a new low

I'm feeling very, very bad.

I think it's mostly because of quitting the escitalopram, but this is the worst the problems have been in years. Fatigue, headache (splitting, in the morning - ibuprofen and acetaminophen at max doses calmed it enough so I could get to work on Wednesday & Thursday).

So...

Wednesday and Thursday - rest days. Just felt awful. Made it through work and all the other required activities, but just barely. To be fair, work has been unusually demanding in terms of attention required (many undergrads in lab) and time (just a lot of experiments going on), which is fine, but adds to exhaustion. Plus our bathroom remodel has demanded a fair amount of decision making power, which is a good thing, but adds in to the mix.

Friday - went to the track, which I was supposed to do on Thursday. Warmed up, and my legs were like lead. I feel like I have to do the workouts now though, because of Spain. But as you'll see, a course correction is in the plans now. Anyway, I did the warm-up, then 3x1km @85% effort (though perhaps I gave it a little more - it's hard to hold myself back). I felt really terrible, and was extremely slow - 6:15, 6:18, 6:22 with HR in the low to mid 160s. Not good at all. This is the worst it has been, and my muscles HURT.

Saturday - rest day, because I just have to. My body feels dead and unresponsive, and I am VERY sore - reminiscent of the weird muscle soreness I had back in 2013-2014. Makes me think that it might have to do with the escitalopram, since the time proximity is correlated. But correlation is not causation, and this might just be a random relapse with nothing to do with the medication change. Regardless, I'm doing some VERY easy trim painting today and some light errands, but otherwise have been resting. Got Calvin and Loren to do some necessary yard work :) but I think I also need to do some laundry. Have also been planning for our trip to Spain, getting some accommodations and asking friends who live there (Jill) or are from there (Paula, our kids' former teacher) for advice, so that's coming along.

On the bright side, the bathroom remodel is coming along, and I'm posting pics of the new windows. We are enjoying them even though it's just a big empty room with lots of drywall dust and a lonely toilet right now!

6x500 @85% effort --- feeling hopeful

I'm hopeful. Not because my workout was fast (it wasn't), but because 1) I felt decent during it, 2) I feel good (quite good) afterwards, and 3) I think I might be over the worst of the antidepressant taper. I feel more energetic than I have in a while. Maybe that's just placebo, or wishful thinking, but I feel good.

Calvin came with me to East High and we had the usual football player traffic at the end of the workout. Teenage boys are SO oblivious. Fortunately, when you yell at them "MOVE PLEASE!" they usually oblige (IF they hear you!).

Warm-up was sluggish but I felt more fluid and limber as I went. 1600m w/strides on the last lap.

The workout was good. I told Calvin I thought I'd do 3:05-3:10s but was surprised to do 3:02-3:07. VERY slow historically, but I don't care about that now (at least that's what I'm telling myself). It was warm, at 25C with 51% humidity, but a little breeze helped and I actually felt fine. Didn't feel overheated at all. Had some nice cold water between intervals :). Calvin did 2:15-2:39 (haha he went out too fast!) running. I tried to keep mine to 85% but I'm pretty sure the last 2-3 were a harder effort than that - my HR was up to 163-164 at the end. Still, I felt good, so I'm not worried. I could've pushed harder, so maybe it wasn't too fast?

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!).

elliptical; 3K fartlek

Tulips from this morning, at left. So beautiful around our neighborhood!

Yesterday: elliptical for 30 min, plus walking a lot around campus (errands).

Today: 3K fartlek. I woke up feeling really good, for the first time in a while. It wasn't that I got that much sleep, because I didn't (7 hr?), but I guess I slept well? I did have a very relaxing evening with our small group from church, and some good conversation with Loren before bed; Calvin drove me a bit crazy with piano practicing issues, but otherwise things were peaceful. I can't say why I felt good, but I did. Go figure.

I was actually kind of excited to go to the track. It was 8.9C (48F) which is pretty average or slightly warmer than usual for this time of year in the morning, and I wore capris and a long sleeved shirt but forgot my gloves. That was OK, though as it was borderline whether I needed them. It was a bit breezy so I was chilled to start but then after the warm-up was fine.

