3km, 2km & 3 x 1km track

With all the extreme weather warnings in place I was picking todays track was going to be ugly.  Turns out the weather cleared by lunch time and by 1pm the sun was out and it started getting pretty hot.

I met Neroli down at the track and she decided to do the same workout as me.  Her fitness is picking up nice and fast, so its helpful to me to have her on the track as she is not far behind me.

I had 12km yesterday with two bursts of Race Pace.  I did really well and ended up adding in 3 bursts.  I used the walkway out in Richmond so it was nice and flat.

My track session went well.  I was tired from the 12km and the track on Sunday and Saturday.  But I still managed to push and be faster than my last 3km, 2km session the other day.

I am on track to achieve the time I am aiming for this weekend.

3km, 2km & 3 x 1km track

Woke up to a gorgeous day! I raced down to the track at 10am as I wanted to get this one out of the way. I have my best mate coming over to visit today.

I got to the track and it was really busy down there. One week till South Island Games and so everyone is out getting in that last minute training.

My back has been hurting again and once more leaving me with burning feet. Sitting in a plane just doesn't agree with me and I end up really hurting for a few days after. I wanted to put out a good track session today and the first 3km felt good, the second burst of 2km didn't. For the first time my back started hurting during the walk and the pain in my feet came on too. I was struggling on my last lap. So when I was recovering I dropped to the grass and did my back extensions, hoping that would help. I continued on and completed the next 3 x 1km's but never felt comfortable during them and my back just hurt more and more. I was pleased when it was over and I could head for home. So I am back to sitting up right in the office chair or laying on the floor. I have one week to sort this and I will!

So here are my splits:-

3km

5:18, 5:24 + 5:27 = 16:09

2km

5:32 + 5:33 = 11:05

3 x 1km

5:37

5:39

5:36

3km, 2km & 3 x 1km track

NEXT Magazine Woman of the Year 2011

I was most excited to learn that I was a finalist in the Sports Section for Next Magazine's Woman of the Year.  This was the second year this event has been run and I really hope that they continue to do so.  


As the day came closer I was contacted by Next Magazine and offered accommodation, to which I quickly accepted as I had not sorted out where I would stay and it was this offer that sealed my decision to fly up and go to the event.  I was really surprised when I found out that I would be staying at the Rydges Hotel.  It is super flash!!!


My day started out with my flight up to Auckland on Thursday afternoon.  I caught the Airbus into the city and walked up to find the Rydges.  I checked in and made my way up to level 7 and found my room.  I had 3 hours to kill so I kicked back and watched tv and checked out my room.  Aly Cook and I had arranged to be each others date for the night and she had very kindly offered to give me a lift to and from the event.  I was so thankful for this as I really was not sure how I was going to get there other than walking.


We were dropped out outside the Art Gallery and as we were a little early we mingled out side with some of the other early arrivals too.  I loved the huge tree laying on its side in a pool of water with BRIGHT red leaves, so Aly and I had a photo taken in front of it.  I had seen another couple trying to take their own photo so I went over and offered to take their photo for them and they returned the favor.  The lady was Dr Christine Couldrey - Ultra Distance Athlete, so we chatted while we waited to be let in.  The Art Gallery has just been finished and so I think this event is one of the first events to be held in it.  

I must admit to not being very 'arty'....I know what I do and don't like...but that doesn't really help much when wandering in an Art Gallery as I have to say that nothing caught my eye and some of the rooms didn't feel like the art that was displayed flowed or fitted together....but that is just my own thoughts.


The first thing as we entered the room - we were all greeted and given our own Pandora Bracelet with a crown charm and two lock charms.  WOW, and then we were also given a white Carmelia to wear on our wrist.....this was worn by the finalists, so we could all know each other etc.   We were given a glass of bubbles and started mingling.  I spoke with Jenny Shipley and many many other women whom I could not put names too.   The wine kept flowing, each time your glass was empty it would be filled, I was feeling very heady and needed food.  Ladies wandered among us with finger food to nibble on.  It was a lovely selection - small meat balls, bacon wrapped sausage, chicken, seafood wrap and stuffed mushrooms.


