5x1km

Yesterday: elliptical 30 min; then stationary bike for 7-8 min. I woke up late (again… dratted DST!) and that's the time I had. Almost got the kids to school late, but we made it. Iced foot frequently and it felt good.

Today: 5x1km was the workout. I woke up a bit later than I intended, and felt lousy. Still not used to DST. Why can't we just leave the clocks alone? Now it's darker and colder for my workouts…grumble, whine, moan. That was my mood this morning, and I really did NOT want to do the track workout. Just didn't care. But I know that I am competing in the 15K in May, so I really do want to get back in shape. I made myself go, and it went well.

Warm-up - truncated to 1200m with strides because of the time. 7:18 or so, and I felt pretty good.

Weather: average for this time of year, but chillier than it has been. 34F (1C) and a very slight breeze. I wore my new warm jacket and my new headband that my mom gave me for my birthday, so at least I looked stylish haha. There was only 1 other person at the track the whole time I was there, and it was dark, so stylish hardly mattered. I was concerned the track might be icy, as it snowed and rained a bit yesterday, but it was dry.

Edited to add the selfie I took with my new headband.

Workout: I felt pretty good and was consistent on all of the 1k intervals. Each one was naturally a bit harder, but I had something left for the last one. My foot did not bother me at all, but I concentrated a LOT on keeping it aligned properly to avoid tweaking it more. In fact, I worked on my technique a lot. At first I thought "technique over speed" and then I thought, no, "technique IS speed" and repeated that  over and over to myself to make sure I held my posture, used my hips, kept my foot aligned, and used my left glutes more.

Times: 5:41.0, 5:44.0, 5:43.5, 5:43.9, 5:42.9. HR was up to 170 max, and averaged over 165 on the last 500s of the last 2K, so I know I was working hard.

Garmin data here.

8k after work

Yesterday: 30 min stationary bike to burn off part of my birthday dessert. Usually I take Sunday off of training but I wanted the exercise.

Today: Gotta love  daylight savings time. NOT! Overslept my alarm and missed my morning workout. Luckily for me, the kids are old enough to take with me now! I get off work in time to pick them up from school on Mondays, and after walking home we readied ourselves to go out. Wish I'd taken a photo as they were so cute. Calvin had his running shoes and his scooter and was planning on one lap of the park on the scooter (2.25k) and then 5k running. He is training for a 5k in a couple weeks and wanted to practice running non-stop and timing himself. Grace had her rollerblading and all her protective gear, and her plan was to rollerblade 8k with me.

It was warm and windy, as a storm was coming in. 60F (15C) and quite gusty at times. I hate racewalking in the afternoon, because I never feel quite right. Today was no exception. I was originally planning on 10k with bursts, but the kids and my foot (which was just not 100%) changed my mind, so I did 8k instead. I'll do the 10k on Thursday.

The kids behaved very well and had a great time, and though I was slow it was ok. My foot felt no worse during or after and I am pleased about that because I concentrated very hard on my form to avoid aggravating it.

Haven't uploaded yet but my time was 51:34 for 6:27/km with average HR a low 140. I just didn't have any oomph to push harder after work. But I was glad I went and we all enjoyed being outside. Now it's lots winder and raining and generally icky out so it's good to be done.

birthday bash walk! 18K!

Yesterday: supposed to cross-train, but rested. My foot was achy and so I decided rest would be better - ice and naprosyn helped a lot :).

***

Today: 18K! My birthday treat to myself. I slept in until 7 am (late for me!) and enjoyed a kid-free morning courtesy of my parents. Loren slept much later, and while he slept in, I read a book for an hour, then tidied up the house, and left for my walk around 9 am. Luxurious! Thanks, mom and dad!

The weather was absolutely glorious. Our first daffodil bloomed today, in honor of my birthday. Loved it! It was 40F (4C) at the start of my walk, and about 50F (10C) at the finish. Sooooooo beautiful - sunny, warm, amazing. Just a slight breeze, but I got pretty warm in my long-sleeved shirt and capris and gloves - took off the gloves at 3K, and rolled up my sleeves above my elbow at 10K. LOTS and LOTS of runners, rollerbladers, strollers, dog-walkers at Liberty Park, all with spring fever!

The 18K went well. My foot ached a bit from 14K-18K, but I iced it afterward and paid lots of attention to my technique and that paid off. It feels good now. My legs were pretty darn tired from 15K-18K but I kept a good pace and finished well.

Total time: 1:55:22 for 6:25/km with ave HR just 144. I'm getting more fit!

Garmin data here.

10K w/3x3' bursts

My hamstrings were a bit sore after Monday's 8K fartlek, and then yesterday's 4x1km made that a bit more pronounced, plus my glutes were a bit sore too. 500m into today's workout I thought it was gonna be rough…but I turned out to be wrong!

The weather was decent. Can't complain - we haven't had much snow, mostly rain, and that's just fine with me! I thought it was 46F (8C) but the Garmin weather says it was 12C…whatever. It was breezy/windy, and I had on tights and a long-sleeved shirt and gloves; ditched the gloves partway through and rolled up my sleeves and it felt pretty good.

Anyway, despite my legs being tired and not feeling 100%, I pulled off a season's best 1:02:23 for 6:14/km with ave HR 145. My bursts were 2:58, 2:58 (slight uphill), and 2:54 (slight downhill).

I'd say this week is going quite well. Tomorrow is x-training, and then Saturday I'm going to tackle 18K. My foot was a bit sore today but not too bad, and I'm icing it right now.

Garmin data here.

4x1km w/2' rest

Yesterday: 30 min elliptical, 30 min stationary bike (trying to rest my foot more). Started taking some Aleve (naprosyn) to try and help the foot recover a bit faster. I think it's helping.

***

Today: 4x1km with 2' rest. I drove to the track, and it was 35F (1.7C) and calm and clear. Unfortunately, it was just cold enough on the track surface to be icy…and it rained a bit last night. So the track was waaaaay too slippery for racewalking. Irritating! Next I drove to 800E and parked and just did my workout there.

It went well. I started off very slowly and then accelerated throughout my warm-up, throwing in some strides and focusing a lot on technique. 10:10 for 1600m, by my Garmin.

After my dynamic drills, I got started on the workout. It is not perfectly flat, but the best I can get --- I think it's slightly downhill-ish on the first km and slightly uphill-ish on the 2nd km. I did two out-and-backs for my 4km.

My km times were 5:42, 5:45, 5:39, 5:48. I guess I took the 3rd one a bit hard - my legs were pretty much screaming on the 4th one and it was slower. Oops! HR was up to ave 169 on the last 500 (max 171 on that same 500).

I actually felt good and strong though. These were faster than last week's, and I did more of them and had less recovery. Good job! :)

I am still sooooooo happy to be feeling better!

My foot has hardly bothered me at all today. It's doing a lot better, too. The combination of 1) technique vigilance, 2) new shoes, 3) naprosyn seems to be working.

Garmin data here.

8K fartlek

Sunday: Rest day!

***

Today: 8K fartlek
Weather: 44F (7C) with a slight breeze. A lovely morning for early March!
Warm-up: 1600m in 10:07 with strides on the last lap. Felt OK. Wearing my new pair of New Balance 1400 shoes and they felt good.
Workout: It went as well as I could have expected. I was hoping to go under 48 min, and I did - just barely! With just getting back into things this is about the best I could hope for, seeing as how I did 29:46 for my 5K fartlek last week. My splits were consistent today, my technique felt solid (though I have to keep checking everything constantly!), and I finished in 47:58 with ave HR 162, so I was working good and hard. The fast intervals varied from 2:48-2:54 and the medium effort 500s varied from 3:07-3:12. Good and solid.
Foot: feels a bit achy now, but better than on Saturday. I iced it briefly but have been standing a lot at work. Will ice it again later. I think the new shoes helped.

Garmin data here.

16.442K indoors

Yesterday: 45 min elliptical.

Today: WINDY. Very, very windy. 22mph (35kph) with gusts of 33mph (53kph), and light rain predicted (though it didn't rain much that I can tell). I hate wind. I'd rather be inside with that kind of wind. Too hard to RW effectively, and with the Olympic Oval as an option, well… inside it was. Stevie met me there, and he did 14K (I think…not sure his lap count was right). I also (happily) ran into my friends Erica and Sarah. They don't know each other (well, they do now haha) but they were there doing 12 miles and 14 miles, respectively. I had 16K (10 miles) on tap, so we decided we'd eat breakfast together after, which we did. Erica ran with me most of my workout, which was great - I love having company. Stevie is a bit faster and I just told him to go his own speed, which he did. 

I was to do 36.2 laps of 442m for the 16K. I somehow miscounted (despite my watch…hard to see the laps with my aging eyes - sad but true!) and did 37.2 laps. Oops. I never felt really awesome or strong today; I was a bit tired after 5 laps and it just stayed that way. However, my lap times were pretty consistent even as I tired. My HR was pretty low today - average of just 137 - but I think it's just the tired legs thing I've had all week. No pain or weird soreness, just have felt sluggish. I don't think anything is wrong at all though - just working through increasing distance, and I think all is well. Took a water + gel break at 8km, and then 2 more quick water/stretch breaks in the last 8km. 

My foot was warm and a bit inflamed, but not painful. I was just uber-aware of it and afterward iced it during breakfast (asked the waitress for a big glass of ice, put it in my newspaper bag as I'd grabbed the paper from my driveway and threw it in the car on my way over to the Oval, and iced away - felt SO great). It feels fine now. I just have to baby it a bit to get it back healthy after trashing it in that pair of shoes. I need to switch shoes as my current pair has about 400 miles on it (643km) and it's time… fortunately I bought a brand-new pair of NB1400s and I know that those are good for my feet as I used them for 50K training in 2012. I think I'll use those for my shorter stuff this week and if all is well will switch to them before my 18K next Saturday. 

