I was a bit nervous as to how this would go, since my hamstrings have been a little sore and I'm working on my technique. But it went OK.
I decided to do this one at the track for accuracy, after watching Dave and Erin do their 8K fartlek at the track the other day. I warmed up for 1600m and did my dynamic flexibility drills. Everything felt pretty good, with just a little soreness in my right hamstrings and in both my glutes from the weight training. That helps, though, because then it's easier to feel when I'm using them!
I started out and did the first 1K in 5:38, just like on Friday. Hmmm, maybe this wasn't going to be so good. Then I did the recovery in 3:10 and the next hard 500m in 2:51, and thought maybe it would be OK. It was hard to concentrate on using my glutes for the first 3K or so. The next recovery was a slooow 3:19, followed by a 2:52 500m. I think my leg speed is OK, but my aerobic capacity has suffered from time off. Oh well. Still, I got through the first 3K in 17:50, which is faster than on Friday!
The 4th and 5th km I finally felt like I was using my glutes more, but I also slowed down; I think that was because I was starting to feel pretty winded. The recovery to start the 4th km was 3:15 (not bad) and then the next 500m fast was another 2:51 :). But the last km was not as good, with a 3:14 recovery (that was OK) and a 2:55 fast 500m, which showed my fatigue a bit, because I was really pushing at the end. Total time: 30:08. Not the fastest, but not bad either considering the layoff. I'm actually hopeful that my times will be much better this fall with an increase in my iron levels. I'm not there yet, but I think things will improve.
Ave HR for the workout was 165, and max 172. Garmin data here.
***
I still managed to bike uphill to work after that workout. My glutes were tired, but I made it just fine. It actually felt pretty good to bike.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
8K
8K was on the docket for today. It was pretty uneventful; though my hamstrings were a little tight and a little sore (only a little! yay!), I was speedy and finished it in 50:48, for 6:21/km, with ave HR just 139 (though I did have to stop for a couple stoplights).
I focused again on using my glutes and standing up straight. I hope it helped, though I'm not sure. I wonder if I'm doing it right, since my hamstrings are still a bit sore. It will probably take a while to get this fixed, so I'll just proceed and hope that I'm doing the right thing.
Garmin connect data here.
***
After the 8K I went to the gym and did a very good, hard weight training workout. I did single-leg squats, leg press, abductors, and calf raises for legs, and bench press, row, military press, bicep curls, and tricep pull-downs for upper body. For abs, Lisa and I did planks (1:30 - working back up to 2:00), curls on the ball, "hip-ups" for lower abs, russian twists with 8 lb medicine ball for obliques, and toe touchers w/medicine ball for upper abs. A good workout.
I focused again on using my glutes and standing up straight. I hope it helped, though I'm not sure. I wonder if I'm doing it right, since my hamstrings are still a bit sore. It will probably take a while to get this fixed, so I'll just proceed and hope that I'm doing the right thing.
Garmin connect data here.
***
After the 8K I went to the gym and did a very good, hard weight training workout. I did single-leg squats, leg press, abductors, and calf raises for legs, and bench press, row, military press, bicep curls, and tricep pull-downs for upper body. For abs, Lisa and I did planks (1:30 - working back up to 2:00), curls on the ball, "hip-ups" for lower abs, russian twists with 8 lb medicine ball for obliques, and toe touchers w/medicine ball for upper abs. A good workout.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
12K
Today I was to do 12K. My hamstrings felt mostly recovered from Thursday & Friday after resting yesterday, but I was still nervous that this might be a tough workout. It actually turned out fine, so my fears were for naught.
I really concentrated on doing what Erin suggested and squeezing my glutes as I walked. I think it really helped! Plus I tried to focus on standing up straighter, as leaning forward even a little does stress the hamstrings. I had to concentrated pretty hard on my form for the 12K to make this happen, but I think it worked. We'll find out for sure tomorrow & Tuesday how my hamstrings fared, but it's a pretty good incentive to not want your hamstrings to hurt horribly, and so the concentrated effort will hopefully be worth it.
The first 6K I did the rather hilly route around SugarHouse Park. I love it, but it does take a bit out of you, and I knew that was risky with this being my first 12K in a month or so. Still, I did a 6:27/km pace for that 6K. Good! And then I kept the pace; I did the next 4K at a 6:22/km pace, not hard because it was mostly downhill & flat. Then the last 2K (uphill slightly) I managed a 6:37/km, which I think was pretty good for the terrain, and finished in 1:17:33 for 6:27/km overall. I'm quite happy with this workout. It was a good day. My ave HR of 150 does show that I was working reasonably hard.
I stretched well after the workout and so far my legs feel pretty good. The tale will be told in the next few days, but I'm optimistic.
***
In another note, I'm feeling ready to improve my eating habits again :). I did gain about 2 lb on vacation (1 kg) but considering that I wasn't all THAT careful, and I couldn't exercise as much as I would have liked (coach's orders), it's not so bad. As of this morning I was at 150.0 again, maybe 1 lb above where I was pre-vacation. I had a very good week this week, food-wise, and am ready to make it even better. It was very motivating to talk with Erin about weight stuff - we had both read some of the same articles about each pound really counting over distance, and since we both plan to do the 50K in January (or February, or whenever it is), it matters! I know in my heart of hearts that I still eat too much sugary crap after dinner, and that's OK sometimes, but I do it too often. I need to stop the compulsive eating behaviors, because I don't like feeling controlled by food. That's one of the reasons I joined Weight Watchers and lost 100+ lbs is that I felt powerless over my addiction. Now, don't worry that I'm 1) going anorexic or 2) going to lose muscle or excessive weight because I'm not. I doubt I could be anorexic if I tried - I enjoy food way too much for that! And as for losing muscle, I only plan to lose a few pounds (5? 7-8?) and will keep weight training like a madwoman. I like to be toned and strong. Finally, I will lose VERY slowly because I don't want to underfuel my training. We'll see if I can actually do this. I may be at a natural set point for my body and it may be difficult; however, like I said, I know that I do eat too much stuff that I shouldn't. If I decrease the amount of that stuff that I eat, the weight will come off naturally and without disrupting my training.
I really concentrated on doing what Erin suggested and squeezing my glutes as I walked. I think it really helped! Plus I tried to focus on standing up straighter, as leaning forward even a little does stress the hamstrings. I had to concentrated pretty hard on my form for the 12K to make this happen, but I think it worked. We'll find out for sure tomorrow & Tuesday how my hamstrings fared, but it's a pretty good incentive to not want your hamstrings to hurt horribly, and so the concentrated effort will hopefully be worth it.
The first 6K I did the rather hilly route around SugarHouse Park. I love it, but it does take a bit out of you, and I knew that was risky with this being my first 12K in a month or so. Still, I did a 6:27/km pace for that 6K. Good! And then I kept the pace; I did the next 4K at a 6:22/km pace, not hard because it was mostly downhill & flat. Then the last 2K (uphill slightly) I managed a 6:37/km, which I think was pretty good for the terrain, and finished in 1:17:33 for 6:27/km overall. I'm quite happy with this workout. It was a good day. My ave HR of 150 does show that I was working reasonably hard.
I stretched well after the workout and so far my legs feel pretty good. The tale will be told in the next few days, but I'm optimistic.
***
In another note, I'm feeling ready to improve my eating habits again :). I did gain about 2 lb on vacation (1 kg) but considering that I wasn't all THAT careful, and I couldn't exercise as much as I would have liked (coach's orders), it's not so bad. As of this morning I was at 150.0 again, maybe 1 lb above where I was pre-vacation. I had a very good week this week, food-wise, and am ready to make it even better. It was very motivating to talk with Erin about weight stuff - we had both read some of the same articles about each pound really counting over distance, and since we both plan to do the 50K in January (or February, or whenever it is), it matters! I know in my heart of hearts that I still eat too much sugary crap after dinner, and that's OK sometimes, but I do it too often. I need to stop the compulsive eating behaviors, because I don't like feeling controlled by food. That's one of the reasons I joined Weight Watchers and lost 100+ lbs is that I felt powerless over my addiction. Now, don't worry that I'm 1) going anorexic or 2) going to lose muscle or excessive weight because I'm not. I doubt I could be anorexic if I tried - I enjoy food way too much for that! And as for losing muscle, I only plan to lose a few pounds (5? 7-8?) and will keep weight training like a madwoman. I like to be toned and strong. Finally, I will lose VERY slowly because I don't want to underfuel my training. We'll see if I can actually do this. I may be at a natural set point for my body and it may be difficult; however, like I said, I know that I do eat too much stuff that I shouldn't. If I decrease the amount of that stuff that I eat, the weight will come off naturally and without disrupting my training.
blackberries!
Loren has been working on our blackberry bushes (OK, plants, but now they're starting to get larger and more like bushes!) for several years now. This year we had our first real harvest. We got probably 2 pints of berries, with at least that many more still ripening. We scarfed down the first 2 pints and are eagerly awaiting the ripening of the remainder. I love summer!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
haircut!
