Race Walking Queensland Track Championships

It was an early start for today's race.   Getting up at 5.30am is NOT fun for me, I am so not a morning person.   We meet up at Movie World car park and then car pool from there.   Today Paul put his hand up to drive - Next race will be me :D  

We headed in to Brisbane with our destination being the UQ track and the university.   Today we were racing in the Race Walking Queensland Track Championships - 5000m Open Women / Men

It was such a good turn out today.   There were different races for the different age groups and so a nice turn out of walkers made for good fields and good racing.  For me, I was finally going to race against Erika.   Erika is new to walking and up until a year ago was the cheer squad for her daughter and always seen at each event cheering her on.   But this year her daughter has taken a year off and so Erika has decided to give walking a try and turns out she is really good.  The nature of her work has her very fit and very strong, so I knew I was going to have a very good race against her.  Until now she has only been walking the 10km road walks and getting quicker and quicker each week being sub 60mins now.

Perfect weather for racing, with some low cloud to cover the sun - temp about 16 degs....just nice!  We all lined up -  was so good to see Dean back amongst us again too.  Dave starts the race and Jess Pickles must have been told there was an open bar with free margaritas cause she just took off like she was on a mission,  I followed suit and struck out with a nice quick pace,  Pete and Iggy soon passed me as if I was hardly moving LOL..... and I could tell that Erika was not far behind me.  First km was 5;30 and I felt really good.   At the 2km mark Erika turns up the pace and with a great burst of pace passes me and gets a good 20m ahead of me.  For the first lap the gap remained the same between us but the next lap I had halfed the gap and could see that she was getting tired.   At the 3km mark I had caught back up and sat on her heel for 200m while I thought about what I was going to do.   I decided that I needed to pass her but needed to do so with a good long burst,  After the next bend I stepped out as we hit the back straight and punched it hard and kept going for the 100m pulling a good gap.    I settled back into my pace and 300m later I did another quick burst.  I continued to do this for the next couple of laps until I could no longer hear her foot steps behind me.

One lap to go and I really gave it my all.... I was hoping to get closer to 28mins today....seeing my time with one lap to go I knew I was not going to hit 28mins but I would be faster than the week before.....digging in deep to push hard for the finish line and crossing the line in 28:11  

I am mega happy with this.   8 secs faster than last week  ..... YAY!!!  I loved racing Erika and I am really looking forward to having a few good tussles as I know she will train even harder now and be ready for a great 10km in two weeks.  :D

5000m data

6 x 800m and 1 x 200m track

I want to make my track session harder.   I need to get maximum gain out of each session, so I will try hard to make these sessions count.   I need fitness and speed back so longer speed sessions will give me this.

So today I opted for 6 x 800m and 1 x 200m this would give me 5km in total.

I started out a little conservative,  its been a long time since I have done these and I remember how quickly they fatigue you.  I felt good but a little off.  I had 2 mins break and then started again.  This time I felt better, hips were moving better and my stride felt long and easy.

My next few 800s were simular and while I was feeling tired I was able keep my pace up.....just.

My 800s are
4.30
4.28
4.24
4.24
4.26
4.23

200
0.56

Total time for 5km would be 26.11

Avg heart rate 149 max 179

5000m Masters Winter Carnival

Today we had two races to pick from.  1 - the 10km Postal Challenge  2 - the 5000m GC Masters Winter Carnival.   I had long earlier opted to do the 5000m as it was closer to home, not such an early start and we had plans for later in the morning.

Turns out Paul, Debbie and Kay all had the same thoughts and entered last week as well.   I really enjoy track races and was looking forward to have a good step out.  

I have been doing aerial yoga to help with flexibility and also doing core and strength training at home.  While I re-start all of these its only obvious that I will end up feeling stiff and sore for the first couple of weeks...... and I do!  But its a good feeling and I really love that I am waking up sleeping muscles.

Today was perfect temps for racing.....about 15 degs with a slight breeze.... just perfect.   We started out and I felt great....stiff but great.   Got a good stride on and felt like I was relaxed and flowing well.   Did my first km in 5.26 but then my lack of fitness stepped in and my next km dropped back to 5:40.   I tried hard to stay at this pace and looked to see Debbie ahead of me and tried to pick up my pace to pass her.