My total time was 1:47:11 for the 16.442km, which works out to 6:31/km with ave HR 137. Note that one lap time is 43 sec long because I forgot to press stop on my watch, and a couple others I pushed 10-15 seconds late so one lap is long and the next a bit short. Otherwise it's accurate. 

Anyway, today was solid but not great, and I'm OK with that. One step at a time. It's the farthest I've walked since Jan 12, 2013 (when I did a sub-2hr 20K long walk…sigh……..), so I have something to celebrate there, through mixed emotions. Coming back is hard but good.

Garmin data here.

10K w/3x3' bursts

My legs were still tired today. None of the weird soreness or anything like that - just a bit tired, probably still from the bicycling on Tuesday. So, my 10K wasn't stellar, but it wasn't terrible either. I just didn't have a lot of pep.

It was warm and windy this morning, at 54F (12C), as a storm is blowing in. It rained a few drops on me, but the bulk of the rain held off until lunchtime today, for which I was grateful.

I was a bit worried about my foot, as it ached a little today, but it never did more than just get a bit achy. I worked hard on my technique, trying to keep things adjusted. I feel like I'm fighting all the little niggles - left foot, right piriformis, right anterior tibialis - and that the technique adjustments are just barely holding things together. Maybe. I'm a bit worried something is going to go off; I feel like things are held together with duct tape and that something could go wrong any minute. Hopefully that's just the out-of-the-routine uncoordinated out-of-practice feeling and it will go away once I have a few more miles under my belt.

Back to the workout. I started off feeling clunky and out-of-sorts. Even when I settled in a bit, I just felt slow and a little tired. My 3 minute bursts were 500m in 3:00, 2:53, then 3:04. The 3:04 shocked me - I thought I'd gone sub-3 for sure… but I was just getting very tired. My HR was a bit low this morning too, partly because I just couldn't get my legs moving very well. Oh well. It's done, and nothing hurts. That's good :). I'm happy I'm racewalking again.

Total time: 1:04:51 for 6:29/km with ave HR 142. Garmin data here.

cross-training; 3x1km

Yesterday: cross-training. I did 35 min elliptical and then dusted off the bike because it was SO warm and lovely (high of 60F (15C)) and rode my bike to work. That did cause a few problems…

Today: 3x1km. Warmed up and my legs felt quite sluggish and unresponsive. I think that bicycling to work was responsible, as I haven't done that in months. My warm-up of 1600m was much slower than on Monday, at 10:18 - and with a low HR of 133, and I just felt "off". I didn't have any muscle pain or anything like that, but my legs just felt like stumps. Not sure how to explain it. My foot was also achy yesterday after the elliptical and bicycling, so I was nervous that it would be a problem this morning on the workout. I was VERY happy that it was just fine - maybe a bit warm-ish, but it felt fine and there was no pain.

The 3x1km went about how you'd expect for someone whose legs were a bit compromised, but it wasn't awful, and my last one was the fastest. Somehow I pulled it off, despite it all. I figure I'd have been at least 5-10 sec faster on each one if my legs had felt good. Anyway, the times were 5:48.8, 5:48.5, and 5:45.1. My ave HR on the last 500 of each was 155, 158, and 161 - I was working hard, but you'd expect a bit higher, so I think from that data you can tell my legs were iffy today, explaining the slower times.

Good enough for today. I'm happy I could work out, and I'm happy nothing hurt. Speed will come later.

Edited to add: This was my 2nd speed workout in a week - first time I've done that in a while! So I'm pleased that I completed it and that I feel good now.

Garmin data here.

5K fartlek - season's best

Yesterday: rest day

***

Today: 5K fartlek.

Weather: 45F (7C) (warm for February!), cloudy, calm.

Warm-up: 1600m with 2x100m strides in the last 400m. Felt good on warm-up. Watched technique to get in good habits. Time 9:43 w/ave HR 139. Then dynamic drills.

Workout: Consistent and felt strong throughout. I did work hard, especially on the last 500m. Fast 500s were 2:49-2:54, with the last one 2:51 :). Medium effort 500s were 3:06, 3:08, 3:08, 3:08 - getting better and fitter! Hopefully soon those will be around 3 min again. Well, except that next week Jim gave me an 8K fartlek so may not be able to go that fast because of the distance increase!

Total time: another season's best of 29:46 with ave HR 160. I'm very happy with this! Under 30 min again, and with solid technique.

Garmin data here.

YES! 15K!

Yesterday: elliptical 45 min

***

Today: I made it to 15K for the first time since the national 15K last May in Riverside. Wow. It's been a long time, and 15K is not even that far. I felt good today, which is way more than I could say after the 15K in Riverside, or any 15K I did last spring, for that matter.

Today I had lots of good company. Stevie joined me as usual, and my friend Erica came along as well. Erica is training for the Salt Lake City Marathon on April 19 (I am registered for the half that day), and she was doing 18 miles today and wanted some company. We gave her company for half of her 18! I hope the rest went well for her too.

The time seemed to fly by, as I felt pretty good, and the company was enjoyable. The weather was lovely - it was 35F (2C) and partly sunny at the start, turning to overcast with a slight breeze. I didn't need my hat or jacket - just wore 2 long-sleeved shirts and tights, and no fleece pants. It was great not to feel cold. For February, this is pretty mild, so I'm soaking it in while it lasts.

I started off fast, but my form felt a bit iffy as it often does to start. I reeled that in and by 1.5km or so I was feeling solid and good. I had to watch my posture a lot today - distracted by chatting, I kept noticing that it wasn't good. That's a first step anyway! As for the rest of me, it felt great. No piriformis trouble, and my anterior tibialis felt OK as did my foot. My foot felt pretty good until 14K, when it felt warmish, but I only had 1K to go, and knew it would be fine. It seems to be doing much better back in the old shoes. I don't have any more of those, but I do have some New Balance 1400s which I know are safe for my feet, so I will probably start using those soon.

I am just SO pleased to be feeling better. This morning I woke up and nothing hurt. My legs just felt GOOD. I didn't realize how bad things were before until I started to feel good! When I walked today I felt strong and like I could walk forever - I got a bit tired around 7K but then revived at our water stop at 7.5K and felt strong to the finish. I could have walked farther, but 15K was a good amount for today to get my confidence back. I'm so glad to be on the mend!!!!!

5K splits: 31:55, 32:30, 32:25.

Totals: 1:36:49 for 6:27/km with ave HR 148.

Garmin data here.

10K with 3x3' bursts

I'm feeling better today. I could second-guess myself and say I should have worked out yesterday, or I can choose to say that I wouldn't have felt so good today if I hadn't taken it a bit easier yesterday. Either way, I feel better now, and only missed one workout, so that's good. Sore throat is gone and I just have a bit of congestion, swollen lymph nodes, and fatigue remaining.

Fastest 10K of the year so far… but don't get all excited - it was slow, just less slow that I've been. Hey, I'm trying to look on the bright side. The bursts were consistent and pretty good at 2:58, 3:02, 2:56. My total time was 1:04:21 for 6:26/km with ave HR 145. The weather was cooperative, at about 32F (0C) and calm and clear. I got started a bit late, so it wasn't even pitch black out when I left, as the days are getting noticeably longer.

My left foot ached a bit, but it wasn't too bad. I'm still focusing a lot on form and I know I'm getting better posture. It's hard to remember everything at once but the foot reminds me (via pain) if I don't pay attention to that aspect of my form as well. I'm just so glad to be on the mend :).

Garmin data here.

sick

Yesterday I woke up feeling sick-ish. I had a sore throat and was fatigued, but once I got up I felt a bit better. Went to the gym and did elliptical and had a busy day.

Today when I woke up it was worse. More sore, more tired, more congestion. I was supposed to do a track workout (3x1km) but I was even debating if I should go to work or not. I decided it would be smarter to skip the workout and save my energy for work. In times past, I would have pushed it and done both. Now? Well, I'm still very cautious after all that has happened. I probably could have done the workout, but if I miss one it won't kill me, and I have 10K tomorrow that I can possibly do if I don't push it too hard today.

As the day has gone on I've gotten more and more tired, so I suspect it was the right decision. I've got a lot going on tonight as we are hosting small group at our house for church, but if I'm lucky I can squeeze in a nap?

rest day; 5K fartlek

Sunday: rest day!

***

Monday: Drove down to Orem, where Stevie lives, to do a 5K fartlek with him (OK, well he had an 8K fartlek, but still…). It was nice to have the day off today so that I could go do that, plus I wanted to stop by IKEA on the way home and get some furniture for our bedroom (renovating this weekend - paint, carpet, etc.). We warmed up in 10:05 for 1600m easy at the Orem High School track; I felt my technique was a bit off to start, but after a lap or so it settled in and I focused on keeping it good and strong throughout.

After some dynamic drills, we started the workout. Stevie took off like a shot and I let him go; interestingly, he never got that far in front of me (150 meters at most) and at the end of my 5K I was reeling him in. Have to talk to coach about how Stevie is doing his hard workouts - I don't think he's been getting it quite right. I talked to him a bunch afterward and explained more about the fartlek workout and I think he was starting to understand it a bit better at the end. I explained it to his dad, too, as he was watching and yelling technique corrections to poor Stevie!

My 5K fartlek went about like last week - much slower than if I am fit, but not terrible. Today the recoveries were a bit better but my fast segments were not as fast. I felt pretty strong for most of it, but after driving to IKEA (driving aggravates things a lot for me), loading heavy boxes into my car, and driving home, my legs definitely are stiffening up and hurting a bit. Anyway, I felt like I got through the 5K fartlek pretty well. My splits ranged from 2:46 (out too fast on the first one) to 3:00 for the fast segments and my recoveries were all 3:06 and one 3:10. Total time 30:08 with average HR 161.

Garmin data here.