Michelle had her first professional haircut a week or so ago. She did great! I've trimmed it before, but it was getting scraggly and needed some professional attention. She loved it! Click on the picture for more photos.
Twin Lakes
On Monday we hiked to Twin Lakes with my mom, and ate lunch up there. It was a great hike! Lots of pictures, so be sure to enjoy :).
racewalking friends :)
Yesterday, Erin and Dave arrived at our home en route to Portland for the Portland-to-Coast relay (remember, the cool race that I hurt my foot at last year). We have the same coach, and though I've met Erin once in person last year at Portland-to-Coast, we hadn't spent much time in person. We've gotten to know each other better online, and we are both musicians as well as racewalkers. Erin plays the oboe & bassoon, and teaches private lessons. So I was really excited that Erin and her husband Dave decided to stop in Salt Lake overnight, and will return for 2 nights on their way back.
Yesterday they walked 10K easy and I biked alongside, since I'd already done my 3K fartlek. Then last night we went out to dinner at a middle eastern restaurant we love here, Mazza, on 15th and 15th. Finally, we capped off a great day with some music; Erin brought a Haydn concerto which we played together. Very fun!
They had an 8K fartlek to do this morning, whereas I had a rest day. I would have done a workout w/them, but my hamstrings are still sore from the 10K on Thursday and the 3K fartlek yesterday. Yeah, it's because I'm not using my glutes enough, but that's another story (and Erin gave me a great tip to help with that - squeeze the butt while I walk! I'm going to try it tomorrow). Anyway, I did a 2K warm-up with them, and then was the water boy/photographer/cheerleader for their workout. Erin did her 8K fartlek in 44:47 (remember, my PR for the 8K fartlek is 48:40-something) and Dave did his in 42:02. Yeah, they are fast! Erin made it through 5K in 27:58, one second slower than my PR for 5K. Erin has beautiful, smooth technique and is a joy to watch. I actually wished I was doing the workout with them, even though that's a hard one. But I know I was smart not to do it!!!!!
They left this morning, but will be back on Labor Day weekend. I'm looking forward to it!
Friday, August 20, 2010
starting over again
I lost a lot of fitness in my 3 weeks off. Yeah, it was only 3 weeks off, but I'm definitely feeling it now that I'm back.
Today I was to do a 3km fartlek. A little nothing workout. It totally had my number.
I warmed up for 1 mile (1.6km) and did some dynamic flexibility drills. Then I started the workout. 1 km hard, and I was feeling good. I was sure I'd have about 5:30. Nope. 5:38. That was a wake-up call. The first recovery was slooooow, in 3:20 (for 500m medium effort). Ugh! I continued. 500m hard in 2:54. 500m medium in 3:13. 500m hard, uphill slightly, in 2:58.
Total: 18:03 for the 3K. That's not so good. Oh well!
My coach says that the first workout back is always lousy. He didn't use the word lousy, though ;).
My hamstrings were sore today from yesterday's 10K, which is lame, but probably explains some of this. I'm not happy about losing fitness, but it is what it is. Have to start from somewhere. My iron is probably still a bit low as well, and mentally it's not been that great either. My grandma (dad's mom, age 86) and grandpa (mom's dad, age 90) are both declining significantly over the last month. In addition, my dad's health hasn't been good.
The good news? I am not injured, I get to racewalk, and that's awesome. I am going to enjoy it, fast or slow. And slow is just what is to be expected for now.
Today I was to do a 3km fartlek. A little nothing workout. It totally had my number.
I warmed up for 1 mile (1.6km) and did some dynamic flexibility drills. Then I started the workout. 1 km hard, and I was feeling good. I was sure I'd have about 5:30. Nope. 5:38. That was a wake-up call. The first recovery was slooooow, in 3:20 (for 500m medium effort). Ugh! I continued. 500m hard in 2:54. 500m medium in 3:13. 500m hard, uphill slightly, in 2:58.
Total: 18:03 for the 3K. That's not so good. Oh well!
My coach says that the first workout back is always lousy. He didn't use the word lousy, though ;).
My hamstrings were sore today from yesterday's 10K, which is lame, but probably explains some of this. I'm not happy about losing fitness, but it is what it is. Have to start from somewhere. My iron is probably still a bit low as well, and mentally it's not been that great either. My grandma (dad's mom, age 86) and grandpa (mom's dad, age 90) are both declining significantly over the last month. In addition, my dad's health hasn't been good.
The good news? I am not injured, I get to racewalk, and that's awesome. I am going to enjoy it, fast or slow. And slow is just what is to be expected for now.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
10K
I was to do 10K today. I started off fast, and felt great for 6K, going through 5K in about 31:30. Yeah, that's fast for me...but then I did get a bit tired later. My technique felt smooth and good for 5-6K, and I felt like I was using my glutes more and pushing through my toes, but once I got tired I think it fell apart a bit. My 10K time was 1:04:43 for 6:28/km, ave HR 145. Seems like my HR was higher, as every time I looked it was 150ish, but I guess I only look when I'm working it :).
So, feeling good, but I have to say that I don't seem to have much endurance at this point. I guess that will come with the training, and with improved iron levels.
Garmin data.
So, feeling good, but I have to say that I don't seem to have much endurance at this point. I guess that will come with the training, and with improved iron levels.
Garmin data.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
some cross-training
Today I was to do some cross-training. I managed 30 min on the elliptical and then did some weights, but not much because I got up late and got to the gym late. I did do a good set of abs with Lisa, though. I also went out and bought a 65-cm exercise ball so that my coach can torture me with more exercises. I plan to do some bridges on it this afternoon. I'm still a bit sore from Monday's glute workout from "Unbeatable Buttocks" but that's to be expected, since I didn't do any sort of weight training for a couple weeks while on vacation.
***
Today's been busy otherwise. I heard about some free apricots that are ripe for the picking on someone's tree (work colleague) and she said I could go pick as many as I wanted, so I took the kids and did just that. Now I need to make some jam and can it, as some of them are quite ripe, even a bit mushy, which is fine for jam. There are plenty of good ones for eating, too :).
A bit of housecleaning is in order as well, as I'm still trying to get back into the post-vacation routine. OK, with all this stuff to do I've got to stop blogging now! I know I owe all of you a few more sets of photos from our trip (Zion National Park photos await!) but just can't do it right now. Maybe tonight?
***
Today's been busy otherwise. I heard about some free apricots that are ripe for the picking on someone's tree (work colleague) and she said I could go pick as many as I wanted, so I took the kids and did just that. Now I need to make some jam and can it, as some of them are quite ripe, even a bit mushy, which is fine for jam. There are plenty of good ones for eating, too :).
A bit of housecleaning is in order as well, as I'm still trying to get back into the post-vacation routine. OK, with all this stuff to do I've got to stop blogging now! I know I owe all of you a few more sets of photos from our trip (Zion National Park photos await!) but just can't do it right now. Maybe tonight?
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
6K
Today I was to do 6K. I am enjoying these easier workouts before we ramp up to the more serious hard training and miles. Feels good to take it easy for a bit, though I do enjoy the harder training as well.
I woke up tired and a bit out-of-sorts again. Not sure why, as I got a good 8 hours of sleep. But the best remedy for a bad mood is exercise, so out the door I went. I took Copper, and she did OK for 6K but definitely wouldn't have made it too much longer.
I did 6.34K (Liberty Park) in 41:16, for 6:30/km on the dot. I did have to work it a bit coming up the hill on the way back, but it felt good. Ave HR 143.
I woke up tired and a bit out-of-sorts again. Not sure why, as I got a good 8 hours of sleep. But the best remedy for a bad mood is exercise, so out the door I went. I took Copper, and she did OK for 6K but definitely wouldn't have made it too much longer.
I did 6.34K (Liberty Park) in 41:16, for 6:30/km on the dot. I did have to work it a bit coming up the hill on the way back, but it felt good. Ave HR 143.
Monday, August 16, 2010
vacation #3 - Grand Canyon, days 4&5
The next day we got up very early to start hiking, because we planned to hike down into the canyon, and it gets HOT down there! No, we could not hike all the way to the bottom. That requires an overnight, if you are not crazy, that is. It's 14 miles to the river, and over a mile of elevation change, so to hike there and back in one day is pretty nuts, especially when you consider that it's usually 105-110F at the bottom. Considering our abilities, we opted to have Michelle and Loren hike 0.7 miles to the Coconino Overlook and back, and Calvin and I would hike 1.7 miles to the Supai Tunnel and back (1400 feet elevation change each way to the Supai Tunnel). Those proved to be wise choices, as that was just about exactly what Michelle and Calvin were able to do.
Calvin and I hiked with Michelle and Loren to the beautiful Coconino Overlook, named for the Coconino sandstone that it rests upon.
I really loved the way this tree grew out of the rock and over the edge:
Calvin and I continued down to the Supai Tunnel, and a mule train arrived not long after we did. We enjoyed watching them file past as we took a little rest break.
We walked through the tunnel (very cool; named after the rock layer), and on the other side a great view down awaited us.
