Yesterday: elliptical for x-training, 53 minutes. That's what I had time for! Wanted to do an hour but had to go. Legs were still sore so maybe that was for the best? It was that weird soreness again, not too awful, but there for sure.
Today: woke feeling pretty good so decided to racewalk. During the first 1km I could feel the weird soreness, though it abated a bit as I loosened up. I felt OK - not great, but not bad - so I decided at 6K to go on to 8K; legs were pretty tired but not awful, and I finished in reasonable speed considering the small uphill. I'm paying for it a bit now (at lunch). When I've been sitting this morning analyzing DNA sequence at work, it's been a bit painful. As long as I get up and move around it's not so bad, but sitting is the kiss of death. It's not as bad as it has been, but it's not good either. I'm hoping I'll feel better later tonight and tomorrow. Worried a bit that this is a relapse, but most likely it's the usual scenario where recovery is not a nice smooth linear progression. (Did I just write that? I'm such a geek!).
Total for 8K: 49:33 for 6:11/km with ave HR 144. Garmin data here.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Thursday-Sunday
Thursday: Cross-trained with elliptical + biking to work for a total of 1 hr cardio. Felt good.
Friday: Racewalked 6.3 km around Liberty Park and to/from. Garmin data here. I felt strong for the whole walk, even the slight uphill at the end. It was chilly (4C, 39F) and raining lightly but wasn't too unpleasant. I was glad to get out. Did a pretty good 6:16/km with ave HR of only 142.
Saturday: 1 hr elliptical for x-training - too nasty outside to ride my bike, sadly. I felt quite good on the elliptical, but afterward my muscles were hurting the weird way again. I don't know how to describe it, but it's quite unpleasant. It is not delayed onset muscle soreness - it's a sharper pain, but not sharp like the acute pain of an injury. It's just really odd. It especially bothers me when sitting, and I did a LOT of sitting Saturday. Driving is the worst, because I can't move around as much. I drove a lot Saturday, to and from the Olympic Oval a couple times to watch World Cup speedskating (photo at left-awesome! Saw a world record in the ladies' 500m!), and to breakfast with Kelly, and to pick up the kids from my parents' house. Probably in the car about 3 hr total, plus sitting at the World Cup. It hurt.
Oh, also, I attended my Weight Watchers meeting. I lost 0.8 lb this week, but I can't say I was really trying that hard. I am lucky the scale moved, and I have some work to do on my eating this week.
Sunday: Was still sore when I woke up, but I wanted to try and racewalk. It didn't hurt as much as it has in the past, so I figured I had a walk in me, as long as it didn't make the pain too much worse. The kids were all gung ho to go with me! Calvin wanted to run alongside me, and he can now run faster than I can race walk, though he doesn't have my endurance, even in my weakened state. He had to stop and rest a couple times but he made it the whole 6K with me :). I was really proud of him. Grace came along as well and rollerbladed, but got tired after 4.5K and waited for us in the car. They had a great time and I'm sure we'll do this again - but today marks a major milestone - the first time I took the kids on a training walk! OK, so I'm not in rigorous training, but it's just great to know that they can start to enjoy this with me! Calvin commented that it was so nice to have someone to talk to, and he was correct. I thoroughly enjoyed their company.
I did better than I thought I would on the walk, considering how iffy I felt. My muscles were sore, but it didn't hurt my performance too much. I did 37:32 for 6:15/km with ave HR 141. Of course we did stop a few times to get drinks for the kids/rest a bit, so I probably would've been a bit slower if I hadn't rested, but I still felt all right. Garmin data here. I kept things loose in the afternoon by walking the dog briskly with my mom for an hour - enjoyable! The weather was chilly this morning at 38F (3C) but this afternoon it was lovely at 52F (11C) and sunny. I'm enjoying these nice fall days while they last. My legs felt OK the rest of the afternoon - sore in that weird way, but not horribly so. Better than yesterday. I got a bit worried that maybe things are getting worse again; however, I'm thinking it's just the usual 3 steps forward, 2 steps back of recovery. We'll see how I feel tomorrow; I'm planning elliptical/stationary bike at the gym, with possibly some racewalking on Tuesday.
Friday: Racewalked 6.3 km around Liberty Park and to/from. Garmin data here. I felt strong for the whole walk, even the slight uphill at the end. It was chilly (4C, 39F) and raining lightly but wasn't too unpleasant. I was glad to get out. Did a pretty good 6:16/km with ave HR of only 142.
Oh, also, I attended my Weight Watchers meeting. I lost 0.8 lb this week, but I can't say I was really trying that hard. I am lucky the scale moved, and I have some work to do on my eating this week.
I did better than I thought I would on the walk, considering how iffy I felt. My muscles were sore, but it didn't hurt my performance too much. I did 37:32 for 6:15/km with ave HR 141. Of course we did stop a few times to get drinks for the kids/rest a bit, so I probably would've been a bit slower if I hadn't rested, but I still felt all right. Garmin data here. I kept things loose in the afternoon by walking the dog briskly with my mom for an hour - enjoyable! The weather was chilly this morning at 38F (3C) but this afternoon it was lovely at 52F (11C) and sunny. I'm enjoying these nice fall days while they last. My legs felt OK the rest of the afternoon - sore in that weird way, but not horribly so. Better than yesterday. I got a bit worried that maybe things are getting worse again; however, I'm thinking it's just the usual 3 steps forward, 2 steps back of recovery. We'll see how I feel tomorrow; I'm planning elliptical/stationary bike at the gym, with possibly some racewalking on Tuesday.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
recovery; 6K
After my 8K Sunday I was pretty sore! I don't know why that surprised me, but what was more interesting was that it was 80-90% the normal delayed onset muscle soreness one gets from unaccustomed activity, and only 10-20% of that weird soreness I've been having the last few months. I was so relieved to have the usual muscle soreness - I can't explain it, but it just felt good and normal. Unfortunately, it bothered me enough that racewalking on Monday or Tuesday wasn't really a good idea. I was OK with that, and know it's going to take time to get back in shape. As long as I see progress, it's good.
So on Monday & Tuesday, I did the elliptical ~40 min and then biked to work, so I'd have a bit over an hour of good cardio. I recovered well from that.
This morning I felt ready to go - so I planned a walk with Kelly. Her knee is better but not 100% yet, so she racewalked some and ran some. She had to leave early to study for a quiz, so she only walked 20 min with me, but that was super. I continued on and did a total of 6K, and it felt good just like it did on Sunday. I felt strong and able to push myself, which I haven't felt all year, really. It just felt so good. Admittedly, I did tire and the last km or so wasn't as easy, but it felt OK. And best of all, I have only felt a bit of that weird soreness today. I almost feel normal. Almost. Not quite. But I'm encouraged!
My plan is to cross-train again tomorrow and hope to racewalk on Friday again with Kelly :). If I'm feeling brave enough maybe I'll be able to racewalk on Saturday too? But if not, for sure on Sunday I hope. I just hope this trend continues. Finally.
***
Oh, I forgot my time for today. Fast! 37:08 for 6:11/km and ave HR 143. Garmin data here.
So on Monday & Tuesday, I did the elliptical ~40 min and then biked to work, so I'd have a bit over an hour of good cardio. I recovered well from that.