14K

Yesterday: 45 min elliptical. My foot was a bit sore but I wore my racewalking shoes with orthotics to work and tried to stay off it as much as possible. By the end of the day it was feeling better, and I wore some boots (no heel) to dinner and the symphony with no ill effects. Whew.

***

Today: 14K was on the to-do list. We are having record-breaking warm weather (it was 60F today = 15C for a high!) and this morning it was about 48F (9C), calm, and cloudy. I wore capris and a lightweight long-sleeved shirt, and it was so lovely. Stevie wore shorts and a T-shirt!

Today I just wanted to have good technique and to finish feeling decent, without hurting my foot or piriformis or anterior tibialis. I did all that, and also managed to keep a 6:30/km pace. Sure, I'd have liked to go faster, but my fitness is not there yet, I'm working on my technique, and right now finishing strong is what I care most about. I actually felt better today than I did on last week's 12K, and MUCH better than the 12K two weeks ago. At about the 11K mark today, I noticed I was still feeling strong and though my legs were a bit tired, I knew I had plenty of muscle to make it to 14K. I am sure I could have done 15K, but we're saving that for next week.

My foot wasn't sore during the workout (well, maybe a touch?) but it did bother me a little later in the day. I wore my old pair of shoes and that seemed to be a big improvement. I think it was just the shoes?  If I'm still feeling pretty good on Monday after my track workout then I think I'll be fine. I'm a lot less worried after getting through things just fine today.

Totals: 14K in 1:30:58 for 6:30/km with ave HR 148.

Garmin data here.

Having a bad day

I was to do 10K this morning. It was warm (for February) at 40F (4C) and drizzly, later turning to full-on rain. I left the house about 6:40 am and that should have been plenty of time to be done by 7:50 to get the kids to school, but it wasn't, because I was that slow.

Funny, I thought I was well-recovered. My legs felt good last night and this morning before going out. In fact, they feel good now at lunch. Maybe it wasn't my legs - I couldn't seem to get my heart rate up this morning. I was overly tired and a bit grumpy and had no mental motivation to push. I just wanted to have a smooth workout with good technique. But my speed started off slow and I could never get it going. I don't know what was wrong, but for now I'm chalking it up to just having a bad day.

To make matters worse, at about 5K my left foot (the one that was injured about 3 yr ago) started acting up; I stretched it and it felt better all the way home, but now at work it is really bothering me - sore, and annoying. I know what the technique flaw is that is causing it, and I thought I had cured it. It might also be the shoes, as they are relatively new and had seemed to aggravate this problem before. I plan to try and switch shoes and see if that helps.

I could go on and on, since it hasn't been a good day at work either. But it's just one of those days, and venting about it probably won't make it better. I just have to go with the flow and try to do what I can to make it a better day. I'll have a nice latte at lab meeting and that should help :).

Anyway, because I was short on time and my foot was hurting, I cut my workout short, getting to 8.32km in 56:59 for a dismally slow 6:51/km; my ave HR was only 132 though, so obviously I just wasn't pushing hard enough. Plus, though my legs didn't feel THAT heavy, but obviously they were tired. Bleah. And, I was cold and wet when I finished (though the hot shower was lovely!). Hopefully 14K on Saturday will go much better.

I could beat myself up about this some more, but that is counterproductive and stupid. This is bound to happen when one is coming back from a long layoff and it goes with the territory. I have to just suck it up and keep on going. The alternative is less appealing.

Garmin data here. 

elliptical; 5K fartlek

Yesterday: 35 min elliptical. Up too late watching the Olympics so was short on time to get in as much time as I'd have liked. Legs were definitely a bit sore from the 10K w/bursts but not awful. Just noticeable in the morning when I sat a lot at the confocal microscope.

***

Today: OUTDOOR TRACK! :)!!! Thawed out enough that it is clear of snow for the first time since early December! It was 40F (4C) with a slight breeze and it felt good this morning. Seriously, it was beautiful out. I was quite nervous about the 5K fartlek as I've not done speed work that long since being ill, but the chance to do it on the track outside was awesome. Besides, I figured the worst that could happen would be that I'd crap out in the last km.

I warmed up for 1600m with strides on the last lap, in 10:17. I felt decent. My first lap was awkward but then the technique settled in and I felt my posture was really good and that my hips had extra ability to move because of my straight spine. Can't explain but it kind of clicks in. Anyway, then I did dynamic stretching and started in on the fartlek. I purposefully went out conservatively because I wanted even splits to the end, and I almost got them, so I'm pleased that I went out the way I did. My fast intervals were 2:53, 2:57, 2:56, 2:56, 2:55, 2:53. Pretty good! My recoveries show my lack of fitness: 3:08, 3:11, 3:11, 3:15. That's OK - it'll come. I felt my technique was rock solid and good posture the whole time. I really focused on that; I know it probably slowed me a bit - my total time was a pedestrian 30:14 - as my ave HR was 156 (though I did max out at 168 on the last interval), but I don't care. That will come too. This morning I just felt VERY grateful to have the legs to make it 5K without dying on the last interval, even if I was slow. I also felt grateful to be uninjured; my piriformis and right anterior tibialis seemed content this morning, probably because my technique was good.

Very solid and I'm happy with it even though it was slow. I think it shows progress, especially because my legs feel decent now - not too sore. It will be interesting to see how I fare for 10K tomorrow - again, might be slow, but doing it is what counts. I told myself this whole workout that it didn't matter how fast I went - it would be a season's best. That's how I'm going to think about every workout. Can't compare myself to the past until I'm really fit and lose 15 pounds, and I'm not fit and haven't lost the weight, so I'm not going to go there.

Garmin data here. 

rest day; 10K w/3x3' bursts

Yesterday: rest day. I was going to do yoga, but I was too into the Olympics. If I were at home I'd have done yoga in front of the Olympics, but I was at my parents' house and didn't want the volume of the yoga DVD to disturb them. Lame excuse…but…well… I'm an Olympic junkie - what can I say?

***

Today: 10K with 3x3' bursts. Weather was OK - 40F (4C) and raining lightly. It wasn't a soaking rain, for which I was grateful. I felt pretty good until 7K, when legs got tired, and about 9K they got really heavy too. But I finished, and at 6:30/km, so I'm happy. My bursts were 2:58, 2:58, and 3:06 (! I thought I was going faster? Legs tired I guess - HR was nice & high - you can see the bursts on the HR trace).

Technique felt lousy for 1K and then I settled in and it felt really good. Worked hard on posture and looked at reflection in shop windows on 21st South - looked really good. I want to be super solid as we increase mileage so that I avoid injury and can lay a good foundation for longer distances later in the year should I be up to them!

Total: 10K in 1:04:56 for 6:30/km with ave HR 148.

Garmin data here.

12K

Yesterday: 35 min elliptical + lots of core exercises with Lisa. My legs felt pretty tired from the yoga and the Wed-Thurs workouts, but they were just fatigued with very little of the weird soreness.

***

Today: 12K. I met Stevie at the Jordan River Trail and the weather was surprisingly warm :). It was 40F (4C), though quite windy. We definitely had some headwinds from 3k-9k that slowed us down in spots, plus there is still a very icy spot on the trail, but mostly the conditions were very good. It didn't even rain on us, though it did threaten to.

I felt pretty good today. Yes, I got a bit tired on the last few km, but Stevie and I had a quite interesting conversation and that distracted me a bit from tired legs? Either that, or I'm getting stronger, or both. This is not to say that it was easy today - it's just that it wasn't very hard as it has been. It was challenging, but not ridiculously so. I stopped at 6K for a few minutes to apply Aquaphor for chafing, which helped; stopped at 9K for a bit of stretching (slightly tight in piriformis - better than last week, though!). Other than that, we kept moving.

Technique felt solid and pretty good. I had Stevie watch me a bit, for what that was worth. I am pretty confident that the changes I've made are holding.

Totals: 12K in 1:18:03 for 6:30/km with ave HR 150.

Garmin data here.

Jim said I can increase my mileage next week! First increase since I've been training again - finally, I have managed to get through the week's training in good form and feeling pretty good, so it's time to increase. We are still staying with 4 days/wk of racewalking for now - that will increase later as I'm able.

core, yoga, 8K

Yesterday morning after my 3K fartlek I did a bunch of core work: sit-ups on exercise ball, Russian twists with 8-pound medicine ball for obliques, V-sits, and planks + side planks.

In the afternoon after work, I did my yoga DVD again - it was a bit easier this time but still challenging and it definitely left me a bit sore.

***

This morning I woke with some well-deserved soreness from the 3K fartlek + yoga. Mostly normal muscle soreness; possibly a bit of the weird soreness mixed in - hard to tell. That's good - if it wasn't hard to tell then I probably overdid it, but as it is, I think I got it about right. I knew the yoga + core would tire me a bit and make me slower on my 8K this morning but I also know that I need the strength more than the speed right now. Jim says I need to focus on my technique most of all and not worry about the speed, as it will come. I repeated that to myself this morning and thus had a lovely workout even though my legs were sore and I was obviously a bit slower than I'd like. I kept telling myself "I have to do this technique work and strength work so that I'll be a better 50K walker down the road, so I won't get injured, and so I can walk half marathons in a few months."

I worked VERY hard on my technique today. Posture #1 - remembering all the great posture stuff from my yoga DVD and incorporating into my RW. Then, weight back, allow hips to rotate, keep arms from sideways motion, drive arms back, don't "play the piano" by allowing arms to be too far in front, and then back to posture. Oh, yes, and widen stance a bit, be sure to get a good toe-off, watch those knees, etc. Quite the task of concentration, let me assure you. It's one of the things I love and hate about racewalking!

Anyway - some totals. 8K in 53:32 for about 6:41/km with ave HR146. And how did I feel? Legs sore and a bit heavy, but felt decent until the last 1-1.5km when it became a bit tougher and I just allowed myself to go slowly and focus focus focus on technique.

