3000m Race

Today my boss had said I can leave work early so that I could make it to a race that was being held at Griffth Uni.  I think these races are being put on by the Gold Coast Victory club - you have to wear QA numbers and a club shirt so they are official.   Its open class but still fun to enter.

Sadly numbers were down as many had work commitments.  Its hard to make a 4:15 pm race during the week.

I still did my usual 5km in the morning and felt really good through that.  I feel great during the walk....its during the day that my right hip flexor and bursa were niggling me a bit - funny how walking normally can leave me hurting but racewalking is fine.  Sigh....anyhow..... it wasn't bad enough that I couldn't walk tonight.   I spent a good 20mins warming up and felt so much better for it.  Even encouraged the young ones to stop yakking and warm up their legs.  LOL  As we all walked around to the start line I was chatting to all the girls and reminded them all that a 3000m is not won in the first 400m and to be careful that they dont all head out too fast and blow up before they get half way.

The gun goes off and sure enough.............4 girls all surge off at a great rate of knots!  I kept to my own pace and set off after them.  By the second lap I had picked off two of the girls and happily set my sights on the next two.  Approx 60 - 80 m ahead of me.  I went through my first km in 5:30 which surprised me as I didnt feel I was going that fast.  It took another km to pick off my next walker and then I set my sights on the lead walker.   I love how everyone cheers you on around the track.  We all had friends and family in the stands cheering us on and also in the throws too.  It really helps :)

Just as we started on our last km I saw she had slowed ALOT and started holding her side, as I closed in I could hear she was crying....I slowed up as I caught up and gave her some advice.... STITCH SUXS .... told her to dig her nails into one of her palms and to slow down her breathing as she was panicking and panting.   As I got about 15m ahead of her I could still hear her breathing so again I called back and said to control your air in and to stand up not hunch.....   (everyone tells me that she did as I said and she picked back up again)   I really did expect her to catch me back up again and I am pretty sure she was gaining on me in the last lap.  I couldn't have been prouder of our young walkers today....they all walked superbly and all achieving PB's...how good is that!

I crossed the line in 16:29 ...... WAHOOOO   thats gotta be a season best for me.... I am thrilled.  Looking at my lap splits (which i had left my watch on auto lap) but working them out...I was pretty consistant at 5:29 or 5:30 each km.  AWESOME!!!

3000m data