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.
Showing posts with label Pilates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pilates. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Friday, May 13, 2011
Thursday workout
I forgot to post this...because of Blogger being down and all...
Thursday I did the elliptical at the gym. It felt pretty good. The rest of the day my leg was pretty much fine, even walking to and from the parking lot at work. I did my Pilates class at night, and that was a little taxing on my leg - lots of balance moves and my stabilizing muscles complained a bit. However, it felt OK afterward, just a little sore.
Thursday I did the elliptical at the gym. It felt pretty good. The rest of the day my leg was pretty much fine, even walking to and from the parking lot at work. I did my Pilates class at night, and that was a little taxing on my leg - lots of balance moves and my stabilizing muscles complained a bit. However, it felt OK afterward, just a little sore.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Pilates, tired 10K, weights
I did Pilates last night. Greta, the challenging instructor, was back :). It was hard. We did a lot of bridgework and plank work, and it was a great workout.
***
This morning I was really tired. The weather was fine (34F, 1C, partly sunny (only the sun wasn't up yet!), slight breeze) but I wasn't. I was to do 10K with 2x7' segments @ 20K pace, which is 6:00/km if I want to do 2 hr for 20K in July, which I do! I did fine for the 20K pace segments - right on 3:00 for all my 500s, but I was just really tired with heavy legs today, and at the end I just didn't care any more. Going up the slight hill home I pulled a 3:32 and even a 3:40 for 500s. Ugh!!!!!! I wasn't pushing hard, and really was just TIRED, so I figured it would be OK. The important thing was to get it done and to do my 7' fast segments at the right pace. I think.
Total time 1:04:13 for 6:25/km with ave HR 146. Garmin connect data here.
***
I debated going to the gym after that, but decided I ought to at least do some foot PT exercises, so I went. I did 1) calf raises (one-legged, body weight)/balance on dyna disc & bounce ball (3 sets 15 calf, 30 sec balance); 2) chest fly w/20 lb dumbbells each arm/military press 12 lb ea arm balancing on dyna disc w/one foot, alternating feet (did 3x8 each foot so 3x16 presses!); 3) lat pull-down (70 lb machine)/hip abductor machine (80 lb 2 sets, 90 lb 1 set).
I'm glad I went. It was short, but a good set of PT stuff to keep my foot and IT bands happy.
Now what I really need is a good night's sleep. Unfortunately I have an experiment at work that will require me to be there at 5 am tomorrow :(. Oh well...
***
This morning I was really tired. The weather was fine (34F, 1C, partly sunny (only the sun wasn't up yet!), slight breeze) but I wasn't. I was to do 10K with 2x7' segments @ 20K pace, which is 6:00/km if I want to do 2 hr for 20K in July, which I do! I did fine for the 20K pace segments - right on 3:00 for all my 500s, but I was just really tired with heavy legs today, and at the end I just didn't care any more. Going up the slight hill home I pulled a 3:32 and even a 3:40 for 500s. Ugh!!!!!! I wasn't pushing hard, and really was just TIRED, so I figured it would be OK. The important thing was to get it done and to do my 7' fast segments at the right pace. I think.
Total time 1:04:13 for 6:25/km with ave HR 146. Garmin connect data here.
***
I debated going to the gym after that, but decided I ought to at least do some foot PT exercises, so I went. I did 1) calf raises (one-legged, body weight)/balance on dyna disc & bounce ball (3 sets 15 calf, 30 sec balance); 2) chest fly w/20 lb dumbbells each arm/military press 12 lb ea arm balancing on dyna disc w/one foot, alternating feet (did 3x8 each foot so 3x16 presses!); 3) lat pull-down (70 lb machine)/hip abductor machine (80 lb 2 sets, 90 lb 1 set).
I'm glad I went. It was short, but a good set of PT stuff to keep my foot and IT bands happy.
Now what I really need is a good night's sleep. Unfortunately I have an experiment at work that will require me to be there at 5 am tomorrow :(. Oh well...
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
5x800m at the track - fastest ever!
Before I get to today's workout, last night I did Pilates at the gym. The figure skating championships are over, so it's back to regular classes. We had the Saturday instructor, and so the workout wasn't quite as hard, but it was still good. Some good core stuff for sure!
***
This morning I checked the weather before heading to the track. The websites were all screwy! They said it was 176F (80C)! Not quite...in actuality, it was 37F by my thermometer at the house and 38F by my car thermometer (about 3C). It was calm and felt pretty good out there, and it was not raining :).