Garmin data here.

3.165K fartlek - indoor track

Yesterday: elliptical for cross-training; muscles quite sore from Sunday's yoga. Mostly normal muscle soreness, but perhaps a bit of the weird soreness I experienced so severely through November.

***

Today: 3K fartlek on the schedule. 19F outside and pitch black. The roads were mostly clear after snow yesterday, but I just didn't feel like battling the cold and dark, so I went to the indoor track. I warmed up for 8 laps (1688m) in 10:40. I felt a bit off at the start, but I worked hard on technique and by the 4th lap or so it felt smoother and like things were kicking in. I then did a few dynamic drills (after the 8 laps).

I got started on the fartlek and for the first lap I was flying - felt so smooth, with such great technique. Maybe it was my fast shoes from David Smyth? He sent me them 2 yr ago and I couldn't use them then because I was recovering from a foot injury, but now they are just awesome. It was good to be fast…but I went out too fast (oops!) and at the end of the workout I paid a bit with slower times. Still, it was MUCH better than my 3K fartlek 2 weeks ago, and though I was working really hard (ave HR 166!!!), I felt my legs responding and they felt good and strong through the first 2km.

Here are my splits - "adjusted time" is divided by 1.055 to give the time if I'd done the fartlek over 3km instead of 3.165K. I'm pretty happy with the time of 17:23 and with my fast intervals - even the last one, when I was very tired from starting off a bit fast, wasn't too bad at 2:53.

lap	time	ave HR	max HR	adjusted time
1	02:51.0	152	164	02:42.1
2	02:55.0	166	170	02:45.9
3	03:12.8	166	169	03:02.7
4	02:58.2	171	175	02:48.9
5	03:21.0	168	172	03:10.5
6	03:02.5	172	176	02:53.0
	18:20.5			17:23.1

Garmin data here. 

8K

Super quick 2 min blog.

Yesterday: yoga DVD. AWESOME! It was so fantastic. Lots of great strength moves targeting all the key muscles I need to work on. Great. It's called Christine Felstead's yoga for runners, intermediate level. My brother recommended it and now I do too. I plan to do this a lot. Side effect: I'm a bit sore today :) but in a good way.

Today: 8K with 3x3' bursts. Cold but clear at 25F. Went well. I felt great and strong all the way to 7K or so and my bursts were good. 3:02, then 3:00 for 500m and the last burst was the best - so proud of it! - at 2:53. Ha! Take that, fatigue! The last year has been crappy but this workout was decent and shows I'm on the mend. After that it was uphill and I did slow a lot but not a big deal. The other great thing is that I can really feel my technique is getting solid and improving. I hope that is true when I videotape, but I feel a huge difference.

Garmin data here: 50:54 for 8K (6:21/km) with ave HR 151. You can see where the bursts were on the HR graph :).

12K

Yesterday: elliptical, then core with my friend Lisa at the gym. Haven't done core work in a while due to my illness…so I'm a bit sore today, in a good way :).

***

Today: 12K. There was a very light dusting of snow this morning and it was 28F (-2C) and cloudy. 95% of the pathway was clear, but the other 5% was scarily slippery. I fell on my rear end once, and slipped enough to scare myself on two other occasions. We (Stevie and I) had to go slower in quite a few spots - probably cost us 1-2 min? Dunno. Hard to say.

The walk today went OK. The good part? I worked hard on technique and I feel like it's coming together quite well. The bad part? I got tired very quickly, probably because I'm still sick. I still have a sore throat (pretty severe) and some serious fatigue.

1.5K before the end, I was SO frustrated with my slow 500m splits that I was getting upset. I decided I had 2 choices: give up, or try harder. So I did the latter, pushing much harder and pulling off a 3:07 (normal speed…but it felt like 2:45 because I was working hard) and a 3:14 and 3:13.

I was glad Stevie was there - beat doing that alone when I felt so lousy.

Total time: 1:20:10 for 6:41/km with ave HR 149.

Garmin data here. 

***

Didn't get to go to my Weight Watchers meeting because I 1) had breakfast with Kelly, and 2) went to the memorial service for my friend Dorothy. It was an amazing service - packed full of people and not a dry eye in the house. She was an incredible person and loved by so many. She planned many of the details herself, and it showed. String quintet of her friends for prelude & postlude (she was a violinist), both classical music and hymns that she loved. Another friend sang "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth" from Handel's Messiah - wonderful and moving and hopeful. Congregational hymn and praise song (My Jesus, I Love Thee, and 10000 reasons) rounded out the list of great music for a great lady. I basically cried the whole service, and spent an hour there afterward talking with old friends and crying some more. Weird being happy and crying at the same time - we all agreed that we'd miss her deeply (hence all the crying) but glad for her suffering to be over and for her to be making music in a much better place.

Now I'm completely wiped. Thankfully, Loren is helping with the kids and I can get a nap.

sick

I'm sick. Not horrible, but not good either. Cold symptoms: sore throat, fatigue, headache, fatigue, and yes, did I say fatigue?

3K fartlek yesterday was out of the question. I barely dragged myself in to work.

Today, 8K was on the table, but I felt iffy. Normally I'd have pushed myself to do it, but I am worried right now about taxing my body too much as I'm recovering from my mystery illness. I feel that caution is warranted right now. So I didn't go. By evening, after working all day, I was quite tired and my sore throat was worse, so I was glad I'd skipped the workout.

I really am getting antsy though, and I'm supposed to meet Lisa at the gym tomorrow, so I think I'll do the elliptical unless I'm feeling worse. I suspect after a good night's sleep I may feel better. I hope.

rest day, 8K, cross training

Got behind a few days, sorry (haha --- sorry to the 2 people that still read this!).

Sunday: rest day

Monday: 8K. I forgot that I was supposed to do this workout with 3x3' bursts. Somehow that part of the equation left my brain. I have a lot on my mind so it's not surprising.

I worked on my technique, and was slow…still… it's going to be a while. I'm just trying to enjoy the ride now, since I know it's going to be a slow one. I felt OK, though - the weird muscle soreness didn't trouble me, and I only had a bit of residual soreness during my day at work. It's definitely going away, hopefully for good. You'd think that would make me happy (and it does) but it's a struggle not to focus ahead too much and live in the present. I keep remembering what I used to do before I was sick, and I have to let that go and just be present in the here and now. I'm trying to focus on getting stronger and having good technique so I can do the 1/2 marathon with Sarah in March.

Total time: 52:46 for 6:36/km with ave HR 145. Temperature -3C (27F), calm, hazy.

Garmin data here.

Today: 45 min elliptical

***

I've been pretty anxious lately. Not sure why, but at times it has been almost crippling. I'm somewhat anxiety-prone, but in the last 8-9 years it's generally been much better. Lately, though, it's been hard. Not sure what to attribute it to, but 1) my weight's not budging, 2) RW is tough lately, 3) a friend's husband (only 52yo) died early this month, leaving behind kids close to my kids' age, 4) another friend died last night (ovarian cancer, age 65; not unexpected, but still sad), 5) our elderly dog is ill and probably has cancer - wasting away slowly and looks skeletal - had tests done and not much to do at this point but wait, 6) lots of work stress (new people in lab, lots of projects, now some added time pressure - long story), 7) it's January and the weather is a downer.

In saying this publicly I'm opening myself to well-meaning comments that go awry…so if you are tempted to offer up some platitude, please don't. This is one of these things I just have to get through. Encouragement is welcome. Platitudes…not so much. If you don't know the difference, best not to say anything :).

Much appreciated: a gift card from a friend for Starbucks. Enjoyed 20 min coffee time before I picked up Grace from school today. Ahhhhh.

***

Strategizing: I need to get in some strength training and Pilates. I like group classes at the gym, but the times are really inconvenient. Finally had the idea to buy DVDs - got a Pilates DVD and a yoga for runners (recommended by my brother, a runner) DVD on the way from amazon. Definitely looking forward to incorporating some of that into my routine. DVDs are not as exciting as a group class, but I can do them when and where I want.

12K

Yesterday: elliptical

Today: 12K

I was worried about today, so I enlisted some help. My friend Sue (a runner) came along with me in addition to Stevie. I figured that chatting with Sue and catching up with her would help the time pass, as it's been a while since we've had a chance to run/RW together. It did help. I wasn't fast today, as you might expect, but it wasn't a death march and it felt better than Thursday. I was probably a bit lazy on my technique for the first km or so but then I felt I hit my stride and I worked on a wider stance and keeping my weight back. I felt that was going better - had Stevie watch me and he said it looked better, for what it's worth. Not sure he knows 100% what to look for but I think that he's learning a lot so he's better than no eyes looking!

It was cold and clear (21F, -6C) and the Jordan River Trail was still quite icy in a number of spots (it's been warmer during the day here so ice and snow are gradually melting, though I'm sure we'll get more); it was 95% clear, but there were patches that were not good where we had to pick our way across ice. I tried to stop my watch for most of those but probably missed some, and some were too short to bother with that, slowing our time a bit. I would guess that slowed my time by a minute over the 12K? Who knows for sure.

By 8K I complained to Sue and Stevie that my legs were tired. They weren't trashed, just tired, and I didn't have too much discomfort. I just need to get back in shape! Sue had the goal of running the whole way w/o any walking, as she's been building back up after a short break. I just wanted to finish and work on technique. We did finish, Stevie and I worked on technique, and so it was successful, even if we were slow.

Yesterday I was quite discouraged, but today I'm feeling a little better. My legs had none of the weird soreness during the walk today, and just a little bit afterward. They are still a bit stiff but it's not horrible or anything. I'm really glad that seems to be abating gradually.

Total time: 1:19:46 for 6:39/km with ave HR 145.

Garmin data here.

