small (I hope) setback

I overdid that spinning class. A lot.

Thursday I went to the track, hoping I could do my workout. Ummmm, no. Just no. I tried to warm up, but my legs were really heavy and my right anterior tibialis was giving me fits (very sore). I did 2km, the first in a very slow 7:13, and the second in about 6:45. Everything felt lousy, so I stopped (wisely), and I took Kelly out for coffee since she had met me at the track at 6:05 am, and it was dark and chilly (low 40s F; maybe 5-6C?).

Today I *should* have cross-trained, but I was so very, very tired, and just couldn't get up early enough to make it work. It's Halloween and I had to get the kids' costumes all fixed up for school, and then I was meeting my dad for breakfast at 7:30am. That left very little time to work out unless I could manage to go from 5:30-6:30am, and though I set my alarm for 5:20am, I wasn't successful in getting out of bed :(. I think it is OK, but I am a bit frustrated/irritated/annoyed with myself. I think it's probably for the best as I am tired and my legs definitely have had some of the weird soreness going on with prolonged sitting today (for example, while eating breakfast with my dad). I generally don't have to sit much at work, so that was fine, but all the same, I'm a bit concerned.

Tomorrow I think I will try to walk and see how I feel. I will play it by ear, and go as far as I am comfortable up to 12K, which is my assigned distance.

Spinning

Whew. Today's spin workout was tough. Jen is a good instructor who knows how to get the most out of a class. Seriously, I don't think I've had my HR this high spinning in a long time (on one of the intervals it was about 165 for a few minutes). Usually in spinning my perceived exertion is much higher for the same HR as it is for racewalking, oddly. But today it felt more similar, or even like I wasn't working THAT hard, but my HR was a lot higher than I thought. That hardly ever happens while spinning. I usually think my HR must be super high, and then I look and it's not. Whatever.... just odd...

On the down side, after the workout I felt pretty tired, and I'm also a bit lightheaded/dizzy. And my right anterior tibialis muscle is giving me grief. Maybe I pushed it too hard?

Garmin data here. 

tired 8K

My legs felt decent this morning before my walk, but they were definitely tired, and I wore out pretty quickly during the walk. I was to do 8K plus 5x200m, and let's just say that 1) I woke up a bit late, and didn't have time for the 200s, AND 2) it's probably better that I didn't do them because my legs were feeling this workout later today. I had a slight bit of soreness upon sitting today, and driving just a little bit made it a bit worse. Nothing serious or anything to worry about, but I definitely am not recovering as well as I would have liked from the race.

So, this morning's walk was 8K in 51:39 for 6:27/km. Not very impressive. Glad that coach changed it as originally he was thinking to have me do 5x1km intervals! Eeek!

Garmin data here.

Edited to add: oh, and it was cold and dark :(. It almost froze this morning; my iPhone said 34F but Garmin says 36F (2.2C). Not unseasonably cold, but I'm just really NOT ready for winter. Ugh.

race weekend

I went to Sacramento to race this weekend... in brief:

Saturday: 20 min with strides. Felt a bit sluggish and awkward to start but warmed up well and did 5:59/km for the 20 min with four strides; I did 3.35km. Legs felt good afterwards. Walked around the Davis farmer's market with my brother and his family and Grace (who came with me, but didn't end up doing the race).

Sunday: Race day! I was about 40 min from the park where the race was, so Grace and I left Davis about 6:25am, and arrived just after 7am at William Pond park. This was a USATF Pacific Association 20K race with a concurrent 5K, so the 20K was the main event. I will do the 20K next time, I hope :).

I warmed up for just 1km; I was a bit nervous about my legs holding up. Turns out I needn't have worried, but better safe than sorry as long as I was warmed up. I did strides after that in the parking lot near the finish line. I felt good but wasn't sure of myself at all. I talked with my friend Alex Price, and he said that he, Mark Green, and Adrian Zamudio all planned on going out at 29 min 5K pace for their 20K, with a goal of a 1:56 finish. Perfect! I could just go with them and have help with pacing. Turns out I didn't need it too much; I stuck with Adrian for about 4K then he pulled ahead. Mark and Alex were just behind me but because I felt good and was a little under 29 min pace, I didn't worry about that. There was a cone marking the 500m mark on this 1km out-and-back course, so it was super easy to get my splits.

