Old?

I just finished reading some posts on the MarathonWalkers board and noted that during the past few weeks there has been some discussion about older walkers...those over 50. It was all positive and encouraging for those new members who might have thought life was over at 50.

I'm headed towards the 66th year of my life and I am enjoying a great year of walking...October of 2005, I did my second marathon; I had a time of 5:57 and a few weeks ago I had a 5K time of 37:49, after a winter training break of 8 weeks. I will be doing the Bidwell Classic 1/2 marathon in another week and then I am signed up for 3 more marathons this year. Is 50 old? Not! Nor is 60 or 70. I'm not sure about 80...I'll let you know when I get there.

Rain

The storm has arrived with not much fanfare and a nice gentle rain. The good news is that we saw no rain at all when we did our ten mile walk this morning. It was a slow walk for us. We're certainly able to do faster ones, but since Jill had new gel arch supports, we kept it down to a nice cardio walk while she figured out whether the supports were doing any good...they weren't.

It was nice to see that we could do 10 miles without faltering, and we both agreed that we could have done an additional 3 if we had been so inclined. And it's 13 miles that we need to do next weekend.

Faster yet

The good times continue as Jill and I were able to do a good, fast paced circuit of the park yesterday morning. The cloud cover had kept the temperatures moderate and that certainly helped. And we’re going to do another, a longer walk this morning in preparation for next weekends Bidwell Classic. If we can get in 10 miles this morning, at a moderate pace, we will be good to go for the race.

The weather for the race is sort of “iffy”…forecasts now call for rain on Friday, partly cloudy on race day (30% chance of rain) and rain again on Sunday.

A New Day

What a difference a day makes...or a degree or two. I was becoming frustrated with my inability to gain any speed. I had a feeling that it was simply the temperature that was holding me back. This morning I went around the course in 81 minutes, a 12.96 minute/mile average. At one point (4 miles) I was up to 4.9 mph. And the day? It was grand! It was warm and sunny...and that made the difference. Here's some pictures of the park as it appeared this morning...

Smile!

Another day in the park.
Yesterday, I got in just a little over 6 miles in the cold. At least 3 miles went by before I could feel any warmth returning to my cramped muscles. I have to admit that training and cold don’t go well together for me. I love the heat!

This morning I decided to go for a long walk. A long slow walk. So I dressed in jeans, t-shirt and sweatshirt. I needed the sweatshirt for the pockets, as I planned on taking some photographs and I knew I would go through some batteries.

Off I went; doing a good 4.3 mph. That is considered brisk walking and will certainly raise the heart rate and build muscle. Then, seeing something scenic, I stopped to take a picture. Darn! Batteries died in the act of extending the lens. So I put the camera away and hurried on. After awhile I saw another great image and decided to change batteries. I raised the camera and that set of batteries died as well. Now my pockets contained 8 dead batteries and one useless camera.

I decided to make the circuit and then go across the street to the drugstore and buy 4 batteries. And off I went again, doing the 6.25 miles in 87 minutes. That’s a 13.92 minute per mile average and pretty good for my long and slow walk.

Then I headed to the drugstore and got the batteries. I turned the camera on again and then saw the message “No Card”. What? Where had I left the memory card? I headed back to the car, hoping that the card was sitting on the back seat. No such luck. That was when I decided to cut my long walk to a short one…7.25 miles…and go home. Where I see my memory card sitting in the holder next to my monitor.

Winner

I got a call from my #1 daughter the other day. She was calling to tell me that I had won something at the Almond Blossom 5K…I had left right after the race as I had to get back to Orland to pursue my “artistic” career. Our watercolor class had already started and I was late!

Granddaughter Meghan and son-in-law David were at the awards ceremony and heard my name being called as the winner of the 5K Men’s Walking division. Meghan was kind enough to accept my award for me.

We went into town yesterday and picked up the award (Denise had brought it to work with her) and I must say it is quite nice! A dark green enameled plaque with the name of the race on it and the date. It has been a long time since I had last received an award of any kind…was it the pie eating contest in Manhattan Beach, back when I was about 9 years old? I think I placed first in that memorable contest.