This morning I felt ready to go - so I planned a walk with Kelly. Her knee is better but not 100% yet, so she racewalked some and ran some. She had to leave early to study for a quiz, so she only walked 20 min with me, but that was super. I continued on and did a total of 6K, and it felt good just like it did on Sunday. I felt strong and able to push myself, which I haven't felt all year, really. It just felt so good. Admittedly, I did tire and the last km or so wasn't as easy, but it felt OK. And best of all, I have only felt a bit of that weird soreness today. I almost feel normal. Almost. Not quite. But I'm encouraged!
My plan is to cross-train again tomorrow and hope to racewalk on Friday again with Kelly :). If I'm feeling brave enough maybe I'll be able to racewalk on Saturday too? But if not, for sure on Sunday I hope. I just hope this trend continues. Finally.
***
Oh, I forgot my time for today. Fast! 37:08 for 6:11/km and ave HR 143. Garmin data here.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Another week gone by...
Since I haven't been training, it's been easier to post less frequently. But things are looking up and I might post more often now, depending on how things go.
This week has been a good one, continuing the upward trend. I continue to have a good amount of energy to get through each day, and I am more able to exercise. Yay! It wasn't a good week at all in the food department, but that's another story. I will address that issue below.
Exercise:
Monday: 40 min elliptical
Tuesday: 45 min elliptical
Wednesday & Thursday: rest days - but due to lack of time, not energy - this one falls into the poor planning department. Usually exercise is my #1 priority, but I kind of blew it this week. I was presenting zebrafish stuff to my kids' classes Thursday morning and just didn't plan far enough in advance, so those days were full of last-minute cramming and extra work to make up for missed hours. Enough said. Lame excuse, but it is what it is.
Friday: 5K racewalk with Kelly (YAY! Kelly's knee is getting better!), in 31:45 for 6:20/km. My legs felt really very good and didn't hurt much afterward. Amazing!
Saturday: 1 hour elliptical
Sunday: 8K racewalk in 48:29 for 6:03/km with ave HR 147! Wooo hoo! Some good speed, and my legs didn't give out at the end, and they have just been moderately sore the rest of the day. In fact, after my racewalk I still had enough energy and stamina for a nice easy 2.5K walk to church and then back once the service was over. 8K is the longest walk I've done since September 16, and this is the fastest I've walked 8K in a much longer time than that. Am I really on the mend? I'm almost daring to hope that I am.
I have continued to eat more protein, and more of everything else as well, contributing to some serious weight gain. I'm not beating myself up, just stating it like it is. I finally bit the bullet and went to Weight Watchers on Saturday. I needed to 'fess up and move on. I needed my meeting and the accountability. I weighed in at 163.8 lb (74.5 kg), way over my goal weight of 155 lb, and way more than the 148 lb that I like to race at. I had to pay for being overweight for the first time in 7 years. I thought it would be humiliating, but honestly, it was refreshing to be back, to get my head on straight, and to start over fresh. I am going to attend every week until I feel things are back to normal again, and then go back to a couple times a month. It will take a while to take the weight off, but I'm OK with that. I just need things to get moving in the right direction again.
Back to exercise: so why am I feeling better? My best guess is B12 and protein deficiency combined to make me feel lousy (fatigue, sore muscles, pain) and once the B12 levels were up I still wasn't eating enough protein until the end of September when I realized that might be a problem. It's not Weight Watchers' fault - I wasn't following their good health guidelines very well. Because of my racewalking, I cut way back on dairy, which in retrospect was probably not the problem with my GI distress (I'm still not sure what causes my runner's trots, but I suspect it's a combination of a sensitive intestinal tract and eating just a little too much the day before a long walk? I also think the higher protein diet is helping a lot with that - we'll see when I get back to long walks again). In addition, I was trying to eat less meat to be more environmentally friendly and more healthful. I wasn't conscientious about replacing it with nuts or legumes, and therefore I actually wasn't eating enough protein when I started calculating how many grams I was getting per day - rare for an American, but seemingly true for me. Now that I'm on B12 supplements and eating more protein, I hope I will continue to feel better and get back to my new normal: athletic and enjoying it!
I had the best time on my walk this morning - I just felt so normal again! I saw my friend Henry at the park, stopped to chat a bit and told him I was feeling better. The weather was just lovely - chilly but sunny and calm, and SO beautiful. It was only 37F (about 3C) but our fall weather has been so amazing this year...I know the snow is coming but I'm in denial. Anyway, it was gorgeous today, and I was just SO VERY HAPPY that my legs felt decent. They felt pretty good until the last 1km, and yeah, I got tired. But it was a more normal tired and not that horrible pain-tired I've been having (well, maybe a little bit). The rest of the day I have had some soreness when I sit too long, but it's been pretty good, really. I am going to cross-train tomorrow, but plan to RW on Tuesday with Kelly.
Here's my Garmin data for the walk today.
This week has been a good one, continuing the upward trend. I continue to have a good amount of energy to get through each day, and I am more able to exercise. Yay! It wasn't a good week at all in the food department, but that's another story. I will address that issue below.
Exercise:
Monday: 40 min elliptical
Tuesday: 45 min elliptical
Wednesday & Thursday: rest days - but due to lack of time, not energy - this one falls into the poor planning department. Usually exercise is my #1 priority, but I kind of blew it this week. I was presenting zebrafish stuff to my kids' classes Thursday morning and just didn't plan far enough in advance, so those days were full of last-minute cramming and extra work to make up for missed hours. Enough said. Lame excuse, but it is what it is.
Friday: 5K racewalk with Kelly (YAY! Kelly's knee is getting better!), in 31:45 for 6:20/km. My legs felt really very good and didn't hurt much afterward. Amazing!
Saturday: 1 hour elliptical
Sunday: 8K racewalk in 48:29 for 6:03/km with ave HR 147! Wooo hoo! Some good speed, and my legs didn't give out at the end, and they have just been moderately sore the rest of the day. In fact, after my racewalk I still had enough energy and stamina for a nice easy 2.5K walk to church and then back once the service was over. 8K is the longest walk I've done since September 16, and this is the fastest I've walked 8K in a much longer time than that. Am I really on the mend? I'm almost daring to hope that I am.
I have continued to eat more protein, and more of everything else as well, contributing to some serious weight gain. I'm not beating myself up, just stating it like it is. I finally bit the bullet and went to Weight Watchers on Saturday. I needed to 'fess up and move on. I needed my meeting and the accountability. I weighed in at 163.8 lb (74.5 kg), way over my goal weight of 155 lb, and way more than the 148 lb that I like to race at. I had to pay for being overweight for the first time in 7 years. I thought it would be humiliating, but honestly, it was refreshing to be back, to get my head on straight, and to start over fresh. I am going to attend every week until I feel things are back to normal again, and then go back to a couple times a month. It will take a while to take the weight off, but I'm OK with that. I just need things to get moving in the right direction again.
Back to exercise: so why am I feeling better? My best guess is B12 and protein deficiency combined to make me feel lousy (fatigue, sore muscles, pain) and once the B12 levels were up I still wasn't eating enough protein until the end of September when I realized that might be a problem. It's not Weight Watchers' fault - I wasn't following their good health guidelines very well. Because of my racewalking, I cut way back on dairy, which in retrospect was probably not the problem with my GI distress (I'm still not sure what causes my runner's trots, but I suspect it's a combination of a sensitive intestinal tract and eating just a little too much the day before a long walk? I also think the higher protein diet is helping a lot with that - we'll see when I get back to long walks again). In addition, I was trying to eat less meat to be more environmentally friendly and more healthful. I wasn't conscientious about replacing it with nuts or legumes, and therefore I actually wasn't eating enough protein when I started calculating how many grams I was getting per day - rare for an American, but seemingly true for me. Now that I'm on B12 supplements and eating more protein, I hope I will continue to feel better and get back to my new normal: athletic and enjoying it!
