Its pouring with rain. All the others had bailed on me and I thought stuff getting soaked on my own...so I came home and headed down to the complex gym and jumped on the treadmill. There were a couple of guys mucking around on the gym equipment and they chatted away as I set the treadmill up.
its takes about 50m until the treadmill is up to speed and I can turn my watch on. I set it to 9.5km and ticked along happily....each km I would click the speed up one but with two km to go I clicked it up to 10km and then for my last km I had it up to 10.5km.
I felt great and had no pain in my hip or glutes. My shins are pretty sore but I think that is more from the speed session. The two guys thought I had my music on and I could hear them talking to each other....said one guy to the other....far out I cant even run that fast! tee hee always makes you feel good.
Total time for 5km was 30:19
5km treadmill data
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
3km Fartlek
Tonight I thought I would try a short speed walk. I figured a 3km fartlek would be a good distance to test how the body goes.
I used the first km on the walkway as my warm up. I hit the start and pushed off. The walkway was busy and I was having to weave between kids and people. I got the first km done in 5:36 (hmm thought it would be faster than that) in my error I hit stop and not lap...... I turned back for the next 500m but just as I was about to hit lap I realised my watch had not changed time and I had accidentally hit stop. Doh.
So I hit start again and away I went for my next fast 500m. I was breathing hard but feeling ok. Nothing was hurting. I was not feeling so smooth today. Alot was on my mind and I was struggling to push it to one side and focus. Next 500m was the recovery and I knew I was going to slow but its my first one in a while so I was trying not to stress too much about it.
Last 500m and I tried hard to push for this but I was a couple of seconds slower.
first km = 5:36
500m = 3:12
500m = 2:43
500m = 3:10
500m = 2:45
total time is 17:26
Sunday, June 23, 2013
5 km Corporate Challenge
This is the last race in the Series. There are 5 in total and I have done one other. I kinda look back now I think I should have done all 5 races but that is something for next year.
I didnt fancy driving into Brisbane on Saturday for a 10km race so I opted to race in the last 5km. It was a chilly morning today. Was 11 degs when I got to the park.....yes I know that it is WAY colder back home lol....but I have finally climatised. I warmed up with Kay and Paul doing 3 laps of the track, then headed out to the start line. I did opt to take my jacket off and walk in bare arms ...it wasnt too bad once I had warmed up.
The race started and I hit out fast. I was trying a faster turn over with a shorter front stride but longer at back and gosh it felt fast. After a couple of km's I noticed that Paul's wife was jogging not far ahead of me and so I decided I would try to catch her.
It took me another km to get within 2 metres of her and just as I got close enough to touch her she switched from the road to the foot path with out noticing that I was there. LOL As we went up the stop bank she pulled away from me. It was now 1km to the finish. I was feeling great. Nothing was hurting and I still felt reasonably fresh. Again I closed the gap but as we hit the track and started on the one lap around the mondo track....she found some new speed and was off again.
We crossed the line with in seconds of each other. I had runners coming up to me after the race saying how great it was to pace off me. It was funny as I was doing the same to them.
It was a great confidence booster......I had no idea what my time would be today. It was nice to see it was faster than the last time which was 28:41 so it was a vast improvement.
Total time for 5km was 28:09 (my watch says 28:12 but my official time is the 28:09)
5km data
I didnt fancy driving into Brisbane on Saturday for a 10km race so I opted to race in the last 5km. It was a chilly morning today. Was 11 degs when I got to the park.....yes I know that it is WAY colder back home lol....but I have finally climatised. I warmed up with Kay and Paul doing 3 laps of the track, then headed out to the start line. I did opt to take my jacket off and walk in bare arms ...it wasnt too bad once I had warmed up.
The race started and I hit out fast. I was trying a faster turn over with a shorter front stride but longer at back and gosh it felt fast. After a couple of km's I noticed that Paul's wife was jogging not far ahead of me and so I decided I would try to catch her.
It took me another km to get within 2 metres of her and just as I got close enough to touch her she switched from the road to the foot path with out noticing that I was there. LOL As we went up the stop bank she pulled away from me. It was now 1km to the finish. I was feeling great. Nothing was hurting and I still felt reasonably fresh. Again I closed the gap but as we hit the track and started on the one lap around the mondo track....she found some new speed and was off again.
We crossed the line with in seconds of each other. I had runners coming up to me after the race saying how great it was to pace off me. It was funny as I was doing the same to them.
It was a great confidence booster......I had no idea what my time would be today. It was nice to see it was faster than the last time which was 28:41 so it was a vast improvement.
Total time for 5km was 28:09 (my watch says 28:12 but my official time is the 28:09)
5km data
Saturday, June 15, 2013
5km - starting to feel the benefits of the strength training
Well its week 2 and while yes I have dropped back on my mileage and speed work - I have had no pain!
I am doing strength Pilates every second day and will now try to do them every day. I am so pleased to have walked with no pain for my last few walks.
