ARRRHHH head cold!!!!

I dont believe it!!!!

I have been SO careful.  If someone was sick that was nearby I would move away or leave the room.  Paranoid was not the word..  I was so freaked out about getting hurt or sick that I guess it was inevitable that it would happen.

Sure enough - my first was the fall at work and landing on my butt and the second was waking up this morning.....sneezing and then going rapidly down hill from that. With in a couple of hours my nose was a tap and my head was throbbing and I ached all over.

How the hell did I catch this???  GRRRRRR  there was NO way I was doing a 20km today.....some people still walk when they are sick....(I am one of those people) but this time I am more freaked out about becoming sicker.

So here I sit........water bottle to one side of me and a large container of Vit C and Echinacea tablets to the other!!  I have to feel better soon!!!  I have a tough track session on Friday and I really cant go missing that!!!

sorry to whinge and whine................but I feel miserable!!!!!

oh harden up Nyle!!!!

800, 200 x 6 at the track

This is a new track session for me.

I was to do 800m then pause for 30 sec and continue for 200m then recover for 2mins.

I was meeting Sharon again at the track and it was nice to have some one else out there. It gives me someone to pass and some one to chase. Plus Sharon is a racewalk judge and so its nice to have someone out on the track that would quickly pull me up if she felt I was doing something wrong. So it was super nice to hear her saying how good I was looking and how I was making it look effortless.

I struggled with these today. My breathing was really heavy and I am not used of gasping like I used to do. But looking back at my splits I was pushing pretty hard.

4:09 + :56 = 5:05

4:00 + :56 = 4:56

4:01 + :58 = 4:59

4:02 + :57 = 4:56

4:05 + :55 = 5:00

4:03 + :54 = 4:57

800, 200 x 6 at the track

10km Swan Trophy

Today was the club race Swan Trophy. I have no idea why it has this name. This is an undulating course with a slight up hill rise for the first 5km and a slight down hill for the last 5km. Its a basic out and back course.

In the past I have done it in ......1:13 then 1:10 then 1:03 then after Sydney Masters Games 58:28 and last year 1:00:01

I was really pleased my coach had said to "race" this one. So not really knowing what I would do for 10km I looked up the past few years to find what the record time was for this course. It was set last year by Wendy Healey at 57:14.....so that became my goal. Get 57:00 flat and I would be happy with that. I have had a painfull hamstring for the last 3 days. I got a bad cramp in it and its been tender ever since. So I was worried that this race may give me an injury from it. But my coach assured me that it was just a spasm and that use is the best recovery. But that if it really "hurts" then dont do the race or stop and pull out.

I drove out to the Maitai Valley and met up with everyone....I love these races as its like a family gathering. It was chilly but I opted to keep my shorts on and just wear my sponsor long sleeve marino.......(I could have easily taken it off but needed to over heat a little) When we lined up I noted that Nerilie had just arrived on her bike ... she is an AMAZING walker and pretty much my masters idol for Nelson. I have never raced her and it will be her records that I have as my aim in the next age group. But she was doing the 5km today and so I noted she had strolled up the road a little and I hoped she was going to 'judge" the start. We are off and I went out like a jack rabbit......pulled my self in check and quickly settled into my rhythm. The first km is not so tough..up and over a small bride and then down into the curves as the road winds around the river. Then at the 3km mark it starts to gently climb. I wanted to get to the 5km turn cone in about 28mins and I got there in 27:42......ok a quick try to do math......nope brain was mush......but I had to come back just as quick as up...so I figured perhaps 55 or 56.....hmmm yep I could live with that.

I pushed hard as I turned to take advantage of the down hill... passing the other walkers and then coming up against the on coming runners (they started 15mins after us) there were lots of encouragement called out and well dones, keep it up.... and that all helps.

I found it pretty lonely today....I am not used to being this far out in the lead......I couldnt see anyone behind me but I knew the 2.5 cone was coming up so I might have a few of the 5km walkers to pick off. Sure enough.....as I went past the cone I could see two walkers ahead.

I was breathing hard....and had been pretty much the whole walk....which is something new to me. Up until now I have held back in my walks training to a heart rate etc...and I have found it fairly easy...today was NOT easy. It was not hard but I knew I was pushing myself. The interesting thing I have found looking at my data is the diff between my max heart rate and my avg. My max was 167 and my avg was 161...this shows me that I was keeping my self up in the high end of my fitness and was still consistent in my pace and exertion too.