I wore tights and a long-sleeved shirt with gloves and an ear-warmer. Underneath I had my new shorts (half-tights) and singlet from USATF - the ones I plan to wear for World Masters. I just got the singlet size exchanged and it fits, so I thought I'd make sure it didn't chafe or anything. So far, so good. It was comfortable. The half tights were great - first set I've ever owned that does NOT ride up on me at all. They have some rubbery thing on the inside of the bottom of the shorts so they STAY put.
I warmed up for 1600m in 9:50 (fast!) but with ave HR of 138. I was thinking it would be a good day. I did my dynamic flexibility drills and got started on the workout. I thought perhaps if I was really fast I might do these in 4:20. That turned out to be a bit over-ambitious, but close! I did the first one in 4:19, then the subsequent 800s in 4:22, 4:23, 4:23, and 4:24. The last one I was really working it and hoped it would be faster, but my legs were really rubbery by the end. My muscles were so fatigued.
The amazing thing was that my heart rate recovered SO well. It was 95 during the first 2 min rest, and then got down to 100-105 during all of the other 2 min rests. Pretty good!!! My average HR on the intervals was 155-162, though it seemed higher to me...by the end of each it was in the mid-upper 160s so I think I worked it good and hard.
Seriously, the fastest set of 800s I have done before this was 4:28-4:32 range. I'm VERY happy with this workout and feel like things are going well.
***
After that I went to the gym and did weight training/PT for my foot. I did chest fly machine (70lb/3x12)/balance L foot on dyna disc and bounce ball; calf raises (one legged, body weight, 3x15 each side)/row machine (70 lb, 3x12); military press standing on dyna disc w/L foot only (hard! 10-12 lb ea arm, 3x12)/triceps with rope (25 lb, 2x12; last set did 10 lb dumbbell skull crushers instead - fatigued!). Then I did 3 min on the treadmill to test my shorts again without the tights on. I did 2 min at 5.8 mph (6:30/km approx) then did 1 min at 6.5 mph. They stayed put! :) Pictures to follow later in the day of my new outfits for WMA.
Garmin connect data here.
***
This morning I checked the weather before heading to the track. The websites were all screwy! They said it was 176F (80C)! Not quite...in actuality, it was 37F by my thermometer at the house and 38F by my car thermometer (about 3C). It was calm and felt pretty good out there, and it was not raining :).
I wore tights and a long-sleeved shirt with gloves and an ear-warmer. Underneath I had my new shorts (half-tights) and singlet from USATF - the ones I plan to wear for World Masters. I just got the singlet size exchanged and it fits, so I thought I'd make sure it didn't chafe or anything. So far, so good. It was comfortable. The half tights were great - first set I've ever owned that does NOT ride up on me at all. They have some rubbery thing on the inside of the bottom of the shorts so they STAY put.
I warmed up for 1600m in 9:50 (fast!) but with ave HR of 138. I was thinking it would be a good day. I did my dynamic flexibility drills and got started on the workout. I thought perhaps if I was really fast I might do these in 4:20. That turned out to be a bit over-ambitious, but close! I did the first one in 4:19, then the subsequent 800s in 4:22, 4:23, 4:23, and 4:24. The last one I was really working it and hoped it would be faster, but my legs were really rubbery by the end. My muscles were so fatigued.
The amazing thing was that my heart rate recovered SO well. It was 95 during the first 2 min rest, and then got down to 100-105 during all of the other 2 min rests. Pretty good!!! My average HR on the intervals was 155-162, though it seemed higher to me...by the end of each it was in the mid-upper 160s so I think I worked it good and hard.
Seriously, the fastest set of 800s I have done before this was 4:28-4:32 range. I'm VERY happy with this workout and feel like things are going well.
***
After that I went to the gym and did weight training/PT for my foot. I did chest fly machine (70lb/3x12)/balance L foot on dyna disc and bounce ball; calf raises (one legged, body weight, 3x15 each side)/row machine (70 lb, 3x12); military press standing on dyna disc w/L foot only (hard! 10-12 lb ea arm, 3x12)/triceps with rope (25 lb, 2x12; last set did 10 lb dumbbell skull crushers instead - fatigued!). Then I did 3 min on the treadmill to test my shorts again without the tights on. I did 2 min at 5.8 mph (6:30/km approx) then did 1 min at 6.5 mph. They stayed put! :) Pictures to follow later in the day of my new outfits for WMA.