My warm-up was a lot faster than the last 2 weeks for the same thing - 10:09 this week vs 10:33 and 10:34 for the last 2 weeks. I felt good. The workout followed and was good - I was happy because all my fast 500s were back under 3 min, where they belong :). My medium 500s are still slowish but that's fitness and it will return.

Garmin data here. 

Splits	Time	Cumulative Time	Avg HR	Max HR
1	02:57.2	02:57.2	149	157
2	02:59.8	05:57.0	161	164
3	03:13.4	09:10.4	158	164
4	02:59.9	12:10	164	167
5	03:17.7	15:28	160	167
6	02:59.2	18:27	165	169
Summary	18:27	18:27	159	169

elliptical; 3K fartlek

Yesterday: elliptical for 45 min. I felt very, very tired yesterday and after 30 min I thought about stopping, and maybe I should have, but I thought, "It's just the elliptical...I only have 15 more minutes". I ended up taking a nap for ~25 min when I got home from work, which helped. I'll have to keep an eye on this.

Today: 3K fartlek. I am a little sore from something - but just a little (very minor), all over - shoulders, arms, abs, legs. Otherwise, feeling good, and the weather was amazing this morning at 16C (61F), calm, and clear. I did a warm-up with strides, and it felt OK. Not great, not bad, but OK. Then I did some dynamic stretching and started my workout. After the first 1km (kinda slowish, even a little slower than last week) I felt pretty tired and had no gas in the tank. Legs were heavy and not moving well, but I felt good mentally, telling myself "no judgment" and "relax" which helped. I finished about 14 sec slower than last week but that seems fine given how I was feeling. I worked hard and got a good workout in, which is what matters at this point.

After the workout I felt great, and I feel pretty good now too. Hoping the tired thing isn't a trend. I have been thinking that if I can train again and lose some weight that I really want to try to go to Spain in Sept 2018 for World Masters. My family wants to go to Spain (kids are in Spanish immersion) too, so it would be a win-win. Now to stay healthy and uninjured. Haha.

Splits	Time	Cumulative Time	Avg HR	Max HR
1	03:00.1	03:00.1	145	157
2	03:03.9	06:04.0	158	161
3	03:20.4	09:24.4	154	161
4	03:04.1	12:29	160	163
5	03:22.6	15:51	156	163
6	03:03.8	18:55	161	166
Summary	18:55	18:55	155	166

Garmin data here. 

elliptical, 3K fartlek

Yesterday: 45 min elliptical, in a 25-min session and a 20-min session (interrupted by walking the kids to school). I bought a cheap, used elliptical for home, and it's been great. The ones at the gym are a lot better but sometimes convenience is very important as to getting in a workout or not getting in a workout!

Today: 3K fartlek. Gorgeous weather at the track. Calm and clear, and not too cold at 8.9C (48F). Just right. I had a bunch of negative thoughts, but successfully pushed them aside both before and during the workout. I told myself there was no judgment and that I was just out here to have a good hard workout. That helped, and I got it done.

Did 1600m warm-up with strides in 10:44, and my legs felt sluggish. I got a little concerned about that but they are fine now (lunch time) and as long as the fatigue stays away we're good.

The fartlek went about how you'd expect at this point, given that I haven't done one since December. Splits are below. I'd complain that I'm slow, but actually given my fitness (not much!) this seems fine. It's somewhere to start and I'm proud of the effort.



-->

Splits	Time	Avg HR	Max HR
1	02:58.8	149	156
2	03:04.7	158	161
3	03:15.8	156	161
4	03:03.1	161	164
5	03:17.6	158	163
6	03:01.3	163	167
Summary	18:41	157	167

Garmin data here.

And, you can't beat the view from the track.

I'm baaaaack!

Well, after a relaxing vacation and then a 3-day weekend last weekend (including a 10K race that I was ill-prepared for but did anyway (1:03:35....ugh! But what did I expect?)), I feel ready to train again. I wasn't sure I would, but I really do want to do it. My hamstring is MUCH better - 95% of normal I'd guess - and I want to refocus. I'm thinking of doing the national 30K in NY on November 6, and that seems like a reasonable goal, as it's 15 weeks away and though I'm out of shape I've been walking enough that we can ramp up fairly quickly, assuming I continue to feel well.