We turned around to head back up the trail; Calvin did very well and hiked all the way up the 1400 feet without complaining. Everyone passing us on their way down commented on what a great little hiker he was.
We rested a few hours after getting back to camp, ate lunch, and then attended a ranger talk. Calvin and Michelle got sworn in as Junior Rangers - so cute!
That evening, I couldn't resist taking a few more shots from the lodge after we attended a talk on California condors. We were not lucky enough to see a condor while at the North Rim, but there are 73 reported to be living there now, and they had 2 chicks born this summer.
The next day, we decided to drive to Point Imperial for a hike and picnic lunch. We took in the view first - it was amazing, as were all the viewpoints we visited. Seriously, the canyon is so incredible that the photos cannot begin to do it justice. You really have to go there!
Then we hiked a bit of the Ken Patrick Trail and enjoyed the views and spectacular wildflowers; I wanted to hike longer but a thunderstorm turned us around. We got back and ate most of our picnic lunch before it started to pour on us. We took shelter in the car and it passed quickly.
That was not to be the case the next day. We originally planned to spend 2 more days at the Grand Canyon, but it started to thunderstorm at about 4:30 am and the downpour was legendary. It continued to pour until 10 am, at which point our tent began to leak. At 11:30, with no end in sight (the forecast was for rain until at least 11pm and maybe longer), we decided to pack up camp. It was a wet, sloppy mess, but we shoved everything in the car and left for our next stop, Zion National Park.
More pictures:
North Kaibab Trail (Coconino Overlook & Supai Tunnel)
Point Imperial & Ken Patrick trail
More views from the lodge
Calvin and I hiked with Michelle and Loren to the beautiful Coconino Overlook, named for the Coconino sandstone that it rests upon.
I really loved the way this tree grew out of the rock and over the edge:
Calvin and I continued down to the Supai Tunnel, and a mule train arrived not long after we did. We enjoyed watching them file past as we took a little rest break.
We walked through the tunnel (very cool; named after the rock layer), and on the other side a great view down awaited us.
We turned around to head back up the trail; Calvin did very well and hiked all the way up the 1400 feet without complaining. Everyone passing us on their way down commented on what a great little hiker he was.
We rested a few hours after getting back to camp, ate lunch, and then attended a ranger talk. Calvin and Michelle got sworn in as Junior Rangers - so cute!
That evening, I couldn't resist taking a few more shots from the lodge after we attended a talk on California condors. We were not lucky enough to see a condor while at the North Rim, but there are 73 reported to be living there now, and they had 2 chicks born this summer.
The next day, we decided to drive to Point Imperial for a hike and picnic lunch. We took in the view first - it was amazing, as were all the viewpoints we visited. Seriously, the canyon is so incredible that the photos cannot begin to do it justice. You really have to go there!
Then we hiked a bit of the Ken Patrick Trail and enjoyed the views and spectacular wildflowers; I wanted to hike longer but a thunderstorm turned us around. We got back and ate most of our picnic lunch before it started to pour on us. We took shelter in the car and it passed quickly.
That was not to be the case the next day. We originally planned to spend 2 more days at the Grand Canyon, but it started to thunderstorm at about 4:30 am and the downpour was legendary. It continued to pour until 10 am, at which point our tent began to leak. At 11:30, with no end in sight (the forecast was for rain until at least 11pm and maybe longer), we decided to pack up camp. It was a wet, sloppy mess, but we shoved everything in the car and left for our next stop, Zion National Park.
More pictures:
North Kaibab Trail (Coconino Overlook & Supai Tunnel)
Point Imperial & Ken Patrick trail
More views from the lodge
vacation #2 - Grand Canyon North Rim, days 1-3
After visiting the petrified forest, we drove about 4 hr to the Grand Canyon. We went to the less-frequented North Rim, which has about 400,000 visitors/yr instead of the 4,000,000/yr at the South Rim. It's cool and lovely at the North Rim, and the campground is right on the rim in a ponderosa pine forest.
Upon arriving, we set up our tent and screen tent (again, it was drizzling a little!). We ate dinner, and since the weather was clearing we decided to hike a short ways to see the view at the rim. Loren and Michelle stayed at the first view point, but Calvin and I hiked the whole Transept Trail to the Grand Canyon Lodge. It was beautiful, as it was sunset.
The next day, we enjoyed a leisurely morning around camp followed by a visit to the visitors' center and the lodge, and a hike to Bright Angel Point. Though it was midday, the vista was still spectacular.
I was glad there were guardrails on that hike, as the dropoffs were steep on both sides in places. I'm NOT fond of heights!
We picnicked at a spot with a view of the canyon. The weather was perfect.
After our picnic, we drove to Cape Royal and hiked the short paved trail there (0.6 mile loop). There were views of Angel's Window, as well as vistas with the approaching thunderstorm. During monsoon season it pretty much thunderstorms every afternoon, though they are usually brief.
The next day, we decided to go off-roading a bit. We've had a small SUV for 2 years now and haven't really taken it off-road much, so it was time for a little exploring. There is an 18-mile drive to Point Sublime that requires 4WD, so we gave it a shot. The scenery was beautiful and desolate. There was almost no one out there except forest service workers cutting down underbrush. We did pass 2 cars on the way back, but that was it. Unfortunately, the road was very, very bad, and though we COULD have driven all the way out there, it would have taken probably 2 hr each way because we had to go so slowly due to the poor condition of the road. The kids were getting squirrely after only 1 hr, so we turned around and drove back. Another time, perhaps.
Later that day we attended several ranger talks, and also worked on the kids' Junior Ranger badges. They had a lot of activities to do to earn their badges!
More photos:
Bright Angel Point
Transept Trail
Cape Royal
Point Sublime road
Upon arriving, we set up our tent and screen tent (again, it was drizzling a little!). We ate dinner, and since the weather was clearing we decided to hike a short ways to see the view at the rim. Loren and Michelle stayed at the first view point, but Calvin and I hiked the whole Transept Trail to the Grand Canyon Lodge. It was beautiful, as it was sunset.
The next day, we enjoyed a leisurely morning around camp followed by a visit to the visitors' center and the lodge, and a hike to Bright Angel Point. Though it was midday, the vista was still spectacular.
I was glad there were guardrails on that hike, as the dropoffs were steep on both sides in places. I'm NOT fond of heights!
We picnicked at a spot with a view of the canyon. The weather was perfect.
After our picnic, we drove to Cape Royal and hiked the short paved trail there (0.6 mile loop). There were views of Angel's Window, as well as vistas with the approaching thunderstorm. During monsoon season it pretty much thunderstorms every afternoon, though they are usually brief.
The next day, we decided to go off-roading a bit. We've had a small SUV for 2 years now and haven't really taken it off-road much, so it was time for a little exploring. There is an 18-mile drive to Point Sublime that requires 4WD, so we gave it a shot. The scenery was beautiful and desolate. There was almost no one out there except forest service workers cutting down underbrush. We did pass 2 cars on the way back, but that was it. Unfortunately, the road was very, very bad, and though we COULD have driven all the way out there, it would have taken probably 2 hr each way because we had to go so slowly due to the poor condition of the road. The kids were getting squirrely after only 1 hr, so we turned around and drove back. Another time, perhaps.
Later that day we attended several ranger talks, and also worked on the kids' Junior Ranger badges. They had a lot of activities to do to earn their badges!
More photos:
Bright Angel Point
Transept Trail
Cape Royal
Point Sublime road
vacation #1 - Bryce Canyon
Grrr...the HTML in Blogger is not cooperating, so the text doesn't line up correctly w/the photos. Sorry...they are in order, so hopefully you can figure it out.
We camped for 2 nights in the beautiful Bryce Canyon area, about 4 hours' drive from our house. When we arrived it was raining a bit, but we managed to get our screen tent set up and then it stopped. We set up the rest of our camp, made dinner, and kicked back a bit by the fire.
The next morning, we decided to do the Navajo Loop hike, which is only 1.3 miles, but descends into the canyon amidst the hoodoos (rock formations here, caused by erosion of the sandstone) for over 500 feet. The kids LOVED this hike, and so did we (this was actually the second time Calvin has done this hike; he did it all at age 3!). 
Once back up at the top, we shot a few more photos of the incredible views. The gathering clouds made for some very interesting lighting!
Calvin took this photo:
I took this photo:
Later on, about an hour and a half before sunset, we hiked the Queen's Garden trail. It is about 1.6 miles long, and descends 320 feet. It's named for the Queen Victoria-like figure on one of the hoodoos. Not sure it looks like her, but I took a photo for my coach, who lives in Victoria, Australia.
When we ascended to the top again, the sun was setting and I got this shot:
The next day, we opted to drive an hour or so to the Escalante State Park and hike the petrified forest trail. It was a long way out of our way, but I must admit it was impressive - I've never seen such large pieces of petrified rock before. They were colorful with iron and manganese oxides, and you could see the tree rings. Very cool.
More photos here of Bryce Canyon:
Camping
Navajo Loop
Calvin's photos
Queen's Garden
More photos here of Escalante State Park.