I went through 3 km in 16:49 and I thought to myself...just keep pushing you might get close to 28mins today, but I kinda hit a wee wall and ended up doing my slowest km for 5:46 and then my last km I was trying to catch Paul (which I did but it zapped me in doing so) and again it was a 5:44 - so 10secs lost in these two kms....  but still.  I am very happy with how my training is going and how I am feeling while I am racing.   Nothing is hurting and I am starting to relax and flow.

Total time for the 5000m was 28:19  

5000m race data

1st place masters W45-49  new medals....they are so nice

Winners are Grinners!

10 x 500m Track

Time to start waking up those fast twitch muscles!!!  they have been in a deep sleep and well hidden from me for quite some time.   I have just started doing Aerial Yoga and hope that by becoming more flexable and with a stronger core....my racewalk times will start to come down.   If I can open up my hips more so that I can get better rotation...my stride will lengthen and I will travel further and faster.....    it sounds SO easy when you just write it down hey.   SIGH!!!

I got to the track and was pleased that the winds have died down and it was just a little chilly......shhhh tammy!   11 degs to me is just down right freezing now!!!  how on earth did I train with frost on the ground..... beats me!

Any how we all warmed up and I had decided that I wanted to do 5km but rather than a fartlek I thought I would do 10 x 500m with a 3min rest....some I did a 2min rest but my fitness is not ready for that yet.  But I am pleased to say that my times were pretty good.   Some I would almost put into my "fast" bracket.   :D

2:32
2:35
2:36
2:36
2:37
2:37
2:36
2:40
2:38
2:36   -  my garmin will show a different time but I pressed the wrong button again.

if I could do that back to back for 5km that gives me a 26:03   ...... once apon a time I could do that....so I WILL do that again....watch this space!!!!

10 x 500m

Qld Road Walk Champs

Its WINDY....not breezy....but WINDY.   I woke up at 3am and heard the wind whistling around outside and I thought then...oh dear this is going to make for a very interesting race.  Sure enough.....there were gusts up to 50km per hour and at the beginning of the race it was just continuous.

We were trialing a new course today and I have to say that I loved it.   It was nice and flat with a good wide smooth surface.   The 10 and 20km race was made onto a 2km loop and so they did have a rise in there but our 1km loop was fantastic.   Infact I will be putting it forward to the Racewalk Committee that we drop the Murarie course and use this one in its place.  I would happily walk 20km on this 1km loop.  But any how I have gone off topic......

We attempted to warm up and I took the juniors with me...as we were walking I offered up tips on how to walk into the wind - there is nothing much of each junior and they could easily be blown off the course.  YES it was that windy.  Australia is experiencing a big cold snap and for Queensland....this is very unusual.  Infact there has been reports of snow around the boarder!!  so for us to get 10 degs but feel like 4 degs.....makes us all very cold!

We lined up and our race got under way.   The 10km and 20km walkers had already set off an hour earlier.   With the wind behind us it was a fast 250m down to the first cone but when you turned the cone you really did feel like you were moon walking and just getting no where.   It was just a matter of hunkering down and punching through to get to the next turn cone 500m away.   I was chasing after a couple of the guys and Tenyka ... I picked off the guys and set my sights on Tenyka.  She can normally lap me on a 5km race but the wind was really making it a very hard race for her.

By 3 km I had caught her (17:16mins) I did call out to her to lengthen her stride and tuck in behind me but she was already too tired from struggling against it for as long as she had been.  With the wind the way it was I was expecting to get about 30mins if I was lucky.   By 4km I quickly calculated that I was going to under 30mins and if I can pick up the pace a little I might just break 29mins.   So I took full advantage of the tail wind and really pushed hard.....then it was just one last punch back into the wind to cross the line.  28:55 was my official time.  I hit the wrong button on my watch and didnt stop it... lol.

I pulled up well after this race but by the time I got home my nose was just pouring....and has remained so for two days.  Sigh..........its just what wind does to me.

5km data