I had the best time on my walk this morning - I just felt so normal again! I saw my friend Henry at the park, stopped to chat a bit and told him I was feeling better. The weather was just lovely - chilly but sunny and calm, and SO beautiful. It was only 37F (about 3C) but our fall weather has been so amazing this year...I know the snow is coming but I'm in denial. Anyway, it was gorgeous today, and I was just SO VERY HAPPY that my legs felt decent. They felt pretty good until the last 1km, and yeah, I got tired. But it was a more normal tired and not that horrible pain-tired I've been having (well, maybe a little bit). The rest of the day I have had some soreness when I sit too long, but it's been pretty good, really. I am going to cross-train tomorrow, but plan to RW on Tuesday with Kelly.
Here's my Garmin data for the walk today.
Sunday, November 03, 2013
the week in review
It's been a whole week since I've blogged. This week has been much better than last week. I've felt pretty darn good - more energy, and able to exercise more.
Monday-Wednesday: 45 min elliptical each day. Felt good!
Thursday: up a bit too late, so only managed to bike to work, but still felt good.
Friday: 1 hour elliptical. Longest I've worked out in a while, and I recovered well from it :).
Saturday: 30 min elliptical + bike to work to do some stuff. Body felt good.
Sunday: Got brave and decided to racewalk for the first time in 2 weeks. I wish I could say it felt good. It felt OK-ish during, and my legs have been stiff and sore since. It's 3pm now and they are hurting a bit especially when sitting. I stretched thoroughly afterward but not sure it helped (don't think it hurt though). I did it at 6:21/km pace for 31:45 total time for the 5K. Not bad. I just wish I didn't hurt.
I told Loren this morning that I was just so glad I'd been able to work out more this week. I really need it for my mental health and for my general sense of well-being, never mind the fact that I also like to eat and therefore need exercise to help keep my weight in check. I hope I'll be able to racewalk again, but if I can't, I will learn to live with that somehow. Not being able to exercise at all would be much, much worse.
I'll play the next couple days by ear. I expect to be sore since I haven't RW in 2 weeks, but I also hope I'll recover well so I can RW later this week. But if it is RW that is messing me up, I will give it up if I have to in order to be able to work out. I have just been SO glad to feel better that it has shifted my perspective monumentally. It's not that I don't fervently hope I can RW again, it's just that I have to prioritize right now. Health is #1, and being able to do some kind of exercise is much more important than being able to racewalk. Feeling good and healthy is such a gift.
Monday-Wednesday: 45 min elliptical each day. Felt good!
Thursday: up a bit too late, so only managed to bike to work, but still felt good.
Friday: 1 hour elliptical. Longest I've worked out in a while, and I recovered well from it :).
Saturday: 30 min elliptical + bike to work to do some stuff. Body felt good.
Sunday: Got brave and decided to racewalk for the first time in 2 weeks. I wish I could say it felt good. It felt OK-ish during, and my legs have been stiff and sore since. It's 3pm now and they are hurting a bit especially when sitting. I stretched thoroughly afterward but not sure it helped (don't think it hurt though). I did it at 6:21/km pace for 31:45 total time for the 5K. Not bad. I just wish I didn't hurt.
I told Loren this morning that I was just so glad I'd been able to work out more this week. I really need it for my mental health and for my general sense of well-being, never mind the fact that I also like to eat and therefore need exercise to help keep my weight in check. I hope I'll be able to racewalk again, but if I can't, I will learn to live with that somehow. Not being able to exercise at all would be much, much worse.
I'll play the next couple days by ear. I expect to be sore since I haven't RW in 2 weeks, but I also hope I'll recover well so I can RW later this week. But if it is RW that is messing me up, I will give it up if I have to in order to be able to work out. I have just been SO glad to feel better that it has shifted my perspective monumentally. It's not that I don't fervently hope I can RW again, it's just that I have to prioritize right now. Health is #1, and being able to do some kind of exercise is much more important than being able to racewalk. Feeling good and healthy is such a gift.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Thursday-Sunday
Thursday: felt a bit better. The 30 min on the elliptical didn't hurt as much.
Friday: elliptical + biked to work for total of 45 min cardio. I felt surprisingly good.
Saturday: 45 min elliptical. Still felt surprisingly good.
Sunday: Woke up more sore than I'd like, probably from Friday's bicycling. Hiked with my mom for 45 min (2.75 miles) and that felt pretty good and loosened things up. The fall weather here has been amazing and the leaves are SO lovely (see pic at left)...wish this weather could stay a bit longer. Later, I biked to book club and then up to work, then biked to a friend's home and then home. Feeling pretty decent right now. Hoping I don't pay for all this tomorrow, but I suspect I will. Off to bed soon so that I can get up early for some elliptical tomorrow.
Been eating much better yesterday & today. Right now my #1 priority is to eat right and get in as much exercise as possible. No racewalking for now - I just need to keep my weight under control and feel better if possible. Racewalking was making things worse and so I just have to take a bit of a break from it. I should probably swim, but I'm just not feeling the love right now. I'm reserving the swim card for later, if it needs to be played.
Friday: elliptical + biked to work for total of 45 min cardio. I felt surprisingly good.
Saturday: 45 min elliptical. Still felt surprisingly good.
Sunday: Woke up more sore than I'd like, probably from Friday's bicycling. Hiked with my mom for 45 min (2.75 miles) and that felt pretty good and loosened things up. The fall weather here has been amazing and the leaves are SO lovely (see pic at left)...wish this weather could stay a bit longer. Later, I biked to book club and then up to work, then biked to a friend's home and then home. Feeling pretty decent right now. Hoping I don't pay for all this tomorrow, but I suspect I will. Off to bed soon so that I can get up early for some elliptical tomorrow.Been eating much better yesterday & today. Right now my #1 priority is to eat right and get in as much exercise as possible. No racewalking for now - I just need to keep my weight under control and feel better if possible. Racewalking was making things worse and so I just have to take a bit of a break from it. I should probably swim, but I'm just not feeling the love right now. I'm reserving the swim card for later, if it needs to be played.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
more of the same
Elliptical Monday-Wednesday, 30 min/day.
Legs very sore :(. Took some naprosyn today and it didn't seem to make a dent in the soreness.
Thinking about what course of action to pursue next to try and get some help.
Legs very sore :(. Took some naprosyn today and it didn't seem to make a dent in the soreness.
Thinking about what course of action to pursue next to try and get some help.
Monday, October 21, 2013
sore
I'm pretty sore today. Just 5K yesterday was enough to do it. ARRRGH! SO FRUSTRATED!
Did 30 min elliptical this morning. Spent the rest of the day annoyed at my sore muscles. Mostly ate pretty well, at least. That's something anyway.
I haven't been feeling depressed again, thankfully. Just frustrated, angry, irritated, pent-up, wanting-to-racewalk-but-dreading-the-aftermath. Annoyed that my boss and his wife did a half marathon last weekend and both did really well...happy for them, yes, but just so annoyed that I couldn't do it too. Irritated that my Facebook friends are all having lots of fun at the races. Stressed that I am still not feeling better. Angry at myself for being such a schmuck when others I see walking through the hospital on my way to work every day have much worse problems.
That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Just getting it out there.
Did 30 min elliptical this morning. Spent the rest of the day annoyed at my sore muscles. Mostly ate pretty well, at least. That's something anyway.