Turns out I paced things pretty well with the guys - here are my splits: 5:43, 5:44, 5:46, 5:50, 5:47. That's pretty darn good. Seriously, I felt really good for the whole race (maybe it was the sea level altitude?); on the 4th km I eased back just a touch to make sure I had enough, but probably didn't need to - it was nerves? I dunno, but I am super happy with the outcome. Yeah, not nearly as fast as I used to be, but that will come back with time and training and losing a bit of weight, IF I continue to feel good. That's a big IF, but I'm hoping and hoping it will be true.

Photos: me with Grace, me with Robyn Stevens (winner of 20K in 1:46:xx), me with my award.

Edited to add: race temps were chilly at 48F (8.9C) but it was just perfect, actually! I warmed up with gloves on but ditched them and was perfectly comfortable in short sleeved shirt and shorts, with the sun warming us gently.

Garmin data here for race. 




Today: recovery day - 20 min elliptical, bike to work (it was cold! my toes got chilly! I think it was about 41 this morning (5C)).

x-train; easy 5K

Yesterday: spinning class. I worked it hard, as we did some good hill climbing. I was feeling that a bit in my glutes this morning!

Today: 5K easy. Nice! I took the dog out and just went and got it done. It was about 45F, clear, and calm, but still dark when I went out. Still a nice morning, and aside from a little soreness from the spinning I felt fine, and have continued to feel good this morning at work. Total time was 31:06 for 6:12/km with ave HR 149 (though it was probably a bit less as my HR monitor spiked for the first km or so).

Garmin data here. 

5K race Saturday morning in Sacramento :)! I'm bringing Grace with me and visiting my brother's family in Davis, CA, but Calvin and Loren are staying home and holding down the fort, and doing lots of guy stuff (i.e. watching the World Series, and rooting for the Giants all the way!).

elliptical; 4x1km

Tuesday: elliptical 40 min. Planned to bike to work after that but 1) weather looked iffy (and I'm a fair-weather cyclist!), and 2) legs felt a little tired, so I decided to take the bus.

Wednesday: 4x1km with #2 and #4 @ 85%. Met Kelly at the track at 6:15am; it was pitch dark and 41F (5C), with a little breeze that felt pretty cold every time we came around the first 100m. Sigh...summer is definitely gone and winter is on the way. I asked Kelly, "Why are we here???" because I really wanted to be in bed reading a book all curled up. She said she'd rather be taking a hot shower. We laughed, and started warming up (she was just running while I RW, and not doing intervals, just trying to build her strength). I did a rather sluggish warm-up, but my legs felt OK; just the usual 1600m with 2x100m strides.

The workout: the first km felt not-so-great; I was tired and sluggish. I only managed a 5:45. I felt much smoother on the second one @85%, which was slower at 5:52. The third one felt better than the first one, and I did 5:43. The last one I managed another 5:52. OK, but certainly nothing to write home about.

The good news is that I felt better after working out and getting a cup of coffee :), and had a much better attitude. That counts for something. Also, my legs felt pretty decent the rest of the day and I feel like I could RW tomorrow. I'm not going to, as I have a 5K race on Sunday that I do care about, so I'm going to spin tomorrow and then do 5-6km easy on Friday and a little short workout on Saturday. That's the plan, anyway.

Garmin data here. 

rest day; 8K + 5x200

Sunday: rest day; took my mom to the opera for her birthday!

***

Today: woke up a little late, and was feeling tired and sluggish and a bit gloomy. I knew that I really needed to racewalk to shake off the blues. My legs felt good and I was sure that they would do well, so there wasn't too much anxiety, and besides, the weather was lovely. It was 50F (10C) and clear and calm; we've had perfect fall weather for a lot of October and I'm just soaking it in.

My workout was 8K plus 5x200m, and I took the dog and got out there. Even though I left pretty late (7:05? 7:10?) it was still dark and I had to wear my headlamp and reflective vest. Grrrr. So annoying that Daylight Savings is still going as it makes it darker in the morning for racewalking. I had a good walk anyway; 50:38 for the 8K for 6:20/km with ave HR 146, and best of all, my legs felt good and strong. Garmin data here. 

I actually succeeded in getting the dog to do the 200s with me today :). I did them in 1:02-3ish each for a total of 5:14 for the five 200s. Garmin data here. 