Garmin connect data here.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
PIlates, 10K w/2x6' at 10K race pace
Last night Lisa and I did a couple Pilates videos. The first one was good and hard, but it was only 25 min, so we popped in another one. We liked that one as well, but didn't finish it all, because we thought 45 min of core work was enough for one night. Our Pilates class is not meeting this week because the national figure skating championships are going on at our gym (it has 2 ice rinks, etc.) and so they have turned the spinning room/Pilates classroom into the officials' lounge. So, we decided to do our own workout, and it was good. I'll be glad to be back with our regular class again, though.
***
This morning I was to do 10K (only 10K!) with two 6-minute bursts at 10K race pace. 10K race pace, if I were to shoot for 58:30 (which would be a 13-second PR) would be 5:51/km, or 2:55.5/500m (sorry...had to publish this 3x to get my math right - duh!!!). I figured for simplicity's sake that I'd just do 2x1K @ 10K race pace because it's close enough to 6 minutes.
The weather cooperated again - lucky me! It's supposed to rain and snow tonight, and April is usually rainy/snowy, so I'm glad for every clear day I get. It was 40F (4C) with a slight breeze.
I started off on the 2K gentle downhill from home to Liberty Park. My heart rate wasn't that high and so I figured I wasn't going that fast, but my 500m splits were 3:06, 3:08, 3:03 and 3:00 for that stretch, which is about normal or slightly faster than normal. At Liberty Park, I started the first of my 1K bursts, from 2K-3K. My HR did go up significantly as I cranked out two 2:53s - just a tad faster than 10K race pace - perfect! I felt good as I continued, and stayed pretty close to 6:30/km pace until my next 1K burst at 6-7km. My HR got a bit higher on this one, as expected, but I still managed to do 2:52 and 2:53 for my 500m splits on that fast burst. Just right! Then I had 3km to go home, and did a respectable job up the slight hill.
Total time 1:03:35 for the 10K, w/avg HR 145 and pace 6:21/km. That's a big improvement from a month ago when I did a 1:04:40 10K with ave HR of 150. Moving in the right direction!
***
This morning I was to do 10K (only 10K!) with two 6-minute bursts at 10K race pace. 10K race pace, if I were to shoot for 58:30 (which would be a 13-second PR) would be 5:51/km, or 2:55.5/500m (sorry...had to publish this 3x to get my math right - duh!!!). I figured for simplicity's sake that I'd just do 2x1K @ 10K race pace because it's close enough to 6 minutes.
The weather cooperated again - lucky me! It's supposed to rain and snow tonight, and April is usually rainy/snowy, so I'm glad for every clear day I get. It was 40F (4C) with a slight breeze.
I started off on the 2K gentle downhill from home to Liberty Park. My heart rate wasn't that high and so I figured I wasn't going that fast, but my 500m splits were 3:06, 3:08, 3:03 and 3:00 for that stretch, which is about normal or slightly faster than normal. At Liberty Park, I started the first of my 1K bursts, from 2K-3K. My HR did go up significantly as I cranked out two 2:53s - just a tad faster than 10K race pace - perfect! I felt good as I continued, and stayed pretty close to 6:30/km pace until my next 1K burst at 6-7km. My HR got a bit higher on this one, as expected, but I still managed to do 2:52 and 2:53 for my 500m splits on that fast burst. Just right! Then I had 3km to go home, and did a respectable job up the slight hill.
Total time 1:03:35 for the 10K, w/avg HR 145 and pace 6:21/km. That's a big improvement from a month ago when I did a 1:04:40 10K with ave HR of 150. Moving in the right direction!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
20K, Pilates
The quick version - late to church so have to type fast :)!
Weather: 33F (1C) and overcast, no wind.
GI system: iffy. Pain from 7k-12k when I stopped in Liberty Park to use the restroom. I felt much better after that and it was not a problem the rest of my walk. I have to remember to take an imodium before these longer walks.
Legs: actually felt pretty good, which surprised me since I did a hard workout yesterday. I perked up quite a bit after taking some nutrition at 11k.
Nutrition: speaking of nutrition, I forgot my water bottles but there is a natural spring fountain running year-round in Liberty Park so unfortunately I had to stop to eat, briefly. I ate some licorice candy (hard as a rock from being cold - need to keep it closer to my body!) just shy of 11k and then some jelly beans at just after 15k, washing both down with copious amounts of water. That seemed to work well for me.
5K splits: 31:51, 32:39, 32:39, 32:20. Nice and consistent.
Total time (not including nutrition & restroom stops) 2:09:29 with ave HR 146, a 6:28/km pace.