Obviously, the Almond Blossom is now my favorite race and I must prepare to defend my title next year, as I’m certain that many will want to topple me from my throne. I’m going to have to do better than 37:49 for the 5K, that’s for sure!

Almond Blossom Results Just in...

The first race of the season, a 5K is over and I did well enough to please myself. I’m only doing for me anyway, so that is all I really need in the way of encouragement. The race started on time, and just before the gun, a gentleman asked me if I was going to walk it? He had been watching my practice sprints and had figured out that I was certainly not a runner. He told me that he had injured himself and would have to walk this race, though he certainly wished he could run it. We wished each other well and the gun sounded…off to the races!

I quickly maneuvered past the recreational walkers and settled into a good racing pace, one that I knew I could maintain for the full distance. I could see the crippled runner up ahead of me and noted that he was staying just about the same distance in front of me and not pulling away. At the 1.6K mark I was starting to close in on him. When we reached a point about ¼ mile from the turnaround, I had caught up and we began to talk. He was a former track coach and had been running marathons for quite awhile. He was exploring the possibility of changing over to racewalking if his injuries didn’t heal as expected.

We enjoyed the conversation and it kept us moving along without any strain. I still maintained the pace I started with and I think I helped him to keep up as well. When we got to the parking lot and close to the finish line, he indicated that I should make a dash for it as he wasn’t going to…I accelerated away and crossed the finish line in an ET of 37:49, which would be about a 12.09 minute per mile average for me. And I liked that!

I wasn’t tired and I knew I could have gone faster, but I had enjoyed the talk of races, past, present and future and that was better.

The cold? I decided to go with short sleeved shirt and running shorts, expecting that the walk would have me heated up pretty fast and I was right. I never did sweat, though I was right at the verge most of the time.

And afterwards I was really pumped...so on the way home I turned the radio up, real loud, and listened to arias from the opera "Aida". Perfect!

Not the best of days

I arrived at the park with the best of intentions. It all went downhill from there. Figuratively. Here's a photo of the parking area where I start.Not many people here at 7:30 I started out fine, but then noticed that my right heel was being rubbed, so I stopped and adjusted my laces. After a few more minutes, my foot felt cramped by the laces so I loosened them a little. That only started the heel rubbing syndrome again. What was the matter? I wore these shoes yesterday without a problem? Well, I persevered and finally ended up doing about 4 miles total before I decided it was too close to race time (tomorrow) for me to be fooling around with a possible blister. I headed back to the car and then took the time to shoot a few more photos...here's the swimming pool at 1-Mile. No one seems to be taking advantage of it?
And here's a shot of the creek as it enters the swimming pool...

A little better

I have just returned from the park, where I was able to get in a decent walk. Not the fastest, but it was certainly better than yesterday’s fiasco. I did the 6.25 miles in 84 minutes; then I took a minute off of that number because of stopping a few times to blow my nose and make adjustments to my clothing. Make that 83 minutes and that puts me at 13.28 minute miles. And that’s OK.

The walk started off OK, but it took almost 2 miles for my body to get used to the cold. Breathing that chilly air was almost painful! At the 4 mile point I took off my ear warmers and gloves and never needed them again.

Ugly!

Ugly was the right word for it. I couldn’t get going this morning. First, I was a little slow getting on the road this morning and then once I arrived at the park and hit the pathway…I slowed down even more. Was it because it was cold and I decided to leave the long pants on? Or was it the sweatshirt? My ears were warm and at one point, it felt as if that was the only warm part of me, no matter how hard I tried to gain some speed. I finally told myself to hang on for 2.3 miles out and 2.3 back. Which I did in 65 minutes. And that equals 14.13 minute miles. Oh, terrible!

Tomorrow is supposed to be even colder, 29 degrees, but I’m going to avoid the sweatshirt. I think that was the culprit.

Once Around the Park

Ah, very good! I did the circular route around Bidwell in 83 minutes. (13.3) It was a good time to see how much faster I could go, as the temperature was in the 40’s and it will be quite a bit cooler in the days to come. There was nothing special about the walk today, although I did stop briefly to introduce myself to the “other” Chico racewalker. We kind of shuffled in place as we shook hands, made a polite comment or two and then took off again. I might have lost 10 seconds in the exchange…

Faster?