I haven't been feeling depressed again, thankfully. Just frustrated, angry, irritated, pent-up, wanting-to-racewalk-but-dreading-the-aftermath. Annoyed that my boss and his wife did a half marathon last weekend and both did really well...happy for them, yes, but just so annoyed that I couldn't do it too. Irritated that my Facebook friends are all having lots of fun at the races. Stressed that I am still not feeling better. Angry at myself for being such a schmuck when others I see walking through the hospital on my way to work every day have much worse problems.
That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Just getting it out there.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
cross-training; hiking; 5K
Thursday, despite fighting off a cold, I did 30 min elliptical and then 15 min stationary bike before going on vacation with my family to Southern Utah. We enjoyed an awesome hike in Dead Horse Point State Park on Friday, and then a hike in the Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park on Saturday before returning home to celebrate my mom's 70th birthday. Whew!
My legs actually hurt a lot from the car ride on Thursday, but they felt fine hiking - no problems whatsoever. We hiked about 6K (3.7 miles) on Friday, and then a bit more (2-3K?) Friday night on a night hike with the park ranger. Then Saturday we hiked 2 miles (3.2K) in the Fiery Furnace, with lots of scrambling and some beginning rock-climbing moves. I wasn't sore at all from that either.
Today I decided to do 5K, because I could, and my legs felt recovered. I was pretty slow, doing 5K at 6:20/km with ave HR 146. I felt OK - legs weren't sore much during the walk. However, now after a few hours, my legs are starting to hurt, mostly in the glutes. It feels like I've done a hard weight training workout - too many lunges or something. It feels much worse when sitting, so standing is better, though not terribly convenient when you want to edit photos, watch football, etc.
My diet hasn't been the best as you might guess, between camping and birthday cake. My weight is a bit out-of-control at the moment. Time to re-strategize and figure this out.
I just wish I knew what was wrong. I wish I knew what to do to make my legs feel better. My fatigue level has improved a significant amount over the last week, so maybe my legs will follow? But I have to assume that might not happen and plan accordingly. I am not exercising like an athlete now, so it's time to stop eating like I am. That will be more difficult than it sounds, but I have a few ideas to tackle the problem. I need to start acting on my alternate plans for when I feel like eating - other things I can do instead. I have been saying this for a while...now time to DO something, before it gets worse.
On the bright side, some photos from our trip:
My legs actually hurt a lot from the car ride on Thursday, but they felt fine hiking - no problems whatsoever. We hiked about 6K (3.7 miles) on Friday, and then a bit more (2-3K?) Friday night on a night hike with the park ranger. Then Saturday we hiked 2 miles (3.2K) in the Fiery Furnace, with lots of scrambling and some beginning rock-climbing moves. I wasn't sore at all from that either.
Today I decided to do 5K, because I could, and my legs felt recovered. I was pretty slow, doing 5K at 6:20/km with ave HR 146. I felt OK - legs weren't sore much during the walk. However, now after a few hours, my legs are starting to hurt, mostly in the glutes. It feels like I've done a hard weight training workout - too many lunges or something. It feels much worse when sitting, so standing is better, though not terribly convenient when you want to edit photos, watch football, etc.
My diet hasn't been the best as you might guess, between camping and birthday cake. My weight is a bit out-of-control at the moment. Time to re-strategize and figure this out.
I just wish I knew what was wrong. I wish I knew what to do to make my legs feel better. My fatigue level has improved a significant amount over the last week, so maybe my legs will follow? But I have to assume that might not happen and plan accordingly. I am not exercising like an athlete now, so it's time to stop eating like I am. That will be more difficult than it sounds, but I have a few ideas to tackle the problem. I need to start acting on my alternate plans for when I feel like eating - other things I can do instead. I have been saying this for a while...now time to DO something, before it gets worse.
On the bright side, some photos from our trip:
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
cross-training, 6K
Yesterday: 30 min elliptical
Today: 6K. My legs didn't feel as recovered as they did on Monday, but they didn't feel horrible either. It was a crisp fall morning, clear and 40F (4C), and it felt good to be out. My legs were OK until the 5K mark, when they started to really hurt. At least I only had 1K left at that point. I was pretty fast through 5K, too - yeah, it's a net downhill, but not really steep or anything, but I still got to 5K at 6:03/km pace (about 30:15 --- gee that's only 20 sec slower than my race a couple wk ago...sigh.........). Then I slowed a lot on the last uphill, finishing in 37:00 for 6:10/km with ave HR 152.
Now (at lunch time), my legs feel quite sore and very tired. Grrrrrr. I WANT TO FEEL BETTER! I want to walk 10K without muscle pain. That apparently is too much to ask right now. I will have to adjust expectations and be patient, two things I'm obviously not very good at. At least there's no pressure of an impending race.
Garmin data here.
Today: 6K. My legs didn't feel as recovered as they did on Monday, but they didn't feel horrible either. It was a crisp fall morning, clear and 40F (4C), and it felt good to be out. My legs were OK until the 5K mark, when they started to really hurt. At least I only had 1K left at that point. I was pretty fast through 5K, too - yeah, it's a net downhill, but not really steep or anything, but I still got to 5K at 6:03/km pace (about 30:15 --- gee that's only 20 sec slower than my race a couple wk ago...sigh.........). Then I slowed a lot on the last uphill, finishing in 37:00 for 6:10/km with ave HR 152.
Now (at lunch time), my legs feel quite sore and very tired. Grrrrrr. I WANT TO FEEL BETTER! I want to walk 10K without muscle pain. That apparently is too much to ask right now. I will have to adjust expectations and be patient, two things I'm obviously not very good at. At least there's no pressure of an impending race.
Garmin data here.
Monday, October 14, 2013
rest day, 6K
Yesterday I took a rest day. My legs felt pretty good, so I thought about swimming or other x-training, but was busy working for 90 min or so and also helping a friend paint, so I opted to skip it.
This morning I woke up and my legs didn't feel too sore! They were a bit sore, but it wasn't painful to bend over and tie my shoes like it has been. My glutes weren't screaming at me from the stretch needed to tie shoes (with bent knee). I figured that was good. So I went for a walk with Adriana; we planned on 5-8km depending on how we felt. I thought I'd make 5km but doubted I'd go farther than that. I was pleasantly surprised that my legs felt OK at 2.5km, so I suggested we turn around at 3km and if we felt like more then we could do more when we got back to our cars. By 5km my legs were tired and somewhat sore, but nothing like how sore they have been on some other days. I was ready to stop at 6km, but I could have done more if I'd had to. My legs have felt decent so far today (it's lunch time), though I will cop to taking a couple naprosyn prophylactically.
We did the 6km slow and easy, finishing in 38:25 for 6:24/km (though my watch was off badly for the first 500m (3:46???!??? - know it was not more than 3:10 or so), so it was probably more like 37:45 for the 6K?). Anyway, regardless, my ave HR was 145, so it was a nice easy day and felt OK. I need more days like this. I'm going to allow myself to have a little hope that maybe things are done getting worse? OK, it's only been a couple days of feeling better.
I'm still eating the higher-protein diet, averaging probably 80g protein per day. I wonder if that is helping? It will be 2 weeks of that tomorrow.
Garmin data here.