Tomorrow: plan to spin with Kelly.

10K

Yup, I did 10K today after my track workout yesterday. And I feel OK! Yes, my legs were a bit sore, but they didn't crap out on me, and I made it feeling fine. I wasn't fast but wasn't exactly slow, either.

Glorious morning here with clear skies, no wind, and temps in upper 40s (46F, 7.8C). Very nice out. I did two 5K out and back segments from Kelly's apartment complex, so that I could do 10K and she could do 5K with me for the second part. That worked out really well, and we found a good way to get to the Jordan River Parkway from her new place. Awesome.

I brought the dog for a little exercise, and I'm sure she enjoyed it as much as I did. Though my legs were a bit tired and I wouldn't have wanted to do a lot more, 10K was just perfect for a morning tune-up. I'm glad the past couple weeks are behind me. Hopefully I can get some rest this weekend and be ready to train harder next week.

Total time: 1:04:23 for 6:26/km with ave HR 145. Happy with that for a nice easy day.

Garmin data here.

Hanging in there. Miscellaneous + 5x800/200.

Tuesday: elliptical for 25 min. I was feeling better but not great yet.

Wednesday: family morning meltdown - was supposed to do a track workout, but Loren had a 7am meeting and I had forgotten, so I didn't get up early enough to do it before he left for work. Arrrrgh. Could NOT find time to do later in the day, and besides, it was 40kph (25mph) winds. I could have done it at the indoor track, but there really was no other time that day. Sad. But I think mentally I wasn't up for it either. :(

Thursday: should have gone to the track to make up the Wed workout, but decided I couldn't mentally handle it. Kelly was going spinning at 6am for an hour, so I met her there and did the spinning class, which actually was 1) quite fun, and 2) helpful from the mental standpoint. Exercise but no pressure. I think right now I feel like racewalking is pressure, and I'm not sure why. At least the track workout part. I am trying to reframe this because I need to look at it differently. This might take time and some thought? Or I'm just overthinking it? Anyone else feel this way about their hard workouts? Thoughts? Input?

Friday: Finally made it to the track. I did the workout that was assigned for today, which was a warm-up plus 5x800/200, with 2' rest between sets and 30 sec between the 800m and 200m. I like this workout. I usually can get excited about it. Today I was just not interested at all. I woke up not caring at all whether I racewalked or not. I didn't care about racewalking. I had no interest. I made myself not overthink things and went to the track anyway. After my warm-up, I felt better and decided I did want to racewalk; well, mostly. It was a beautiful morning at the track, and I got there late because the kids are off school so there was no hurry to get back home (my parents had them overnight! YES!). I saw the sun rise as I was warming up, and the temperature was lovely - 45F (7C) with no wind, and clear. I was thankful for the good conditions because I needed every encouragement to continue.

I did the workout well until the last one, and I got tired. I confess I pushed hard on all of them except the last one, which was perhaps 90-95% of a usual hard effort on the 800m, but 100% effort on the 200m. I was just tired.

Times: 4:31, 1:00, 4:34, 1:00, 4:36, 1:01, 4:38, 1:01, 4:42, 1:01. HR was maxing at low 170s, which seemed normal.

Garmin data here for 5x800/200.

Afterward - some soreness, but seems commensurate with the activity and not too "off" or weird. I think.

Edited to add: It has occurred to me that perhaps I'm a little depressed, which would explain my lack of desire to racewalk right now, and lack of interest. I am going to try some depression self-care: good sleep hygiene, better diet, and plenty of regular exercise. That should help.

6K

Yesterday: rest day. I didn't feel well at all. Very tired and had some of the weird soreness while sitting at the piano at church. I think it's stress-induced?

Today: Coach had 8K plus 5x200@85% on the menu. I went out and 6K is what my body would do, and it felt OK but not great. I was pretty slow but decided not to push it at all. 6:34/km for 39:29 with ave HR 149 is what happened. I wish I could have done more, but I know it wasn't smart to continue, so I didn't. I am feeling a bit dizzy/vertigo - sort of that light-headedness that I've had with the fatigue in the past. Since my cruise I've felt this on and off, so part of it may be from the ship motion, but I think it's mostly that I'm a bit "off" again. I wouldn't call this a relapse, but I'm not 100%. At least I can still racewalk, and for that I'm grateful. It was beautiful this morning - only 6.1C (43F) but crisp and clear and no wind. Gorgeous fall colors, once the sun came up a bit (it's coming up much later, so now a lot of my walks are in the dark again...sigh...).