We camped for 2 nights in the beautiful Bryce Canyon area, about 4 hours' drive from our house. When we arrived it was raining a bit, but we managed to get our screen tent set up and then it stopped. We set up the rest of our camp, made dinner, and kicked back a bit by the fire.
The next morning, we decided to do the Navajo Loop hike, which is only 1.3 miles, but descends into the canyon amidst the hoodoos (rock formations here, caused by erosion of the sandstone) for over 500 feet. The kids LOVED this hike, and so did we (this was actually the second time Calvin has done this hike; he did it all at age 3!). 
Once back up at the top, we shot a few more photos of the incredible views. The gathering clouds made for some very interesting lighting! Calvin took this photo:
I took this photo:
Later on, about an hour and a half before sunset, we hiked the Queen's Garden trail. It is about 1.6 miles long, and descends 320 feet. It's named for the Queen Victoria-like figure on one of the hoodoos. Not sure it looks like her, but I took a photo for my coach, who lives in Victoria, Australia.
When we ascended to the top again, the sun was setting and I got this shot:
The next day, we opted to drive an hour or so to the Escalante State Park and hike the petrified forest trail. It was a long way out of our way, but I must admit it was impressive - I've never seen such large pieces of petrified rock before. They were colorful with iron and manganese oxides, and you could see the tree rings. Very cool.
More photos here of Bryce Canyon:
Camping
Navajo Loop
Calvin's photos
Queen's Garden
More photos here of Escalante State Park.
hematocrit
Yesterday I tried again to donate platelets. It's been a while since last time, and I've been taking iron supplements, so I thought I'd see if I could donate. I couldn't. But the good news is that my hematocrit is up from 35 to 37. It has to be 38 to donate, but 37 is lots better, so that's good. Maybe in another month I'll be up to 38; probably will get my iron checked one more time to see if the numbers are high enough. Hard to racewalk as fast as you are capable of if your blood doesn't have enough oxygen-carrying capacity!
8K
Today I was to do 8K easy. I decided to do a bit of a hillier route, going to Sugar House Park and around the park twice. It was fun :). I passed a few runners, which is always enjoyable. I know, I'm too competitive ;) but it's fun to have someone to chase. It felt pretty good this morning, and I worked on my technique. I am sure something's still not right, though, as my R piriformis is a bit sore, still. Oh well. I keep trying and maybe someday I'll be better.
8.15K in 52:36 for 6:27/km; ave HR 142. Not bad for all those hills!
After the 8K I went to the gym and did a bunch of exercises for glutes from the book my coach e-mailed me stuff from. It's called "Unbeatable Buttocks", which is a pretty funny title if you ask me :).
Garmin connect data here.
8.15K in 52:36 for 6:27/km; ave HR 142. Not bad for all those hills!
After the 8K I went to the gym and did a bunch of exercises for glutes from the book my coach e-mailed me stuff from. It's called "Unbeatable Buttocks", which is a pretty funny title if you ask me :).
Garmin connect data here.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
5K race photos; easy 6K
Here are the photos from our race yesterday. There's one video, too, near the end; I'm at 46 seconds into it.
***
Today my new training schedule commenced. I'm excited to be starting up again. I was to do an easy 6K, so I decided to go around Liberty Park, and I took my dog Copper with me. She was lagging a bit but did OK overall and didn't slow me down. I was a little sore from yesterday (only a little, in my hips) but overall felt good. I did 6.34K in 41:34 for 6:34/km. Haha, that's funny! 6.34K at 6:34/km :).
***
I have lots of vacation photos to link to, and stories to tell about our trip, but still haven't found time to do it. I'm going to try to donate platelets this afternoon, and if my hematocrit is high enough I'll have a few hours to kill and I can do it. But if not (and I'm suspecting it's still not that great), I will just go to work and screen fish that I crossed on Friday instead, in which case I won't have time to blog about the trip just yet. Tonight we're taking the kids to a church bbq/swim party, so I probably won't get around to it tonight either, but I promise to do it soon :).
***
Today my new training schedule commenced. I'm excited to be starting up again. I was to do an easy 6K, so I decided to go around Liberty Park, and I took my dog Copper with me. She was lagging a bit but did OK overall and didn't slow me down. I was a little sore from yesterday (only a little, in my hips) but overall felt good. I did 6.34K in 41:34 for 6:34/km. Haha, that's funny! 6.34K at 6:34/km :).
***
I have lots of vacation photos to link to, and stories to tell about our trip, but still haven't found time to do it. I'm going to try to donate platelets this afternoon, and if my hematocrit is high enough I'll have a few hours to kill and I can do it. But if not (and I'm suspecting it's still not that great), I will just go to work and screen fish that I crossed on Friday instead, in which case I won't have time to blog about the trip just yet. Tonight we're taking the kids to a church bbq/swim party, so I probably won't get around to it tonight either, but I promise to do it soon :).
Saturday, August 14, 2010
I'm back!
I'm back from my blog hiatus, back from a nice camping vacation in Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Zion National Parks, and also back to training starting tomorrow.
But meanwhile, we did have a club 5K today, so of course I went. Before the 5K, I actually got up early (4:20!) and biked with my friends Sarah and Jessica as they did 12.5 miles in preparation for their first half marathon in a month. I wanted to racewalk with them, but my coach nixed that idea in a hurry. He might have said it wasn't very smart or something to that effect!
After the 12.5 miles, I drove over to the club 5K which started at 8 am. For the race, I was supposed to go somewhere in between all-out racing and taking it easy. Ummm, yeah...I pretty much did the whole thing at 90% effort, which I think is more than my coach intended. Had 28:38 at 5K on my Garmin; 29:41 at the end of the course (5.19K on Garmin). I'm not sure the course was really 5K (club members measured it with their Garmins) but I was somewhere around 29:00 I'd guess. Not too bad after a few weeks off!
After 2.5K in 14:15 on the Garmin, and a HR in the mid-160s, I thought it was looking like a nice day to race. I didn't push as hard as I could have, but I didn't let up either. HR was in the low 170s by the end of the race, and I felt surprisingly good. I could have gone faster. I guess my layoff hasn't hurt my speed any. Hopefully my iron levels are improving. I've been working on my technique, too, and today during the race I concentrated on bringing my hips through low, using my glutes, and pushing off my toes. It's not habit yet, but I do feel I'm getting smoother and more efficient.
Pictures and more about the race to come later. Meanwhile, duty calls. SO much to do after getting home from vacation Wednesday and working Thurs & Fri! Glad it's the weekend now, but there is still a lot to do around the house, and I have a few piano students this afternoon.
I'll also post pictures of the vacation later; we did lots of amazing hikes.
Garmin data from race here.
But meanwhile, we did have a club 5K today, so of course I went. Before the 5K, I actually got up early (4:20!) and biked with my friends Sarah and Jessica as they did 12.5 miles in preparation for their first half marathon in a month. I wanted to racewalk with them, but my coach nixed that idea in a hurry. He might have said it wasn't very smart or something to that effect!
After the 12.5 miles, I drove over to the club 5K which started at 8 am. For the race, I was supposed to go somewhere in between all-out racing and taking it easy. Ummm, yeah...I pretty much did the whole thing at 90% effort, which I think is more than my coach intended. Had 28:38 at 5K on my Garmin; 29:41 at the end of the course (5.19K on Garmin). I'm not sure the course was really 5K (club members measured it with their Garmins) but I was somewhere around 29:00 I'd guess. Not too bad after a few weeks off!
After 2.5K in 14:15 on the Garmin, and a HR in the mid-160s, I thought it was looking like a nice day to race. I didn't push as hard as I could have, but I didn't let up either. HR was in the low 170s by the end of the race, and I felt surprisingly good. I could have gone faster. I guess my layoff hasn't hurt my speed any. Hopefully my iron levels are improving. I've been working on my technique, too, and today during the race I concentrated on bringing my hips through low, using my glutes, and pushing off my toes. It's not habit yet, but I do feel I'm getting smoother and more efficient.
Pictures and more about the race to come later. Meanwhile, duty calls. SO much to do after getting home from vacation Wednesday and working Thurs & Fri! Glad it's the weekend now, but there is still a lot to do around the house, and I have a few piano students this afternoon.
I'll also post pictures of the vacation later; we did lots of amazing hikes.
Garmin data from race here.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
hiatus
My blog is going to take a little hiatus. I'm not doing much training-wise for the next couple of weeks as I allow my iron stores to recover (hopefully!), and I need a little blog rest as well. Don't forget about me, though! I'll be back blogging probably in mid-August, or whenever I start my new training schedule.
Monday, July 26, 2010
USATF National Masters Championships 10K photos
I finally uploaded them. There are 641 photos! There are shots of almost every walker in the race. Enjoy! Thanks to my brother Alex for the great photos & video :).
a little recovery
Today I woke up a little sore in the hamstrings. Also a tiny bit sore in the calves and adductors, but all the soreness is pretty minor, thankfully. I'm not surprised that I'm sore, as my coach says I'm not using my glutes enough and so my hamstrings are overworking. I know the best remedy for sore muscles is to gently work them to get the blood flow going; at least that always makes me feel better. Coach has limited me to 30 min exercise per day, but that would be enough to help.