***

In other news, I had a good food week but gained 0.4 lb. Sometimes that happens. I am determined to stick with things and turn this around. My determination flags a bit at times because there's a lot going on between work, home, racewalking, etc., but I know there is no choice here. I refuse to go back to the way things were.

sludge 8K

I felt pretty good when I woke up, other than being quite tired because I didn't sleep well. My legs felt good and I figured the 8K would go OK. But my feet might as well have been in sludge today. That's how slow I was going. I worked hard on my technique, for all that mattered. The only thing I can figure is that my legs were very tired, despite the fact that they didn't FEEL that tired. I dunno. It was discouraging. On the up side, at least I can racewalk, and I have been eating better this week.

The only way I kept going at several points was remembering that I signed up to do the Canyonlands 1/2 with my friend Sarah on March 15. If I'm going to do that, I have to train. I want to have fun there, and feel strong and good, not crappy. That is only going to happen if I work through this. Still, it took a lot of mental energy to keep going.

Total time: slowest 8K in years, at 54:49 for 6:51/km with a low average HR of 139. Like I said, my legs were sludge and I couldn't get my HR up because of that, I think.

This is just hard. But what is the alternative? Certainly not good...

Garmin data here. 

still slower to go faster

Yesterday: 30 min elliptical. My legs were tired. Not the weird soreness, thankfully, just tired. I was glad to have cross-training.

***

Today: 3K fartlek. I knew it would be very slow. I didn't expect it would be as slow as it was, but I am OK with it. I have to go slower to be faster. I have to fix my technique flaws or I'll be injured again, and I cannot afford that as I am trying to get back into the swing of things.

The weather was typical January, at 21F (-6C) and hazy. The air pollution has been getting really bad here, as it often does in the winter. The shape of the Salt Lake Valley causes a weather phenomenon called temperature inversion, when high pressure traps colder air lower and it's colder in the city than up in the mountains. Colder, and hazier. And as the high pressure traps cold air, it also traps pollutants from industry, cars, and homes (wood-burning, etc.). It's nasty. The secret to working out in it is to go in the morning, when the PM2.5 (particulate) levels are lower. They were only 11 this morning when I walked, which is in the "green" (non-hazardous) range. So, earlier is colder (and darker…pitch black before 7) but healthier on the lungs. Oh, and I had to go on the road because the track is still under snow.

I warmed up, working hard on technique. The first 500m felt awkward, and so I stopped, racewalked VERY slowly for a bit, and then gradually accelerated until I felt I had it again. After that I felt my technique was very solid. Feet a bit farther apart, weight back, tuck butt under, keep arms back, etc. I worked it hard the whole workout today. My warmup was just under 2km at a 6:30/km pace.

Then I got started and the fartlek was ridiculously slow - my fast intervals were 3:00, 3:00, 3:06, and 3:00. The medium efforts were 3:11 and 3:09. Total: 18:27 with average HR only 151. I FELT like my HR was MUCH much higher - perceived effort was hard on the fast intervals, and medium on the others. I swear I was working hard - but I think it's just the technique changes haven't gotten wired in to the nervous system yet so it's not really all working together well.

The good news is I did a fair amount of sitting this morning at work (injections) and had only a small amount of soreness/stiffness. I'm definitely on the mend, so I just have to keep telling myself that even if I am slow I am on the upswing now. Eventually it will get better. I have to be patient.

Garmin data here.

8K slow technique work

Yesterday: rest day

***

Today I knew it was going to be a tough day. I had to work on technique, and my right shin is extremely sore (anterior tibialis muscle soreness - just sore muscles, clearly, and no injury thankfully) from Saturday's 12K. Obviously I have to fix my technique before something worse happens!

Weather: good for January at -4C (25F) and sunny and calm. Hazy and a bit polluted, but at least it was sunny.

I started off and could not get in a groove at all. I was trying lots of different things and getting discouraged. Feet wider, weight back, tuck butt under, allow hips to rotate front to back, etc. It just felt overwhelming. Every 500m I'd stop when my watch beeped and cry out of frustration and then tell myself I had to keep going - baby steps - must keep going - must fix this technique - one thing at a time - etc. At 2km, I ran into my Wasatch Walker friends (Nancy, Diane, Shelley, and Dawna) going the other way. I was so glad to see them. I started walking slowly with them, and just vented a bit to Nancy and Dawna, who were kind enough to listen and understood how I felt. I feel a bit foolish for venting like that, but sometimes you just need a good listening ear. I really appreciated their help. Nancy reminded me to just fix one thing at a time, and I knew she was right --- I had to prioritize and focus as best as I could.

After walking with them for 15-20 minutes, I resumed my own workout and though it was slow, I was able to focus a lot better. I worked on keeping my feet a bit wider (not allowing them to cross over so far) as that is the root of a lot of the other problems, and is probably causing my shin and piriformis trouble. The piriformis was fine today (whew!); the shin, not so much, but it was going to be sore no matter what I did. I also worked on keeping my weight back, and when I thought of it, tucking my butt under and allowing hips to rotate. I had to concentrate really hard, and the mental effort was considerable in my somewhat fragile state. I was very, very slow, but I told myself not to think about that at all. I am sure I was slow mostly because of the right shin and the technique work, and I know that once I get through all of this that will improve. It's just a matter of patience, and I'm not patient. But I'm learning. Or something.

Friends are asking me if I'm going to do the World Masters in France next year. I have no idea! Of course I'd love to go, but it's a giant investment of time and money and I have to wait and see how my body returns to shape, if it does.

The food stuff has been going pretty well the last few days. Refocusing and only eating WW Power Foods seems to be helping a lot. We'll see what the scale says after a week. It's hard to get back in the groove, but being able to train again gives me renewed motivation. Racewalking and eating well do seem to go hand-in-hand to an extent. I was thinking today on my walk how racewalking is an integral part of being able to treat my body well and living a healthy lifestyle that is balanced and comfortable. I'm glad to be able to do it again, even though it's going to be tough to get through the next few months.

Total: 53:34 for 6:41/km with ave HR 145.

Garmin data here.

video from yesterday

A few technique videos, taken yesterday 6k into the 12k workout.

Picky things I noticed:
1) Left arm not going back far enough; arms coming a bit too far in front in general.
2) Right leg crossing the midline too far.
3) Right glutes appear a bit weaker, and right knee is drifting in.
4) I'm STILL leaning forward a teeny bit. Dang it.
5) Hips are too tight - not allowing free enough rotation (this is a consequence of #4).

What is good:
1) Knees straight.
2) Good toe-off.
3) Ahhhh, no more RW good stuff, but hey, I look fashionable in the cool Athleta jacket my mom gave me :).
4) Despite having gained weight I don't look too awful. Black tights are good haha.

12K

Yesterday: 40 min elliptical (a bit crunched for time).

***

Today: 12K (7.4 miles). Weather: -7C (19F), sunny, calm. The inversion is building, so it was a bit hazy.

I met Stevie at Liberty Park for a good 12K together. His dad took some video of us in the middle of it, and I'll post it once he uploads it and e-mails me the link. Jim wanted to see some video to help with technique, which I'm happy about, though already I can tell it has improved since he gave me some suggestions the other day. Stevie was kind enough to give me some pointers today as well (arm stuff) and I helped him out the same way. No local coach = we have to look out for each other!

I was SO glad to have Stevie along. I was slowish today, and my legs got tired at the end, but I could tell my technique was a lot better and I had none of the weird soreness at all. The last few km I struggled to keep a reasonable speed, sinking to 6:45/km at times, but Stevie kept me entertained with stories from the racewalking camp in Texas, which helped me a lot. I was pretty worried that today would be really hard, but it wasn't that bad! It's been a pretty good week, aside from Wednesday's failed attempt at a 3K fartlek. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't do it, as I probably would have made the piriformis worse, and as it is, it is getting better now. I tend to err on the side of pushing myself too hard sometimes, and I'm trying to learn that sometimes less is more.

Total time: 1:17:51 (fastest at that distance or greater since 15K Nationals in May, believe it or not!) for the 12K with ave HR 150. I was reading over my blog to see when the last time was that I did that distance that fast, and WOW what a terrible year I had. I knew that, but it was good to be reminded of how bad I felt and to realize that even though I know I still have a VERY long way to go to be back in shape, at least I'm a lot better than I was, and I'm on the road to recovery.

In other news, I went to Weight Watchers today and the scale was not kind. OK, well, considering the holidays, it could have been worse. I weighed in at 163.2, which is 0.2 lb less than on December 14. Still - I am 8 pounds over my goal weight (gulp!) and about 15 lb over my racing weight. Time to get it together. No more excuses. I talked to my leader, and she suggested I try the Simply Filling technique for two weeks and see how that goes. Basically, you confine yourself to Weight Watchers Power Foods in amounts that leave you feeling satisfied, and you are also permitted to have 7 points of "indulgences" daily. I think this is just what I need to get back on track.

Garmin data here.

slower to be faster

Technique work today after a chat with my coach online about what to do about my piriformis pain. Honestly, I know I need to fix a few things that have gotten lazy with all the time off etc. Coach said to work on posture and foot placement. I did just that, and felt like things were much improved. My piriformis still ached a bit, but I think it will take a day or two to settle down completely.

The bad side? I was a lot slower as I worked on that stuff. I only did 6:30/km for 51:59 total, with ave HR 146. The good? I felt smoother and felt less pain. Edited to add: 8K total (this is obvious if you calculate it, but nicer to have it down here for easy reference).

Mentally I was a bit better today, but I started off a bit down and had to remind myself that it is going to take a long time to get back where I was. Baby steps. Easy and slow. Keep going. One foot in front of the other.

Garmin data here.

cautious

Yesterday: 45 min elliptical.