Garmin data here. 

recovering

I'm recovering from my illness, but also from a very challenging week; maybe one of the hardest I've had in a long time. Long story, and the details aren't relevant to the workout. Let's just say it's been very difficult, but that things are looking hopeful at the moment. Maybe.

After Monday's workout, I wasn't able to do anything until Thursday. Tuesday and Wednesday I was very ill and just muddled through my day each day. Thursday morning I managed to do 20 min elliptical and ride my bike to work, and I felt physically decent, but mentally wiped due to all the stuff going on. Friday I had to go to the kids' classes to present my annual zebrafish lesson to them, and the schedule of the day totally overwhelmed me and I really could not find any time to work out - a rarity, since I prioritize my workouts above just about everything else, knowing that I need them for my sanity. But with recovering from being sick, and with everything going on, it was better to take another day off I think.

Today my coach really wanted me to get off my rear end and do something. He said it would make me feel better, and it did, sort of. It takes a lot of energy for a track workout, and I had a lot to do today, so it did leave me a bit depleted for the other things, but in retrospect, that worked out OK. A good friend from church helped me clean my house today and made dinner for us, and I really really appreciated that given the week we've had.

Anyway, back to the workout. I didn't go to the track until 10:30am, because I was too lazy this morning. I wasn't sure I was even going to do it. I drove over there but figured if anything didn't feel right that I could just go to the gym and do the elliptical. It was warm at 10:30 but not hot; low 60s (about 17C) with the sun shining pretty fiercely. I did get a bit toasty during the workout, but I don't think it affected me too much.

I had a 3K fartlek plus 4x500m intervals. I decided in advance I'd rest 2 min after the fartlek and then do 2 min rest between each 500 as well. Perhaps I should have rested 3 min after the fartlek, as my first 500 was particularly painful, but after that I settled in and the other 3 were OK. I did have to really talk myself into that 2nd 500, but then it went better and the 3rd and 4th were fine as well. I kept telling myself I could quit at any time if I needed to, and I would have if the second 500 wasn't better; since it was, I kept going.

The 3K fartlek went fine, though my heart rate was pretty high throughout. Not sure why, as I wasn't fast - 2:46.2, 2:50.8 (both fast), 3:05.4 (medium), 2:53.1 (fast), 3:10.0 (medium), 2:54.7 (fast). Total 17:40 for the fartlek. Then 2 min rest, then 2:54.7, 2:52.0, 2:50.8, 2:50.7 for my four 500s, with 2' rest between each. HR was a bit lower on each of those as you'd expect.

Afterwards I felt OK; still mentally and emotionally a bit drained, but my body was OK. My legs had a little post-workout soreness/stiffness for the rest of the day, but it wasn't severe. Just noticeable. I will probably still try and cross-train tomorrow if I can.

Garmin data here.

sick again

I have another virus. It's making me very tired. Not as tired as the last one...yet...but very tired. Pretty sure it's a virus, as I have a stuffy nose, and Calvin has had a fever, cough, congestion. Probably got it from him; the kids are little viral incubators, especially when they go back to school and pass things around.

I'm so tired.

Took rest days yesterday and today. So much for training :(. Frustrated that every time I get going again something happens, but y'know, that's life, right?

8K plus 5x200m

Sunday: rest day. Busy, but no exercise. Calvin was ill with a fever Saturday night and Sunday; also had a sore throat. I am hoping I don't get sick AGAIN.

Monday: 8K plus 5x200m. I was really tired from my extremely busy weekend (Calvin's birthday party, work, etc. etc. etc.) and could NOT get up this morning; in addition, I had to be at work early (8 am - usually I don't go in until 9 am). I hate not working out in the morning, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do - so I went to work, and after work changed into workout clothes and brought Grace to the track with me. She is learning to racewalk, a bit under protest, but she does want to do it. It's like playing the piano - both kids want to do it, but neither wants to actually practice. She says she wants to RW, but then doesn't want to go to the track. Today I brought her. She did 3000m in bits and pieces (but at least she did it), slowly, and with questionable legality at points. However, I will say that when she was TRYING to be legal she looked reasonably good. She needs to improve some more but she is on the right track. It was fun to have her there, mostly (except when she whined excessively!).