I feel good about this workout; other than the GI pain it went pretty well. I wondered how I'd do since it was a while since I did 20K, and I wasn't fresh, coming off a hard workout yesterday. Given all that, it was good. I still have a long way to go, though.
Garmin connect data here.
***
Oh, and yesterday afternoon I did a Pilates video, because I didn't make it to class. It was an Aussie guy, Alan Menzenes (spelling?) who led the workout and it was OK. It actually wasn't hard enough but it was the intermediate one, and I have the advanced one too (both from the library) so will try that next time.
Weather: 33F (1C) and overcast, no wind.
GI system: iffy. Pain from 7k-12k when I stopped in Liberty Park to use the restroom. I felt much better after that and it was not a problem the rest of my walk. I have to remember to take an imodium before these longer walks.
Legs: actually felt pretty good, which surprised me since I did a hard workout yesterday. I perked up quite a bit after taking some nutrition at 11k.
Nutrition: speaking of nutrition, I forgot my water bottles but there is a natural spring fountain running year-round in Liberty Park so unfortunately I had to stop to eat, briefly. I ate some licorice candy (hard as a rock from being cold - need to keep it closer to my body!) just shy of 11k and then some jelly beans at just after 15k, washing both down with copious amounts of water. That seemed to work well for me.
5K splits: 31:51, 32:39, 32:39, 32:20. Nice and consistent.
Total time (not including nutrition & restroom stops) 2:09:29 with ave HR 146, a 6:28/km pace.
I feel good about this workout; other than the GI pain it went pretty well. I wondered how I'd do since it was a while since I did 20K, and I wasn't fresh, coming off a hard workout yesterday. Given all that, it was good. I still have a long way to go, though.
Garmin connect data here.
***
Oh, and yesterday afternoon I did a Pilates video, because I didn't make it to class. It was an Aussie guy, Alan Menzenes (spelling?) who led the workout and it was OK. It actually wasn't hard enough but it was the intermediate one, and I have the advanced one too (both from the library) so will try that next time.
Friday, April 08, 2011
Pilates, 12K, random ranting
I did Pilates last night with Lisa (yeah, I dragged her into the class...she liked it!). I think I'm getting a bit better at it. It is still challenging, though, and a good workout. I'm not sure how much it's helping my racewalking, but it's not hurting it, I don't think, and the coach wants me doing it, so it's good.
***
This morning the weather was lousy. But not so lousy I couldn't go outside. It was 33F (1C) and lightly snowing. Blech. That might be OK in January or February, but c'mon, it's April and I'm sick of it. Yeah, I know that spring in Utah = snow on a regular basis, but I don't have to like it. And this spring has been wetter and more annoying than usual.
My legs felt leaden this morning. Really. from 6-12K it just hurt to be out. Add to that some GI distress, and well, it wasn't a very comfortable walk. However, I did well enough. I wasn't fast, but my HR was lower today, so seems like I'm making some progress. Total time for the walk was 1:17:45 for 6:28/km with ave HR of 146. At least it's done. I hope my legs recover a bit so that I can do speedwork well tomorrow. I guess if I'm slow, I'm slow.
Garmin connect data here.
***
Speaking of slow...I really hate the time period in training where I'm ramping up again. It stinks. Everything hurts all the time, and I'm walking slow and just don't feel good mentally. There's no excitement from having a really fast workout, and it's just a slog. I know it's only temporary, but it's hard to get through these 2 months or so until I'm in better shape. It's mentally tough. When I got home this morning I told Loren "I'm SO done with racewalking." I didn't mean it at all, but you get the idea. It's just hard to get out there day after day and work your behind off and feel like you're just barely moving in the right direction.
***
More random ranting: the government shutdown. My husband is a federal employee, so I'm obviously biased here, but I am SO FED UP with the morons in Washington. If the government shuts down, there will be no paycheck for him...he won't have to work, either, but no paycheck. We'll be OK for a while, but it will eat up our savings and might wreak havoc on our summer vacation plans if it goes too long. Others will not be so lucky, though - those living paycheck-to-paycheck could lose their homes. Those in the armed forces at the front lines in the wars (too many stupid wars but don't get me started on that either) will not be paid either - they will at least get IOUs from the government so will get back pay later (my husband won't get this), but what good is an IOU when you are putting your life on the line for your country? How will it feed your family back home? I am furious. Congress needs to remove their collective heads from their behinds (that's a nice way of saying it...).