Speaking of that, I have been a bit fatigued the past week (since returning from vacation) which seems pretty normal, but it seems to be a bit more than I'd expect. Plus I have a nagging toothache, and I got the tooth checked out by the dentist and it's FINE (he's checked twice, including x-rays). It occurred to me this morning that maybe I have some sinusitis going on (!) and that is causing the pain and fatigue. So I made a doctor's appointment for Monday to get it checked out. My dentist is awesome so I really believe there is nothing wrong with the tooth, and it's not unusual for me to have tooth pain with sinusitis, so maybe that's it. A strong decongestant and possibly antibiotics might do the trick?

Anyway, this morning I did a track workout, albeit a short one. East High is done being resurfaced and it is really nice now! Plus it was unlocked!!! YAY!

I did a 1600m warm-up with strides in 10:12, and then some dynamic drills. Guess what? The hamstring one did NOT hurt for the first time since December! WOOHOO! My 3x1km was pretty bad, but 1) I did a whole bunch of hammy PT at the gym yesterday and my legs were still sore, and 2) on Monday I did a 10K race plus a moderately hard hike, so yeah, my legs were feeling it. My times were (ugh!) 5:57.2, 6:03.1, 6:00.8. HR was in upper 160s-low 170s at the end of each of the last two, so I was working hard, but apparently I have no more fast twitch muscles, haha! That'll change.  Garmin data here.

4x1km

I woke up late with a start, after a series of bad dreams. Then I was quite apprehensive about going to the track. I made myself stop thinking about it and went anyway. The weather was great and only a bit windy, with nice temps in the mid-50s.

The workout started well but I guess I went too fast on the first one because I couldn't hold it. I was hoping I'd do better, but I think I'm still a bit tired from the weekend? Or I just suck right now. Either way, it wasn't good. I'll keep trying. See below.

My hamstring hurt about 1/10, mostly in the last two intervals, but not too bad. Foot was fine.

Garmin data here. 

Splits	Time	Cumulative Time	Avg HR	Max HR	Total for 1km
1	02:52.9	02:52.9	151	160
2	02:55.9	05:48.8	163	167	05:48.8
3	01:59.4	07:48.1	132	167
4	02:54.1	10:42	156	166
5	02:57.3	13:39	167	171	05:51.4
6	02:00.6	15:40	139	172
7	02:55.9	18:36	159	168
8	02:58.4	21:34	169	174	05:54.3
9	02:00.4	23:35	143	174
10	02:59.9	26:35:00	159	168
11	02:58.3	29:33:00	170	175	05:58.2
Summary	29:33:00	29:33:00	156	175

8K fartlek

Today Jim gave me an 8K fartlek. I went into it trying not to think about the fact that I did 10K yesterday, or that my hamstring was a little sore, or that my stomach was a bit upset. I succeeded in not thinking too much :). Part of that was that I allowed myself to listen to music, which I don't usually do in my outdoor workouts, even ones at the track. I mean, I can't listen to music at a race, so why get in the habit? But I felt I needed a distraction, so I brought my headphones.

I did 1600m of warm-up with strides, did some PT exercises and some dynamic drills, and then got started. The weather was exceptionally calm (NO wind - and this track always has wind, well a breeze at least!) and cool at 6.1C (43F). It was pretty nice, actually, and that helped a lot.

I talked myself through the first 1km thinking "data" and "getting stronger", meaning that I shouldn't judge my times, just regard them as data for now because I'm just trying to get stronger. And to my surprise, I was better than last week by 45 seconds. OK, it was still pathetically slow, BUT that doesn't matter right now. The last 3km my legs were tired, but the most important thing then was watching my technique like a hawk so I wouldn't injure myself. I was SO careful! My hamstring was a bit tender at points, 1-2/10, but not bad, and it has hurt a bit since, but again, not anything to get alarmed over, and tomorrow is a cross-training day. My foot didn't bother me at all. So, I'm happy about that. The times will come, at least that is what I'm telling myself, even if I'm not sure I believe it.