As I came over the bridge for my last km, I checked my watch......then checked it again.....I quickly added 6mins (worst case senario) ... wow 55mins:??? secs....holy cow....I was going to get the record and a new personal best. So I dug deep and as I came over the bridge and saw the finish cones were only 500m away .... and I know how fast I can do 500m in my track training...i went for it. Really pushed myself. I crossed the line and stopped my watch and then looked down....................OMFG!!!! I asked the people who were taking the times to tell me what they had for me as I thought there had been a mistake...............nope NO mistake. 54:43 was the time I had done. So that is a course record (t0 my knowledge) and a personal best for me.

and the best news.......Nerilie coming and telling me that she couldnt fault my technique and that I looked strong and very fast. The only thing I did wrong.....was 2 strides out from the finish line.....I broke style as I hit my stop button..... so she just said to me to make sure I focus on at least another metre before I finsih a race.

data attached with my km splits. I have VERY happy with these and with this race. I am so ready for Sacramento................BRING IT ON!!!

10km Swan Troph

15 km out and back - monaco

Oh how I enjoyed todays walk!.......no rain, sun shine and about 8 degs. But today it all just came together. I felt great!!

My only niggle was a small knot in the centre of my right hamstring.....its been there for about a week now. I feel it more when I walk normally and as I bend to sit or stand. So I was watchful of it today too.

Today was a recovery walk and meant to be an easy pace as I have a 10km race tomorrow. So I headed out from home and just ticked along....went down Beatsons and out along the walkway. Still just ticking along but feeling very smooth and strong. I was not breathing hard and could have easily talked to some one for most of the walk....so I was super surpised to reach 5km in 29:27 and then 10km in 58:45

hmmm time to take check of what I am doing. Again I go mentally over what I am doing. Knees locked - check, head smooth (by shadow) and not bobbing - check, butt tucked - check, rolling over feet - check, butt working - check...............well it all seemed in order. But it was just feeling so easy today. So I put it down to the yummy naughty breakfast brought to me when Shane got home from work at 7.30am.......McDonalds Hotcakes!!!! nom nom nom......

total time for the 15km was 1:29 with avg heart rate of 137

15 km out and back - monaco

10km treadmil

Its raining ... AGAIN!!!

I am so so sick of walking in the heavy rain where the walkways get totally flooded so that it is over my ankles for most of it. I was meant to do 15km but with a sore throat, sinus and a blocked ear...I decided that it was probably not the most ideal weather to be walking in. So I tried to contact my coach but with him out in the whop whop's in America I was unable to reach him. So decision was made. TREADMILL but for only 10km. Plus I put the air con on so that it warmed up the room to give me a feeling for some heat training.

I took it easy and set my pace to 10:00km and started out. I made sure that I concentrated hard on my style and tuck my hips in and made sure I used my glutes. The walk went really well. By 5km I was sweating LOTS and the warm air was getting harder for breathing.

I have decided to find a sauna to use next week.....maybe two or three time. I was planning on doing some star jumps or jogging on the spot while in. I dont breath well in sauna's and with our races being moved now to some of the hottest times of the day I now need to adjust and fast.

10km treadmil

10km with 2 x racepace

I had sports clinic today....things are working well and progressing nicely.

After that I came home, got changed and headed out the door for my 10km. I was to do 2 x 6min race pace bursts. So I picked kms 4 & 5 & 6 for those. But.............always a BUT..............I was feeling awesome and was having trouble pulling my pace back...once I got started I was just feeling great and got into my zone and away I went. My heart rate shows that I was not pushing hard (avg 144)

Today I showed Deb that I was really dipping well on my left side. So I am sure that mastering the dip and working my glutes has really brought on the new found speed.

So today ended up being my fastest 10km time for Beatson Road by 1min 11secs - total time 58:28

10km with 2 x racepace

3, 2, 1, 4 x 500m track

I really dont like these workouts.....but funny enough when its done I feel great!! go figure.

it was perfect weather today, not too sunny with cloud. So it was about 13 degs today and after my 3km I ended up stripping my long sleeve top off. I actually cant believe that its mid June and I am training in short sleeves and shorts......

Today was my fastest 3km on the track and I felt great. This continued for the whole work out .... only trouble was me hitting stop instead of lap so even though I actually did do 4 x 500m only 3 have been recorded.

I felt like I was getting faster and faster and a couple of times took stock of my self as it was feeling effortless and I was worried I was breaking style...but then I realised that for the first time I was actually rolling off my feet and using my glutes. What a HUGE difference.

So here are my splits

3Km

5:14

5:14

5:14 - 15:38

2km

5:13

5:16 - 10:29

1km

5:17 - 5:17

500m

2:32

2:30

2:29

2:27 -

Total time for 8km = 41:22

3, 2, 1, 4 x 500m track

20km out and back monaco - RAIN

Wouldnt ya know it........its RAINING!!! and not just light rain...its pouring down. Yuck Yuck Yuck!!! (even a little foot stamp in there too)

I got up and dug out my jacket. First up I had to go for a blood test....it had to be a fasting one so no breakfast or morning coffee for me. I said to the nurse that I had to go out and do a 20km walk but her reply was ...not for at least another hour I hope. Hmmmm I had planned to go direct out from this.....but she said nope, you have to wait at least an hour.