***
This morning the weather was lousy. But not so lousy I couldn't go outside. It was 33F (1C) and lightly snowing. Blech. That might be OK in January or February, but c'mon, it's April and I'm sick of it. Yeah, I know that spring in Utah = snow on a regular basis, but I don't have to like it. And this spring has been wetter and more annoying than usual.
My legs felt leaden this morning. Really. from 6-12K it just hurt to be out. Add to that some GI distress, and well, it wasn't a very comfortable walk. However, I did well enough. I wasn't fast, but my HR was lower today, so seems like I'm making some progress. Total time for the walk was 1:17:45 for 6:28/km with ave HR of 146. At least it's done. I hope my legs recover a bit so that I can do speedwork well tomorrow. I guess if I'm slow, I'm slow.
Garmin connect data here.
***
Speaking of slow...I really hate the time period in training where I'm ramping up again. It stinks. Everything hurts all the time, and I'm walking slow and just don't feel good mentally. There's no excitement from having a really fast workout, and it's just a slog. I know it's only temporary, but it's hard to get through these 2 months or so until I'm in better shape. It's mentally tough. When I got home this morning I told Loren "I'm SO done with racewalking." I didn't mean it at all, but you get the idea. It's just hard to get out there day after day and work your behind off and feel like you're just barely moving in the right direction.
***
More random ranting: the government shutdown. My husband is a federal employee, so I'm obviously biased here, but I am SO FED UP with the morons in Washington. If the government shuts down, there will be no paycheck for him...he won't have to work, either, but no paycheck. We'll be OK for a while, but it will eat up our savings and might wreak havoc on our summer vacation plans if it goes too long. Others will not be so lucky, though - those living paycheck-to-paycheck could lose their homes. Those in the armed forces at the front lines in the wars (too many stupid wars but don't get me started on that either) will not be paid either - they will at least get IOUs from the government so will get back pay later (my husband won't get this), but what good is an IOU when you are putting your life on the line for your country? How will it feed your family back home? I am furious. Congress needs to remove their collective heads from their behinds (that's a nice way of saying it...).
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Pilates
Tuesday night...Pilates with Greta. Good class tonight; lots of ab work and bridge work. My glutes will be thanking her tomorrow on my 12K. I was able to do almost all of the moves, and my balance on the ball is improving a little. It's going to take a while though before I am proficient.
***
The weather is turning for the worse again. It was warm today and windy, which means that a storm is on its way. The high today was about 68F (20C) but tomorrow and the rest of the week it's only supposed to be in the 40s (4-10C) for a high. Ugh. Spring here is so crazy that way. Because it was so nice, I took the kids to Red Butte Garden to run around for a while before our weekly Diva's Cupcakes and Coffee date. We all enjoyed it a lot - both Red Butte and Diva's! I forgot my small camera, so no pictures, sorry.
***
The weather is turning for the worse again. It was warm today and windy, which means that a storm is on its way. The high today was about 68F (20C) but tomorrow and the rest of the week it's only supposed to be in the 40s (4-10C) for a high. Ugh. Spring here is so crazy that way. Because it was so nice, I took the kids to Red Butte Garden to run around for a while before our weekly Diva's Cupcakes and Coffee date. We all enjoyed it a lot - both Red Butte and Diva's! I forgot my small camera, so no pictures, sorry.
Saturday, April 02, 2011
2K/1K/2x500
I have forgotten to mention how glorious the weather has been the past couple of days. It was nice and warm on Thursday for my 15K (42F, 6C) and calm. Yesterday it got up to 70F (21C) in the afternoon, and it was sunny and just SO wonderful. This morning it was incredibly warm...hmmm, suspiciously warm, at 56F (13C). When it's that warm in the morning at this time of year, it's the "warm before the storm" and sure enough it will snow. Yup, tonight it is to be windy with 1 to 3 inches of snow, and a low of 33F (1C). I'm hoping it won't stick much to the road so I can do my 15K in the morning, but it might be icky enough that I wait to do it until the afternoon tomorrow, when the snow is supposed to stop and it's going to be about 40F (4C).
Enough of the weather report. Suffice it to say that it was NICE this morning. I even got up a little late (for me) and didn't get over to the track until about 7:30. It was light out (instead of pitch black like at 6 am when I usually work out) and even (gasp!) sunny! The cloud cover came in during the workout, presaging the storm later tonight. Anyway, I warmed up with a brisk 1600m in 10:11. I enjoyed passing the one runner on the track :). Then I did some dynamic flexibility drills, trying to loosen up my still sore hamstrings.