It was very warm at the track. I'm always happy for a nice warm day in October, but 22.8C (73F) with the sun baking me was uncomfortably hot. My heart rate got pretty high and in the mix was some dizziness which I'd been experiencing all day. Maybe I should have stopped at 6K, but I was able to go pretty fast and keep pace, so I figured it was OK. In retrospect, maybe not? I finished the 8K in 49:56 for 6:14/km with ave HR 154 (but much of the last 4K it was over 160 ... not good). I debated whether I should do the 200s, but decided it wasn't THAT hard, so I should just do it. Again, maybe not the right choice? My legs felt a bit wooden and stumpy after the 8K, and it felt so awkward trying to make them move fast. I mean, it feels awkward to do intervals after an easy pace workout, but this felt *exceptionally* awkward, like maybe something wasn't quite right. I did them in about 1:02-1:04 for a total of 5:15 for the five 200s. That seemed fast given how lousy it felt.

Afterward I had to make dinner for the family, cookies for the neighbors (they complained about our dog barking, and they are new neighbors, so trying to make amends and keep relationships good), and do up all the dishes. I'm feeling super trashed now. Legs are really, really tired. My nose is running, I still feel kind of dizzy, and tired. Yeah, really tired. I am worried I'm getting sick again. Maybe I just need some sleep?

Garmin data here: 8K
Garmin data here: 200s

12K

In brief: 45F (7.2C) and so beautiful. Clear and crisp fall morning, no wind. Just lovely out! I felt good through 8-9km, and then my legs got heavy and a bit tired for the last 3-4km. I screwed up my watch at 10km and had it on while I stopped for water, so the watch time is not right. But I was at 1:03:03 at 10km and did about 6:30/km on the last 2km slight uphill, so approximate time was 1:16 for the 12km, which is 6:20/km, and my ave HR was about 145, which is great! I'm happy with this!

The dog enjoyed her walk, too :) - here's a photo with some fall color for you.

Garmin data here. 

cross-training; 4x1km

Yesterday: 30 min elliptical; 15 min stationary bike; 10 min core strength (planks included); then bike to work! Felt good but was glad for a x-train day.

Today: At track at 6 am to meet Kelly, and it was only 46F (7.8C) but no wind and was actually pretty nice. Warmed up 1600m plus strides then did 4x1km. I was not feeling that great on the first one (legs a bit tired? tight? something?) but did pretty well, and was nervous to do 2nd one, but Kelly cheered me on! Then I started feeling a bit better on the other three and was able to keep my speed. I wasn't fast, but wasn't slow either. I'll take it. I was consistent, and Kelly said my form looked the best she's ever seen it. That made me feel good because I've been working hard on it.

Legs are feeling a bit sore now in the glutes, maybe some weird soreness??? But I feel pretty energetic and OK otherwise. I am a bit nervous about 12km tomorrow. I have a feeling that will be really hard, but hopefully my body is up for it.

Here are my times for the 1kms, with 3' rest in between.

2:49.3

2:51.2 = 5:40.5

2:48.0

2:50.5 = 5:38.5

2:48.9

2:49.0 = 5:37.9

2:49.1

2:48.8 = 5:37.9

this week so far

Monday: Workout was 8K plus 5x200m intervals. What I actually did: 6K. I started off and my legs were just not feeling fresh and ready to go. In fact, they felt tired. I had a bit of soreness on Sunday after the 8K Saturday; not sure if that was from the 8K or from the carpet cleaning I did for a couple hours on Saturday helping a friend who was moving. It was quite vigorous cleaning involving stairs, hauling around a heavy cleaner, running up and down stairs with lots of water, etc. I don't know if it caused the soreness, or if I was just tired, but I was. My 6K was slow, and I actually listened to my body and tried not to push too hard, which is one thing I've learned from what I've been going through in the past year and a half. Time was 39:31 for 6:35/km with ave HR 142. Garmin data here.  Oh, and fall weather is definitely here. The air was crisp but it felt good at 52F (11C). The days are clearly shorter and it's getting light a lot later.

Tuesday: Cross training. I did 35 min elliptical, 10 min of core work with Kelly, and then rode my bike to work. Felt good to do the core work. I am a bit weak but not as bad as I thought I might be.