Well ok then, lets hope the weather settles a little before I head out.

11.30am and its still pouring.............POX!! plus I had not eaten anything yet, so I grabbed a teaspoon of honey (it was the only sweet stuff I could think of) put my jacket on and a hat.......off I went.

The first km heading up the track was pretty slow....it takes me a couple of km's to get used to rain.....that awful cold drip as it snakes down under your jacket, your hands almost retract up your arms as they get cold and wet and the slow feeling of water creeping into your shoes. YUCK YUCK YUCK....comes to mind again. Anyhow....I settle into my pace at about 3km and spend most of my time listening to my music and trying hard not to think about the rain. The annoying thing when it rains is that the walkways get flooded really fast. So it didnt take long for huge puddles to form and they are deep so I couldnt walk in them.....so I tend to jog through them or jump from shallow spot to shallow spot.

As I passed the 7.5km mark it was sooo tempting to just throw the walk in and turn back to just do 15km......but.......I have not done 20km since slipping over and I only have 2 long walks left before I leave. So it has to be done. About now the rain actually lifted and stopped....arrhhh nice, but it was short lived as by 15km it set in again. By now I was soaked through even under the jacket. I think that jumping through all the puddles I may have landed funny as my right ankle was starting to hurt. So as it was only 3km to home and this is always pretty slow as its all up hill....I just took it easy.

total time for the walk was 2:02:10

Not a bad time for the conditions.

20km out and back monaco - RAIN

10km out and back monaco

Not much to report for this walk. I was to just do a gentle 10km recovery walk.

First up I had a Dr appointment so headed off to that. All is good and had a few little niggles checked over. My biggest concern is my left hand.....I suffered nerve damage from the brachial neuritis that I had 5 years ago...and it would appear that the damage has spread to more fingers in my left hand. Dr seems to to think the waitressing has aggravated it as that plates we carry are very heavy and cumbersome...plus I stack and carry on my left arm. I have lost alot of strength in that arm. I am hoping it will pass as I really dont want to experience pain like that EVER again.

So once back I headed out to do my walk. It was alittle more brisk today so again I wore my long leggings...took till 3km to warm up today....my feet felt like concrete blocks. lol

I took it nice and easy today and just cruised as I have 20km on the cards for tomorrow and its meant to be raining.....UGH!!! oh well.

so 10km was done in 1:02:17 nice and easy.

10km out and back monaco

10km out and back monaco

Not much to report for this walk. I was to just do a gentle 10km recovery walk.

First up I had a Dr appointment so headed off to that. All is good and had a few little niggles checked over. My biggest concern is my left hand.....I suffered nerve damage from the brachial neuritis that I had 5 years ago...and it would appear that the damage has spread to more fingers in my left hand. Dr seems to to think the waitressing has aggravated it as that plates we carry are very heavy and cumbersome...plus I stack and carry on my left arm. I have lost alot of strength in that arm. I am hoping it will pass as I really dont want to experience pain like that EVER again.

So once back I headed out to do my walk. It was alittle more brisk today so again I wore my long leggings...took till 3km to warm up today....my feet felt like concrete blocks. lol

I took it nice and easy today and just cruised as I have 20km on the cards for tomorrow and its meant to be raining.....UGH!!! oh well.

so 10km was done in 1:02:17 nice and easy.

10km out and back monaco

10km kick down - monaco

I took a rest day yesterday. That was a little naughty as I was meant to do 15km.....but.......I had woken up with a sore throat and a runny nose that didnt get much better during the day. It didnt get any worse either, which is good. I also got rung in for an early start to my night job which was not going to leave me much time for a walk. So I figured that seeing as I was already tired and not feeling the best....it would be better for me to take a rest day. I am really pleased that I did as I didnt get home until 11pm from work and I was totally shattered by then.

So today I decided I would give the kick down a try. I really dont like these walks. I just cant get my kicks right...I am either starting way too slow and finishing way too fast....or I am all over the show. I was trying to figure out what my splits should be today. I decided to try for 6:00, 5:55, 5:50, 5:45......but i forgot to take my watch off auto lap so it has ready each km....makes it hard to work out my km splits.

