and then went to my Weight Watchers meeting, as I had outlined in my plan to get ready for Perth this October.

It was good to be back at Weight Watchers. They have changed the food plan a bit but it's simple enough to do the new points system with the app for my phone. The new meeting place in Foothill Village is very nice and quite an improvement, plus it's closer to my house. I am planning to attend weekly until I get back to my goal weight, which should only take a month or two if I am diligent. I posted the Perth 2016 poster on my fridge to motivate me and keep me out of trouble :).

In other news, we put up a basketball net for Grace (and the rest of us). I think we might have to wait a bit to use it though...snow!

Thursday-Sunday: rest, x-train, 5K, 14K

Thursday: was supposed to do a 6K fartlek, but work on the house had kept me up late, AND the kids brought home some stomach virus on Tuesday that made me nauseated Wednesday night and weak on Thursday morning. I bailed and took a rest day, which was a good decision.

Friday: cross-training - biked to work and did the elliptical at the gym at the Student Life Center.

Saturday: was going to do 14K, but took Calvin out for the first 5K and my legs and body were really tired from the week's accumulated house stress, work stress, etc. I'm not going into detail here about everything but let's just say that a lot of physical labor and related stress does bad things to one's body. The 5K was laborious but it was nice to be out with Calvin. Garmin data here (though the satellite didn't kick in for 100m so it says 4.9k but it was 5.0k); 33:01 for 5K - sloooooow but done.

Sunday: after feeling mad at myself for not doing the 14K, I determined that I would do it today. And I did! And it went all right! It wasn't fast, but I felt pretty strong until about 12k and then that last 2km uphill was tiring but I still had some spunk left in me to kick it in gear, and I finished well I think. I made myself NOT think about house stuff, NOT think about work stuff, NOT think about whether or not I'd be able to train and go to Perth for WMA next year. Just stay in the moment, and enjoy the crisp fall weather. We had a cold front come through and it was so nice and refreshing out this morning. Saturday morning it was 22.8C (73F) for my 5K, but this morning was a huge contrast at 8.9C (48F) for my 14K. It was delightful!!! Calm, clear, and beautiful. I tried to really enjoy it, and mostly succeeded. Total time 1:31:33 for 6:32/km with ave HR a nice low 142. Garmin data here. 

6K

Good news - we are now under contract on our house. One step closer to moving :). It's been crazy, and there is still more to come, as the house has to be inspected and negotiations with buyers over what should be fixed follows. Hopefully the buyers will be reasonable people and we will get through all of this with a minimum of stress.

***

This morning, I did 6K. Portland-to-Coast is this Friday & Saturday, so I am taking it easier this week in preparation. The 6K went fine; I felt much more relaxed than I have because I was less worried about the house business :). I took both dogs, though, and Powder was dragging her feet as usual. I probably would've been 5-10 sec faster per km if not for dragging her part of the way when she got tired. I should quit taking her, but she needs the exercise, so I try to take her on shorter walks.

Total time was 39:20 for 6:33/km with ave HR 143.

***

Oh, and today was the first day of school. Such cuteness on my FB feed from lots of friends. Here's my kid spam...

Canyonlands Half Marathon 2015

Thursday: rest day

Friday: elliptical, 40 min

Saturday: Race day! I love this race - the scenery is amazing and it's always a great time. It is hilly by racewalking standards, but a great course meandering along the Colorado River and with so much red rock. Awesome.

I woke up feeling great and ready to go. It's cold at the start (probably 40F, 4C) and I had a coat and hand warmers and gloves and sweats, so I was OK. You have to wait around a while after they bus you up there (about 90 min) but I had put some Kindle books on my phone, so I was entertained. Usually I go with friends and have someone to chat with, but this time I came with just my family, and Calvin was doing the 5-mile race, so I was alone at the start (Loren and Grace spectated).

I didn't warm up. I was just going to do easy pace, so no need. My toes didn't thaw out until about 2 miles (3.2km) into the race, though! By the time the race started at 10 am, it was 12C (about 54F) and perfect race weather; by the finish on the highway into town it was warm but not too awfully hot at about 66F (19C). It was sunny and beautiful, and unlike last year there was just a slight breeze and not a horrid wind. Perfect.