Today: 5K fartlek. I was short on time as I had a bit of trouble getting up (stayed up too late reading last night...sigh...I could use a little more down time!), and so I did only 1200m warm-up with strides. I felt pretty good, though. Definitely better than on Monday! The weather was quite nice at 48F (9C), and I wore capris and a long-sleeved shirt with light gloves, which I took off during the last couple km of the fartlek. The fartlek went pretty much exactly how it's been going all summer - OK, but not great. My legs felt decent, my wind felt decent, but yeah, not great. I just don't have very speedy 500m medium effort recoveries, and while we're at it, my 500m fast aren't that fast either. Time and more training should cure this eventually. I focused on just trying to be positive and happy that I could be out there training, and not judge myself for the results. That worked pretty well, mostly :). My time was 29:46, with ave HR 159; fast intervals 2:50.6-2:53.8 and medium effort 500s 3:06.8-3:09.9. Garmin data here. 

3K fartlek; 8K

Coach is keeping me busy now that I'm feeling better! 3 days of racewalking in a row. 8K Thursday, 3K fartlek Friday, 8K Saturday.

Friday's 3K fartlek went reasonably well; about how you'd expect on legs that were a little tired. I warmed up for only 1200m (running late for breakfast with my dad - very nice! photo at left), with legs that did feel slightly heavy but still responsive. The fartlek was satisfactory with 500s of 2:50, 2:51 (both fast), 3:10 (medium), and oh...I forgot...my intestines were most upset (long story but had a bit of an emotional eating episode on Thursday pm - something I don't usually do any more but...oops...) so that medium effort and the following 500s of 2:52 (fast), 3:11 (medium), and 2:53 (fast) were under extreme duress in terms of intestinal cramping. I probably would've been 10 sec faster if not for that. Oh well...live and learn. Total time 17:47 with ave HR 160, and the weather was warmish at 19C (66F).

Garmin data here. 

I had a little getaway Friday night at a cabin near Sundance Resort (beautiful! Stewart Falls at left!) with our interfaith church choir (our church + a Mormon singles ward). The men waited on the ladies and spoiled us, which was wonderful. Not so wonderful: the hills there. There was simply nowhere to racewalk, and I really looked. I dislike racewalking in the evening but with my schedule once I got back at 12:30pm, I had no way to walk any other time. I finally went out at about 5:30pm. Oh, and it was raining pretty hard. It wasn't cold, though, at 56F (13C), just wet; the last 2K the wind picked up and then it wasn't so nice. I took the dog, and when we got back the kids were like, "What's with the wet dog smell? Oh, mommy took Sugar racewalking!". My legs felt pretty tired, probably because I spent most of the afternoon cleaning carpets over at Kelly's place (she's moving), plus some residual from the 3K fartlek? My intestines were better than yesterday but still iffy. Anyway, total time was a slowish 51:08 for 6:23/km with high ave HR of 156. I guess I need a rest day. But I finished the workouts, and am not sick any more :).

Garmin data here. 

sick; x-train; 8K!

I have been very sick this past week. I started feeling bad last Thursday, and though I was hoping I'd feel better over the weekend, I didn't. After Saturday's 3K race, I was wiped. I slept a bunch later in the day and then my big activity was attending Calvin's soccer game. #71 is Calvin; not sure why he picked that number, but he did :).

Sunday morning I told Kelly I'd try to walk with her a bit. I did try...but it was pretty sad. I was only able to go 20 min with her and then pretty much crashed. I had committed to play the piano for church so made it through that and went to my Weight Watchers meeting (only up 1.4lb from the cruise; I had hoped not to gain but that's not too awful) and then crashed HARD. I slept 3 hr, woke, ate a small dinner (no appetite - weird for me, even when sick) and then back to bed. I had to go to work on Monday because two grad students in another lab had basically cleared their schedules to teach me how to inject Drosophila embryos (fruit fly; 35 embryos in a line to left of pencil eraser, below). I barely made it through the day, and I felt so terrible. Obviously I didn't even try to work out on Monday, or Tuesday either. 