I am now trying to wear more layers...not only because it is getting a little cooler here but so that when I warm up ... I over heat!....as in Sacramento it is going to be around 30 degs most days....and especially for my first race. Today it was only 5degs when I started out but it didnt take long til the sun came out and it warmed up nicely and sure enough...I got hot. First thing I noticed was I didnt feel good today.....I didnt feel right. I had a niggling tummy pain that I couldnt shake or figure out what it was. The further I walked the more it annoyed me. My first km was a little to quick and my second one a little too slow...sighs.....but I carried on. I got the hang of the pace and ticked along in my grove....getting a few toots and waves. By the time I came to the last 2km my tummy was hurting....I had narrowed it down to be my bladder.............and wondered if I might be getting a bladder infection???? so as soon as I got home I made an appointment to go see the dr. So I will get my bloods checked too and check my iron etc.

Any how......I pushed hard for my last two km and just tried to ignore the pain in my tummy.......I managed to pick up the pace and got a good drop for my last kick. From what I can work out here are my kicks.

2.5km - 14:52 avg per km = 5:57

5km - 29:31 avg per km = 5:52

7.5km - 44:11 avg per km = 5:52

10km - 58:31 avg per km = 5:44

Total time for 10km kick down was 58:31 which is my fastest 10km kickdown.

10km kick down - monaco

Nelson Mail Article

I was very lucky to have had the best sports reporter write my story.  It took pretty much the whole page!!!

I have had awesome feed back from this story and a lot more tooting!!  which is wonderful.

Here are the photos that were in the article and then a copy of the article as per the Stuff.co.nz site.

photos as per Colin Smith / Nelson mail

As per Wayne Martin Nelson Mail June 13th 2011

Nyle Sunderland recalls giggling the first time she saw race walkers on the television screen.

Still a kid back then, she was at home watching Olympic Games coverage with her parents many years ago and remembers being amused by the wiggling walkers, never for one moment imagining the path her competitive athletics career would ultimately lead her down.

Yet in four weeks time, the now 43-year-old champion race walker will be competing at the world masters track and field championships in Sacramento, California. She'll have turned 44 by then, having just returned from a gold medal performance at the Australian masters 20km road championships in Melbourne, where she recorded a smart time of 1hr 57min 26sec.

Sunderland's now passionate about her sport and under the guidance of her new coach, Australian Jim Leppik, is looking to take her individual performances to even greater heights.

However, she's still able to keep her sense of perspective and humour. She knows race walking looks odd to some people and acknowledges the stigma still attached to the sport.

"Even when you go overseas and compete internationally, everyone has their own style," she says.

"Even now, I'm a race walker myself, but I look at some of the styles and have to have a bit of a giggle. Some of them really exaggerate the wiggle to the side. They're using too much energy for starters."

While her own style is a little more restrained, she still attracts her share of attention.

"Every time I go out and walk, I get laughed at, I get tooted at. It looks like you have a carrot somewhere where you shouldn't have a carrot.

"I used to give them the one-fingered salute but I've given up on that now. It doesn't look good for me either. Now that I'm recognisable, I just give them a wave and keep going. Usually I'm that focused or have got a head set on, I don't hear much. A lot of it's tooting and clapping and that's fine, I don't mind that.

"You feel silly sometimes, if you're walking towards a group of people, you sometimes do take a check and make sure you're not wiggling around too much. But once I started winning things and started getting medals, I started being a bit more proud about it and got over it. There are a lot of race walkers who won't train on their own, they'll go out in groups or they'll run."

Originally from Blenheim, Sunderland moved to Nelson as a 19-year-old, dabbling in powerlifting and body building among her early sporting interests. Competing in the under-60kg class, she finished second at a South Island body building competition and third at a national event before eventually giving the sport away.

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"I looked like a skinned rabbit," she jokes. "But I couldn't handle the diet, I couldn't face that again. I still gag when I think of eating tuna and egg whites."

She didn't become interested in race walking until around six years ago. Even then, it was almost by accident.

She admits to becoming something of a "couch potato" and it was only after some enthusiastic prompting from close friend, Jo Rawlins, that Sunderland agreed to compete in the 2006 Taylors Nelson women's triathlon. The event involved a 3.5km run-walk, a 14km cycle and a final swim leg.

"I didn't really think I had that competitive edge, so I said I'd walk with her. The gun went off and she said that was the last she saw of me, I was off. Something clicked.

"I think I got ninth in my age group overall, it wasn't a stunning event or anything like that, I just really liked it. And when I finished, and like all the other women, it was like `wow, I did that'."

She'd competed as a recreational walker, knowing nothing then about the techniques involved in competitive race walking. It was stored somewhere in her consciousness, though, eventually rising to the surface.

"I remember seeing a chick [race] walking up and down the Railway Reserve and can still remember giggling away, never in a million years thinking that that was one day going to be me. I started trying to teach myself. With race walking, you've either got the swing or you don't and I didn't. And it didn't matter what I tried to do, I still looked mechanical, it just didn't come together at all."