So I went for an easy 30 minute walk. I intended to do a 6:45-7:00/k pace, but I'm so used to doing 6:30 on my easy days now that that's what came out. It felt sore for 10 min, and then good for 20 min. I'm happy I went.
I was to focus on my technique. There are a bunch of minor tweaks that need to be made in the next 6 wk or so of easy training while we wait for my iron levels to come up. Here's what the coach says: use glutes more, rotate right hip further back, change centre (his spelling :)) of gravity slightly to the front foot, bring hips through lower, and push hard off the toes. I tried to think about all those things while I was out. Surprisingly, it felt good. I think the one that helped the most was the suggestion to bring my hips through lower. When I thought about doing that, the other things started happening more. Of course, it's going to take a while to break some of my bad habits, but I'm excited about the possibility of being faster, even if it's just a little bit faster. I did wish that my coach could be here to watch me do it and tell me if it was right, but since there are no RW coaches in Utah I will have to make do. Besides, he's really good at biomechanics, and that kind of expertise is rare, so I'm excited to take advantage of it. After a few weeks of practicing I'll make another video and send it and see if I look better.
Workout summary: 4.66 km in 30:17 for 6:30/km with ave HR of 141.
So I went for an easy 30 minute walk. I intended to do a 6:45-7:00/k pace, but I'm so used to doing 6:30 on my easy days now that that's what came out. It felt sore for 10 min, and then good for 20 min. I'm happy I went.
I was to focus on my technique. There are a bunch of minor tweaks that need to be made in the next 6 wk or so of easy training while we wait for my iron levels to come up. Here's what the coach says: use glutes more, rotate right hip further back, change centre (his spelling :)) of gravity slightly to the front foot, bring hips through lower, and push hard off the toes. I tried to think about all those things while I was out. Surprisingly, it felt good. I think the one that helped the most was the suggestion to bring my hips through lower. When I thought about doing that, the other things started happening more. Of course, it's going to take a while to break some of my bad habits, but I'm excited about the possibility of being faster, even if it's just a little bit faster. I did wish that my coach could be here to watch me do it and tell me if it was right, but since there are no RW coaches in Utah I will have to make do. Besides, he's really good at biomechanics, and that kind of expertise is rare, so I'm excited to take advantage of it. After a few weeks of practicing I'll make another video and send it and see if I look better.
Workout summary: 4.66 km in 30:17 for 6:30/km with ave HR of 141.
Videos of the 10K
I asked my brother to shoot more videos of the 10K than he did of the 5K, so there are a lot, and many of them are of the other walkers. I thought people would like to see themselves! So if you know some of the walkers, please pass these on. Enjoy!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
bittersweet
This 10K was bittersweet.
Sweet:
1. I was healthy and able to race.
2. I showed my RW friends my before pictures after the race, and had a great sense of just how far I've come.
3. I gave it my all and held nothing back.
4. My brother was there cheering me on all the way, and got LOTS of great photos (I will post them later; if you want higher resolution just comment w/the photo #).
5. It was so wonderful to be out there with over 70 other RWers from around the country, and to be inspired by the 70 and 80-year-old athletes still doing it. I want to be like all of them when I grow up!
6. The weather was perfect. About 60F and sunny, with lots of shade on the nice, flat, fast course.
7. I was legal, with just one caution on lifting from the same judge that was at the track Friday. I guess he just doesn't like my form! However, he gave Vicki P. some super nice compliments at the end, and so he's clearly a very nice guy :).
8. Breakfast at IHOP after the race with my RW friends was the greatest! I got the chocolate chip pancakes w/a side of fruit, and only ate 2 of the pancakes, just like I planned (300 cal for the pancakes). They were delicious!
9. Nothing hurts now that I am done. I am just as healthy after as I was going in.
10. The first 6k was pretty good, and it was my best 10K of the season (though that's not saying much!).
Bitter:
1. The last 4k was not so good; I just ran out of gas.
2. I was hoping for a 58:30 and got a 60:02; did not even finish under 60 despite giving it my all on the last 2K loop.
3. I was 1:19 slower than my PR, despite perfect conditions.
4. I will confess I feel a bit sad that I couldn't do any better, and will admit that part of me wonders if I'm deluding myself that I'm any good at this. Of course I'm no elite, but am I even really above average? At 40, I was definitely one of the youngest out there (the youngest woman, I'm sure), and I did get beaten by a woman 20 yr older than me (Maryann M., who had a very fine race) as well as by Katie, who did a very fast 58:12.
But looking over these lists, I'm struck by the fact that the sweet list is much longer. I have much to be thankful for, and really, there are good reasons I was slow today. Please note that these are not excuses or what-ifs, just reasons that I should not beat myself up over this. My ferritin is undoubtedly still quite low, and that has a huge impact on the oxygen-carrying capacity of my blood. Couple that with a hard 5K two days ago, and with my recoveries being very sluggish this spring, and you have a recipe for a slower race. In addition, because of my lousy recoveries this spring, I was unable to do enough longer harder workouts to really be ready enough for a fast 10K. In my heart of hearts I knew this going in, but chose to be positive and think that I might be able to do 58:30 or 58:45, and so did set myself up for a little disappointment.
***
A little about the race: I started strong and felt very good. I tried to focus on allowing my hips to rotate a little more freely and using my glutes a bit more, as my coach thought the 5K videos showed a lack of that, especially on my right side. I did feel good and free and pretty fast for the first 2K. I felt I settled into a good pace and was able to keep it for a reasonable time, before I ran out of gas. I actually really enjoyed the first 5-6K, and then it got progressively more painful. I kept thinking I'd be able to pass Yoko E. and Marianne M., but it just didn't happen; I did finally pass Yoko in the last 500m and finished 20 sec ahead of her. However, she's 20 yr older than me so that's not saying much! I never did pass Marianne, and Katie was way too far out of reach. I admired her fine technique and great fitness from behind. She was so encouraging to me, calling out to me each time we passed on the 2K loop course.
Speaking of the course, it was quite nice - shaded, only one gentle curve, and then 2 tight U-turns on each end. There were a TON of judges out there, and quite a few people got DQ'd, including my friend John M. That really put things in perspective for me - I was legal and finished the race, and that is something to be thankful for. The other thing I liked about the course was that I could see the other walkers all the time, and it was easy to tell exactly where the competition was. It was also so fabulous to see my friends so many times during the race and call out to them as I was able. Walking with 70+ other RWers is a beautiful thing! I wish I could do it more often.
The last 4K was hard. I knew I was slowing, but just didn't have the lungs to go any faster, and the legs were tired, too. Still, I am proud to say that I gave it my all and finished as hard as I could. The last 500m seemed like an eternity, as I sped toward the finish. I thought I'd make under 60 min, but I just missed it. My watch said 1:00 exactly, but the unofficial times posted right after had me at 60:02. We'll see what comes out on the website (it's not up yet, or I'd have posted that).
I don't know what else to say. Am I happy with the race? Yes and no. I did learn a lot, though, and it has made me even more determined to get my iron up, train my rear end off, and do really well next summer at World Masters. I'm glad my coach is coming to the States in December so that he can give me and Erin & Dave (2 of his other RWers) some personal help. Actually, he's coming to go to a wedding not just to train us, but while he's here he has graciously consented to visit with us for a few days in NY to kick our butts into shape :). I'm going to train hard, eat well, take my iron supplements, and be much more ready for worlds next summer.
Splits: The 1K splits are not at all accurate; the course wasn't symmetrical. The 2K splits are good though, and here they are: 11:52, 11:50, 12:07, 12:03, 12:06. Hmmm, that adds up to 59:58; well, rounding errors? Anyway, looking at these for the first time now, they are more consistent than I thought they'd be; I thought I did the 3rd 2K faster and the last one slower. Still, they aren't bad. They just show that I didn't have the stamina today to keep the pace. I went out like my coach said to (more or less; he said 11:45 for 5:53/k) but just couldn't hold it. I'm still proud of my effort.
Garmin connect data here.
There are a TON of photos of every walker in the race; I will upload them later. Please pass them on to your friends if you were in the race, and I have higher resolution ones if you want. Just comment on that post to get the ones you want, FREE of course :).
Saturday, July 24, 2010
videos of the 5K
FINALLY! We got them uploaded to YouTube. More or less in order, taken approximately every other lap of the 5K.
easy 12 minutes
Today I was supposed to do 12 minutes easy. That turned into 14 minutes, but I think my coach will be OK with that. I wanted to RW the 2K loop that I'm going to do tomorrow for the 10K, so that's what I did. It's very flat (almost everything in Sacramento is really flat!) and on the road behind the stadium. It's NOT the same course they'll use for worlds next year, unfortunately; that course will be in Land Park, about a 10 minute drive from the stadium. I would have liked to race on it beforehand, but I guess that doesn't matter too much. At 7:45 am when I racewalked this morning, it was nice and cool, and most of the course was shaded (about 2/3 of it). The race is at 7:30 am, so I'm optimistic that the conditions will be fairly ideal.