I got started on my 2K. I was planning on about 1:08/200m to give me an 11:40 (5:50/k); I figured I could do that. But I was pushing hard this morning and I was even faster! Yay! I got to 1K in 5:42, and then pulled out the second 1K in 5:48 for an 11:30! I was really pleased - if I'm in good shape, I can do several 2Ks at 11:30. I'm sure I would not have been able to do several at that speed (yet!), but I was happy to do one that fast to start. I had a 4 min rest, and my HR only got down to the low 120s. If I'm in really good shape, it will get below 120 in that time. Oh well. Moving on, I did my 1K, hoping for under 5:45. I worked it very hard, and got a 5:42! Then I had a 3 minute rest. During that rest, an elderly man arrived at the track, and I recognized him from last summer. His name is Gordon, and he does the Senior Olympics a lot, and he is training for 9 track and field events in Mesquite, NV, next week. He was quite complimentary on my racewalking, and I enjoyed chatting with him for a few minutes before I had to go again. I was hoping for low 2:50s for the 500s, since I was pre-fatigued, but I surprised myself, pulling out a 2:48 on the first one. After 2 min rest (where my HR barely dipped below 130...yeah, still out of shape), I really wanted to go even faster on the last one. I knew it would be close, and I sprinted the last 100m in only 30 sec (!) to get a 2:47. Yeah, pretty much gave it my all on that one, with HR 176 at the end. I was glad to be done. Whew.
Some fast times for my current state of not-quite-in-shape, but they need to be a lot faster by this summer. We'll get there. I just have to do each workout well and then the rest is not really up to me, but up to my body. I'm just going to do all I can do to make each one good.
Garmin connect data here.
***
OK, now for the crazy part. Immediately after I finished this workout, I drove straight over to the gym for a Pilates class. I figured I could always skip stuff if it hurt too much. The Saturday class has a different instructor and it's a bit easier than the Tu/Th class, but it was still tough after a hard workout. I'm glad I did it, though. I managed to do just about everything, despite the pre-fatiguing of the hard track workout. Whew.
Total for the week (Sun-Sat): 3 weight training workouts, 3 Pilates workouts, 2 spinning workouts, and 5 racewalking workouts totaling 48.2 km (30 miles). Not bad. Not bad at all. I'm on track to get in the best shape that I can.
In other good news, the eating has been better this week, especially the last few days. The scale said 150.2 lb (68.2 kg) this morning, down from 155 (70.5 kg) around the time of my miscarriage. Good...it's moving in the right direction. Now to lose another 5 lb or so of unneeded rear-end fat.
Enough of the weather report. Suffice it to say that it was NICE this morning. I even got up a little late (for me) and didn't get over to the track until about 7:30. It was light out (instead of pitch black like at 6 am when I usually work out) and even (gasp!) sunny! The cloud cover came in during the workout, presaging the storm later tonight. Anyway, I warmed up with a brisk 1600m in 10:11. I enjoyed passing the one runner on the track :). Then I did some dynamic flexibility drills, trying to loosen up my still sore hamstrings.
I got started on my 2K. I was planning on about 1:08/200m to give me an 11:40 (5:50/k); I figured I could do that. But I was pushing hard this morning and I was even faster! Yay! I got to 1K in 5:42, and then pulled out the second 1K in 5:48 for an 11:30! I was really pleased - if I'm in good shape, I can do several 2Ks at 11:30. I'm sure I would not have been able to do several at that speed (yet!), but I was happy to do one that fast to start. I had a 4 min rest, and my HR only got down to the low 120s. If I'm in really good shape, it will get below 120 in that time. Oh well. Moving on, I did my 1K, hoping for under 5:45. I worked it very hard, and got a 5:42! Then I had a 3 minute rest. During that rest, an elderly man arrived at the track, and I recognized him from last summer. His name is Gordon, and he does the Senior Olympics a lot, and he is training for 9 track and field events in Mesquite, NV, next week. He was quite complimentary on my racewalking, and I enjoyed chatting with him for a few minutes before I had to go again. I was hoping for low 2:50s for the 500s, since I was pre-fatigued, but I surprised myself, pulling out a 2:48 on the first one. After 2 min rest (where my HR barely dipped below 130...yeah, still out of shape), I really wanted to go even faster on the last one. I knew it would be close, and I sprinted the last 100m in only 30 sec (!) to get a 2:47. Yeah, pretty much gave it my all on that one, with HR 176 at the end. I was glad to be done. Whew.