Total: 50:05 with ave HR 158 (though my HR monitor was moving around a lot and the readings don't look right; I suspect it may have been a bit higher?).

Edited to add: had terrible, terrible intestinal issues afterward that have persisted ALL. DAY. LONG. Left work early because I felt too ill to do anything properly, and was thankful for my undergrad who picked up some things that I really HAD to get done. I wonder if I have some sort of stomach bug?

split	time	cumulative	ave HR	max HR
1	02:57.2	02:57.2	146	157
2	02:59.9	05:57.0	159	163
3	03:11.4	09:08.4	157	165
4	03:00.7	12:09	160	166
5	03:13.7	15:23	155	162
6	03:03.2	18:26	158	164
7	03:13.1	21:39	155	163
8	03:01.1	24:40:00	158	165
9	03:15.6	27:56:00	157	161
10	03:01.9	30:58:00	161	167
11	03:18.0	34:16:00	159	164
12	03:05.4	37:21:00	158	166
13	03:18.5	40:39:00	162	167
14	03:05.5	43:45:00	160	167
15	03:18.1	47:03:00	162	165
16	03:02.2	50:05:00	163	168
Summary	50:05:00	50:05:00	158	168

8K fartlek

It wasn't fast. In fact, it may be my slowest 8K fartlek ever. But honestly, this was one of the hardest workouts I've done, and I didn't quit, and I'm very proud of it. The last few km my legs and lungs were really tired, but I just made myself keep going. Average HR was 160, which is a very solid effort for this workout, so you can see I was working hard. I paced myself pretty well too.

I'm proud of it because 1) I didn't think too much. I just went out and did it. 2) I didn't quit even though my times were terrible. 3) I didn't beat myself up because my times were terrible. I told myself that it was just a starting place. 4) I was happy to be out there because the weather was good, and my injuries were not bothering me. 5) That makes me really a BAM today. Remember, Kelly calls me Tam-bam :), and I told myself I was a BAM and that I was gonna get through this one no matter what. 6) My pacing was good; I did slow down but not a lot. I had something left for a good hard push on the last 500m.

Weather: lovely. 12.2C (54F) with a slight breeze. I was happy to be at the outdoor track again.
Injury update: foot did fine; it was a bit warm-ish but I focused on keeping my toes turned out a bit (the remedy 5 years ago) and that did the trick. Hamstring was a bit more nagging than earlier in the week; the pain was mostly 1 with some 2/10. Now, later in the day, with sitting it's bothering me, but it's not terrible. I worked VERY hard to focus on my technique and keep it good, though I'm sure it wasn't perfect when I got tired (but I focused harder on it when I was tired, so I was trying as hard as I could to keep it solid).

Here are the (very slow) numbers, and Garmin data is here:

split	time	cumulative	ave HR	max HR
1	02:57.6	02:57.6	147	155
2	03:02.1	05:59.8	158	161
3	03:12.6	09:12.3	156	160
4	03:01.6	12:14	161	164
5	03:18.3	15:32	156	162
6	03:02.5	18:35	162	165
7	03:19.4	21:54	157	163
8	03:03.7	24:58:00	162	165
9	03:19.3	28:17:00	160	165
10	03:05.9	31:23:00	163	166
11	03:20.9	34:44:00	161	166
12	03:06.6	37:50:00	164	167
13	03:21.9	41:12:00	161	166
14	03:06.3	44:19:00	165	168
15	03:24.4	47:43:00	162	167
16	03:06.3	50:49:00	166	169
Summary	50:49:00	50:49:00	160	169

3K fartlek - last Thursday

This is a leftover post from last week ---

On Thursday I did a 3K fartlek at the outdoor track (! it was unlocked!). But...sadly, the workout was terrible. I was really slow, felt like sludge, and my HR was low. Just one of those bad workout days. I was supposed to do 5K but quit at 3K, at 18:25 (!so slow!). HR was only 158.

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. 