There was a lovely string quartet playing as approx 200 guests mingled and talked, the buzz from the room made it difficult to hear what each was saying.  I loved standing back and people watching.  The clothing, shoes and hair.....everyone was dressed impeccably.  At last the moment of the evening came and we all gathered around to hear and see who would be the winners of each section.


The winner of the sports section was just as I had guessed - Jayne Parsons - Paralympian and I agree totally with the judges decision, she truly is an inspiration to women, overcoming domestic violence and loosing her sight - to then take up cycling.  Is bravery and courage beyond belief.  


The overall Winner was Lesley Elliott.  For those not from NZ and don't know, her daughter Sophie Elliott was brutally murdered 4 years ago at the hands of her then boyfriend.  Lesley has written a book and launched the Sophie Elliott foundation to help change the attitude towards domestic violence.  


It was the most amazing and special evening, I was so honored to have been made a finalist and getting to spend the evening with so many inspiring and amazing women.

Thank you Next Magazine and Pandora, I cant wait to see who will be nominated for 2012's Next Woman of the year.

10km kickdown on the track

I have spent the last few days doing some "mental training" and that has helped me to be alot more positive. I also went back to physio as I have been having odd leg pains and I am told its my glutes aggravating the sciatic nerve. So I know that I am definitely engaging my glutes when I walk now.

Today I met up with Neroli at the track. I was to do a 10km kick down and she decided to just do a straight 10km walk.

We started out together and the first km felt nice and easy. Both of us were pretty much stride for stride so we were both VERY surprised to see that we had done our first km in 5:32 so I instantly slowed up as I had wanted to start at 6:00 per km. So I quickly worked out that if I can average 5:50 for the next 4 km it should put me back at the pace I was hoping to do. Neroli stayed up behind me until about the 5km mark where she very slowed dropped off. She was never too far away from me though.

At 6km I tried to push some pace on. I could feel my glutes working hard and I was pushing through my feet as best I could. My pace did pick up a little but not enough to show a dramatic kick down. The good news from this work out - It gave me a much needed confidence boost. I remained legal the entire way and I felt good and strong.

I took a lap reading at every km so its hard to work out my kicks for 2.5km so it sort of shows up in the 2km readings.

2km - 11:20

4km - 11:40

6km - 11:33

8km - 11:32

10km - 11:23

total time - 57:33

10km kickdown on the track

15km out and back - pouring rain

15km today - its is pouring - torrential rain!!!

The walkways are heavily flooded with many closed. I opted to do my normal walk but as I neared my 4km marker the walk way was mid calf deep in water for about 200m and then again about a km past that point. I was tired and had zero energy. I felt like I had lead in my legs. I was not breathing hard and no matter how many times I would try to power on I just couldnt. It is one of my slowest walks in a LONG time.

I guess the fact that my shoes were totally soaked - feeling like they weighed a good kg or more each, didnt help my speed. I am still taking migraine medicine so its also likely that this effects me dramatically. So time for blood test at the dr and I can hope that it is just a lacking of iron problem.

1:36:16

15km out and back - pouring rain

3 km fartlek

Its pouring with rain and I have a migraine. Thank goodness for Maxalts!!! dosing up heavy on painkillers during the night meant that I would be able to manage the fartlek.

I knew that most of the walkers that met on Sundays would not come down in this kind of weather, but Andrea is just as addicted to exercise as me ... so she came down and did a 3km walk too.

Once we had walked around and unlocked the rails the rain had eased. In fact it actually stopped just long enough for us to take jackets off and compete the walk. I had intended to do the 3km fartlek and then carry on at an easy pace and finish for 10km. But my head was just hurting too much by the time I had finished.

I am pleased with the fartlek. It has made me realize just how much fitness I have lost, but fitness will come back. I was pushing hard today - funny enough my heart rate doesn't show it, but my breathing sure did. I was fair gasping on the first km and then just couldn't pick the pace back up again for the next two fast sections. But considering as I was pretty drugged up on pain medicine, I am ok with it.