This morning I woke up and my legs didn't feel too sore! They were a bit sore, but it wasn't painful to bend over and tie my shoes like it has been. My glutes weren't screaming at me from the stretch needed to tie shoes (with bent knee). I figured that was good. So I went for a walk with Adriana; we planned on 5-8km depending on how we felt. I thought I'd make 5km but doubted I'd go farther than that. I was pleasantly surprised that my legs felt OK at 2.5km, so I suggested we turn around at 3km and if we felt like more then we could do more when we got back to our cars. By 5km my legs were tired and somewhat sore, but nothing like how sore they have been on some other days. I was ready to stop at 6km, but I could have done more if I'd had to. My legs have felt decent so far today (it's lunch time), though I will cop to taking a couple naprosyn prophylactically.
We did the 6km slow and easy, finishing in 38:25 for 6:24/km (though my watch was off badly for the first 500m (3:46???!??? - know it was not more than 3:10 or so), so it was probably more like 37:45 for the 6K?). Anyway, regardless, my ave HR was 145, so it was a nice easy day and felt OK. I need more days like this. I'm going to allow myself to have a little hope that maybe things are done getting worse? OK, it's only been a couple days of feeling better.
I'm still eating the higher-protein diet, averaging probably 80g protein per day. I wonder if that is helping? It will be 2 weeks of that tomorrow.
Garmin data here.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Can't leave the blog alone...
I guess I need the therapy of writing this, of getting my thoughts on "paper".
Not surprisingly, it's been a tough week. I rested Sunday after the race, and was extremely sore. Glutes, hamstrings, right shin, obliques. Monday I was even more sore, but felt I needed to work the kinks out of my muscles, so I opted for 30 min elliptical. Tuesday, I did 30 min elliptical and I biked to work. That was rough on me - I hurt badly on Wednesday-Friday, but still managed elliptical at least 25 min each day.
Last night I was feeling better. I got a text from Stevie's dad, suggesting I join Stevie for 10K. Well, I thought 10K rather unlikely, but figured a little company for 5K would be lovely, and so I went. Stevie took off like a shot, and I stayed with him, though we did slow a good amount on the way back. There was a lot of frost on the section of the parkway that has the wooden walkway over the swampy area, and we had zero toe push there, so that was slow too. Yes...I said frost. It was 43F (6C) this morning, but near the river it was a bit cooler and there was some frost.
Enjoyed the walk a lot, though the last 2km hurt a good amount. Did the 5K in 31:14 with a high ave HR of 150. Afterward, I took an ice bath. Yes, an ice bath for 5km. Sad but true. Coach thinks it might help, and hey, can't hurt. OK, yes it can hurt! It was freeeeezing cold and I have Reynaud's phenomenon, which was acting up for a couple hours afterward. A mug of hot tea and cranking the heat in the car on the way to Calvin's soccer game eased things up a bit. Despite all that, I think the ice bath helped. My legs are sore but not as bad as it has been sometimes.
I miss racewalking SO much. It felt so good for the first 2.5K, and I wanted so much to keep walking. My boss is doing a half marathon in southern Utah next weekend, and I expressed jealousy. He said, "You can still sign up!" and I had to explain that I could not do it - no way. I know I'd never get through the race. He said, "You could walk". Hahahahaha. I doubt I could even walk casually for 13.1 miles right now. I would love nothing more than to do that race. It made me want to cry. Finally he said, "Oh. I'll shut up now." Thanks...
I admit that last night I felt depressed. I allowed myself to wallow in it a bit. I haven't done that much at all (yet) and have been impressed that though moody, I've managed to keep my head up. But I'm worried that I can't take much more of this. The muscle pain, the sadness from missing my sport, the weight gain due to comfort eating (duh) are getting to be too much. I have avoided the nasty pit of depression, but with winter coming on and being prone to seasonal affective disorder, I will admit to being afraid.
I have a few strategies left to combat this. I have to work harder to get more sleep and to eat right. That makes everything feel better. Eating right has proven to be quite a challenge, though eating more protein the last couple weeks has helped somewhat. I need to have a bit more time to myself, so maybe I will ask Loren to do a bit more around the house, if he can. At the moment he's furloughed from work because of the gov't shutdown, so theoretically he can help; however, he's had a nasty cold which has messed with everything.
Well, seeing this on "paper" has helped me realize I need to do a little more planning and strategizing. I have a bit of time this weekend and hopefully can get an hour to myself to think.
Not surprisingly, it's been a tough week. I rested Sunday after the race, and was extremely sore. Glutes, hamstrings, right shin, obliques. Monday I was even more sore, but felt I needed to work the kinks out of my muscles, so I opted for 30 min elliptical. Tuesday, I did 30 min elliptical and I biked to work. That was rough on me - I hurt badly on Wednesday-Friday, but still managed elliptical at least 25 min each day.
Last night I was feeling better. I got a text from Stevie's dad, suggesting I join Stevie for 10K. Well, I thought 10K rather unlikely, but figured a little company for 5K would be lovely, and so I went. Stevie took off like a shot, and I stayed with him, though we did slow a good amount on the way back. There was a lot of frost on the section of the parkway that has the wooden walkway over the swampy area, and we had zero toe push there, so that was slow too. Yes...I said frost. It was 43F (6C) this morning, but near the river it was a bit cooler and there was some frost.
Enjoyed the walk a lot, though the last 2km hurt a good amount. Did the 5K in 31:14 with a high ave HR of 150. Afterward, I took an ice bath. Yes, an ice bath for 5km. Sad but true. Coach thinks it might help, and hey, can't hurt. OK, yes it can hurt! It was freeeeezing cold and I have Reynaud's phenomenon, which was acting up for a couple hours afterward. A mug of hot tea and cranking the heat in the car on the way to Calvin's soccer game eased things up a bit. Despite all that, I think the ice bath helped. My legs are sore but not as bad as it has been sometimes.
I miss racewalking SO much. It felt so good for the first 2.5K, and I wanted so much to keep walking. My boss is doing a half marathon in southern Utah next weekend, and I expressed jealousy. He said, "You can still sign up!" and I had to explain that I could not do it - no way. I know I'd never get through the race. He said, "You could walk". Hahahahaha. I doubt I could even walk casually for 13.1 miles right now. I would love nothing more than to do that race. It made me want to cry. Finally he said, "Oh. I'll shut up now." Thanks...
I admit that last night I felt depressed. I allowed myself to wallow in it a bit. I haven't done that much at all (yet) and have been impressed that though moody, I've managed to keep my head up. But I'm worried that I can't take much more of this. The muscle pain, the sadness from missing my sport, the weight gain due to comfort eating (duh) are getting to be too much. I have avoided the nasty pit of depression, but with winter coming on and being prone to seasonal affective disorder, I will admit to being afraid.
I have a few strategies left to combat this. I have to work harder to get more sleep and to eat right. That makes everything feel better. Eating right has proven to be quite a challenge, though eating more protein the last couple weeks has helped somewhat. I need to have a bit more time to myself, so maybe I will ask Loren to do a bit more around the house, if he can. At the moment he's furloughed from work because of the gov't shutdown, so theoretically he can help; however, he's had a nasty cold which has messed with everything.
Well, seeing this on "paper" has helped me realize I need to do a little more planning and strategizing. I have a bit of time this weekend and hopefully can get an hour to myself to think.
Monday, October 07, 2013
National Masters 5K
The weekend was lovely, except for the race. It was great to see everyone (photo with my friend Lis below), Tennessee was beautiful, and I enjoyed myself. The redeye flight out there wasn't so great, and I didn't sleep enough, so I'm tired now, but that didn't diminish my pleasure in the weekend in general.