I ran into - or should I say racewalked into - Vicki P. and John M. out on the course. I enjoyed a little chat w/them, and then finished up my walk before heading in to the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) meeting at 8 am. That was quite interesting! They are going to drug test a sample of the masters athletes next summer at worlds, and I learned some important things. Basically, anything I put into my body medication-wise needs to be checked against their list of prohibited substances online. For example, the cortisone shot I had in my foot last fall would be considered a banned substance, and I'd have to get a TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemption) in order to have the shot. Presumably that's out of my system by now since it's been 10 months, but if it wasn't, and I got randomly selected for a drug test and failed, I'd lose my medals and face sanctions. Anyway, you even need to check cold and flu medications, as pseudoephedrine is a banned substance. It was an informative meeting, marred only by the extremely idiotic questions that some people posed, and by the bad attitude of some in the audience who seemed to simply want to challenge the patient instructor.
***
I'm tired, because I was up too late skype-ing with my coach :). I know, not smart, but I like to chat racewalking, so why not? My plan now, since it's 4 pm, is to simply stay up until about 8:30 pm and then go to bed. I'll get up at 4:30 am, eat breakfast before the race like I did on Friday, and head to the race. I'll try to arrive an hour beforehand to declare and warm-up, and then it will be race time. I'm a little less nervous than for the 5K, but still apprehensive. I want to do my best, and am just hoping that it will work out OK. I'm as prepared as I'm going to be, so it's silly to be nervous, but it's just the usual race day jitters and those will be what they will be.
Last night at dinner with some racewalking friends, most of us were agreeing that the 10K is just a tough race. It's fast, almost as fast as the 5K, but goes on longer, and so the pain is longer in some respects. Yeah, the first 6K can't be too hard or you won't have anything left, but it's hard enough to wear on you, and then the last 4K just hurts a lot. I am not really looking forward to the pain, but the sense of accomplishment when you are done is worth it when you have a good race.
***
It's different having a coach for these events. It's very nice mentally to have someone to chat with and help you decompress as well as instill confidence in you prior to the race. It's also nice not to second-guess how I trained; when I coached myself it was always a guessing game, and while I've read a lot, I don't know anywhere near as much as Jim does about training. I'm learning a lot and enjoying it. I have highly recommended Jim before, and will do so again now - even if you don't think you need a coach, you might consider it. Here's his website. So I'm offering a public thanks to Jim for the last 4 months of coaching. It's been invaluable. I know I'd be in lots worse shape both physically and mentally without his help.
I ran into - or should I say racewalked into - Vicki P. and John M. out on the course. I enjoyed a little chat w/them, and then finished up my walk before heading in to the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) meeting at 8 am. That was quite interesting! They are going to drug test a sample of the masters athletes next summer at worlds, and I learned some important things. Basically, anything I put into my body medication-wise needs to be checked against their list of prohibited substances online. For example, the cortisone shot I had in my foot last fall would be considered a banned substance, and I'd have to get a TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemption) in order to have the shot. Presumably that's out of my system by now since it's been 10 months, but if it wasn't, and I got randomly selected for a drug test and failed, I'd lose my medals and face sanctions. Anyway, you even need to check cold and flu medications, as pseudoephedrine is a banned substance. It was an informative meeting, marred only by the extremely idiotic questions that some people posed, and by the bad attitude of some in the audience who seemed to simply want to challenge the patient instructor.
***
I'm tired, because I was up too late skype-ing with my coach :). I know, not smart, but I like to chat racewalking, so why not? My plan now, since it's 4 pm, is to simply stay up until about 8:30 pm and then go to bed. I'll get up at 4:30 am, eat breakfast before the race like I did on Friday, and head to the race. I'll try to arrive an hour beforehand to declare and warm-up, and then it will be race time. I'm a little less nervous than for the 5K, but still apprehensive. I want to do my best, and am just hoping that it will work out OK. I'm as prepared as I'm going to be, so it's silly to be nervous, but it's just the usual race day jitters and those will be what they will be.
Last night at dinner with some racewalking friends, most of us were agreeing that the 10K is just a tough race. It's fast, almost as fast as the 5K, but goes on longer, and so the pain is longer in some respects. Yeah, the first 6K can't be too hard or you won't have anything left, but it's hard enough to wear on you, and then the last 4K just hurts a lot. I am not really looking forward to the pain, but the sense of accomplishment when you are done is worth it when you have a good race.
***
It's different having a coach for these events. It's very nice mentally to have someone to chat with and help you decompress as well as instill confidence in you prior to the race. It's also nice not to second-guess how I trained; when I coached myself it was always a guessing game, and while I've read a lot, I don't know anywhere near as much as Jim does about training. I'm learning a lot and enjoying it. I have highly recommended Jim before, and will do so again now - even if you don't think you need a coach, you might consider it. Here's his website. So I'm offering a public thanks to Jim for the last 4 months of coaching. It's been invaluable. I know I'd be in lots worse shape both physically and mentally without his help.
Friday, July 23, 2010
USATF National Masters Championships - 5K track racewalk
I woke up and checked my heart rate before I got out of bed. Resting HR was about 46-48, which is pretty normal for me. Good - off to a good start! I got dressed and ate a bowl of Kashi GoLean Crunch with peaches and vanilla soymilk about 7:00 am. I knew I'd need the breakfast since the race wasn't until 9:15 am.
Pretty soon it was time to head to the track. I drove over there (about 30 min from my brother's house in Davis), got a parking permit, and declared at the race tent. I ran into Katie & Karen K., and enjoyed chatting for a few minutes. I also met Vicki P., Nana B., and Rebecca G. - a pleasure to meet all of them in person, finally! We all chatted for a while and then I returned to the car to stow my sweatshirt and fanny pack (for you Aussies, bum bag, sorry, but my American friends won't get that ;)!). Then I warmed up with an easy 1600m with strides plus my dynamic flexibility drills. I went back to check in because we were supposed to be there 15 min before the race, and it was time. My brother met me over at the tent where we were checking in, and I was really glad to see him. I sat down in the shade (it was already warm in the sun) and tried to relax. My HR was 80-90 just sitting there - nerves!
They escorted us onto the track for some strides, but I was already warm so I didn't do much - just walked slowly. They lined us up on the start line, by age, so I was all the way on the end. That's only fair. The gun went off, and I quickly made my way to the center lane. I did the first 200m in about 1:06 and the second in about 1:08 for 2:14. Nice! Good pacing from the start. I held that pace for the first 1K, feeling very easy about it, and got to 1K in 5:36. I couldn't keep that rhythm, though, so I eased up just a touch to reach 2K in 11:18.6, for 5:43 for the 2nd km. I was still feeling good but was hot; I dumped water on my head on just about every lap. My mouth was dry and I tried to drink some, but gagged and spit it out. Oh well. It was only about 65F according to the National Weather Service (at the airport, not the track though) but it felt hotter in the sun. It might have been 70F at the track. My car thermometer said 64F when I was driving in, and that was over an hour before the race. Not that hot, but hot enough to feel it.
I started to really feel it in the 3rd km, as usual. But I told myself I had to keep the pace! I watched the clock every 200m and was doing mostly 1:08-1:09 so I figured I was doing well enough. I pulled off a 5:44 for the 3rd km, and the pain really began at that point, typical for a 5K. I focused on keeping my rhythm, even though my breathing became more labored and I was grimacing with the effort (see the pictures...nasty faces!). I did a good job of holding it, only slowing a little for a 5:47 for the 4th km. I thought, "only 1km left...I can do it...keep going" and imagined racewalking on the cool path on the Provo River Trail. I also imagined all of my RW friends and my family in the stands cheering; my brother was there cheering, so I didn't have to imagine him - that was awesome! I gave it my all for a 5:48 to finish in 28:39.55 official time, only 3 seconds slower than my track PR in Spokane two years ago. Fabulous, given my iron levels and my less-rigorous training as a result of the iron issue.
It was a bit of a lonely race, as I only passed one person the whole time. From the start, Maryanne D. and Katie G. were ahead of me, as was Vicki P. I passed Vicki about 600m into the race, and then was just about 1/2-3/4 lap behind Maryanne and Katie for most of the race. Vicki finished only about 20 sec behind me, and someone else was pretty close, too, but I never really knew they were there (hmmm, maybe I should have paid attention?!?). I just focused on doing my own race the best that I could, and I didn't get discouraged at all that I couldn't catch anyone. Katie had a new PR of 27:11 (awesome! congrats to her!) and I know I can't do that (yet!) so don't feel bad at all, just happy for her. And Maryanne got a new American record in her age group (50-54) with her 26:27, an amazingly fast time.
Third overall, a gold medal in my age group, and 3 seconds slower than my PR. A good, solid race. I'll take it! Thanks to my coach for helping me believe that I could do it, with all the setbacks I've had this year.