5:14

2:57 + 2:39 = 5:36

2:58 + 2:37 = 5:36

total time 16:28

3 km fartlek

5km waimea - vanguard st

I made a choice to alter my training prog today. I was meant to do a 3km fartlek but as I am going out to the track tomorrow and tomorrow is my optional, I decided to do the 3km fartlek then. Saves gas etc

so rather than do nothing today I went out and did 5km around the block. My style is getting ingrained again and I am starting to feel comfortable with it. Now to start putting more power through it.

I have had it confirmed now that there will be the required A grade and B grade judges so my 10,000m track race will go ahead. This means that everyone doing the 3000m will also be judged by NZ top judges, so that will keep everyone legal. :)

time was nothing flash but it felt good. 29:41

5km waimea - vanguard st

12km out an back monaco

Absolutely gorgeous day!! perfect day to go out for a nice relaxing 12km walk. Its 19degs still and nice hot sun shine, arrrhhhh spring weather finally.

Now had I not been suffering from GI cramps all day, I would have really enjoyed this walk. For the last week I have been having GI issues!!! BADLY in fact so badly that for the first two days I thought I had picked up stomach bug. The cramps just buckle your knees and there is little you can do for a moment. Today the guys at work admitted that they too have been suffering from an odd Stomach up set...with just really bad cramps too. So there must be something going around.

What I discovered to day is that when you are suffereing GI Cramps, and your whole lower abdomen feels like there is an acid pit in it......YOU CANT engage your core and so you have ZERO power/speed. I felt like I had two flat tyres out there.

So in the end I just had to go with it and tick along at what every my body was going to let me do.

12km - 1:16:28

12km out an back monaco

3km, 2km and 3 x 1km

Off to the track I go. Armed with new found confidence!

Coach wanted me to do 85% but once I started out it felt more like 95% and I just couldn't slow it down once I started. So I went with it. It was MEGA windy at the track. Nelson forecast said winds of 35km but some of the gusts really knocked me around on the track.

I felt slow but I was expecting that so just put that behind me and pushed on. I know it wont take long to get the natural roll off my foot again and my times will pick up. Plus if there had been no wind i would have been a good 5 - 8 secs faster per lap.

today it was 3km, 2km and 3 x 1km

5:39

5:42

5:39 = 17:00 for 3km

5:42

5:49 = 11:31 for 2km

5:41

5:42

5:37

its a good starting point again.

3km, 2km and 3 x 1km

Finally back on track

It has been a tough couple of weeks.  Mentally it would have to be the hardest I have faced in all my racewalking.

It all starts with that first little tweak you make to your style and slowly each day you add a tweak and before you know it - your style is no longer right and in fact so far to the wrong side that you sit there totally bamboozled as to how it happened and how you didn't realize.

The eye opener for me was the video from the Relay and the knowledge that that the race-walkers probably would have all been DQ'd (bent knees and lifting) while the rec and learner race-walkers were all fine.

So for two weeks I have pulled my style to pieces, tried to understand my coach, tried to follow advise.....and each video to be told...NOPE....do it again.....NOPE....do it again.

But today ................ yay for today................. What I had been calling my old double support and militant style.............was exactly what my coach had been wanting me to do.  All this time, it was right there and I just had NO idea.

I went to the Intermediate School today and just walked - back and forth - like you do with drills...but I just walked.  Doing what I thought was a very slow and chunky style and expecting to be told NOPE do it again.........but instead the most amazing thing happened......................I got told by my coach that what he saw in the video was PERFECT!! in fact even better than I looked in the STATEs....OMG.....I nearly did back flips.  So I am now back on track, full steam ahead and ready to start getting some speed again...properly!!!

8km out and back monaco

Lovely spring day. The cold front that was expected never eventuated but there is a stiff breeze out there with a slight chill on it. Sun shining, ducks chasing each other over the estuary .... its doesn't get much better than that.

I only had 8 km for today. I sort of wish I had the quiet week last week when I was struggling so much. But I am slowly pulling my self out of the pity well that I have dug myself.