I did catch some kind of a stomach bug this week and it has made walking a tad difficult. I did go out on Thursday and walk 8km with Paul and Kay. Very slow and steady pace but there were two emergency loo stops.
Today I was starting to feel a little better. No more flying dashes to a toilet or curled up with stomach cramps. So I decided to head out and do 5km. I felt good and kept to a steady pace. I was not pushing hard and was pleased to see that after my first warm up km the rest were pretty much 6min kms.
Before I left for my walk I had changed the battery in my heart strap and when I finished and saw that my heart was 251 beats per minute ... I knew I had fritzed my strap. So I googled it when I got home and found that you are meant to wait for a minute between battery change. Well there you go.....it works now :) Yay
Total time 30.15
5km data
I am doing strength Pilates every second day and will now try to do them every day. I am so pleased to have walked with no pain for my last few walks.
I did catch some kind of a stomach bug this week and it has made walking a tad difficult. I did go out on Thursday and walk 8km with Paul and Kay. Very slow and steady pace but there were two emergency loo stops.
Today I was starting to feel a little better. No more flying dashes to a toilet or curled up with stomach cramps. So I decided to head out and do 5km. I felt good and kept to a steady pace. I was not pushing hard and was pleased to see that after my first warm up km the rest were pretty much 6min kms.
Before I left for my walk I had changed the battery in my heart strap and when I finished and saw that my heart was 251 beats per minute ... I knew I had fritzed my strap. So I googled it when I got home and found that you are meant to wait for a minute between battery change. Well there you go.....it works now :) Yay
Total time 30.15
5km data
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
5km - testing out new shoes
I finally got the chance to head out and test out my new shoes.
Adidas Adizero Feather 2 and at 5.6 oz they are my lightest shoe yet. I also fitted a half size smaller too. I had tried them on the treadmill last night at the gym I really wanted to see how they went on the road/walkway.
I started out and quickly settled into a steady pace tonight. My shoes felt good...a tad stiff but that is to be expected. After a km my left foot, second toe (which is longer than my big toe) was just rubbing a little. Enough to annoy slightly but not enough to say ouch. My hip/glute and ITB all felt good tonight but at about the one km mark that familiar knot in the centre of my hamstring was there.
I kept going at the pace I was doing as it felt ok.....if I slowed it still hurt so I just stayed as I was. I felt about 85 to 90% effort tonight. I did try to slowly pick up the pace per km. Looks like I did but nothing to dramatic.
I am pleased my heart rate seems to be settling and sits at about 169ish for most of my walks....much better than the resent 190's .... geeep As my Cairns races are only 3000m and 5000m I am not too worried about my distance work at present. I am just trying to walk pain free.
I have the Gold Coast Half Marathon coming up soon but I intend to be walking that very slowly. There is a 3 hour cut off so I am in no hurry.
Got home and had a good stretch session. Will do my pilates strength exercises soon.
Total time for 5km was 30:17
5km data
I started out and quickly settled into a steady pace tonight. My shoes felt good...a tad stiff but that is to be expected. After a km my left foot, second toe (which is longer than my big toe) was just rubbing a little. Enough to annoy slightly but not enough to say ouch. My hip/glute and ITB all felt good tonight but at about the one km mark that familiar knot in the centre of my hamstring was there.
I kept going at the pace I was doing as it felt ok.....if I slowed it still hurt so I just stayed as I was. I felt about 85 to 90% effort tonight. I did try to slowly pick up the pace per km. Looks like I did but nothing to dramatic.
I am pleased my heart rate seems to be settling and sits at about 169ish for most of my walks....much better than the resent 190's .... geeep As my Cairns races are only 3000m and 5000m I am not too worried about my distance work at present. I am just trying to walk pain free.
I have the Gold Coast Half Marathon coming up soon but I intend to be walking that very slowly. There is a 3 hour cut off so I am in no hurry.
Got home and had a good stretch session. Will do my pilates strength exercises soon.
Total time for 5km was 30:17
5km data
Sunday, June 09, 2013
4km to test the hip
I really needed to get out today. Since hearing the first news of my friend Lesley, I have not walked. I found my self lost and drifting....wrapped up in disbelief and then grief.
But, sadly.....life does still go on and I have slowly exited from my state of grief and felt that pull to walk again. With injury's that just wont heal, I have been taking it very easy and so I decided to just do 4km today.
Its a good enough distance to get a good sweat up and to keep concentration up on style.
I felt good which surprised me and I kept up a pretty good pace for all considering. The stretches and strength exercises I have been doing seem to be working. I stopped at 2km to stretch and then continued back. I felt a small discomfort on the way back in my glute but nothing to rate as pain. A vast improvement.
Total time for 4km was 24:00
4km data
But, sadly.....life does still go on and I have slowly exited from my state of grief and felt that pull to walk again. With injury's that just wont heal, I have been taking it very easy and so I decided to just do 4km today.