Halfway through the day on Tuesday I actually started to feel better, for which I am enormously grateful. I was worried that maybe the mystery illness was back and was causing my problems, although I did know that it was likely to be just a virus, as I had a sore throat, congestion, runny nose, coughing, and fatigue, not just fatigue alone. Still, hard not to worry when you're coming off something like I have been. I truly appreciate days of good health much more. 

Wednesday I had the energy and desire to cross-train, so I did 25 min elliptical at the gym, reading the paper on my Kindle (my usual habit at the gym; subscribed to the paper on the Kindle a few months back and have really enjoyed that). I followed that up with cycling to work, and my legs felt really good and pretty fresh. The rest of me was still a bit tired, but I made it through the day well, happily. 

Today coach suggested 8K. I got up, grabbed the dog, and went out the door. After 2K I wasn't sure I'd do all right, since I was feeling a tiny bit weak/wobbly, but while I didn't have my usual strength, I felt passable. I really enjoyed being out in the perfect morning weather (about 66F; 19C), which won't be around much longer. It's supposed to get to 90F today - a little Indian summer before fall sets in, I suppose. Anyway, I was doing 6:15/km through 6km and then the last 2km uphill dropped my time to 6:19/km (ave HR 151; 50:36 for 8K). My legs feel good now (an hour later) and I am actually thinking to enjoy the weather a bit more and ride my bike in to work. I'm thankful for health and wholeness today!

Edited to add: Garmin data here for 8K. 

I'm back! Back from Alaska, that is :)

Hard to blog while on a cruise ship - no internet, and if you want internet you have to go to a shop on shore and get WiFi, which is sometimes free (if you're lucky), and then I also didn't bring my laptop, so couldn't upload Garmin data, etc. So...no blogging. Now I'll try and catch up. [Haha - wrote this 4 days ago or so, but my computer has been acting up horribly and couldn't post until I got a new one].

In a nutshell, vacation was great for my training. It all went quite well, and other than doing weight training and experiencing greater than usual amounts of soreness as a result, I had very little weird pain/soreness/whatever. I trained well most of the first week back, too...but then I got a virus of some sort and it is wiping me out. Sore throat, congestion, and SEVERE fatigue, along with dizziness. Yay. I'm still functioning, but at a very low level.

So, in summary, my workouts for the past couple weeks:

Thursday, 9/4: was to do 10K, but after 3 hr sleep on plane and maybe 3 in bed at hotel (got in late, luggage very late, etc.), I was not quite up to that. At 4km my legs were starting to protest so I turned around. In retrospect maybe I could have done 10K, but the 8km I did was good, so I'm happy with that. It was in Fairbanks, Alaska, and the temp was a chilly 31F (-1C); see photo at left. I was dressed for the weather so wasn't cold, but it was sure bracing! 8K in 51:14 for 6:24/km with ave HR 142.

Friday, 9/5: 45 min elliptical at the McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge; ave HR 137.

Saturday, 9/6: I am proud to say I got in an awesome 15K before the bus left at 8 am, plus got some great views of Denali as the sun was coming up. Amazing! Started at 5:30am and was limited for safety's sake to ~2km loop (a bit less than 2K) that was VERY hilly around our hotel. Felt safe but the hills were tough. Seriously, about 8 loops with 46m elevation change per loop was a lot of hills. Legs held up well - definitely sore a bit during and after, but not weird soreness. Just from hills. It was great training. Total time a fast 1:34:59 (6:20/km) with ave HR 148. Very proud of this walk.

Sunday 9/7: 1 hr elliptical/bike in gym on cruise ship.

Monday 9/8: 8K in 49:26 for 6:11/km with ave HR 147. I did this on the 100m track on the top deck of the ship. Yeah, I know 80 laps is a lot, but went 10 one way then 10 the other way, and was not bored at all because I was outside and the ship was moving so the views were incredible as we moved into Glacier Bay National Park! Then did 5x200m in a very fast 5:08 total (averaged about 1:02 per 200m, after my 8K!). Felt good afterward. Later that day I did weight training, which I hadn't done in a very long time. That gave me a lot of muscle soreness over the next few days, but it didn't hinder my RW as you'll see. It just made me sore, but in a good way :). I would have continued this when I got back, but it's been hard to ease into life and now I'm sick. Arrrgh.

Tuesday 9/9: 1 hr elliptical on cruise ship.