All racewalkers that read my blog will understand that racewalking is really technical. Its not just about walking or rules. There is a whole raft of technical tweaks that can make you a more effective faster walker or on the flip side of that a faster non legal walker that gets totally into a tangle of bad habits. Well I went the latter and its taken some work and struggling to slowly untangle me back to where we first started tweaking.

I thought I had it yesterday at the track and my coach agreed that it was much better but just had to take it back one more step. Other comments conflicted that advice and it was a tough night for me while I mentally went through each and every step and movement. But I am happy to say that today's walk felt good, slow, but GOOD.

I felt my hips dropping with each step, I drove my knee down low and forward and forced my knees back using my glute to drive the leg back. My next step is to get my roll over my foot back and the push through.........NOT UP!! as I had been doing.

so 8km for 47:33

8km out and back monaco

21km out and back

This was meant to be 24km..............by 5km I knew I was in trouble. I had NOTHING in my legs. I was getting more and more confused and more and more frustrated.

Every time I felt something was not quite right I would stop and start again. I took a camel pack with me today and made sure that I took a drink. I would start again and feel nice and fluid and then after a km or two would start doubting myself.

I got out to the Main Road and decided to turn back. I honestly didnt feel I could complete 24km. As was on my return home I was still stop and starting. I think for about a km or two I felt ok...the rest ... well I just dont know. By 18km both toes were throbbing. I had planned on carring on past home to get in another couple of km but when I hit 21km out side the house...I was done. I was totally knackered!!! My glutes were totally fatigued and I was getting mentally tided in knots. So I figured that I felt good for that last km so I would end my walk on a good note. But today thats pretty much the only positive I could take out this walk. I am pretty disheartened that I couldnt even get 20km non stop out.

total time for 21 = 2:08:16

21km out and back

5km waimea - vanguard st

I was meant to do 11km today. I went out this morning with a friend but only managed to get 6km done. My toe was just excruciating.

So I came home and put some thought in to this wee problem. I have to do 24km tomorrow and I have to find away to get this done. I have lost SO much fitness and speed at the moment that I just cant afford to miss any workouts.

So I dragged out our lawn mower, threw on my old shoes and mowed our massive lawn. I found that in my old runners, my toe was not as sore. So I went and dug out my old training shoes. They are a heavier shoe but I used to train in them awhile ago. My toe was till tender but no where near as sore as this morning.

Right I am 4km short for my total of the day but the closest loop to home is my old 5km route (I didn't want to go up or down Beatson's Road) So Coach said go out and get back into your style and have some trust you will get it right. The first thing I noticed was how light on my feet I felt again and how smooth and fast it felt. This is an undulating course and not an easy one to figure out styles on as there really is no "flat" section in it. The 2km back home is just slightly up hill and its slightly enough to make it difficult to keep speed up. It was in this section that I could feel myself getting tired and it was a constant battle to keep my style going nice an smoothly. The good news was that I could tell immediately if any thing changed and correct it then and there. So thats progress.

total time for the 6km was 37:07

total time for the 5km was 28:39

5km waimea - vanguard st

12km fartlek

Wow, this breaking a habit by going back to an old habit is hard work....cause now I have to try to forget the old habit just restarted and get back to what I had in the States.

How did it all go so wrong so fast? Because I am an overachiever - give me a goal and I have to do better. So I pushed myself too hard and took advice to literal and bam! All I did was lean alittle to far forward and bingo, there goes everything. I never knew that there was such a FINE line between right and wrong with race walking. There are so many variations of racewalking that are all - right..............but one little tweak and they quickly become WRONG

Right...12km Fartlek...........one of my longest and I was apprehensive enough with all the other stuff in my head. I also wanted to be careful with pace as 12km was a far way to go.

First km and I felt very robotic. Stiff and chunky and upright. I could see in my shadow that the "racewalker" hips were back, so that means I am dipping but also to much side ways movement. My time was acceptable 5:24 but that was the only fast km. From there on in the wheels fell off so to speak. I was still suffering from a very sore toe. The toe was swollen at the tip and the nail stopped it swelling further. But if you touch the toenail it felt like you did so with a hammer. By 6km, I could see a red stain in the toe box so I stopped briefly to take some water and adjust my sock. I carried on and tried so hard to push and get my rhythm back but I just had no ooommmmppphhhh in me. I could not roll off my foot and push with my toe due to pain. I was pleased this was finally over...more so due to pain in my foot, but also I was really beating myself up again for doing this to myself.