***

My right piriformis was bothering me a bit yesterday and some this morning, too. I went out to warm up, and it just didn't feel quite right. I decided to be cautious and not do the 3K fartlek. Instead I did a very slow 3.2km (2 miles), focusing on form and on using my left glutes more. I can still feel it, later today (3:30pm) so I suppose I made the right decision… but I feel vaguely guilty. I probably *could* have done the workout. At least my muscles don't have the weird soreness going on.

Mentally, I'm a bit tired. Work is hectic, as we are still interviewing post-doc candidates, and I have a seemingly endless to-do list (good because it's job security and I like being busy, but bad because it's a bit stressful and there's some time pressure) and new people in the lab to train. Home has been crazy because of the head lice. We had to shampoo and comb again last night and wash all the kids' bed linens and coats and the like all over again. Add in a memorial service on Monday for a friend's husband who died too young (they have a son Grace's age and a daughter a bit older than Calvin) and some changes with the church music ministry (good overall, but still changes) that required an extra meeting this week, and I have maxxed my capacity for handling things with extra effort, like speed work when my leg is hurting. Oh yeah, and my Christmas tree is mocking me daily because it's still up.

I'm still struggling to lose the weight I put on, and not really getting the upper hand on things. It's not getting worse, but not better either. I'm hovering at about 161-162 pounds…ughhhhh. Yeah, it's better than 250, where I started, but it's not good.

I need to do some weight training to try to help my left leg pull its weight, but I'm a bit afraid to start weight training because I'm worried it will make my fatigue and/or muscle pain to come back. Logically, I don't think it will, but it's hard to be motivated when that is going on. Add in the mental tiredness and it's just not happening right now.

I wish I knew how to kick-start my motivation. Sometimes I think we just have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going as best as we can, and the motivation will return eventually. I hope.

8K with 3x3' at 10K pace

I felt mostly recovered this morning. I was looking forward to walking outside, as I couldn't all last week… but guess what? SNOW :(. Just a dusting, but it was VERY slippery. Then I didn't really want to go. It's hard to be motivated at the beginning of training. YES, I'm thrilled I can racewalk again, but it's still tough because I'm afraid of overdoing it, and I'm afraid of the weird pain. Yup. But I didn't let all that stop me this morning (pat on the back).

Indoor track: 37.9 laps. Wheeeeeeeee! I started off well, but around 6K or so my legs really got tired. My first two 3' bursts were decent, but my last one…not so much…it was 6:10ish/km? The first two were under 6' per km, which was good.

Still, it was a decent workout all in all. My time was 50:31 for 6:19/km with ave HR 154. My legs didn't have any of the weird soreness during the workout, but afterward they were bothersome, especially when sitting. It's eased up a bit now (4pm) and hopefully it won't bother me much more today. Tomorrow is x-training.

Garmin data here.

12K - New Year's Revolution Run

Yesterday (Friday), I did the elliptical for 1 hour at the gym. My legs felt good.

***

Today was the New Year's Revolution Run at the Olympic Oval. Basically, you pay your entry fee and then you try to run/walk/whatever for as many laps as you can (442m per lap in lane 1; 448.3 in lane 2) between 8am and 1pm.

Jim wanted me to try for 12K today. I have to admit I wasn't sure I was going to make it that far, as I haven't done it since September, and it was a miserable slog then. But I am feeling better, so I figured it was worth a shot.

In lane 2, 12K is 26.76 laps. I started off a bit fast, and settled in by lap 3 or 4 (I was doing 6:01-6:05ish for the first 3 laps!). I wanted to do 6:15 or 6:20/km pace, but that was a bit optimistic I think. I ended up with 1:18:15 for 6:31/km with ave HR 152. My legs got heavy about 6 or 7km in, but they didn't feel awful. I was just slow. They never had that weird pain, thankfully - maybe it's going away, finally? The last couple km were harder, and my legs were quite tired, but it wasn't a death march. At the end I was doing about 6:45/km, but that's not THAT terrible, all things considered. Actually, this 12K was about a minute or a minute and a half faster than the last 12K that I did, back on the first weekend in September when I went to the Salmon Marathon with Sarah. And it felt a lot better today, too.

Afterward, Sarah and I enjoyed breakfast at the Belgian Waffle and Omelet Inn. We split a veggie omelet and French toast, and it was lovely.

When I got home, I spent a couple hours vacuuming out the car and then cleaning the upholstery - the kids got head lice and it's been a nightmare… and today it was really WARM out - weirdly warm for January at 50F (10C) - so it was the perfect day to clean the car. That pretty much wasted me for the day, so now I'm going for a much-deserved nap.

Garmin data here.

8K

Today I was to do 8K, back-to-back after my 3K fartlek yesterday. Even though by my previous standards these are "nothing" workouts, they are not right now, sadly. So I was apprehensive about how my legs would feel.

Turns out they felt fine! I was so relieved. None of the weird pain at all, and a bit of heavy-leggedness at the end (last 1km?) was my only problem. I felt pretty good.

It snowed more, so it was off to the indoor track as the roads were quite slippery. It's supposed to be stormy through Sunday, so it's going to be a lot of indoor work. This morning I had to get to work, so not enough time to drive to the Olympic Oval. The field house at the U is closer and the 211m track beckoned. 37.9 laps should do it!

Like I said above, things went pretty well. My Garmin data is here; I finished in 50:20 for 6:17/km with ave HR was 149, and I stopped twice briefly for a bit of water.

Tomorrow is a cross-training day.

elliptical; 3.165K fartlek

Yesterday I was actually fairly sore from the 8K with bursts on Monday. Good thing I had a day to recover! I did some cross-training on the elliptical. I will admit I was a bit worried because I was sore. But I know better… this recovery thing is not linear and is 3 steps forward, 2 steps back.

***

Today I felt a lot better on waking. My muscles were well-recovered.

Unfortunately, it was snowing (and has continued to snow all day - we have at least 4-5 inches of the white fluffy stuff), so outdoors was out of the question. Fortunately, I have the indoor track at the U just a short drive away, so off I went.

I warmed up for 8 laps (211m/lap) for 1688m in 10:22 with ave HR 142. I felt pretty good, and felt strong. I focused on pulling my arms back, standing up straight, and using my glutes - especially my left glutes. Might as well work on technique!

After some dynamic stretching (they have a nice barre right next to the track - super for dynamic and static stretching), I got going. Since the track is 211m, all of my intervals are a bit long - the 1k is actually 1.055km, and the 500m are 527.5m. However, since my coach wants to know my 500m and 1000m times, I've converted them by dividing by 1.055, so the reported times here are the converted ones.

I got off to a great start with my first 1K in 5:29.5. Then my first 500m medium effort was only a 3:02.8. My next 500m was 2:47.6, then a medium effort in 3:07.3, and my final fast 500m was 2:48.6. Total time was 17:15.8 (actual time for the 3.165km was 18:13), which I'm pretty happy with. Average HR was quite high at 165 and my max was 176. I definitely gave this one a good hard effort. I felt my legs held up very well to the end - felt strong and able to push in the last 500m.

Garmin data here.

rest day; 8K with 3x3' at 10K pace

Sunday was a rest day. My legs had that weird soreness on Sunday morning, especially when I was sitting playing the piano for rehearsal then sitting in church. Ouch.

***

This morning my legs were still a bit sore. I drove over to the Olympic Oval for 8K with 3x3' at 10K pace anyway. I went there because 1) my friends Nancy and Bonnie were working out there, and 2) I thought inside and warm sounded nice. It wasn't THAT cold out this morning, but one does get sick of it after a while, and the track at the Oval is SO much nicer than the indoor track at the Field House at the U. How could I resist?

My legs actually felt OK during the workout - they did get heavy and a bit slow the last km or so, but otherwise they were all right. No weird soreness until AFTER I stopped and drove home. Then they bothered me on and off until mid-afternoon. Now they feel OK; fortunately, tomorrow is x-training so they'll get a bit more rest.

Total time was 50:59 for the 8K for 6:21/km with ave HR 153. Yeah, a bit slow, but not too awful. My bursts were 1 lap each of the oval (442m), for 2:34, 2:34, and 2:40 (last one I was tired, clearly!). 2:34 works out to 58 min 10K pace so that's not too bad, actually.

I have a long way to go, and things could still get ugly again. But I'm trying to move forward at least!

easy 6K

This morning my legs felt pretty good. My hamstrings were definitely a bit sore from yesterday, but it was mostly the normal muscle soreness, not that more piercing weird soreness I have been suffering from all last year. That was definitely reassuring, though sore is still sore, and I knew that walking the day after speed work would be tough, given my recent history.

I got ready to go, and Calvin said, "Mommy, I want to go with you!". So I waited for him to get ready and we set out together. It wasn't too cold at -3C (27F), calm, and sunny. It's a good thing we waited until late morning to go, because the roads were still snow-covered on the side streets and it was quite slippery in spots. There were a couple 500m stretches where I'm sure we'd have been at least 10 sec faster if not for the snow.

My legs were tired but none of the weird soreness until about 5K, when I could tell that yesterday's speed work was catching up to me. Even so, it wasn't too bad, and though I am somewhat sore now, it's not terrible.

Jim thinks I'm ready to try a 2-week schedule, so we've got 4 walks planned for next week, including another 3km fartlek. The long walk next week will be a 12K, and that's going to be interesting seeing as how I haven't gone that far since August. To motivate myself, I signed up for the New Year's Revolution Run at the Olympic Oval, where you have 5 hr to run or walk as far as you like, with electronic lap counting. I figure I'll do better if I have a crowd around and a party-ish atmosphere.

Totals for today: 6K in 37:49 for 6:17/km with ave HR 144.

Garmin data here. 

8K, elliptical, 3K fartlek!

Wednesday morning (New Year's Day) I felt recovered, and so I did 8K. It was a bit of a slog, but not too bad. My legs held up well until about 6.5km, and after that the uphill and tiredness got me a bit. I still managed 8K in 50:31 for 6:14/km with ave HR 150.