6K

Today I did 6K at the track; Kelly had a 10 min time trial, so we met there so she could see how far she went more accurately.

I started off slowly with her for her warm-up, and sped up a bit as I went. My legs felt totally fine, and this was pretty easy. Even with the slow-ish warm-up, I did 38:30 for 6:25/km with ave HR 141.

Tomorrow is 20K. I'm trying to rest up a bit today. For some reason I'm really, really sleepy...maybe a short nap?

Garmin data here.

day off; 4x1km

Yesterday: had a friend over for dinner the previous night and then stayed up late installing a new thermostat (ecobee3, smart thermostat, at left - so awesome!) so I didn't even try to get up early to do my track workout. I was exhausted and needed the sleep. Plus my resting HR was up to 56...high for me...so I decided it was better to take it easy and take a day off.

Today: woke feeling good and went to do my 4x1km. Weather was good for the season at 3.9C (39F) and calm and partly cloudy. I saw a few snowflakes but I can't say that it was actually snowing much. It was too warm for it to stick anyway! After my warm-up of 1600m plus strides, I did the 4x1km. I felt good and strong on these, and was able to go a bit faster on each. I did them in 5:42.0, 5:40.2, 5:40.2, and 5:39.4. My HR was in the upper 160s at the end of each 1k, which seems appropriately hard, and my HR during the 2 min recovery period went down to the low 110s each time, which is also good and normal for me. So all seems well.

Hopefully I'll be good for my 20km tomorrow! It's supposed to get very cold tonight (27F) so I'll have to dress for the occasion. Oh yay...winter is coming :(.

Garmin data here. 

catching up!!! 3x800/200; 20 min w/strides; PA-USATF 20K racewalk (regional champs); 10K; 6K fartlek

I got very behind on my blog due to traveling to Chicago for work for 6 days and then to California for the 20K race just one day after I got back from Chicago. After that, it was only 5 days until our housewarming party, and to make matters more complicated, I pulled an abdominal muscle lifting a bag of dog food and was incapacitated for a day. Geez!

I know that my readers (all two of them ;)!) are completely fascinated with my workouts, so I wouldn't want them to miss any. Here's a recap (more for me and my coach...!):

Thursday 10/22 3x800/200 - could NOT catch my breath this morning; freshly back from Chicago, which is much closer to sea level. Maybe I'm a little de-acclimated to altitude? Seems fast, but...anyway, 800/200s were 4:38.4, 1:01.2, 4:38.8, 1:00.5, 4:37.3, 59.6. HA! Faster on each one, even though they were about 5 sec slower than last week's. Oh well.

Friday 10/23 elliptical for 30 min

Saturday 10/24 20 min with strides, at 6:01/km (fast! with Stevie...!). Pulled my left hamstring just a touch on 2nd stride; rested and iced it and it was fine for the race. Whew. Felt good being at sea level, or something :).

Sunday 10/25 PA-USATF 20K racewalk. My apologies for the brief race report...but...well, this is what happens when you get a bit too busy. Something has to give, and I guess it's my blog. We drove to California on Friday (after I did the elliptical) and stayed with my brother in Davis. We being me, Stevie (16yo from Orem), and Stevie's dad, Jim. Jim drove (yay!) and just asked that I chat to keep him company. No problem! We then had all day Saturday to chill, visit the Jelly Belly factory - I brought Calvin too, and Stevie also wanted to go - and try not to do too much. That was easily enough accomplished. Played some Scrabble, helped my brother assemble a dresser, hung out with everyone. Then on Sunday we drove the 30 min to the race in Sacramento, registered, and did the 5K (Calvin) and the 20K (me, Stevie). I am obviously not in shape for a fast 20K, but was at least in shape to DO the distance, and I am soooooo sick of just racing 5Ks that I really wanted to do the 20K, so I did, even though my coach Jim recommended that I do the 5K. I almost always listen to his advice, but this time I just couldn't bring myself to do 5K.