Total Time 1:10:49

My Avg fast 500m was 2:47

My Avg Recovery 500m was 3:10

12km fartlek

15km out and back

Well .. sometimes to move forward, you have to go backwards.

So today my coach had me go out and walk 15km in my old style, standing straight up and putting my weight onto my back foot not my front. It felt weird. But the first interesting thing was I noticed in my shadow that my old racewalk wiggle came back. The next thing I noticed was the pull of my hips and I had to dip further, this also made me aware of lowering my knee and landing and keep my knee locked. There was not a bounce to be seen. But it did feel like stepping out of a turbo sports car into a beat up old Mini with no top gear!!

So it was a nice and steady 15km done in 1:33:58

15km out and back using old style

Style Tweaking at the track

Well after a discouraging week and weekend.  I have returned to the track to attack the basics.

It was really hard to break a bad habit.  Especially when you cant 'see' what it is you are doing or doing wrong.  So after 2km around the track and trying so many different ways to slow down, my calfs had pumped up and started cramping.  I had to stop!

So I got my camera out and started videoing.  I did a 400m catching me at the start and the end.  Then I could see what I was doing wrong.  So I tried to do another 2km but only got 400m out.

So I had a little stamp foot moment on the side of the track.....then tried it again.  This time I did get 2km out but much slower, but style wise felt better...but sort of chunky.

So I got the camera out and went back and forwards .... the harder i tried the worse I got......then finally I think I got it again.

So now to wait for the coach to view it and give me feed back.

But for the first time, I threw in the towel and came home.

track - style tweaking

Queen Charlotte Relay - Leg 3

The Princess Warriors all turned up at 8am...decked out in PINK!!! we loaded into my car and headed across the hill to Picton. I had hoped to catch up with my Mum but her services were unexpectedly needed else where, but she kindly let us use the house and even left out chocky biscuits - all the girls say Yummo and TA heaps!!! We decked our faces with swirls and dots while we waited til it was time to head down to the race start.

Race start was 11.30 -

Lap 1: Picton to Wedge Point. 5,100 metres (Undulating, then steady climb)

Maree was first up. Maree would like to dispute this description!!!! she always thought undulating meant there was some down hill!!! She powered up that hill and really kept the pressure on Ross from the other Nelson Walking team. While we were all waiting at the top of the hill for her and ross, we were standing by hives of bees...and sure enough someone got stung. Poor Sue (Ross's Wife) got stung in the temple, it was lucky that her team mate Wendy had an ice pack on hand. Ross popped up first and then about 4mins behind him up pops Maree in 37:26  - below is Maree 3km into her leg

Lap 2: Wedge Point to Momorangi Bay. 8,600 metres (Downhill, then undulating)

Andrea was up for this leg. After watching Wendy change over from Pete and power off down the hill like a cut cat, Andrea knew the chase was on! and boy what a chase she gave. Each time we drove past we would cheer and clap and call out encouragement. I think our team would have won the prize for the best supporters as we seemed to be the only ones calling and cheering the others on, whether they were in front of us or behind us. Other cars just drove past us in silence??? this was a fun event so we just got right into it. Andrea was really putting the pace on coming down the hills but sadly couldnt gain any ground on Wendy. At the next change over point we watched Pete lining up and take the batten from Wendy. So I had Pete to chase! Andrea was not too far behind about 10mins she came roaring down that hill to finish her leg in 51:47

below is Andrea about 6km into her leg.