Garmin data here. 

***

Thursday I woke very tired and sluggish. I had thought about a 3km fartlek but decided it wasn't the day for it. I opted for 40 min elliptical in the afternoon after work.

***

Today I felt good when I woke up! Yes, really - good! So I decided that it was time for the 3km fartlek Jim wants me to do weekly to get back in shape. I was dreading it a lot, as I know what speed work can do to my legs if they aren't good, but actually it went well considering.

I had to do the workout on the street because the track is under snow. It was decent out for a January morning, at -8C (18F). Yeah, that's cold, but it felt all right with the right gear.

I warmed up on a nice downhill, and felt good, doing 2K in 11:38 with a HR of 141. Then I did some dynamic stretching (my right flutes are still a bit sore from the soccer mishap early last week), took a deep breath, and got started.

My first 500 was too fast in 2:39. OK, it was on a downhill, but I should have paced myself. Thankfully I didn't pay for that too much, as it was a short workout and I felt decent today. The next 500m was a slight uphill and I did that in a good time of 2:54. Then my 500m recovery was 2:59, which I was pleased with and a bit surprised to see (I figured my recoveries would be 3:10ish given my lack of RW fitness). The next 500m (flat/slight downhill) I pushed to get 2:45, recovered in 3:00 (flat), and the last (slight uphill) 500m fast was in 2:55, which I was pleased with - I was quite tired at the end and with the uphill I figured it might be 3:00. Total time was 17:14 with average HR 162 and max 172 - yup, pushing hard.

I cooled down with a slow racewalk uphill for 1km. I figured I'd be sore all day, but really I've just had a touch of soreness and feel pretty good. We'll see how the recovery is tomorrow. I plan to RW at least 6km, depending on how my legs are and how the weather is.

Garmin data here.

end of year

I'm glad 2013 is almost over. I know it's just another day tomorrow, nothing really new, but mentally I can pretend that a new year might mean something new and better?

Yesterday I walked at work in the afternoon, which is usually a sluggish proposition at best, and this walk was no exception. I struggled to push at all, and my legs felt heavy and tired. I did 6km in 37:22 for 6:13/km with ave HR 147. It is a slightly hilly route at work, and I'm sure that contributed to the heavy/aching legs, but some of it was the mystery illness I think.

This morning I woke feeling ugh-ish and opted for elliptical; after 30 min I'd had enough - my legs were tired. They have felt OK the rest of the day though - not too achy even though I drove a bit after work today, taking my mom shopping up to Park City and driving to and from Sandy.

I totaled my miles for the year --- pretty pathetic compared to my usual totals, but it was the best I could do given the circumstances. I did 614 miles (987 km), all of it hard-earned.

***Mileage update - forgot miles done in part of June & July that didn't make the blog. New total: 643.5 miles, or 1035 km.

I am hoping and praying for a better 2014 for racewalking and for health in general.

challenging week

It was a challenging week. Vacation is always interesting - with more opportunities, but also more difficulties.

The soccer game on Sunday with Calvin did change my week a bit. It definitely left me sore and off-kilter, and then I followed that up with a hilly walk Monday (which actually was good, in retrospect). After that I felt I needed a day off racewalking, so I used the hotel elliptical. Big mistake. It was so different from the ellipticals at my gym! I don't know what it was about the angle of the foot plates or something - but it used my calf muscles way way more than I am used to. By that evening they were screaming, and continued to be excruciatingly painful for several days. It hurt just to walk across a room. A lot. They were tender to the touch and extremely sensitive. This left me in a quandary. I wanted to exercise - let's face it, food was going to be difficult this week, and exercise was essential - but exercise was also painful.

If you have been reading this blog any length of time, you won't be surprised that I went out and exercised anyway. Mentally, I needed it. It was painful, but on Christmas Day (Wednesday), I race walked 6.86km at a slow 6:55/km pace. My average HR was only 136 --- you can see that the problem was my sore legs, not my cardiac conditioning! To make matters worse, I had consumed a fair amount of chocolate prior to going out (hey, it was Christmas!), and I got nauseated about 2/3 of the way into my walk. That slowed me even more, but I was still glad I went out. When I got back to my brother's house (we were visiting him in northern California), my mom wanted to go for a casual walk with me. I rested up for a bit and the nausea subsided and then enjoyed a very nice walk with her. The weather was SO lovely - mid 60s (17C) and sunny. I was almost hot on my racewalk, even though I wore shorts and a T-shirt. Ahhhhh. The warm weather was fantastic.

The next day, my calves were still screaming, but I knew I had to try to exercise. The elliptical was out of the question. The kids wanted to swim in the pool at the hotel, and I wanted to walk with my mom. Solution? The exercise room had a window to the pool, so my mom and I walked on treadmills in there while watching the kids in the pool. Awesome, except that I hate the treadmill. I lasted for 30 min of good racewalking at a very slow pace (5.5 mph - 10:54/mile, which is just under 7min/km --- keep in mind that RW on the treadmill is IMO ridiculously more difficult than RW on the street) before I quit. Later that day, because I am crazy? Stupid? Forgetful? I did a very hilly hike with my brother, his wife, and Calvin. It was an awesome hike and I'm glad I went, but it did make the calf problem worse for sure. We hiked up and then did some trail running on the way down. Calvin and Alex were waaaaay ahead of me but it was still a good time.

On Friday my calves were certainly not any better for having done the trail hike/run. So I race walked anyway! I enjoyed a somewhat painful racewalk on a lovely trail over to Discovery Park in Sacramento, near our hotel. I managed 6K in 38:01 for 6:20/km with ave HR 139, which was not bad at all considering the amount of pain I was in for the first 500m. You'll notice that split was rather slow… as was the 2nd 500m because of a hill up over a bridge. Mostly the route was flat (Sacramento is very flat) but there were a few inclines on the road due to overpasses etc.

Saturday I took a rest day, because I knew I had to sit in the car all day while we drove home (10 hour drive). My legs don't tolerate car rides after RW these days. They don't tolerate car rides much at all, come to think of it, though that seems to be improving slightly.

This morning I wasn't feeling much in the mood to work out. My calves were still fairly sore, believe it or not, and my mood wasn't the best. A week of eating a bit too much combined with muscular pain had me wondering if I'd ever feel back to normal again. It's been a long year. But I got out there anyway, and as usual, felt MUCH better for having done a walk. Today I did 6.27km total in a relatively speedy (for me, lately anyway) 6:13/km for a total of 39:01 with ave HR 151. My legs actually felt quite good for most of the walk, and the odd pain I've had the last 6 months only showed up at about 5km or so, and even then it didn't sap my strength much. I finished well and wasn't sore from sitting in church afterward, either. It was cold, though… sigh… I really miss the warm weather in CA. This morning it was 18F (-8C), which isn't too terrible for here in the winter, especially since it was calm and foggy-ish, with good footing.

I'm glad I am feeling OK today, and that my muscles seem to be recovering. I am hopeful that with my return to a more normal routine this week that I will feel good and continue my improvement despite last week's stall-out.

made it through the week

Wow. About all I can say about this one is that I made it through the week. It was a bit over-the-top, with work insane, holiday preparations, getting ready to go on vacation, etc. I burned the candle at both ends for too long, and come Thursday & Friday, I had had it. I took rest days.

But let's back up a bit.

Sunday, Dec 15th: after my lovely 10K on Saturday, I decided a rest day was a good idea.
Monday: my legs felt rested and ready to go, but my 8K didn't feel good. It felt OK, but I was dragging a bit and my legs got pretty tired at the end. I still managed 50:45 for 6:20/km with ave HR147, and the good news is that later that day I felt OK and I recovered well.
Tuesday: I felt much better on Tuesday and cranked out a good 8K. 49:27 for 6:11/km with HR 150. Finished strong with a 3:01 and 3:07 for the last km. Awesome.
Wednesday: Here it began to go downhill… woke late because was up late working on holiday stuff and then only managed 30 min on the elliptical.
Thursday & Friday: tired/felt sickish (probably just from being sooooo tired)/didn't sleep enough/worked too hard. Didn't exercise. That was probably a mistake. I felt lousy.
Saturday: Got in a nice 45 min elliptical before we left on the long drive to California. We drove 12 hr from Salt Lake to Castro Valley where we visited our friends Dean and Debbie.
Sunday: played soccer with Calvin for 26 minutes before tripping and almost falling and pulled a muscle in my right glutes somewhere --- ouch. Definitely had to stop playing and was super annoyed because 1) I was having great fun even though Calvin was totally killing me, 2) I was worried about how bad it would be, and 3) darn it! I just want to be able to do stuff like this with Calvin! Walked it off and took ibuprofen and felt OK the rest of the day; a bit sore, but OK.
Monday (today): Decided to try to racewalk. I was slow and cautious and did not push at all, and in addition it is really quite hilly here, so it was a very challenging route. The good news is that I did almost 6K at 6:50/km with ave HR just 129. My right glutes were somewhat sore, but it didn't seem to do much except slow me down a bit, and they didn't get worse with racewalking. Good news. I might be slow for a few days but hopefully that's it.

Today it's on to visit my brother in Davis, CA. Hopefully I can bicycle a bit there, as well as racewalk/trail run/who knows what. My brother is a runner and it'll be fun to do some active things with him. Calvin brought his running shoes too, so perhaps the 3 of us can do a trail run.

In other news, I saw the rheumatologist (finally!) this week. They looked me over and aside from my Reynaud's phenomenon, they see no signs of autoimmune or rheumatologic disease. But because Reynaud's phenomenon is associated with some autoimmune disorders, they did some blood tests to rule them out. Interestingly, my anti-SSB/La titer was a bit high, which by itself means nothing, but does raise the index of suspicion. I have no other clinical signs of autoimmune disease though, so they just want to see me in 6 months for follow-up. There's nothing to worry about, but just need to keep tabs on things. The attending's conclusion was that I might indeed have protein deficiency - she thought my hypothesis was a good one. So I'll keep eating more protein and hope it helps. Other than the blip this week of overworking, I have continued to feel better overall.