Its a good enough distance to get a good sweat up and to keep concentration up on style.
I felt good which surprised me and I kept up a pretty good pace for all considering. The stretches and strength exercises I have been doing seem to be working. I stopped at 2km to stretch and then continued back. I felt a small discomfort on the way back in my glute but nothing to rate as pain. A vast improvement.
Total time for 4km was 24:00
4km data
Saturday, June 08, 2013
Lesley
Wow, how do I begin this......how do I put into words the shock, numbness and denial I feel.
When I saw the first news article that you had collapsed after your race and were in critical condition on life support.....I thought someone was playing a sick prank. How could that be???? you had only a few hours earlier been private messaging me about your race. You had posted that you were nervous...and we all reassured you. Then we hear you had won and in a fantastic PB too and had even beaten the younger women on the track.....something I know you were secretly hoping to do.
How did you die and so quickly??? Papers say it was a subarachnoid haemorrhage..... I guess that is like an aneurysm....something that just happens so quick with little explanation. Which again leads to us all to be more in shock. It was just too sudden and while you were just reaching your prime and potential.
Lesley, you were a truly special person. So positive in everything you did. A wonderful mother to Brooke, partner to Tony and special friend to all who met you. I wish I could show you all the amazing messages that are pouring in from around the world....people who you didnt think even knew you. You touched everyone!!! You touched me with your compassion and your spirit. You over come so many obstacles
.....epilepsy, shin pain and remoteness to become one of NZ's top walkers.
I wish to extend my love and condolences to your family, wee Brooke and Tony. A life taken far too soon.
The world truly is a duller place with you gone.
When I saw the first news article that you had collapsed after your race and were in critical condition on life support.....I thought someone was playing a sick prank. How could that be???? you had only a few hours earlier been private messaging me about your race. You had posted that you were nervous...and we all reassured you. Then we hear you had won and in a fantastic PB too and had even beaten the younger women on the track.....something I know you were secretly hoping to do.
How did you die and so quickly??? Papers say it was a subarachnoid haemorrhage..... I guess that is like an aneurysm....something that just happens so quick with little explanation. Which again leads to us all to be more in shock. It was just too sudden and while you were just reaching your prime and potential.
Lesley, you were a truly special person. So positive in everything you did. A wonderful mother to Brooke, partner to Tony and special friend to all who met you. I wish I could show you all the amazing messages that are pouring in from around the world....people who you didnt think even knew you. You touched everyone!!! You touched me with your compassion and your spirit. You over come so many obstacles
.....epilepsy, shin pain and remoteness to become one of NZ's top walkers.
I wish to extend my love and condolences to your family, wee Brooke and Tony. A life taken far too soon.
The world truly is a duller place with you gone.
R.I.P Lesley Cantwell
1987 - 2013
A photo of the NZ team for Hobart 2012. One of my best memory's.
Monday, June 03, 2013
Gentle and easy 4km
I have made a really big decision. I have opted to stop my coaching for a couple of months. I seem to be constantly injured and with long sessions, speed work and the pressure of competitions - I feel I just cant do justice to the program given to me and feel that I am just wasting my coachs time.
So I have gone right back to basics. Back to the gym to start back on a strength program adding in some core and hip pilates to help build some strength into those supporting muscles. But more important.....I have cut back the distance and the pace. Tonight I just went out and did 4km. I had no set time in mind - tonights goal was to just walk correctly and with out any pain. I didnt care if it was at 7min/km.
I managed the 4km and it was very easy. My heart strap again has gone nuts so I think a new battery might be due. But it was very easy. I had minimal discomfort. At about 3.5km my piroformis was just starting to ache...but only just. I was going to stop and stretch but with a slight change to my posture it stopped.
I had a long stretch after and then walked back up the walkway to met up with Shane.
Total time was a very easy 26:09 for 4km
Body is feeling a little sore - but that is from they gym workout last night. Pleased with this walk.
4km walk data
So I have gone right back to basics. Back to the gym to start back on a strength program adding in some core and hip pilates to help build some strength into those supporting muscles. But more important.....I have cut back the distance and the pace. Tonight I just went out and did 4km. I had no set time in mind - tonights goal was to just walk correctly and with out any pain. I didnt care if it was at 7min/km.
I managed the 4km and it was very easy. My heart strap again has gone nuts so I think a new battery might be due. But it was very easy. I had minimal discomfort. At about 3.5km my piroformis was just starting to ache...but only just. I was going to stop and stretch but with a slight change to my posture it stopped.
I had a long stretch after and then walked back up the walkway to met up with Shane.
Total time was a very easy 26:09 for 4km
Body is feeling a little sore - but that is from they gym workout last night. Pleased with this walk.
4km walk data
Color Run - Most Happiest Event in the world
There are NO words to really express how amazing this was. So I will just let a couple of the photos do it for me.
A must do for everytime it is on!!!! I will never miss another one ever.... I wanted to go around again. It was just amazing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)