Lap 3: Momorangi Bay to Linkwater. 8,100 metres (Fast and Flat)

This was my leg. I grabbed the batten hit my watch and was off. Fast and flat my arse!!!! first up for me was a hill, I had 20m of flat and then round a corner and up!!! I hate UP!! I knew I was being watched like a hawk by the other team and so made sure that everything was perfect. 1km into it and the hill leveled and came down again, then it did level out on to the flat and reminded me why I really dont like this leg much. Long LONG boring straights. I heard my car coming up behind me and everyone tooted and called out. Man it was nice to hear the encouragement as I was not feeling that energetic today. I knew that fast 10km yesterday had been at the cost of a really fast time today. But so be it. The camber of the road made it a little awkward to get your legs perfect each and every step and there was a sharp drop off to the right for most of the leg. I couldnt believe it when a car supporting a running team drove past, stopped and backed up to me...just to say "you look like you are running!" Nope I called out and they went on their merry way again. The girls had pulled over again and were filming me and cheering out as I past them again. On the last straight I looked up and I could see Pete ahead of me. Wow he has to be less than a km away. So I knew I had gained some time back. I came up to the batten exhange with Sharon on the ready. She took the batten and was off after Sue. I finished my leg in 43;11  Below is me in the middle of my leg

Lap 4: Linkwater to Moenui. 6,200 metres (Undulating, then a steady climb)

yep Sharon would agree with this description but would say it was steeper than a steady climb. We all knew she would catch Sue, it was just where and when. How far up the hill would it be. We were all getting so excited as this race had taken quite the turn. When we found out the others had formed a team, we pretty much said...yeah they have got it in the bag. But, we tactically placed our walkers to their best suited gait...not speed or pace. We would pass sharon and call out, take photos and video and then head to the next pullin. We continued this for as far as we were able. The last stop we made Sharon was about 20m behind Sue and had 2km to go. We drove up to the top at the last hand over point. Raylene was feeling so nervous, the pressure was starting to pull at her. We all had said right from the start...this is a FUN event and so long as we have FUN who cares where we place. But I think everyone was thinking that we had a chance to actually win this. But could Raylene hold off Roger (Wendys father) Sure enough Sharon popped up at the top first doing her leg in 45:04 Passing the batten to Raylene who headed off down the hill to the finish. Sure enough Sue popped up but we only had a 2 min lead on them.
Below is Sharon blasting through her leg.

Lap 5: Moenui to Havelock 6,650 metres (Steady rise, then sharp downhill and then undulating)

Raylene was off. Pushing hard to try and make some ground over Roger while she had the advantage of the downhill while she was still fresh. We went past her and cheered her along, stopping as often as we could. Her style has improved so much and it was so awesome to watch her really stretching out. The other team pulled in behind us and Pete was taking photos. I think the photo he got of Raylene was the shot of the day. The perfect photo that all racewalkers like to get - point to point and perfect arms. But Roger was right behind her and there was 3km to go. Roger managed to get past Raylene on the long down hill section just before you cross the bridge and head up to the Main Road and turn into Havelock. We drove on and went to the finish line and waited for Raylene to finish. Roger rounded the corner and crossed the line (team time of 3:37:??) About a minute of two later up pops Raylene. Wahooooo she pushes up the last little hill to cross the line. Her time for the last leg was 42:13 giving us a team time of 3:39:43
below is Raylene bringing it home on her leg.

We were all thrilled. We had all had so much fun and had laughed and chatted the whole way over and the whole way home. For as much as I said I wouldnt do it again........a few hours later and wine in hand......................why not...... hell yes I will do it again with the girls!!!

The Warrior Princess's

Queen Charlotte Relay - Leg 3

10km out and back NEW PB!!

This is what happens when you get EVERYTHING right!

Last night I made a huge Steak Casserole for dinner. It was soooo good that I ended up having 3 huge helpings, infact I finished it off. What a big piggy wiggy I felt. Then having a good nights sleep and getting in some food before my walk.

All this week I have been feeling out of sorts, not concentrating on my walking and letting negative thoughts invade my mind. Which was reflected in my training and became a vicious circle.