Feeling better!

I haven't blogged in a couple weeks, but it's only been because of busyness. I have been feeling much better overall, and have been walking a lot more. Though I'm still not feeling totally normal, it's much improved.

It's been ridiculously cold and/or snowy, so it's been hard to walk outside as much as I'd like. Good thing I have the option of the indoor track! Sometimes, I've walked outside anyway, and it's been slippery; hence, my times were slower those days.

Here's a summary of what I've been up to:
Wed, Dec 4: elliptical, 45 min
Thurs, Dec 5: 8.78km racewalking, slippery - outside, Garmin data here. 6:32/km w/ave HR 141. -13C with wind chill -18C. Cold!
Fri, Dec 6: 6km racewalking, hilly route - outside, Garmin data here.  6:32/km w/ave HR 141 again. -12C with wind chill -19C. Brrr...
Sat, Dec 7: elliptical, 45 min
Sun, Dec 8: snowshoeing with Calvin, 45 min.
Mon, Dec 9: 5K on indoor track, followed by 10 min elliptical. On the indoor track I tend to push harder for some reason. 5K took 30:33 for 6:05/km with ave HR 148. My legs had a bit of the odd soreness at the end, so I stopped.
Tues, Dec 10: 6.25K Liberty Park route. It was really cold again, at -13C (wind chill -18C). I felt tired, and did only 6:28/km with ave HR 145. My eyelashes and eyebrows froze… uncomfortable.
Wed, Dec 11: 30 min elliptical. I needed some recovery.
Thurs, Dec 12: 8K on indoor track in 49:14 (6:09/km) with ave HR 150. Didn't have the odd soreness until about 7km in to the walk :). My legs were feeling great the rest of the day!
Fri, Dec 13: Much warmer outside at just -8C. It was actually not too bad. My legs were tired from the 8K, and so I just did 6.25km at 6:25/km for total time of 40:13 with ave HR 142.
Sat, Dec 14: I felt pretty good this morning, so decided on a longer walk. The weather was decent, too - almost felt warm at -4C with no wind. I decided to try for 10km. I haven't walked that far in a long time. I know, it's a bit sad since that used to be an easy recovery, but I'm just glad to be getting back into things. At 8km I did get very tired, and the odd muscle soreness was bothering me, but I felt strong enough to make it to 10km! At about 5.3km I walked by a friend's house and she was taking out her trash, so I stopped to talk with her for a bit - nice to see her. The break helped me feel refreshed and able to do the 10km. Total was 10km in 1:03:38 for 6:22/km with ave HR 147.

Summary:
Week of Dec 1-7: 33.8km (21 miles)
Week of Dec 8-14: 35.5km (22 miles)

OK, so the mileage totals are pretty much laughable, but it's the most I've done since January, between illness and injury. I know it will increase as I continue to feel better. Edited: nope, I did more for some weeks in August… but it's the most since then for sure.

Meanwhile, I haven't been doing as well with my eating. It's a hard time of the year to be disciplined, and I have fallen down a bit this week. I lost 1.8 lb over 3 weeks, but then gained 2.2 lb this week. Sigh… I am still above my goal weight for Weight Watchers, so I have to pay weekly fees. You'd think that would motivate me, but it's been challenging. But being able to racewalk again is helping my mood, which will help with my eating, and hopefully start an upward spiral.

There's a lot of work ahead, with eating and with training. Time to get serious.

3 days in a row :)

This morning my legs felt a bit tired, but the weird pain wasn't bothering me, so I decided I'd have a go at racewalking. Of course, it was snowing as predicted, so I went to the field house and walked on the indoor 211m track. It always seems harder to me to walk there than to walk on a regular track or to walk outside. The tight turns, the warm building (warmer than I'd like for racewalking anyway), and the number of laps make it tougher. So I brought some music (which I don't usually do during workouts) and decided I'd try to enjoy it as much as possible.

My legs felt fine until about 3km, when they got tired, and yes, I had some of the odd pain. But it didn't keep me from working out well, though my HR was a bit high for the speed.

I did the 6K at 6:20/km in 38:02 with ave HR 154. Yay!

Progress! (just before winter...)

I'm finally feeling sure that I am making good progress. Yesterday I did 5K easy, and today I did 8K easy. My legs hurt a bit today in that weird way, starting at 3.5K, but only a little - and it didn't hinder me from a decent time of 49:25 for 8K (6:10/km) with average HR of 149. Garmin data here.

Better yet, my legs only hurt a little bit today at work, even though I spent a good hour sitting at the microscope doing injections, and another hour sitting in a seminar. I feel fully recovered this evening, and in fact, I'd like to walk tomorrow, assuming the forecast snow dump doesn't stop me. I might just go ahead and walk at the field house on the indoor track. We'll see.

I'm really excited that I'm feeling better - finally! Too bad there's a huge storm coming tonight and winter is really here. No matter. I'm happy to be feeling decent at last. Not to say there won't be any more setbacks or problems, because after all I am still not sure what the problem was other than B12 deficiency (for sure) and protein deficiency (undiagnosed - possible not certain).

In other news, I have taken off a few pounds, weighing in at 158.6 this morning, which is the first time I've been under 160 in about a month (or so...not sure). That's not great, since my goal WW weight is 155, but it's progress toward recapturing my goal. Racing weight is lower still, but let's take baby steps toward that. I'll get back there - just have to get in the swing of training again, and continue being more disciplined with my eating.

catching up again

I've pretty much been neglecting this blog. Weird, because I've been doing a bit better overall, but life has been more insane than usual. Namely, I got a terrible stomach flu in the middle of the night after Thanksgiving, and spent the entire night worshipping the porcelain god. Yeah, it was ugly. The next day, I had chills and hot flashes, had terrible muscle pain all over, and was weak as a kitten. The good news? I felt OK by Saturday and was able to enjoy that day with my family, cleaning up the house, getting the Christmas decorations out, making turkey soup, and attending the sing-along Messiah at Abravanel Hall with my mom and Grace.

Since November 18, the last time I updated this blog, I've been racewalking a fair amount, and my legs have been holding up OK. I *might* be ready to start light training again soon. Maybe. I did a lot of cross-training from the 19th-23rd --- weather was nasty (cold rain) and I didn't have to racewalk, so I stayed warm in the gym. Last Sunday, the 24th, I did 6.25k in 39:25 for 6:19/km. On Tuesday the 26th, I did 8K (yay!) rather slowly, at about 6:27/km (missing 1km at the start, which was faster than the other km, so perhaps overall this might have been low 6:20s). I was a little tired and just took it easy.

Then on Thursday the 28th, I did the Cold Turkey 6K race, as is my Thanksgiving Day custom. The weather was cold at 33F (1C), but in the sun it felt warmer than that and I was good in just a long-sleeved shirt, tights, and gloves. I knew I wouldn't be able to race it hard, so I settled on doing it at a moderate-moderately hard pace. Garmin data here. I definitely worked it moderately hard, which is harder than perhaps I should have gone, but it was fun :). I did the race with Calvin (SO awesome!) and I knew he'd be able to go faster than me (running, to my out-of-shape racewalking). I saw him about 1.5-2 min ahead of me at the turn-around up the canyon, and it looked to me like he was in good position in his age group. I focused on being happy for him and not being unhappy for myself, since I was hurting going up the hill and knew I'd be slow. In fact, I wasn't as slow as the slowest I've done this race (when I was sick and it was icy, 2-3 yrs ago), and I was satisfied with my time of 38:11 for the 6.23km (yes, the race is longer than 6K, consistently each year) for 6:08/km with average HR 156. I felt a bit sore the rest of the day, but not terribly so. The next day I was VERY sore but I am sure that was from the flu, as by that evening I was a lot better and on Saturday, 48 hr after the race, I was well recovered with just a few sore spots from the race itself (shins a bit, and abductors).

The exciting part of the race was seeing Calvin cheer me on at the finish, and then waiting to find out that indeed, he had placed first in his age group (9-11)! He was first of 7 boys, and at age 9, one of the youngest, AND beat the next boy by almost FOUR minutes. I think he has some talent! I was SO proud of him! He was thrilled, too - and that was a kick to see. He seems excited to do another race, as well.

This was the first race we've done together (besides a Wasatch Walkers 3K when he was 3, and I don't really count that...he ran it instead of walking, because at 3 he couldn't understand - though the club was nice and let him do it). Actually, I guess the VERY first race we did together was in 2005, when he was 1 - it was my first race too. I pushed him in the stroller and won a 3rd place ribbon for the female stroller division :), which got me hooked on racing right from the start. Hopefully Calvin's win will have a similar effect!

I did win the walking division, as well. One never knows about this, because it's not judged and sometimes runners misunderstand and enter and think run/walk is OK. But this year people were honest, and I was happy for the win :). Full results here.

Getting sick pretty much derailed any thought of a Friday or Saturday workout, but by this morning I thought I might manage 5K decently enough. I asked Calvin if he wanted to come with me, and he did! He seemed a bit off this morning, and actually struggled to keep up with me. I think he might have a touch of the stomach virus. We did 5K in an easy 31:33 for 6:18/km, and my average HR was only 133 - like I said, pretty easy, and I'd have been faster alone, but that was OK. I liked the company, even if he wasn't feeling 100%.

My legs are feeling good enough now that I think I will racewalk again tomorrow. That will be the first time I've walked 2 days in a row in quite a long time. I hope I feel good enough! I'm excited to walk again, and the weather has one more good day before we get really cold and snowy (forecast high for Tuesday is only 34F with snow... and it gets colder the rest of the week).