Anyway, in a nutshell: first 10K felt great (31:04 5K, 1:02:15 10K) and then my legs started to tire but still made it to 15K the fastest I've done in a while, and faster than my 15K race in May by a minute (1:33:42 - thought it was:33, but it was :42!). Then the last 5K I really ran out of steam and got a cramp in my left calf which made me very nervous about maintaining form. I was able to hang on and finish in 2:06:03 though, and I'm happy with that especially given my lack of conditioning (hadn't walked 20K since June) and my HR was only an average of 151 for the race! So I think I'm on track for good things if I can stay healthy. Weather was good - 65 at end of race; 55ish at start, humid. A little warm but really very nice.

Monday 10/26 rest day

Tuesday 10/27 elliptical; bike to work

Wednesday 10/28 muscle strain from lifting bag of dog food :( - took off work; didn't work out

Thursday 10/29 muscle strain - better; back at work; didn't work out

Friday 10/30 30 min elliptical - felt fine :)!

Saturday 10/31 easy 10K; muscle strain hurt a bit at the start but was OK after 1k or so. Total time 1:03:10 for 6:19/km. Happy with that.

Sunday 11/1 rest day

Monday 11/2 6K fartlek. This went great! Some muscle strain pain at the start but then all was fine. The weather was nice and warm for November - 49F (10C) and calm and clear early in the morning, with a beautiful sunrise as we were finishing the workout. Kelly met me and did 60 min easy while I did the fartlek; I did the last 7 min with her, jogging slowly, after I finished my workout.

500m fast times were all 2:50-2:53 and medium effort 500m were all 3:05-3:10. Total time 35:41! I'm happy with that. My legs got pretty tired for the last couple km but I held it together fine and finished well.

Jim actually gave me a real program going all the way to our 1hr postal on Dec 19! I'm so excited to be feeling good enough to have an extended training program. Hopefully I'll be able to follow it.

Photos: sunrise this morning, and Kelly and I at the track.

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. 

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.

3K fartlek - struggle

Monday & Tuesday: bike to work; elliptical.

Today: Was to do an 8K fartlek. I woke up feeling great (really!) and well-rested, and was happy to go to the track. Calvin came along because he says he actually wants to learn to racewalk, which I am very excited about :)! Kelly met us there for a workout, as she was going to RW for about 45 min or so. I warmed up, and felt very sluggish on the warm-up. I was slow, and my legs just wouldn't move. They didn't feel tired at all - it was weird - they just didn't have any get-up-and-go. I don't know how to explain it. My warm-up was a slow 10:23, though I did do a couple 32-33 second 100m strides, which is pretty normal for my warm-up. 

I stretched a bit and did bridges to activate my glutes, and got going. I figured I might do well - you never know - sometimes you have a bad warm-up and everything goes great. And sometimes, well, sometimes it's like it was today. I had NOTHING. My times were 2:57, 2:57, 3:12, 2:57, 3:17 (!), and 2:56 for 18:16. Yeah...really bad. No sense in beating a dead horse, so I called it quits. You have to know when to not beat your body, and if it's just not responding, sometimes the rest is better.

Garmin data here. 

I'm VERY disappointed though, and frustrated with my body. I did so well last week on the 6K fartlek, and to have this happen is a real bummer. There's nothing I can do about it though. I have been pretty relaxed and taking the stress of the last week in stride, and my resting HR has been nice and low - consistently 50-51 according to my Fitbit. Despite all the work being done on the house in preparation for closing, I've felt decent and not too anxious. But I guess the physical strain on my body from dismantling the garage, moving a whole bunch of stuff, cleaning up the yard, packing, etc. etc. etc. has done a number on me. SO ANNOYING. I really want to train hard. I might not be able to do the 20K on Oct 25, and might have to do the 5K instead, which would really be disappointing. I'm going to wait until the end of next week to decide, though. Maybe once we move I'll perk up? Meanwhile, I'm just going to do what I can. 

Good news, though: we closed on the house (old home) this morning :)! Friday we close on the new house :). Friday & Saturday we are moving stuff, and Monday night we get to sleep there for the first time (the seller needs until Monday to stay there). Exciting stuff!

6K fartlek

Sunday: 45 min elliptical at Kelly's gym.

Monday: 35 min elliptical at the U, then biked to work.