More photos here. There are A LOT of me (also a bunch of my friend Don from the men's race - I took some for him); my brother went crazy. I have movies too but there's a compatibility issue I have to sort out. Also, I'm looking at the photos aghast at the extra skin/flab on my legs. Ugh! Makes me want plastic surgery...seriously...losing all that weight, well, it was great, but left me looking kinda nasty. Actually, I probably still could use to shed a few pounds; coach says I am OK but hard to believe looking at the photos. I weighed 147.2 this morning, so not too bad, but I wonder if I'd be better at say, 140? But I also do not want to lose too much muscle, as one of the things that makes me reasonably fast is that I'm pretty strong.
Tonight I'm going to boost my iron stores with a visit to Outback steakhouse with Katie, Karen, Nana, & Rebecca :).
Garmin connect data here.
Edited, thanks to Ollie: 28:39.55 not 29!!!!! I worked hard for that minute!!! :)
Thursday, July 22, 2010
checking in
I checked in today at the USATF National Masters Championships. Got my bibs and safety pins and all that good stuff for my events. They don't know yet where the 10K road course is for Sunday; at least they couldn't tell me. Ummmm, ultra lame!!!! C'mon, guys, get a little more organized. In Spokane 2 yr ago they gave us all a course map when we checked in. Oh well...it will be flat, that's for sure, and should be fast. I'd just like to see it beforehand, y'know?
I walked over to the track to check it out. Looks nice, but not many spectators there (there weren't in Spokane either). Hopefully at worlds there will be more. It was still fun to walk around a bit and see some other athletes. I find it very inspiring to watch people of all ages compete in track & field events. I also took a few photos of the souvenir T-shirts and hats for my friend David in Australia, who wants a hat.
I picked up a few World Masters entry booklets while I was there; they give the dates for the various races next year. The 5K for women is July 7, 10K is July 12, and 20K is July 16. With that schedule, my coach will probably have me do 5K and 20K, because it might be hard to do the 10K and be adequately recovered for a good 20K only 4 days later. We'll see. I'd like to do all three if possible, because if you're there you might as well, but I don't want to ruin my 20K by doing the 10K too hard.
Here are my photos of the stadium & souvenirs.
short but sweet
I was craving a RW, seriously...and I wanted to stay out longer. But I didn't. Coach said 15 min w/strides, and that's what I did. I did about 8 min easy and then did 5 x 30sec strides with easy in between until HR was in the low 140s before starting the next one. No Garmin this time; used my old HRM because Garmins won't be allowed in the race. I'm not sure they will allow HRM either. The World Masters Athletics is not going to allow HRM or even watches next year, which is INCREDIBLY STUPID IMO. They are affiliated with the IAAF, so why do they not use the same IAAF rules? If the elites can use watches and HRM, why can't we? DUH! End of rant :).
I waited until 9:15 am to go; same time as my race tomorrow. It was 68F and it felt pretty warm in the sun. Heat will be a factor, but not too awful I think. I'm glad the 5K is a shorter race or it might be dicey. Thankfully, the 10K is at 7:30 am which will be much better.
I was up late helping with the baby last night and was a bit cranky this morning, but the 15 min of exercise helped my mood. It was a sweet little jaunt. I'm excited to race tomorrow.
I waited until 9:15 am to go; same time as my race tomorrow. It was 68F and it felt pretty warm in the sun. Heat will be a factor, but not too awful I think. I'm glad the 5K is a shorter race or it might be dicey. Thankfully, the 10K is at 7:30 am which will be much better.
I was up late helping with the baby last night and was a bit cranky this morning, but the 15 min of exercise helped my mood. It was a sweet little jaunt. I'm excited to race tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
another rest day
I'm in Davis, CA, visiting my brother now. I got to meet my new niece last night :). She's very cute! I'll post some pictures sometime later.
The weather here is awesome. It was 55F this morning and beautiful. Hopefully it will be like that for the weekend; the prediction is that the cool weather will hold for the most part. Of course, the 5K is at 9:15 am so it will be warmer then, but still should be in the 60s, which isn't bad at all. The 10K is at 7:30 am so that will be even better - perfect conditions, probably. If I could choose race weather, I'd choose 55-60F, clear, no wind.
Today is a rest day. Again. I confess I'm feeling fidgety and would like to take a walk, but I won't. I'm going to save the energy for Friday. I will probably do grocery shopping and help my brother as needed, though. Also I plan to relax and read books :)!
The weather here is awesome. It was 55F this morning and beautiful. Hopefully it will be like that for the weekend; the prediction is that the cool weather will hold for the most part. Of course, the 5K is at 9:15 am so it will be warmer then, but still should be in the 60s, which isn't bad at all. The 10K is at 7:30 am so that will be even better - perfect conditions, probably. If I could choose race weather, I'd choose 55-60F, clear, no wind.
Today is a rest day. Again. I confess I'm feeling fidgety and would like to take a walk, but I won't. I'm going to save the energy for Friday. I will probably do grocery shopping and help my brother as needed, though. Also I plan to relax and read books :)!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
short track workout: 3x800m
Today I was to do 3x800m at 80-85% effort. It was a gorgeous day at the track; sunny and mild, about 65F (18C). The sprinklers were on the football field, and of course they spill over on to the track, so I had to play a bit of sprinkler dodge-'em. Mostly I was able to stay in lane 1; I guess if I wanted a shower I could have stayed there the whole time.
I warmed up with an easy 1600m in 10:19, then did the usual dynamic flexibility drills. I felt good this morning. I realized I'm a bit insecure about my 10K pace, so I decided to try and do my 800s about 10K pace and see how that felt, effort-wise. That seemed to work well; 10K pace would be about 4:42 for 800m, and I did them in 4:42 and 4:41 at 80% effort, and then did the last one at about 85% effort in 4:39. Not bad. I felt like I could do a lot at that pace, which is good, since I'll need to sustain it for almost an hour. My coach says 57 min ;)! Of course I'd love to be that fast...we'll see :). I feel like now I have the pace in my head a little better, which is great.
After I finished, I cooled down with a very easy 1600m, and then walked slowly around the track with a guy named Bob, who was walking there for some exercise and struck up a conversation with me about racewalking. I enjoyed sharing a little about the sport with him.
Tomorrow is a rest day, and Thursday is an easy 15 min with strides, and then the 5K on Friday, 12 min easy on Saturday, and the 10K on Sunday.
Garmin connect data here.
I warmed up with an easy 1600m in 10:19, then did the usual dynamic flexibility drills. I felt good this morning. I realized I'm a bit insecure about my 10K pace, so I decided to try and do my 800s about 10K pace and see how that felt, effort-wise. That seemed to work well; 10K pace would be about 4:42 for 800m, and I did them in 4:42 and 4:41 at 80% effort, and then did the last one at about 85% effort in 4:39. Not bad. I felt like I could do a lot at that pace, which is good, since I'll need to sustain it for almost an hour. My coach says 57 min ;)! Of course I'd love to be that fast...we'll see :). I feel like now I have the pace in my head a little better, which is great.
After I finished, I cooled down with a very easy 1600m, and then walked slowly around the track with a guy named Bob, who was walking there for some exercise and struck up a conversation with me about racewalking. I enjoyed sharing a little about the sport with him.
Tomorrow is a rest day, and Thursday is an easy 15 min with strides, and then the 5K on Friday, 12 min easy on Saturday, and the 10K on Sunday.
Garmin connect data here.
Monday, July 19, 2010
sling
I got out the baby sling today. I'm going to visit my brother and his wife in Davis, CA (near Sacramento), and I know I'll get some good baby-holding time with my niece, Karis. I used the baby sling a LOT with my two kids when they were smaller. Now that they weight 42 lb (yup, both of them weigh the same!) I don't do that any more. However, when they saw it they both wanted to sit in it for a bit, so I obliged. It was cute! And yes, they still fit in it, which is amazing. It actually was not that hard to carry them in it for a short time, and it was super cuddly :).
8K
After a rest day yesterday, just an 8K today. I am really liking the taper :). I'm still working on the positive thinking, and was feeling good this morning mentally. I am doing my best to get in the right head space.
It was hot again this morning, but since I wasn't going hard, I didn't care too much. It was 75F (24C), on its way up to probably about 98F this afternoon (it was 102 yesterday). Fortunately, the weather for Sacramento this Friday is looking about as good as it gets this time of year; it's supposed to be in the low 90s for a high, and in the upper 50s for lows. It will probably be about 65-70 for the 5K at 9:15 am. That's hotter than I'd like but not so hot that it will ruin the race, thankfully.
Today I didn't feel like I was working hard, but every time I looked at my Garmin, my HR was about 150. Not sure what that's all about, but the workout felt very pleasant. I did the hilly route around SugarHouse Park because I had no particular time goals to meet and I like that route. I did 2 loops of the park to get my 8K total.
Total 53:43 for the 8.03K for 6:41/km; ave HR 145.