The race? Yeah, worse than expected. I hoped for low 29s. Barely squeezed under 30 min, and my heart rate was ridiculously high, averaging 167. My legs hurt from end of the first km on, and now (2 days later) they are very painful --- like I'm recovering from a hard half marathon, not a 5K race.I did come in 2nd place, but that's not saying so much when I was the youngest in the race except for two teenagers (age 14). I was first in my age group...but then again, I was the ONLY one in my age group. Hey, I didn't get DQ'd!
The course was slightly hilly - slight downhill for 1st 500, slight uphill for 2nd 500 in each lap (1k/lap). It also had a complex turn at one end, so I'd say most people were slowed 30 sec-1 min by the course (vs. a fast, flat course). So maybe I would have done low 29s? No matter. The weather was perfect - 13C (55F) and very humid, which was no biggie since it wasn't hot that early. It was warmer for the men's race.
Garmin data here.
I'm frustrated but I'm doing OK. Mostly.
I'm going to take a break from racewalking, and therefore probably from my blog as well, for a little while. I will walk some for exercise, as I'm able, but will not train. I'll try to update if there is any good news or even bad news or something about my condition changes. I know I could blog about trying to lose the weight I've gained or something potentially useful, but honestly, I'm too tired and too afraid I'd be too negative. It takes a lot of energy right now to just try and stay positive in real life, and adding in the blog makes it harder.Hopefully I'll be back soon.
Thursday, October 03, 2013
mixed feelings
I head to Tennessee this weekend with mixed feelings. On one hand, I love racewalking and love my racewalking friends, and I look forward to being part of all things racewalking at the National Masters 5K. On the other hand, I know I won't race as well as I'd like to. Of course, I also feel lucky that I get to race. It's confusing and perplexing, this mess of feelings.
***
This week in review...
Monday - 3K fartlek in 17:13, and my legs felt stronger than they have in a while, probably because last Thursday & Friday I only did 30 min elliptical each day, and I rested Saturday & Sunday. Way to taper! Hahaha...
Tuesday - rest day.
Wednesday - elliptical plus biking to work = 45 min cardio.
Today - 20 min racewalking. 3.2 km in 19:35 for 6:07/km w/ave HR 139. I felt pretty good while I was out walking, and felt smooth and in control. My muscles felt stronger than they have overall. I'm a bit sore now, but not too bad. 20 min shouldn't make me sore, though...sigh. At least I feel optimistic that I can do 5K and finish at the race on Saturday. Goals? To race as well as I can and be happy with that, whatever it is.
***
New thoughts on what might be wrong with me.
1) Protein deficiency. I eat a fairly carb-heavy diet, when I've tracked it in the past. I read that for a sedentary woman my size, 46g/day is the minimum. Some recommend as much as 125g/day for an active female athlete my size! I would guess I've been eating around 40g normally...that's not much. A small deficiency like that over time could lead to fatigue and muscle soreness and poor recovery. This seems likely, and hey, it won't hurt to eat a bit more protein and fewer carbs. It's something I know hasn't been quite right about my diet anyhow.
2) My friend Sarah (an M.D.) suggested possibly a food allergy/sensitivity causing inflammation. She suggested dairy and gluten as two possibilities, but didn't limit it to that. I think this is definitely possible, though I'd expect I would have more GI symptoms if this were the case. Still, it's not hard to try dairy free or gluten free for a few weeks to see if it helps.
I'm going to try 1) first and eat more protein for a few weeks and see if I feel better. I started on Tuesday and this week has been better than last for sure; however, I've done less exercise and also have ditched the cold that was dogging me, so it's not a perfect comparison. I have to give it a good try - several weeks - and then evaluate again.
***
This week in review...
Monday - 3K fartlek in 17:13, and my legs felt stronger than they have in a while, probably because last Thursday & Friday I only did 30 min elliptical each day, and I rested Saturday & Sunday. Way to taper! Hahaha...
Tuesday - rest day.
Wednesday - elliptical plus biking to work = 45 min cardio.
Today - 20 min racewalking. 3.2 km in 19:35 for 6:07/km w/ave HR 139. I felt pretty good while I was out walking, and felt smooth and in control. My muscles felt stronger than they have overall. I'm a bit sore now, but not too bad. 20 min shouldn't make me sore, though...sigh. At least I feel optimistic that I can do 5K and finish at the race on Saturday. Goals? To race as well as I can and be happy with that, whatever it is.
***
New thoughts on what might be wrong with me.
1) Protein deficiency. I eat a fairly carb-heavy diet, when I've tracked it in the past. I read that for a sedentary woman my size, 46g/day is the minimum. Some recommend as much as 125g/day for an active female athlete my size! I would guess I've been eating around 40g normally...that's not much. A small deficiency like that over time could lead to fatigue and muscle soreness and poor recovery. This seems likely, and hey, it won't hurt to eat a bit more protein and fewer carbs. It's something I know hasn't been quite right about my diet anyhow.
2) My friend Sarah (an M.D.) suggested possibly a food allergy/sensitivity causing inflammation. She suggested dairy and gluten as two possibilities, but didn't limit it to that. I think this is definitely possible, though I'd expect I would have more GI symptoms if this were the case. Still, it's not hard to try dairy free or gluten free for a few weeks to see if it helps.
I'm going to try 1) first and eat more protein for a few weeks and see if I feel better. I started on Tuesday and this week has been better than last for sure; however, I've done less exercise and also have ditched the cold that was dogging me, so it's not a perfect comparison. I have to give it a good try - several weeks - and then evaluate again.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Since last Monday
Wow it's been a week since I've blogged. Easy to let time pass when there's not so much to report.
I cross-trained a good bit last week, except for Thursday when I warmed up with Adriana on the track for 1600m before deciding a 3km fartlek was not happening for me. Adriana did a very nice fast one, though - she did 16:47!!! She is improving a lot, and would improve more if she had time to work out more frequently.
Saturday I intended to do some racewalking, while we were camping at Yellowstone National Park (we were there Friday-Sunday). However, when I woke I felt awful and knew it would be a waste of time. I contented myself with a bit of light hiking around the geyser basins.
Sunday I woke feeling a bit better and decided to do an easy 5K. Yellowstone is at altitude (7700ft, about 2360-2408m on my walk, according to my Garmin). The campground had gently rolling hills - enough to notice and affect my walk, for sure. I still managed 31:55 for 6:23/km with ave HR 148. Not great, but not awful. My legs hurt A LOT though. Seriously painful. Add in an 8-hr leisurely drive home through the Tetons, and it was not a pleasant leg experience. Garmin data here.
Yesterday I cross-trained on the elliptical and rode my bike to work. My legs felt a little better, but not great. I did an experiment though. I lifted some weights with my upper body only to see how my upper body muscles respond to training. Will they get as painful as my legs? It's mostly my glutes that hurt, so I wonder. It's just so odd. Anyway, I did dumbbell bench presses (only 25 lb each arm...weak!), rows on the machine (60 lb), upright rows (20 lb each arm), military press (17.5 lb each arm), bicep curls (15 lb each arm), and tricep extensions (12 lb each arm). 3 sets of 8-12 reps each exercise.
Today, not surprisingly, my arms are sore. Not ridiculously so, but definitely sore. We'll see how I recover. Normally I'm sore for up to 48-60 hrs post-workout for lifting, so we'll see.