I have done zero hills, though...and so while I felt fantastic through 15-16km, after that my legs just quit. They were DONE. Finished. Tired. No weird soreness, but I just felt like I hit the wall. The elevation increase along the course is 347ft, and the decrease is 424ft. Not too hilly by runner standards, but hilly by RW standards. Jim pointed out that this is probably why I felt so crappy. No matter. I had a great time anyway. Yeah, the last 5km was not too fun, but the rest was awesome, and I am enjoying getting away for the weekend with my family. Course profile here.

I was at 5km at about 31:30, and 10K by about 1:03. After that it got slower :). The course does have a lot more downhill in the first half, so this makes sense. I'm pleased with how I did, even though it was a minute slower than last year, because I am feeling OK (minus the achy/restless legs from overdoing it - but no weird soreness!) and I felt a LOT better in the first 15km than I did last year. Of course, there wasn't the wind, so it's hard to compare.

Total time 2:17:14 for 6:30/km with ave HR 158.

Lots of pictures below! I took photos while RW :).

Garmin data here. 

tutu guy haha!

race selfie - yup, taken while RW :)

inspirational!

Taiko drummers just after the big hill at mile 9

finishers!

5K; good solid 14K

Yesterday: unremarkable 5K with Calvin (fun!) on Fiesta Island in San Diego in 31:46 for 6:21/km. I had a little soreness afterward for an hour or two; felt that it might be the weird soreness from my mystery illness. Not 100% sure though...it was fairly mild, so that's good. I was pretty concerned, but after today not as worried.

Today: Lovely weather as usual...about 63F (17Cish?) and overcast and breezy. Wind in my face going south (the first 7km) then at my back going north (last 7 km). Felt nice to have the wind at my back for the last part. My legs were pretty good until about 11km, then quite tired the last 3km but was able to finish strong. It helped that I ran into Miranda Melville & Emmanuel Corvera at 12.5km or so - they were warming up for their speed work (Miranda had a total of 14km of speed work...she's looking good and in fine shape!) and we chatted for a minute before I continued on; they had parked at the same place I did on the Silver Strand at Fiddler's Cove. That part was not a total coincidence, as Rachel Seaman had told me on Facebook that was a good place to park for walking on the bike/running trail on the Silver Strand. It was indeed quite lovely, though state highway 75 is adjacent so it's not quiet. Still, good asphalt surface and great views! When I finished my 14km I chatted some more with them and with Tim Seaman, who was there coaching them and had his very cute daughter in the stroller.

My total for 14km was 1:29:39 for 6:24/km (subtracted 2:13 that I was stretching but forgot to stop my watch at 10.5km). I have no idea what my average HR was, but I was taking it pretty easy and when I did stop to stretch at 7km and 10.5km I checked my HR manually and it was about 150, which seemed quite reasonable.

Afterward - so far, no weird soreness (it's now 11:35 and I finished about 3 hr ago); stretched a lot and massaged piriformis with a firm ball I bought for this purpose at Target. The box also included a more spiky ball for doing feet, etc. The balls are a little smaller than a tennis ball and very hard. SUPER for massaging piriformis. Highly recommend.

Garmin data here. 

8K and feeling good

This morning I happily went out to do 8K in San Diego. It was the usual perfect San Diego winter morning, at 15C (60F) slight overcast, and a little ocean breeze. Calvin accompanied me to Mission Bay, near Mission Beach, and we enjoyed running (Calvin) and racewalking (me) along the oceanfront. Wow. So amazing. Seriously, if I were a professional racewalker, I'd live here, as Tim and Rachel Seaman do. Great choice for always having the perfect weather to train in, which does mean a lot when you're doing that many km.

Anyway, today's walk went well. I'm having a little left piriformis issue that began with the 14K on Saturday and worsened with the car ride down here, but it's not bad. I initially thought it was some of the weird soreness, but I'm now convinced it was not, and that it's just my old piriformis friend acting up again. I know what to do. It's time to break out the PT exercises and the yoga for runners. Maybe not this week while I'm on vacation, but definitely when I return.

Today's 8K went well. My legs initially felt a bit heavy (maybe from the fartlek yesterday?) but settled in quickly and I really did feel good, other than the occasional niggle from the piriformis. Calvin wimped out at 6K and so I left him in the car with my phone playing games while I did the last 2K out and back near the car. He's doing well with his training though, and should be easily up for the 5-miler (8K) in Moab on March 21 when I do the half marathon. Now will I be up for the half marathon? I think so. We'll see.

Anyway, I was fast today and felt good. Total time was 50:22 for the 8K for 6:18/km with unknown average HR. Garmin data here.