Wednesday 9/10: warm-up then 5K fartlek in Juneau, Alaska, on the road. This went terrific, despite my legs being very sore from the leg press, etc. I think my Garmin was off on a few of the recovery intervals, as some were pretty fast, and my time was very fast overall. I suspect it should be more like 29:00? Regardless, I had 28:35 for the fartlek - on my mom's watch, though, so I don't have a link to it. This was the first fartlek I've done in a while where I wasn't totally trashed at the end and thought maybe it might be possible to increase the distance on this workout.

Thursday 9/11: 10K on 100m track on the ship as we were pulling into the port of Ketchikan. My legs were still sore, but I surprised myself with a 1:02:06 with average HR 139! :) Super happy with this. Maybe the track was shorter than 100m? I don't think so, though - seems like all my times this week were pretty good, even on land, so I think this could very well be accurate.

Friday 9/12: 1 hr elliptical on cruise ship.

Saturday 9/13: 15K on 100m track on the ship as we were pulling into our last port, Vancouver (see beautiful scene at left!). My legs felt good and recovered and were strong all the way. I had maybe some very slight weird soreness the last 2k but it was very slight and not worrisome. Then sat on the plane all day and did just fine :). Did 1:32:57 for 6:12/km with ave HR 142.

Sunday 9/14: rest day! Back in Salt Lake City.

Monday 9/15: 8K plus 5x200m with Adriana and Kelly at Liberty Park. Felt very tired and sluggish. The return to high altitude, maybe? Did the 8K at a 6:26/km pace with ave HR 145. Felt bad for slowing Adriana down. Then did the 5x200m in a pretty decent 5:12 - was happy with that, after my legs were tired!

Tuesday 9/16:  cross-training - did elliptical at gym and biked to work.

Wednesday 9/17: starting to get a bit of a sore throat but felt OK so did warm-up then 5K fartlek at the track. Did well! Was really breathing hard and felt like it was hard to catch my breath; lungs working harder than legs. Darn altitude! But did well with 29:39 for the fartlek with ave HR 161. It was a warm morning too - 70F (21C) and rather humid for here.

Thursday 9/18: cross-training - elliptical, then biked to work. Felt sick. Nasty sore throat, fatigued.

Friday 9/19: Supposed to do 4x1km. Too sick. Warmed up in 10:36 for 1600m (slow) then did another 1600m easy in 10:24 before calling it quits because my legs felt heavy with some weird soreness starting at about 2km. I hope everything is OK but think it's just the nasty head cold.

Today, Saturday 9/20: Taking a rest day. Was supposed to do 12K but still feel sick. Managed to judge my first race, a USATF-Utah 3K (see photos at left and right), and that was fun! Everyone was nice and legal except my daughter (green hat) in her first race - she had a bit of a soft knee and I did give her a warning (it was just a bit soft, not egregious).
However, afterward I was so tired and now am crashing in bed for the duration of the day until Calvin's soccer game this pm. Hoping I will feel better tomorrow and can do 12K. If not, I won't, but I am hoping! Weather is so lovely - fall here is awesome and I don't want to miss a chance to get out for a walk.

cross-training, 5k fartlek

Yesterday: elliptical then bike to work and back. My legs were sore (normal delayed onset muscle soreness) from Monday's 5x200m.

Today: it was warm outside this morning at 24C (75F). Legs still a bit sore but not too bad. I warmed up carefully, starting off a bit slowly. I did my usual 1600m with 2x100m strides, finishing in 10:12. I felt ok but not great, which was how the rest of the workout went. Hissing surprising, because I was up way too late finishing redecorating Calvin's room (started doing it this weekend because I had a 3-day weekend but of course couldn't finish on the weekend). I was tired and a bit stressed this morning about how I'd get everything done. Anyway, the fartlek went about how you'd expect. I did a total of 29:58 with my fast 500s 2:51-2:56 and my medium 500s 3:05-3:11. I was happy to be under 30 min and really worked the last 500 hard to get it - the last 500 was the fastest. I was working very hard today with average HR 163.

I'm getting a bit slower on this workout each week...but I know that should change when I can increase mileage and do speed work. Meanwhile I have to be patient. Coach wants me to start doing longer fartleks very soon and I'm not sure I'm ready. Today felt really hard. I guess I could do a longer one but it'd be a lot slower...well, one has to start somewhere.

Garmin data here.