My legs felt decent this morning - almost pain-free! - so I decided to go for a little walk. I did a nice 6K around Liberty Park, and the first 5K felt not-too-bad, and I got to 5K in 30:11. That was decent! But then my legs crapped out and the last km was a tough slog up the slight incline home. I finished in 36:52 for 6:09/km with ave HR 156 (yeah, I was pushing). Garmin data here. My legs feel OK right now - sore, but not too terrible. We'll see what tomorrow brings. I'd like to do a 3K fartlek Thursday if possible.
Oh, and I rode my bike to work today, after doing the 6K. That might not have been smart, but I had some GI distress after my walk and hung around the house too long trying to calm my insides, so I missed the bus and had to get to work somehow!
I cross-trained a good bit last week, except for Thursday when I warmed up with Adriana on the track for 1600m before deciding a 3km fartlek was not happening for me. Adriana did a very nice fast one, though - she did 16:47!!! She is improving a lot, and would improve more if she had time to work out more frequently.
Saturday I intended to do some racewalking, while we were camping at Yellowstone National Park (we were there Friday-Sunday). However, when I woke I felt awful and knew it would be a waste of time. I contented myself with a bit of light hiking around the geyser basins.
Sunday I woke feeling a bit better and decided to do an easy 5K. Yellowstone is at altitude (7700ft, about 2360-2408m on my walk, according to my Garmin). The campground had gently rolling hills - enough to notice and affect my walk, for sure. I still managed 31:55 for 6:23/km with ave HR 148. Not great, but not awful. My legs hurt A LOT though. Seriously painful. Add in an 8-hr leisurely drive home through the Tetons, and it was not a pleasant leg experience. Garmin data here.
Yesterday I cross-trained on the elliptical and rode my bike to work. My legs felt a little better, but not great. I did an experiment though. I lifted some weights with my upper body only to see how my upper body muscles respond to training. Will they get as painful as my legs? It's mostly my glutes that hurt, so I wonder. It's just so odd. Anyway, I did dumbbell bench presses (only 25 lb each arm...weak!), rows on the machine (60 lb), upright rows (20 lb each arm), military press (17.5 lb each arm), bicep curls (15 lb each arm), and tricep extensions (12 lb each arm). 3 sets of 8-12 reps each exercise.
Today, not surprisingly, my arms are sore. Not ridiculously so, but definitely sore. We'll see how I recover. Normally I'm sore for up to 48-60 hrs post-workout for lifting, so we'll see.
My legs felt decent this morning - almost pain-free! - so I decided to go for a little walk. I did a nice 6K around Liberty Park, and the first 5K felt not-too-bad, and I got to 5K in 30:11. That was decent! But then my legs crapped out and the last km was a tough slog up the slight incline home. I finished in 36:52 for 6:09/km with ave HR 156 (yeah, I was pushing). Garmin data here. My legs feel OK right now - sore, but not too terrible. We'll see what tomorrow brings. I'd like to do a 3K fartlek Thursday if possible.
Oh, and I rode my bike to work today, after doing the 6K. That might not have been smart, but I had some GI distress after my walk and hung around the house too long trying to calm my insides, so I missed the bus and had to get to work somehow!
Monday, September 16, 2013
8K
Yesterday was a rest day.
I'm getting very discouraged. It hurts so much to racewalk that I just don't want to do it any more. But I DO want to do it because I love it. I miss being able to walk without muscle pain. It's so frustrating...I know it's a first-world problem, but it's a real problem nonetheless, and it affects me in a lot of ways.
Today I planned to cross-train, but then Adriana texted me last night wanting to walk. I decided I would go with her, and we'd try to do 8K. I was so glad she was with me - it made the pain more bearable, having someone chatting about other things. It did still hurt just as much, especially from about 5.5km onward. My legs just burn in the glutes - it's hard to explain. They just hurt deeply, like I've walked about three times as far as I actually have. Just pain and aching. And then after I walk, for hours or even the rest of the day, it hurts when I sit, walk, go up stairs, whatever. It's like I'm being punished for exercising. Then there's the fatigue - that all-over tiredness/sleepiness/exhaustion that envelops me especially later in the afternoon. I'm writing this to remember how it feels and make notes of it, not to complain.
We were averaging about 6:15/km until 6K or so, when we slowed down because of me. It's embarrassing... but Adriana was OK with it since she's not in great shape right now either. I think she could have gone faster, though, and I felt bad. We finished in 51:03 for 6:23/km.
Garmin data here.
I should hear my test results in a day or two. Meanwhile...waiting...and trying not to give up.
I'm getting very discouraged. It hurts so much to racewalk that I just don't want to do it any more. But I DO want to do it because I love it. I miss being able to walk without muscle pain. It's so frustrating...I know it's a first-world problem, but it's a real problem nonetheless, and it affects me in a lot of ways.
Today I planned to cross-train, but then Adriana texted me last night wanting to walk. I decided I would go with her, and we'd try to do 8K. I was so glad she was with me - it made the pain more bearable, having someone chatting about other things. It did still hurt just as much, especially from about 5.5km onward. My legs just burn in the glutes - it's hard to explain. They just hurt deeply, like I've walked about three times as far as I actually have. Just pain and aching. And then after I walk, for hours or even the rest of the day, it hurts when I sit, walk, go up stairs, whatever. It's like I'm being punished for exercising. Then there's the fatigue - that all-over tiredness/sleepiness/exhaustion that envelops me especially later in the afternoon. I'm writing this to remember how it feels and make notes of it, not to complain.
We were averaging about 6:15/km until 6K or so, when we slowed down because of me. It's embarrassing... but Adriana was OK with it since she's not in great shape right now either. I think she could have gone faster, though, and I felt bad. We finished in 51:03 for 6:23/km.
Garmin data here.
I should hear my test results in a day or two. Meanwhile...waiting...and trying not to give up.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
really tough week
Backing up a few days... got behind on my blog - too tired to maintain it well. To my few readers, sorry. Actually, I write this mostly for myself, so should I apologize to myself?
Wednesday: Was supposed to walk 5-6km but woke up really sore and figured it was better to do the elliptical. Still having cold/sinus symptoms. Did the elliptical, took Grace to school, took Calvin to get his cast off then back to school, then I took the bus to work. In the afternoon I took the kids to the state fair. They had been begging me to go...really begging, all week. I was so tired that I fell asleep on the bus on the way to their school, but I still took them to the fair. They absolutely loved it, which made it worth it to me even though it pretty much wiped me out.
Thursday: Too tired to move, and I felt sick. Took a rest day. Debated taking a sick day from work, but managed to drag myself in, and made it through the day.
Friday: Still very tired, but did 25 min elliptical and rode my bike to work. I was just sick of being sick, and figured if I rode my bike to work it might make me feel better mentally. It did, sort of. I thought I'd try and finish up my work a bit early and go home and get a nap before the symphony last night, but that didn't happen - work was busy as usual. Had a bit of trouble staying awake in the first half of the performance, but still really enjoyed it.
Saturday: Slept in until 8:30. Seriously, unheard of for me to sleep that late, ever. Felt rotten when I woke up and debated what to do. Decided that a nice racewalk might make me feel better, so I dressed and went out to do 6K or so, figuring that would be all right. My legs were a bit sore (they never recovered at all this week - just felt sore all the time at a basal level). The first 2K went OK, but after that my legs just HURT. Hamstrings and glutes were fatigued and dragging. I just felt awful. I love racewalking, but right not it's just not fun. At 5K I was in more pain, and stopped for a second to regroup. I actually stood there in tears for a minute, trying to muster up the strength to continue, and also just feeling sorry for myself and how lousy this all is. I really miss being able to do my sport pain-free.
