Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Training hard for Pan Pac's

Sorry its been so long..........I dont think anyone is still following me on here but I still like to pop on and up date what I have been up to.

I am still getting up each morning with Shane and walking 5km easy.   But I have tweaked it and have made Wednesdays my full rest day - mainly due to Tuesday being a big speed night and I find I am fatigued after it.

So since my last up date :-

I raced a 3000m and posted my fastest Australian time of 16;24

I am still averaging 32 mins for my 5km walks in the morning and they are getting easier and easier.

Shane and I have just started doing the local park run's on Saturdays - he is jogging the 5km and I walk beside him.  I am enjoying these immensely as its time together and its wonderfull seeing him getting fitter and fitter.

Tonight was my last speed session before Pan Pac's.   I decided on 5 x 400m and was very happy with how I went.   I felt great and the body flowed well......the heat was the tough part.   We are in the middle of the hottest October on record with temps getting up to 35 to 39 degs and the humidity is AWFUL!!!   So on the track it feels like walking through fog....it sucks you to the track and tires you.   The weather forecast for this weekend is storms for the whole weekend.   while I am sure this wont happen cause they have been saying that all week and the storms they predict dont happen....so they move the warning to the next day and so on...... I am really hoping this is the case :D

So my 5 x 400's were :-  2:05, 2:02, 2:03, 2:07 and 2:05 max heart rate was 162 which is much lower than it has been.  So I am very happy with that.

Pan Pac's will be a full on weekend with 5000m Saturday at 4pm,  10km Road walk Sunday at 7am (so 12 hour recovery???? are you kidding me)  and finally 3000m at 12.30pm (right in the hottest part of the day)  I do question the sanity of the organizers - but its the same for all of us.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

5000m PB/Masters Race Meet

I have had a GREAT week.   Training has come together well,  both my track walks went amazingly well.  Even pushed through my first 5km fartlek in months and did a GREAT time :D.... yep GREAT is my word for the day.  I talked Paul into do a fartlek like I do them... he was keen and excelled.   I explained to him that in theory ... his fartlek time should be about 30secs to a min slower than his 5km race time.   (his time today proved that point beautifully)

So to quickly recap the week:-   Sun 3000m race, Mon -5km slow, Tues 5km slow am and then 1500m & 5 x 300m in th pm,  Weds REST, Thursday 5km easy am then 5km fartlek pm, Friday REST & Sat REST - Total kms for week = 26km  (this is my quiet week)

Today was a 5000m track race and I was really keen to get my 28mins!!!   I got to the track early and made sure I had a good long warm up and spent 10mins on drills.  Temp was 22 degs but the humidity climbed to 83% by the time our walk finished.  PHEW that was tough.  Race started with 5 walkers - all of us feeling GREAT!!!!   as we were racing I noticed the water table had been set up .. but it was still sitting on the grass about a metre away from the edge of the track....so to grap a water meant leaving the track - hmmm problem...YOU CANT DO THAT IN A RACE!  lol  I had thought it was just an error and I am sure they will sort it but by 3km I knew that I needed water and so asked/gasped - move the water table please.   Next lap and it was sorted and I could grab a much needed water.  What happens when you gulp water as you are walking - you swallow air and you end up with stitch!!!  1 km to go and I was in pain.... I did every trick I know to get rid of it but it cost me valuable seconds ... damn it!!!  It started to ease on my last lap and I really pushed it hard to the finish.

I am rapt with my time  28:16  -  my fartlek time on thurs was 28:48 ..... so I am very happy with this and I know my 28 mins is there.  Come Pan Pac's and it will be on!!!

5000m race

As there was a 1500m race on next... I hung around...not really intending to race but if there was only going to be one walker then I would join them.  But I was saved by all the juniors.....our gorgeous wee team of young ladies all fronted up.  I was thrilled when Robyn asked me to take them over to the start and help them warm up.  So while over there I got them all to settle, stop chatting and to focus.  They did their drills and walk throughs and for a few moments before the race I chatted to them about technique ... arms correct and shoulders low....chins up and to not try to win the race in the first 200m.  Well I am so so so thrilled to say that all of them set new PB's today... I nearly cried.  They all looked fantastic and had listened to my talk - styles were perfect.  Robyn was a very proud coach thats for sure.

I do have to say - these meets have been fantastic.  They are run superbly and the new electronic timing is so helpful.  Much thanks to all those who volunteer....trust me ALL the athletes thank you.