Gradually, her association with established Nelson race walkers like Sharon McDonald, Wendy Healey and Yvonne Shaw and the arrival of experienced coach Stephen Farquhar from Dunedin finally gave her an insight into the technical aspects of the sport.

Farquhar officially became her coach in 2008 and that was when, she says, she "really stepped into the race walk realm".

She gradually developed her own style and technique, but says she's constantly thinking about fluency and rhythm in her stride.

"When you get your style and you're doing it properly, it's very fluent and you're actually skimming the ground. When I'm doing a 20km, I'm not breathing hard.

"You just get in a rhythm and it feels great. And the hardest thing of all is just keeping that rhythm in your head, because the moment you allow any distractions to get in your head, you just lose it and it's really hard to get it back again."

Since 2008, she's consistently won medals at New Zealand and Australian masters championships and the Oceania and World Masters Games, plus a myriad of local club and regional titles, including the Buller half marathon twice. But despite her healthy stack of gold medals in both 10km and 20km events, including three golds at the 2008 Oceania Masters Games in Townsville, ironically it was her silver medal performance, behind Australia's Fiona Porley in the 10km at Sydney's World Masters Games in 2009, that she remembers most fondly.

"We'd battled backwards and forwards and that, to me, was a race. She collapsed at the finish line ...that was my personal best time [59min 50sec] at that time as well and I was so disappointed when she didn't front up for the 5km.

"Out of all my races, that would have been my most poignant race, because we really raced, we really pushed each other and really gave it our all."

She was disappointed to miss selection last year in a four-person New Zealand team for a trans-Tasman test match in Hobart, finishing fifth at the trials despite recording a time nearly five minutes below the qualification mark. However, she noticed that on their return, the New Zealand team members had all added former Institute of Sport coach Leppik to their Facebook accounts. Sunderland's interest was stirred, eventually getting in touch with him.

She'd reached a point where she wasn't making any significant competitive gains and, with Farquhar, at that stage, struggling with serious health and personal issues, her choices became obvious. Eventually she signed Leppik as her new coach, introducing her to a "revolutionary" new style of coaching.

"I thought, `my god, I've never trained like this before'. I was doing fartleks [a Swedish training approach] and kick downs and interval training and my times dropped really quick."

The consummation of their new arrangement remains a standing joke between the pair.

"At the time I had artificial nails, you know, the girlie thing, and they were exactly the same price [as Leppik's fee]. Needless to say, no nails. But it was a sacrifice well worth making. You don't need nails for race walking. That's sort of been an in-joke between me and my coach now. Fifty dollars a month, that's all he cost me. That's so cheap for what he does and that's what he does for all the race walkers."

Leppik radically altered her technique.

"It took a month before I was able to do a whole walk with the new style. It was little things like just tucking your hips under, tucking your bum under. I always thought you walked with your legs, but you don't, you walk with your glutes and I didn't use mine. It just felt so weird so it was just learning how to do that and not leaning back but leaning forward from your ankles.

"He literally just stripped me down to bare and rebuilt me and within weeks, my times just started dramatically dropping."

She'll compete in the 5km, 10km and 20km events in Sacramento and, with Leppik's help, is looking to achieve a personal best 1hr 55min or better in her favoured 20km event.

"The 20km seems to be where I'm at my best. It's a long way and it's intimidating when you're on the start line or you're thinking, `oh my god, 20km'. But when you get out there and start blasting into it and start counting down the kilometres, I don't ever look ahead and think, `oh I've got 18km to go', I think, `I've done 2km'."

7 x 1km track

My first decent speed workout since my fall. I was feeling good when I got to the track until I got out of my car.................it was really windy!!!! so I said a few curses....ok...alot!!!

I was meeting Sharon McDonald today and I was looking forward to having someone on the track to chase and pass and again it proved to me that I need to have more practice with this.

I opened up the rails and did 3 laps to warm up. My feet were a little cold as the wind had a really good nip to it....about 8 degs...(yeah I know Tammy lol) So I started out on my first one ...it was ok but the wind really knocked me up the back straight so I slowed a little knowing it would tire me pretty quickly. I was part way through my second one when sharon arrived so she waited at the finish/start for me. I had a 2min recovery so I was able to explain what I was doing so she said she would just cruse around for 5km. She started ahead of me for me to chase...............and thats exactly what I did. I totally forgot I still have 5 more km reps to do and took off after her making it a crusade to pass her as quickly as I could..........BIG MISTAKE...............I did that km in 5:02................OMG........I was breathing really hard and my legs felt like jelly. The next km felt really hard and it just got tougher and tougher for each km...plus the wind picked up making it hard going when punching into it. BUT this will make me stronger.

I have to say I was really pleased this one was over. It was tough tonight. I had wanted to do each km under 5:20 and I nearly achieved that. Only 1 was over that mark.