Well, not much...I did the circuit in just under 84 minutes and that is an improvement. (13.44)

I had to begin the walk with my hands tucked into my sleeves, but my ears were toasty warm...Thanks Kitty & Dean! In fact, I had to pull the ear warmers off after a few miles and let my ears flap in the breeze to cool off.

And I ran into one of those dogs who shouldn't allow his master in the park. One man was leading two dogs on leashes and the other man's dog (no leash) began to circle the trio. The clueless gentleman kept calling his dog, who now had the trio all tied up in leashes...but the dog was ignoring him. You might have thought that the clueless one would walk over and separate the dog from the mess he had created, but no...he simply continued to call the dog, "Here Howie!" "Please, Howie!"

Faster

12.6 minutes per mile…
That was the score for today. I didn’t do the full 6+ miles, deciding at the last minute to do a faster 5 mile walk instead. The sore muscles played a small, but powerful part in that decision.

And it was a beautiful day for a walk. Chilly, but clear and sunny. And I love the fact that walking expands your brain as well as doing good things for your body. Walking just makes you feel more alive!

All of the way around

Another good, but somewhat painful morning. I got in a full 6.25 circuit of the park and did it in 85 minutes. (13.6 minutes per mile) I’ve done it before in 78 minutes without a problem but that isn’t going to happen for a week or two. The muscles I stretched yesterday were complaining a bit this morning, but I had to ignore them if I were to get in a full practice. And then, just to make certain that I was on the right track; I got rid of the warm-up pants and did another 2 miles. A little slower, but still in the 14 minute range.

Tuesday

Tuesday is here and all seems to be well. My body didn’t fall apart after a good workout yesterday and so I will do it again this morning. It’s a little less than 3 weeks to the running of the Bidwell Classic ½ Marathon and I hope to be in shape for it. I won’t embarrass myself; that I know. But I want to make myself proud as well.

Yesterday, I spent a few hours at the Orland Library conducting a survey of the patrons. Boring! I had to ask each person coming in the door whether or not they lived in the city of Orland, or did they live in the county? Perhaps out of the county? Since the day was nice, I did most of my interviewing in the vestibule…it was cooler. And while I was there, I spotted a notice for the 24th running of the Almond Blossom 10 & 5k races in Durham on the 18th of February. T-shirts and medals for age divisions…sounds good to me and the timing is perfect; just two weeks before the Classic. Let’s see now, 5k is ??? OK, one kilometer is .62137 of a mile so I multiply that by 5 to get 3.10685 miles. And I should be able to racewalk that distance in about 40 minutes. I know I should be faster, so I will aim for 36 minutes.

Been There, Done That...

Mission accomplished. I got in my training time this morning. It started off well as I quickly found my way up to 4.8 mph. It’s so great to feel your body responding to the demands. Even though it has been a few months since my last training day, the rhythm was easily found again.

After about 2.5 miles, I decided it was time to tone it down. I was getting overheated because of the hat and gloves so I put those into my pack and dropped my speed down to 4.6 mph.

After about 5 miles, I decided to cut it short as I was getting some chafing that I hadn’t anticipated. Overall, I went close to 6 miles (5.8) and had maintained a 4.6 mph average. I’m happy with that.

Odd: Walking east, a couple with a dog approached and as they went by, the man looked at me and said, “You look curious.” Startled, I turned toward him and he repeated himself. I tried to figure it out. Did I look curious to him? Or did I look as if I were curious? I would have to say that afterwards I looked…baffled!

As I was saying...

An auspicious weekend! Jill and I signed up for the Midnight Sun and the Avenue of the Giants marathons. It’s a done deal. No backing out now! The money has been sent…Now we need to find travel and lodging. Our semi-plan is to do a marathon in each state and so far we have done Oregon. 49 to go. The one we’re looking forward to the most is Hawai’i and there are 2 or 3 to choose from over there.

Plans

The plans are coming together. Jill and I will be doing the Midnight Sun marathon in Anchorage in June. Now we need to make some plans for it. Hotels and airlines need to be reserved. But first we have to register...