Some fast times for my current state of not-quite-in-shape, but they need to be a lot faster by this summer. We'll get there. I just have to do each workout well and then the rest is not really up to me, but up to my body. I'm just going to do all I can do to make each one good.
Garmin connect data here.
***
OK, now for the crazy part. Immediately after I finished this workout, I drove straight over to the gym for a Pilates class. I figured I could always skip stuff if it hurt too much. The Saturday class has a different instructor and it's a bit easier than the Tu/Th class, but it was still tough after a hard workout. I'm glad I did it, though. I managed to do just about everything, despite the pre-fatiguing of the hard track workout. Whew.
Total for the week (Sun-Sat): 3 weight training workouts, 3 Pilates workouts, 2 spinning workouts, and 5 racewalking workouts totaling 48.2 km (30 miles). Not bad. Not bad at all. I'm on track to get in the best shape that I can.
In other good news, the eating has been better this week, especially the last few days. The scale said 150.2 lb (68.2 kg) this morning, down from 155 (70.5 kg) around the time of my miscarriage. Good...it's moving in the right direction. Now to lose another 5 lb or so of unneeded rear-end fat.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Pilates
I went to PIlates again tonight. It was the same instructor as usual for Tu/Th, but it was HARD tonight. Not sure if it was because I'd done 15K this morning or what, but there was a bunch of stuff that was seriously difficult. It kicked my butt - literally! My hamstrings and glutes are still really sore...good thing I'm not racewalking tomorrow. I'm going to spinning class, which won't be easy, but at least the hamstrings will get a bit of a rest. Then some weight training. Got to work hard if I'm going to be competitive in July!!!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Pilates
I went to Pilates again tonight. I really like it - it's definitely not much in the way of cardio, and not as directly intense on individual muscles as weight training, but it really works the whole body in a very synergistic manner, especially the core. Tonight we did a lot of bridge work - for glutes and back, mostly. Some of the more interesting moves: bridges with feet on a foam roller, and then calf raises on the foam roller in the bridge position. Also, plank with the feet on the foam roller, then the same alternately lifting each leg. There were some tough balance moves, which is probably my weakest area. Anyway, it was good - and somehow even though it's taxing, it's very relaxing at the same time - darkened room, soft music, nice & quiet. Ahhhhh. No kid noise :).
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
12K; other stuff
I figured today might be slow. It was, but not too bad, all things considered.
Weather: 32F (0C) and breezy. It was kind of chilly! I wore my fleece, and that seemed about right. It was clear, though, which was nice. March-May are the rainiest/snowiest months in SLC, so I'm glad for every day that is clear.
I started off well - 6:14 and 6:11 for the first 2km. But the 3rd km was 6:27 and I knew it would be a slog after that. I managed to keep the pace OK for the most part, though by 6km I wondered if I was going to be 6:45/km average! My legs were tired. However, I just kept trying to keep my cadence and that seemed to work OK. My HR was not that high, but my muscles were complaining and I just felt sluggish. I picked up a bit around 9 km and did a 6:31, and did decently on the last uphill, so it was really just from 5-9km that was quite slow.
Total time 1:18:50 for 6:34/km and ave HR 151. It's a decent start. I have another 12K on Sunday and I'll do better.
Garmin connect data here.
***
I did Pilates again last night from 5:30-6:20pm. The kids were at swim lessons so it worked out well. It was a good class and I'm the tiniest bit sore today in the abs. I noticed because I did weight training this morning after my 12K and the core part was a bit sore.
So far I'm doing well adding in the Pilates and some extra x-training. Hoping to make it to the gym tonight for some stationary bike time. My cold is still annoying me, though - I'm tired, not sleeping the best, and still have a runny nose. Grrrr!
Weather: 32F (0C) and breezy. It was kind of chilly! I wore my fleece, and that seemed about right. It was clear, though, which was nice. March-May are the rainiest/snowiest months in SLC, so I'm glad for every day that is clear.
I started off well - 6:14 and 6:11 for the first 2km. But the 3rd km was 6:27 and I knew it would be a slog after that. I managed to keep the pace OK for the most part, though by 6km I wondered if I was going to be 6:45/km average! My legs were tired. However, I just kept trying to keep my cadence and that seemed to work OK. My HR was not that high, but my muscles were complaining and I just felt sluggish. I picked up a bit around 9 km and did a 6:31, and did decently on the last uphill, so it was really just from 5-9km that was quite slow.
Total time 1:18:50 for 6:34/km and ave HR 151. It's a decent start. I have another 12K on Sunday and I'll do better.
Garmin connect data here.