Today: 6K fartlek. Kelly met me at the East High track. The normal entrance was locked, but fortunately the west entrance was unlocked. I hope they continue to let the public use the track; now that they have upgraded the football field they might be afraid that it will get damaged. But I have noticed that the public is very respectful of this facility, and I hope they keep it open.

The weather was quite warm this morning for this time of year, and it felt really nice. It was 13.9C (57F) and calm and clear. I did a very easy first lap and then sped up a bit, doing the usual 1600m warm-up with 2x100m strides in the last lap, in 10:23. Then I stretched (dynamic stretches) and then Kelly ran me through some bridges and clamshells to activate my glutes. It's really nice to have one's own personal PT!!!! And as a bonus, I had very little trouble with my hamstring; it was a bit touchy on the warm-up, but didn't bother me too much at all on the fartlek. My left foot was a bit sore yesterday, but it was totally fine on the workout as well.

Kelly warmed up with me, jogging, but then jogged slowly while I did the fartlek and cheered me on. She is just working on getting back in shape and racewalked pretty hard on Monday, so she needed a break today.

The fartlek went really well! My fast 500s were all 2:50-2:52, and my medium effort 500s were 3:05-3:13. I'd like the mediums to be faster, but that's coming. I made it to 5K in 29:45, only 17 seconds slower than my race last Saturday. Obviously I was feeling better today, for whatever reason. Total time was 35:52, and I'm quite happy with that, as it's 45 seconds faster than last week :). Splits below.

Garmin data here. 

1	02:52.5	02:52.5	144	155
2	02:52.7	05:45.2	158	163
3	03:05.5	08:50.7	157	163
4	02:50.5	11:41	164	166
5	03:08.8	14:50	161	166
6	02:51.4	17:41	166	168
7	03:10.5	20:52	162	168
8	02:50.6	23:42	168	171
9	03:11.4	26:54:00	164	171
10	02:51.6	29:45:00	169	172
11	03:13.5	32:59:00	164	172
12	02:52.7	35:52:00	169	173
Summary	35:52:00	35:52:00	162	173

6K fartlek

Sunday: biked to work. Worked for an hour, biked home, went to church, came back to work for several hours. Lots to do! Was extremely fatigued in the evening.

Yesterday: biked to work & did elliptical. A bit tired in the evening but not like Sunday night.

Today: 6K fartlek. Kelly met me at the track just as I was finished warming up (1600m plus strides in 10:13, with bridges before, during, and after warm-up to activate glutes). It was warm at 20C (68F) and very, very windy. Garmin says 19kph steady (12mph) but I think it was more at the track than at the airport, plus it was gusty. Ugh!!! If it had been just me I'd have taken this one indoors, as the wind was definitely a hindrance. It wasn't as windy as it was on my last leg of Portland-to-Coast, though, so that was a relief.

The fartlek went OK; not as good as last week, but the wind totally explains that. I was pretty slow on the "fasts" and on the recoveries. Total was 36:37; here are my splits (below) and my accumulated times as well as average and max HR for each split. Garmin data here. Given the weather, I'll take it.

1	02:53.7	02:53.7	146	156
2	02:55.0	05:48.6	159	163
3	03:09.6	08:58.2	158	163
4	02:54.0	11:52	165	168
5	03:14.5	15:07	160	167
6	02:55.6	18:02	165	169
7	03:14.8	21:17	162	168
8	02:57.1	24:14:00	166	169
9	03:13.7	27:28:00	164	169
10	02:58.9	30:27:00	168	171
11	03:13.8	33:41:00	165	171
12	02:56.3	36:37:00	169	173
Summary	36:37:00	36:37:00	162	173

My hamstring was bothering me a bit but definitely not as much as last week, so I'm happy about that. Iced it and massaged it with tennis ball after the workout. I thought A LOT about my form, about using lower abs to keep posture good and tuck my rear end under. I think it helped, along with the bridges to activate my glutes.

Oh, and the stress is going to be better now I think: came to an agreement with house buyers on repairs/upgrades to be done. Now to just do the work and get on to our move!