And it looks we’re putting together quite a good schedule for the whole year. Bidwell Classic ½ in early March. The month of May will see us in the redwoods as we tackle the Avenue of the Giants marathon. June is Alaska and then we are clear until October when we will do two marathons, a week apart. Those are the Portland and Susanville marathons. We still need an April race and I wouldn’t mind doing a half marathon sometime in August or September.

Alaska

It looks like the Midnight Sun marathon (June) is a go...And we are also hoping to do the Avenue of the Giants marathon in May. All we need now is a decent 1/2 marathon in April. Hmmm?

A Plan

OK, it sounds like my walking partner wants to do the Midnight Sun marathon…it’s always been on my short list and so I’m up for it. It’s a walker friendly marathon and I’ve never been to Alaska. So what’s not to like about that combination? Now I have to do some searching for accommodations and travel. I think that Alaska/Horizon Airlines flies out of Redding and if true, that would be the best place to start.

Should we do another one prior to June? We have the Bidwell ½ in March and possibly? the Valley of the Sun ½ in late March. Late April or early May would be a good time for another full marathon.

Live From CES

Garmin Forerunner 205 and 305

As a marathoner, can I justify this expenditure? Please tell me Yes!...

New Stuff for the New Year

The New Year has arrived and I need to get busy with a training program again. Yesterday, I registered on-line for the Bidwell Classic, the ½ marathon that will be held on March 4th. The Chico Running Club has been putting on this event for 35 years now and it’s a great way to begin the marathon season. I wonder if they welcome walkers in their club?

Rain

It’s raining again and so I know I won’t be out in Bidwell Park today. With this weather to contend with, the training has slowed to almost non-existent status. And I must report that my right foot is bothering me once again. I really need to find a good shoe for those times when I don’t want to wear a tennis shoe for daily wear. I have pretty much decided that it’s my favorite shoes that are causing the problem. These are old shoes that I used to wear all of the time when traveling and since they don’t have a metal arch support, they are suspect. (Metal would set off alarms at the airport and so I enjoyed wearing these shoes and walking right through security) Now it’s time for me shop around for a substitute pair of shoes. In the meantime I will need to go back to using ibuprofen to relieve the inflammation.

As I stated, I haven’t returned to my walking regimen and I need to do that soon. I think we have a marathon to do in March (Phoenix?) and I know we have the Bidwell Classic half marathon in March as well. I need to register for both of those events and that will help with the motivation process and get me out onto the pathways of Bidwell.

Odd…I could have sworn that the Valley of the Sun was a full marathon? The website now shows it as a half?

And here’s the full marathon link…Marathon Guide

Falling Behind

As you may have noticed...I haven't had much to say here recently. And I'm not going to beat myself up over it. The holidays are upon us and I don't have the time to give to a regular training schedule. So I'm taking a break...without guilt! With the New Year will come a new training regimen and we're still hoping to do a marathon in Arizona (March) and a half marathon. (Bidwell Classic...also March?) Hmm, I better check and see if there's a conflict.

Another winter day in the park. I started off at a slow pace and kept it there for the entire time. 4.5 mph was a good workout and I wanted to treat my right foot to an easy walk. After about 4 miles, I felt some twinges of pain in the foot but nothing too serious, so I kept going. And instead of going around the park, I decided to exit the park and walk over to Teaz Me. As I stopped at signal and waited, I noted that I had gone a little over 6 miles in 1:21. Those are decent times and miles. (I should note here that I spent some of that walking time thinking about creating another blog...)

But I wasn’t prepared for the pain in my foot when I got up to leave the restaurant. I hobbled and limped my way back to the park and to my car, and by the time I reached the car, the pain was almost gone again. It’s time for more ibuprofen!

Back at it

I'm just back from a short walk in the park. I did a 5 mile walk and did it in 1:06...that would be a 13.2 minute/mile average, not my best effort. But I had a good excuse in that my right foot was still bothering me. I went out fast, doing the first 3 miles at an average of 4.9 mph and then I decided to save myself from any lasting damage and walked back in at a leisurely pace.

It was beautiful day, lots of sunshine and some frost. I think it was right around 33 degrees when I started and although I was wearing shorts and a light shirt, the fact that I had gloves and a wool watch cap on made for a very comfortable walk...except for the walk back when I had slowed down. That was when I felt the cold!