Here are my splits

5:12

5:09

5:02

5:15

5:18

5:24

5:15

total time for 7km is 36:36

7 x 1km track

10km - 6min burst - Monaco

A quick stride out to check out my hamstrings and hip.

It was a sunny but chilly day with a good strong breeze. I had a head wind for the first 5km and then a nice gusty tail wind on the way home.

I was not intending to head out fast for this walk. I was to do 2 x 6min bursts of race pace which I did through this.

Total time for 10km 59:29....one of my faster walks for this route.

10km - 6min burst monaco

20km out and back - monaco

I was tired today. I wanted to just stay in bed and sleep. But by 10am I was laying there feeling guilty so I got up and got changed. It was overcast and I knew it was going to rain at some stage of the walk.

I was a little nervous about doing 20km today, my hamstring was still pretty tight and I was unsure how my hip would hold up. As I started out up along the walkway I could feel my hamstring pulling so I slowed down and just took my time. Coming down Beatson's Road I made sure I was careful and slow, then I leveled out onto the flat and settled into a steady pace. I felt stodgy and heavy. I was tired and my legs had not recovered yet from my track session.

With only 3 weeks till I fly out for the States, I spent most of this walk just working on arm placement and tucking my butt in so that I was using my glutes??? well I think I was.

As I was nearing the 10km turn around I looked ahead and saw 3 girls standing on the edge of the motor way trying to hitch hike. As I got closer to them I stopped my watch and asked if they were ok. They were foreigners and had a map in hand trying to figure out where they can hitch into the city. So I explained that it was illegal to stop on the motor way and that they needed to walk down the walk way go under the under pass and over to Stoke Main Road...they would get picked up there. I think i was at 8.75km mark so I left them and headed on up to the 10km turn point....about half way up I noticed that my watch had not bleeped for 9km???? bugger, I had not started the darn thing. So I started it there and when I got to the 10km turn point I waited until the watch clicked over to the time I had estimated to have reached 10km in .... 60:45 and it also showed up at 9km in distance. Because I knew it was exactly 10km i was not too worried about the distance on the watch heading back home.

The 10km walk back home was uneventful. I was just tired and so I ticked along and kept checking my style as I went. It just started raining 2km out from home, so I didnt get too wet.

total time for the 20km was 2:03:19 I must admit to being surprised as I felt much slower than that while out walking.

20km out and back - monaco

3,2,1, 500m & 500m track

Its pouring with rain....ugh.....and its about 10degs. I am so not going to enjoy this walk but it has to be done.

My hamstring is still tight and sore in the centre and so I put some antiflam gel on it before I headed out and I pretty much figured I would take it easy on it and stop if it hurt.

I walked around the track unlocking all the barrier arms and decided that for today that can be my warm up. I was already wet and my hands were really cold. I started out on my 3km and for the first km I could feel my hip and my hamstring, but nothing bad enough to warrant me stopping. By 2km I was warmed up and there was no pain. I was feeling tired on my 3rd km and was breathing alittle harder than I liked. But seeing my time gave me a boost of confidence and made me feel alot better. 15:59 for 3km is GREAT!!!

I had my 4 mins recovery break and headed out on my 2km. My legs felt a little more tired this time but I managed to maintain a good steady pace. I then stopped for a 3mins recovery before heading out for the 1km. I couldnt remember if I was meant to do 1 or 2 so I figured that I would just do 1 today as I really didnt want to put too much pressure on my hip and by now I was soaked through and getting cold. I tried to push harder on the 1km but I was feeling pretty tired by now and was able to maintain the km paces for the previous ones.

Now I just had 2 x 500m to go...these hurt as its pretty much a sprint. The track was wet and slippery and I was cold and wet. I just wanted them done!!! I started out and made sure I pushed hard for the last 100m of each one. Mentally trying to push my self each time. In fact I took a word out of a new friends blog post......FOCUS!! I was starting to have negitive thoughts....thinking of ways to shorten my workout and just quit as I was cold and wet.......but then I thought of how Sarah is struggling with the same and tells her self to FOCUS............so i gave myself a telling off and focused on the task at hand.

I am really pleased with my splits today......It proves to me I have not lost too much from the fall. The best part of the whole morning...was catching up with a good mate and having a yummy vanilla latte with her in her nice warm office......nothing like having girly time and company.

splits

3km - 15:59

2km - 10:47

1km - 5:23

500m - 2:36

500m - 2:35

total time for the 7km = 37:20

3,2,1, 500m & 500m track

10km out and back - monaco

So far I have missed two workouts......I dont want to miss any speed walks so I am going to do my track walk tomorrow so that left me with what do I do today.

So I decided to do 10km and depending on how it felt I would add in the 2 x 6min bursts of 20km race pace.