It was hot again this morning, but since I wasn't going hard, I didn't care too much. It was 75F (24C), on its way up to probably about 98F this afternoon (it was 102 yesterday). Fortunately, the weather for Sacramento this Friday is looking about as good as it gets this time of year; it's supposed to be in the low 90s for a high, and in the upper 50s for lows. It will probably be about 65-70 for the 5K at 9:15 am. That's hotter than I'd like but not so hot that it will ruin the race, thankfully.
Today I didn't feel like I was working hard, but every time I looked at my Garmin, my HR was about 150. Not sure what that's all about, but the workout felt very pleasant. I did the hilly route around SugarHouse Park because I had no particular time goals to meet and I like that route. I did 2 loops of the park to get my 8K total.
Total 53:43 for the 8.03K for 6:41/km; ave HR 145.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Rest day
Today was an "optional" day on the training schedule, but Jim has encouraged me to rest more as the races approach. I'm more than happy to do that today, as I feel my body needs it. I've been very tired this spring, probably from the low iron levels and the hard training. A couple days of rest this week can't hurt! Now I just have to be careful about what I eat. That's the harder part.
In the spirit of resting, I took a short nap this afternoon, and it felt great.
In the spirit of resting, I took a short nap this afternoon, and it felt great.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
hot 5K fartlek
It was hot this morning. Yesterday it was 102F (39C) in the afternoon, and when it gets that hot, the mornings aren't usually very cool either. This morning it was 79F (26.1C) and quite humid by our desert standards at 46%. I figured it might be a slow morning because of that if nothing else. This is the warmest morning I remember here in a LONG time.
I had a good workout. Yeah, the heat got to me at the end and I slowed down, but it was a good hard workout and I gave it my all. I was only 19 seconds slower than my last 5K fartlek, even though it was 14 degrees F warmer.
I decided to go to Liberty Park instead of doing the 5K fartlek on the street like I've been doing. I was just in the mood for something different, and I was also worried about possible intestinal distress because I ate pizza last night (Liberty Park has convenient restrooms!). The intestinal distress never materialized, thankfully, but I was still glad I went there.
I warmed up with the walk over to the park, and I used the restroom before I started, so I ended up starting in the middle of the park. I did my dynamic flexibility drills, and then steeled myself for the upcoming pain :). I knew somehow that this would be a tough one.
I felt OK for the first 3K, but then I knew I was dragging from the heat. I just didn't have anything left in the tank. I passed my friends Sarah, Jessica, and Sarah just around the 4.5K mark and said hi but of course did not stop. I didn't know they were at the park and I was glad to see them. It gave me motivation to give it my all for the last 0.5K, which was on the uphill end of the park (uh, why in the world did I arrange it to end on an uphill?!?) and thus even more painful. Yeah, the last 0.5K was really slow despite working really hard.
Here are my splits:
1K fast 5:38, HR 157 ave/169 max
500m med 3:02, HR 163/169
500m fast 2:40, HR 170/172
500m med 3:16, HR 166/172
500m fast 2:54, HR 173/175
500m med 3:13, HR 167/175
500m fast 2:53, HR 172/174
500m med 3:21, HR 166/174
500m fast 3:04, HR 174/176
Total time: 30:04
As you can see, I totally died at the end. My last "fast" 500m was slower than my first "medium" 500m. Ouch. And that last 500m medium in 3:21 was not very speedy either. Oh well...heat will do that to you. I'm trying to stay as positive as possible, though I'm a bit disappointed that the heat got to me so much. The 5K in Sacramento could be hot, as it's at 9:15 am. I didn't have time to do as much heat training as I'd like, so I'll just have to go with what I've done and visualize a great race anyway.
In a little side note, I went to my Weight Watchers meeting this morning and they handed out a sheet on positive self-talk. I know I need to work on this in conjunction with my racewalking, so it was very apropos. Funny, I've seen that handout a million times and feel like I do pretty well on it as regards my eating, but I know that I've been weak on that with racewalking. So this week I'm going to visualize lots of speed, lots of stamina, and think positive as much as I can. I think it will be a challenge, but in the spirit of positive self-talk, I think I can do it. End side note :).
I was happy to be at Liberty Park again when I finished. There's a natural spring water fountain at the southeast corner, where I finished, and I liberally splashed the cool water all over and had a long drink. It felt great!!! Then I enjoyed some conversation with the Sarahs and Jessica before walking home. My legs were pretty trashed on the uphill home.
Garmin workout data.
This was my last really hard workout before my races next weekend; I do have 3x800m on Tuesday, but that's such a short workout that it barely counts. I'm glad to be done with the hard work. Now I'm ready to race (positive self-talk)!!!
I had a good workout. Yeah, the heat got to me at the end and I slowed down, but it was a good hard workout and I gave it my all. I was only 19 seconds slower than my last 5K fartlek, even though it was 14 degrees F warmer.
I decided to go to Liberty Park instead of doing the 5K fartlek on the street like I've been doing. I was just in the mood for something different, and I was also worried about possible intestinal distress because I ate pizza last night (Liberty Park has convenient restrooms!). The intestinal distress never materialized, thankfully, but I was still glad I went there.
I warmed up with the walk over to the park, and I used the restroom before I started, so I ended up starting in the middle of the park. I did my dynamic flexibility drills, and then steeled myself for the upcoming pain :). I knew somehow that this would be a tough one.
I felt OK for the first 3K, but then I knew I was dragging from the heat. I just didn't have anything left in the tank. I passed my friends Sarah, Jessica, and Sarah just around the 4.5K mark and said hi but of course did not stop. I didn't know they were at the park and I was glad to see them. It gave me motivation to give it my all for the last 0.5K, which was on the uphill end of the park (uh, why in the world did I arrange it to end on an uphill?!?) and thus even more painful. Yeah, the last 0.5K was really slow despite working really hard.
Here are my splits:
1K fast 5:38, HR 157 ave/169 max
500m med 3:02, HR 163/169
500m fast 2:40, HR 170/172
500m med 3:16, HR 166/172
500m fast 2:54, HR 173/175
500m med 3:13, HR 167/175
500m fast 2:53, HR 172/174
500m med 3:21, HR 166/174
500m fast 3:04, HR 174/176
Total time: 30:04
As you can see, I totally died at the end. My last "fast" 500m was slower than my first "medium" 500m. Ouch. And that last 500m medium in 3:21 was not very speedy either. Oh well...heat will do that to you. I'm trying to stay as positive as possible, though I'm a bit disappointed that the heat got to me so much. The 5K in Sacramento could be hot, as it's at 9:15 am. I didn't have time to do as much heat training as I'd like, so I'll just have to go with what I've done and visualize a great race anyway.
In a little side note, I went to my Weight Watchers meeting this morning and they handed out a sheet on positive self-talk. I know I need to work on this in conjunction with my racewalking, so it was very apropos. Funny, I've seen that handout a million times and feel like I do pretty well on it as regards my eating, but I know that I've been weak on that with racewalking. So this week I'm going to visualize lots of speed, lots of stamina, and think positive as much as I can. I think it will be a challenge, but in the spirit of positive self-talk, I think I can do it. End side note :).
I was happy to be at Liberty Park again when I finished. There's a natural spring water fountain at the southeast corner, where I finished, and I liberally splashed the cool water all over and had a long drink. It felt great!!! Then I enjoyed some conversation with the Sarahs and Jessica before walking home. My legs were pretty trashed on the uphill home.
Garmin workout data.
This was my last really hard workout before my races next weekend; I do have 3x800m on Tuesday, but that's such a short workout that it barely counts. I'm glad to be done with the hard work. Now I'm ready to race (positive self-talk)!!!
Friday, July 16, 2010
a little cross-training
I biked to the gym this morning, lifted weights, then showered & biked up to work. Short & sweet workout. For the weights, I did: one-legged squats with 20lb/cable crossovers (chest); row/hamstring curls; lateral raises/calf raises; bicep curls/tricep extensions. Then Lisa and I did a tough ab set. That's it!
I'm feeling a bit tired today. Maybe I didn't sleep well; had an odd dream (very odd!!!) and then woke up and had to use the bathroom. I did manage to go back to sleep just fine, and I was asleep for about 8 hours, but I don't feel well-rested. I guess I'll have to go to bed earlier tonight if I can.
I'm feeling a bit tired today. Maybe I didn't sleep well; had an odd dream (very odd!!!) and then woke up and had to use the bathroom. I did manage to go back to sleep just fine, and I was asleep for about 8 hours, but I don't feel well-rested. I guess I'll have to go to bed earlier tonight if I can.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
5K
Today's workout was very easy - just a 5K! My legs felt a little tired from yesterday's track workout (not sure why, since it was short), so this was welcome. I brought Copper, my dog, because I figured she could keep up with me for 5K. She did, but just barely; she was dragging at the end. I guess she's out of shape from not walking with me much recently. And besides, she's 9 years old and has cancer, so I suppose she's doing pretty well in the scheme of things.
I did the 5K in 31:24 for 6:17/km; ave HR 143. Pretty easy to go a little faster on a short workout.
I did the 5K in 31:24 for 6:17/km; ave HR 143. Pretty easy to go a little faster on a short workout.
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