Here's the Garmin data from today's walk. 38:17 for 6:23/km with ave HR 145.
***
Doctor update: the wheels of medicine turn slowly. On Friday, I finally got blood drawn for some additional labs my sports medicine doc wants (vitamin D, creatine kinase, and liver panel). Now I wait for the results and analysis before we decide what to do next.
I'm still not over my cold. I'm tired. I'm whining, so time to stop writing.
Wednesday: Was supposed to walk 5-6km but woke up really sore and figured it was better to do the elliptical. Still having cold/sinus symptoms. Did the elliptical, took Grace to school, took Calvin to get his cast off then back to school, then I took the bus to work. In the afternoon I took the kids to the state fair. They had been begging me to go...really begging, all week. I was so tired that I fell asleep on the bus on the way to their school, but I still took them to the fair. They absolutely loved it, which made it worth it to me even though it pretty much wiped me out.
Thursday: Too tired to move, and I felt sick. Took a rest day. Debated taking a sick day from work, but managed to drag myself in, and made it through the day.
Friday: Still very tired, but did 25 min elliptical and rode my bike to work. I was just sick of being sick, and figured if I rode my bike to work it might make me feel better mentally. It did, sort of. I thought I'd try and finish up my work a bit early and go home and get a nap before the symphony last night, but that didn't happen - work was busy as usual. Had a bit of trouble staying awake in the first half of the performance, but still really enjoyed it.
Saturday: Slept in until 8:30. Seriously, unheard of for me to sleep that late, ever. Felt rotten when I woke up and debated what to do. Decided that a nice racewalk might make me feel better, so I dressed and went out to do 6K or so, figuring that would be all right. My legs were a bit sore (they never recovered at all this week - just felt sore all the time at a basal level). The first 2K went OK, but after that my legs just HURT. Hamstrings and glutes were fatigued and dragging. I just felt awful. I love racewalking, but right not it's just not fun. At 5K I was in more pain, and stopped for a second to regroup. I actually stood there in tears for a minute, trying to muster up the strength to continue, and also just feeling sorry for myself and how lousy this all is. I really miss being able to do my sport pain-free.
Here's the Garmin data from today's walk. 38:17 for 6:23/km with ave HR 145.
***
Doctor update: the wheels of medicine turn slowly. On Friday, I finally got blood drawn for some additional labs my sports medicine doc wants (vitamin D, creatine kinase, and liver panel). Now I wait for the results and analysis before we decide what to do next.
I'm still not over my cold. I'm tired. I'm whining, so time to stop writing.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
rest day
I woke up with pretty sore legs and a cold. Last weekend in Idaho I had a bit of a sore throat and attributed it to dry air. Since I got back, I've noticed a runny nose, which has increased in intensity to become rather annoying. Normally I work out when I have a head cold, as long as it's not in my chest. But with how my legs are feeling, I decided to forego the workout and do some reading for work instead. I had a few papers to read to try and figure out some things related to some projects, and it seems there is never quite enough time at work. I'm 30 hr/wk, which means I have to cram a lot in to get everything done. But I digress...
Bottom line: rest day. Cold + sore legs + tired.
Bottom line: rest day. Cold + sore legs + tired.
Monday, September 09, 2013
one foot in front of the other
Just keep going. Put one foot in front of the other.Saturday: Was in Salmon, Idaho (photo from our hotel grounds, at left) for the weekend with my friend Sarah. She got up at 4:50 am and therefore, so did I. Not being one to waste an early morning. I put on my reflective vest and headlamp and went out for a walk. Just past the downtown area, I met a couple of elderly ladies out for a walk and chatted with them for a few minutes. Then I walked on, going up a small country road. It was pitch black outside and the stars were vividly bright; I even saw a meteor! I was sure glad I had my headlamp - couldn't see a thing except the occasional light from a farmhouse.
I walked up the road to the 6K mark, slightly uphill. My legs were tiring, but I figured I had another 6K in me. By 7.5 or 8K, my legs were really tired and I was worried my right hamstring/glutes were going to do what they did last week and give out. Fortunately, they didn't. I wasn't able to go any faster on the downhill and was about the same speed as last week: SLOW. 1:19:50 for 6:39/km with ave HR only 137. Yup, tired legs.
On the way back it was lighter out and I saw horses, cattle, and bucolic country scenery. Lovely! Oh, and the temperature was lovely too - so nice and cool at 50F (10C) and refreshing after a whole summer of 70F in the mornings in Salt Lake.
Garmin data here.
After that, I volunteered for the marathon, directing traffic at mile 25. That was actually pretty entertaining, and I cheered Sarah on to the finish when I saw her.
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Sunday: rest day.
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Monday: warm-up 1600m in 9:43 with strides. Then 3K fartlek in which my legs tired at 1.8km, but I still made it to the finish. It was a bit faster than last Thursday, probably because I went in with a day off instead of 6K on my legs. I did 17:21, with ave HR 161. Splits were better to start as I felt good, and it was nice and cool (60F). At 2km I fatigued and they were slower. Oh well.
2:44, 2:47, 3:01, 2:48, 3:06, 2:56. Ave HR on last split was 169, with max 171. Definitely working hard, for all the good it did me :(.
Garmin data here.
I rode my bike to work after walking the kids to school. Legs are quite sore now, and will x-train tomorrow.
Thursday, September 05, 2013
3K fartlek; doctor visit
This morning I met Adriana at the track at the U for a 3K fartlek. She's a student there, and I work there, so it was perfect. I took the bus to campus, and after our workout I walked up to work, and she walked to her class. We'll probably do this again, because it was pretty convenient.She'd never done a 3K fartlek before, so as we warmed up (1600m in 9:43, with strides), I explained the workout to her. 1K hard, 500m medium effort, 500m hard effort, 500m medium effort, 500m hard effort. She got it.
We got started - I let her have about a 5-10 second head start, figuring she'd probably be faster anyway, since my legs were still hurting from yesterday a bit. I took an Aleve last night which really helped, but they were still sore this morning and the warm-up didn't feel too good. At left, a self-portrait at the track after my warm-up.
She was fast for the first 500m - way too fast - at 2:34! After that the workout wasn't too nice to her - 2:49 (OK), but then 3:23 for recovery, 2:5x fast, 3:30 (!) recovery, 2:5x and her total was just over 18 min (18:0x) - not bad for her first 3K fartlek! I passed her during her last recovery...and finished about 25-30 sec in front of her at 17:36 for my own workout. Slow, for me :(. I did 2:47, 2:53, 3:05, 2:56, 3:04, 2:53. Something close to that, anyway. My average HR was 162 and max 174, with ave HR on the last interval 171. I was working very hard, but I guess yesterday's 6K was too much for my pathetic legs. Arrrrgh.
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Doctor visit yesterday: I saw my sports medicine doc, and she had a resident working with her. He took a very thorough and good history, and did a brief exam, checking heart, lungs, and muscle strength. My doc then did an exam as well, noting only that my left hamstring was a bit weaker than my right (it was more sore from my workout) but that overall my muscle strength was very good.
They are waiting now on my labs from my family doc - they need a copy of them in order to figure out what tests have been done (I told them, but they still need the labs) and what they want to do. They want to check liver and kidney function as well as creatine kinase (measure of muscle breakdown), and possibly a couple other things. If they can't turn up anything, they will refer me to a neurologist and/or rheumatologist to see what more can be done.
I'm relieved that they are taking my complaint seriously, and hoping that they can find something easily treatable. I'm ready to feel better any time now.
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