***
I did Pilates again last night from 5:30-6:20pm. The kids were at swim lessons so it worked out well. It was a good class and I'm the tiniest bit sore today in the abs. I noticed because I did weight training this morning after my 12K and the core part was a bit sore.
So far I'm doing well adding in the Pilates and some extra x-training. Hoping to make it to the gym tonight for some stationary bike time. My cold is still annoying me, though - I'm tired, not sleeping the best, and still have a runny nose. Grrrr!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
determination
I have a new sense of determination. I have been dealt some lousy cards, but I can choose how to deal with it. I can either feel sorry for myself, eat too much crap, dwell on my slow racewalking (currently slow but not permanently so!), and generally be miserable, OR I can work to turn things around as well as I can. I can't control all the circumstances, but I can do what I can to get back in shape, and even try to get in the best shape of my life.
This morning I woke determined to walk the best 10K that I could. (I was to do it tomorrow, but weather is dictating that I swap things around; if I can walk tomorrow, I will, but it's iffy). My hamstrings were a bit sore this morning from the weight training yesterday, but I figured that wouldn't matter too much. I started off trying to keep a nice fast cadence and settle into a quick rhythm. I was a bit disappointed in the 6:22 for the first km, which is half downhill and half flat. However, I just kept on going. The second km was a bit better, in 6:16, and I kept the pace for the third km, also in 6:16. I noticed my HR was a bit higher than I'd like, and I wondered how long I'd be able to keep a good pace. My legs were a bit tired by 3-4 km, as they have been this week, and I thought that the wheels might fall off sooner or later. However, it never happened. I kept pushing, and my body kept responding. I continued with the 4th km in 6:23, and worried about the 5th km which is often slow on this route (don't know why since the 5th km is flat), but I did it in 6:23 also. I still kept wondering how long I could hold the pace, and got into Liberty Park in the 6th km in 6:13 (nice downhill for part of that one). I was now beginning to hope I could go under 1:05 for the 10K. On this route, the last 3 km are the hardest. I got to 7km in 6:16, and then the real work began. The last 3km is a gradual though noticeable uphill. I did them in 6:36, 6:37, and 6:38! I was quite happy with that.
Total time 1:04:04 for the 10K; ave HR was pretty high at 157 because I channeled much of my recent frustration into this walk, and pushed moderately hard.
Garmin connect data here.
***
In keeping with my new determination, I have decided to figure out how to attend some Pilates classes. My coach keeps telling me it would really be helpful, and I keep thinking I don't have time. Well, I'm going to make time. I went this morning after my walk to the 8:30-9:15 am Pilates class at the gym. It was good - parts of it were quite challenging, and parts of it were just a nice good workout.
This morning I woke determined to walk the best 10K that I could. (I was to do it tomorrow, but weather is dictating that I swap things around; if I can walk tomorrow, I will, but it's iffy). My hamstrings were a bit sore this morning from the weight training yesterday, but I figured that wouldn't matter too much. I started off trying to keep a nice fast cadence and settle into a quick rhythm. I was a bit disappointed in the 6:22 for the first km, which is half downhill and half flat. However, I just kept on going. The second km was a bit better, in 6:16, and I kept the pace for the third km, also in 6:16. I noticed my HR was a bit higher than I'd like, and I wondered how long I'd be able to keep a good pace. My legs were a bit tired by 3-4 km, as they have been this week, and I thought that the wheels might fall off sooner or later. However, it never happened. I kept pushing, and my body kept responding. I continued with the 4th km in 6:23, and worried about the 5th km which is often slow on this route (don't know why since the 5th km is flat), but I did it in 6:23 also. I still kept wondering how long I could hold the pace, and got into Liberty Park in the 6th km in 6:13 (nice downhill for part of that one). I was now beginning to hope I could go under 1:05 for the 10K. On this route, the last 3 km are the hardest. I got to 7km in 6:16, and then the real work began. The last 3km is a gradual though noticeable uphill. I did them in 6:36, 6:37, and 6:38! I was quite happy with that.
Total time 1:04:04 for the 10K; ave HR was pretty high at 157 because I channeled much of my recent frustration into this walk, and pushed moderately hard.
Garmin connect data here.
***
In keeping with my new determination, I have decided to figure out how to attend some Pilates classes. My coach keeps telling me it would really be helpful, and I keep thinking I don't have time. Well, I'm going to make time. I went this morning after my walk to the 8:30-9:15 am Pilates class at the gym. It was good - parts of it were quite challenging, and parts of it were just a nice good workout.
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