Its a mild day...about 14 degs with high cloud so to me it felt a little chilly as there was little sun about. I headed off up the track and took it easy for the first km. Then slowly picked up the pace as I came down the hill. I was feeling good so when I got down on to the flat I pushed a little and picked the pace up for the next km to get in my first 6min burst. I reached the 5km and was pleased to see my time was under 30mins......so I turned and just kept up with a comfortable pace on the way home.

I was careful going up Beatson's Road as that did pull on my hip a little but when I got up on to the track I push harder to fit in the last burst of race pace.

This ended up as one of my quicker walks for this route so I was relieved to see that the accident last week has not taken too much away from me.

total time for the 10km was 1:00:11 with an avg heart rate of 144

10km out and back - monaco

testing out my hip

Today I was to try and do a 5km walk. I was nervous about this, I was worried I would get so far and that it would start hurting and then I would still have to walk back home.

As it turns out I ended up having my whole day flipped up. I had an interview with the sports reporter that went for over an hour and then I found out that my sports therapy appointment was for 2.15pm today and not Thursday as I had thought. I also had to met the sports photographer at 4pm on the track for some action shots to go with the article for Monday nights paper. Phew it was going to be a busy afternoon.

So I decided to do 4km on the treadmill as at least on the treadmill I could control my speed and keep it low and also I could stop and get off if it hurt. That way I could go to the Sports Therapy and be able to tell her how it felt after training.

The great news............yes it hurt a little for the first couple of km's but then it just stopped and I was able to walk and up my pace a little. I did 4km in 25mins.....nice and slow.

Debs gave my hip the once over and found that the spasm in the back had pulled the hip back out. So we reset my hip and I was given some new exercises to do. I felt great when I left and headed off to met up with the photographer. But I got there with plenty of time to spare. I had a good 40mins so I decided to continue my walk and head up the walk way for 1.5 km and turn back. I wanted to see how it felt after Debs had worked on it. It felt great and I was trying to take it nice and quiet, I kept my pace low and was again surprised to see that it was still under 6min/km pace.....nice. Total time for the 3km was 17:10

I made it back with time to spare before the photographer arrived. Then we spent an hour with me walking back and forth along the walkway while he took a huge amount of photos with different lens and different effects. Giving photos a blur so as to give movement to the photo plus we did some head shots while I chatted to him (he like how animated I am when I talk lol) so at the end of it all I felt rather "rockstar" from it all..

I cant wait for the Monday Nelson Mail to come out.....I just hope they dont alter too much of what I said and make me sound like a dork.

3km out and back - atawhi

OUCH!!! and down I go in a crashing heap.

Friday night and I am at work.  Its a quiet night with a table of 20 deciding to be sitters........(sitters are people that finish up their meals and just sit and chat......until mega late)  Its 10.00pm I had already reset the whole restaurant for breakfast and was now just bumming around waiting for the 20 to leave.  Its really boring, trying hard to find little jobs to keep you busy so I decided that I would clear some of the coffee cups as its 10.30 and I really want to be home by 11pm.  The kitchen hand also wants to go and had been washing flat out out in the kitchen.  I had noticed that the floor was getting really slippery and made a mental note to take it easy when walking through the kitchen.

So I clear this table and head back to the kitchen with an arm load of cups and sauces.  When you enter the kitchen you push the door open with your right hip and roll the door around your butt as it opens and then step in.  As I stepped into the kitchen I placed my right heel and went to step in but my right foot went straight out from under me and down I went in a smashing heap.  Left leg smacked the table leg, left arm hit the napkin bin and the right leg got all twisted under me and I landed full weight on my right hip.

All that could be heard in the restaurant was the smashing of 6 cups and saucers and a very loud "insert swear word here"!!!!!

The Maitre'd came running and the kitchen hand nearly crapped himself.  They all thought I had broken something or was really badly hurt.  I just sat there and asked them to leave me for a bit.  I wanted to slowly move and figure out where it hurt. My biggest concern was my knee. .... but amazingly it was fine.  My shin was hurting lots but it just had a good bruise on it....then my butt....it really hurt around the back of my hip.  I got up and limped about for a bit.  I still had to stay at work and wait for this table of 20 to leave.....took them a further half hour before they moved.  So I got home at 11.30 and first thing was to get some ice and put it on my hip.

I woke up and felt much better.....I went to the track to met up with Raylene and Sharon for a track session and I thought I would give 2km a wee nudge to test out my hip.  I did 2km in 11:41 and was pleased with that but I could not have walked any further and on hind-site probably shouldn't have walked it all as I am now very sore to the front of my hip and in my lower back.  So its a phone call to physio on Tuesday and a couple of days off.  Lets just hope its only bruising and nothing more.