I knew I had to do 10km today and I had woken with a better attitude. First thing to life my mood was a phone call from Al Columbus from Fresh Fm to interview me about my nomination with Next magazine and no sooner had I hung up the phone went again with Mainland TV wanting to talk to me. So I went up and had 20min interview with them about my walking and also Next magazine. They were so taken with my race walking and up coming events that they are keen to do more on me. Who knows...I may end up working in Television yet!!! So this all set me up in a FANTASTIC mood and I found my AWESOME again.

now back to the walk. The rain had just stopped and the sun popped out...but it was windy again (sheltered where I started but fierce out at the 4km - 5km mark) I started up along the track and was concentrating on pushing hard from behind and using my glutes and actually did the fastest km split for up along the track. I continued to push hard as I went down Beatson Road and out over the over pass. I crossed the main road with out needing to stop and pushed hard out towards Monaco. It was this 1.5km section that I hit the fierce head wind. It was very hard pushing into it and keeping my pace up. I was still feeling great and strong. I was breathing hard and pushing hard. I turned at 5km in 27:08 (I lost time punching into the hard wind)

Now on the homeward bound and I decided to really start to push. Making sure I was using good style. I could feel my glutes working hard and I concentrated hard on leaving my foot behind me longer and pushing hard off the toes. It felt very fluid and smooth today and very fast. I pushed hard up over the overpass again - forcing myself to push and keep going. The last 3km are the hardest in this course. the 7th km is a long slow up hill (a gain of 31m) but it always feels harder than going up Beatsons which is a 40m gain. Out on the top of Beatson's and it is a 1km down hill to home. I really pushed hard down here getting my fastest ever km split out .... it is down hill so it should be very fast.

I hit the stop on my watch and just stared at it. Jumped up and gave a little wahoooo!!! I have just redeemed my self to my self and to my coach.

I know I was at my top end for pace - pretty much race pace for most of this walk - so in a race I would expect to get this time or a tad under it.

So time for my 10km is 54:24 for an avg pace of 5:26 and avg heart rate of 152

10km out and back

12km with 2 x 8mins race pace

My mood had picked up a little today but the weather was really testing me. It started raining about an hour before I left to go for my walk. I had the choice of 10km or 12km ...as I have a race on Saturday I opted to do the further distance today, but I am not used of walking the day after a 20km and it hurt.

During my 20km walk I had caught my foot on a large drain cover that goes over the walk way near the motorway. I very nearly face planted the pavement, lucky I got my hands out and my finger tips skimmed the ground and after a couple of large lunges I righted myself. I gave my self the once over for a minute as I continued to walk and nothing hurt at the time so continued on. Today I woke with pain in my left hamstring. I figured this was an off shot of the lunging I did to stay up right. So I was conscious of this during this walk and also another reason why I picked the longer walk today and then will do 10km tomorrow (personally I would prefer not to walk so far before a race....but I trust my coach)

I felt ok while I headed out. I put my long Dunlops on today as I thought it would rain. It didnt and I started over heating by 5km and by 8km realised that Dunlops are not for long walks....I was chaffing and not feeling comfortable at all.

Kms 3 & 4 were my two fast segments and again at km 7 & 8 but I was feeling pretty flat by the time I reached the base of Beatson Road. After a 20km and then this my glutes were fatigued and my legs were like lead. So I just plodded up Beatsons, I had figured I had gotten to 5km in 28:26 and 10km in 58:01 I was doin ok. Once again I had to remind myself that I am training....not racing my last 12km time. That the whole point of today was to do two burst of speed and to get any speed out directly after a 20km I was doing ok.

So I choose not to beat myself up about my time an just walk back up Beatsons.

total time for 12km 1:11:09 avg pace 5:56 avg heart 149

12km with 2 x 8mins race pace

20km out and back

Guess what........................its WINDY!!! in fact it is more so than yesterday........AARRRGHHHHHH Mother nature is really out to get me and make me crack!!!

I was going to meet up with a good friend and have her jog with me for some of the walk, but she was feeling unwell and opted to pass on it for today....boy did she make the right call.

I had a really strong head wind for the whole 10km out, it was getting tough with leaning slightly forward to punch into the wind. Twice I thought to turn around and swap Fridays walk for this one.

But when I turned back it was sooo good to have the tail wind. I was feeling very tired from the hard slog out and so I just wanted to get home. Nothing mush to tell in this walk other than thank goodness it is over. Now I need to focus on getting my awesome back and my happy hppy mood again.

Total time for 20km is 1:56:46

20km out and back