30 days to go til Sacramento ... so this really BLOWS!!! I am hoping it will only be a couple of days off and I will be back into it just as strong.....

5 x 800m track

Brrrr......Winter raised its sleepy head today and let us all know that it was lurking. Considering that New Zealand has had its HOTTEST ever May on record it is no surprise that we have not adjusted to the fact that is meant to be winter. Today was 2 degs when I got up to go to work and then got up to a nice balmy 8 degs ... when I left work to head to the track I was just frozen .... going from 20 deg days one day to this the next is just a little much for my girly wee senses.

I was pleased that today's track was just a short but sharp one. I knew it was going to take quite a few laps for me to warm up and be able to even feel my feet let alone move my feet. I did 3 laps to warm up...but it didnt make too much difference, my feet still felt like concrete blocks. So I decided to just get it over with. My first 200m was done in 58sec ...oh I thought....thats nice and quick then I crossed at the first 400 in 2:04...nice I thought. I finished my first 800m in 4:09 and I didn't feel totally exhausted. I was pushing hard and breathing hard...but I felt good. This continued for each of the other 800m's in fact I got quicker and quicker with each one.....probably the fact that I could feel my feet by half way had a lot to do with it.

so here are my 800m splits

4:09

4:07

4:06

4:05

4:04

total time for 4 km is 20:31 - Now lets see what the coach has to say about it.

5 x 800m track

10km out and back - Atawah

Another gorgeous day in paradise!!!

First stop for the day - Sports Therapy Clinic for Debs to do her thing. I have to say she is a legend!!! She has tweaked me and stretched me in ways I didnt know I could...BUT...the change in my body is amazing. I no longer have sore backs EVER!!!! and now we are working on my glutes so that I can get my hip dipping properly and my walk coming from my butt. But best of all is that she gets it!! She actually understands the dynamics of race-walking, it is so nice to know that if I say this hurts...she instantly knows why and how to combat it. So I cant rave enough about her help.

After our session today I was to do another 10km and again its meant to be at recovery pace. My glutes were feeling a little tender after she had released my pirafomas (yes Jim she even used her elbows....no Jim she didn't enjoy inflicting pain on me like you did! lol)

I started out and could feel my glutes working or was it just cause they were sore and I could feel them, any how I decided to go out around Atawhai today as its more scenic....but it does feel longer. I was really enjoying my walk. I was listening to my body and every time I heard my watch chirp off the kms I would concentrate on dropping my left hip. I was pleased to note that I could feel it dropping this time and my speed did pick up when I concentrated on tucking bum under and dropping the left hip. I turned at the 5km mark and was surprised to note that the time was 29:22

I was feeling so good and was really enjoying my walk. I know it was meant to be at a slower pace but I was not pushing myself. So I headed back to the car and just kept at a pace that I felt comfortable at. I had no tweaks or pains and was feeling great. I have to say I really enjoyed todays walk. It was even nice and sunny again and temps still around 15 degs.

Total time for todays walk 59:16

10km out and back - Atawahi

Story in Nelson Mail & Photos

Article that was printed in the Nelson Evening Mail - centre back page.

 Early on in the course - passing the drink station and heading away from the start/finish.

Out on the feild - Heather is behind me here so am picking this is around the 10km mark.  I have just crossed the start/finish line and about to turn into the start of the Y of the course.

My medal and my sponsorship shirt.

Here are photos from my awesome weekend away in Melbourne.  Such a great time - Seeing family, racing and sharing my Dad's birthday.  Loved every minute of it and now I turn my full focus to Sacramento and I will make sure that I have a repeat performance at each race!

 Here is my dad and I - Great genes ay...... I swear my Dad has found the fountain of youth!

Here I am having just been awarded my GOLD medal for the W40-44 20km Australian Masters Road Walk

10km out and back monaco

Well I am back home and back to reality.

I have 4 weeks left to go and its time to get really serious. I have some minor tweaks to make to my body but these will take time. The biggest being sorting out my glutes and my lower back. Cause I have had this problem for years and years I have one glute bigger than the other (I dont normally do things half arsed!) So physio is really hammering my right glute. Making sure that when I finish a walk that I go direct to the single leg squats that just sit.....so your glute just starts screaming.

But todays walk was my recovery 10km and I went out and felt great. So I went as fast as my body wanted to. It was a beautiful day and it is so hard to believe it is winter. Even though it was a chilly start to the day it was still 16 degs when I went for my walk.

The Nelson Mail ran the article about me today and I would guess that a few people must have seen it as I had a number of people tooting and clapping and one car even pulled over to say congrats and good work.

So I pushed harder up Beatson's Road and zipped along the walkway to home and was a little surprised to see I had done 1:00:06 ummmm opppppss that was meant to be a tad slower but I did feel great when I was out there.

10km out and back monaco