OK, that's a good start. Now I will take tomorrow off but will return to the park on Monday for a full circuit.

Not so cool...

Darn! I have been bothered by a painful right foot for the past week and that has kept me from the circuit. I'm not sure of the reason for it, it just seemed to happen one morning. I have looked at both feet, comparing them, and I see a slight swelling on the instep of the right foot, but I have no idea as to what is causing it. It simply hurts to walk on it. And when I favor that foot, it causes the muscles in my calf to hurt as well.

I'm taking some ibuprofen now, hoping that will alleviate the pain and reduce the swelling. So far, so good...I can walk a short distance without any pain.

Cooler

I’m back…and it was a great walk this morning. Early of course, and cool. I think it was 39 degrees when I went by the thermometer in front of the bank. But I had a pair of wool raglan gloves ready for the occasion. I started off, eager to get the blood flowing and warming me. I had spent too much time in a heated car on the way to the park. Now it was cold reality that greeted me during the first mile. Darn! I sure wish I had something for my ears. (I will stop at the store today and get something that will serve as a sweatband and ear warmer.)

The pace was quick and I spent some time fiddling with my technique…which was probably the wrong thing to do. Finally, I contented myself with simply driving my hands across my chest in short, hard jabs that moved my hips along with them. That increased my pace and I was soon warmed by it.

At mile 4, it was time to rid myself of the gloves and I no longer noticed any discomfort to my ears. In fact, I was quite toasty! And I decided not to look at the GPS unit any longer, I was just going to look at the clock when I finished. And I finished in 1:17. That’s a 12.16 minute mile average for the 6.33 miles.
(Hey Jill! How about that?)

Giveaway

OK, here it is...I'm giving away another invention. The other day, as Jill and I circled the park, my shoe lace came loose and I had to stop and fix things. After I resumed my pace and caught up with her, I began to think that there might be a neat solution for loose laces. A little plastic gizmo that held the lace ends and attached to the laced portions of the shoe came to mind. I know, that has already been invented...but here is where I would innovate! The plastic gizmo would be large enough to display a logo or symbol. Small enough to never interfere with your stride. And it would be "electronic", with the logo/symbol lighting up. The process of printing batteries is already developed and I can see them printing the batteries onto the back of the gizmo. You could have your Nike "Swoosh" light up, or your high school mascot...Go Mustangs!

Don't forget where you got this idea.

Way Cool, but not cold

The wind was blowing and the leaves were falling like rain. And I was enjoying a good walk around Bidwell. After a slow start, I worked up to 12:32 minute/mile pace and finished the 6.33 miles in 1:18. What was cool was the fact that I did it without a pacing partner.

Now that I have good speed and endurance developed, I need to work more on my technique. What I have a problem with is the push-off as my trailing leg rises off the pavement. When done right, it's quite smooth. My push-off makes me appear "hoppy". And it's the push-off that gives you more speed.

Unfortunately, there are very few racewalking enthusiasts in this area, so I can't get the personal training advise I used to get when walking and training with the Sierra Race Walkers.

Racewalk

Racewalk.com - Home PageNow why didn't I see this before? Everything (I think?) for the serious racewalker. Check out the Equipment (Shoes) pages as there is plenty of information there.

Race Walking Magazine or E-zine

Race Walking Record - Welcome
It's a British magazine, but it might inspire you if you read the news about the races...And they offer one free .pdf issue.

Inspiration is what it's all about!

Bidwell Park

Here's a satellite view of Bidwell Park. As you can see, Highway 99 runs through the lower portion. But the highway is elevated at this point and makes a minimal impact on the park. It really is a great place for training.

Hersey Custom Shoes

Custom made shoes that fit each foot!
I was interested in these; in fact, very interested. But I see that they are not taking any new customers at this time. And their website tells the visitor to "Check back with us in one month"...one month from when? From now? Or from whenever the notice was added? Baffled!

Fast laps

It didn't start out as a particularly fast walk, but it sure ended up that way. When we began, Jill was having a problem with her Achilles tendon. We hadn't stretched before walking and that might have had something to do with it. But after that problem eased, we began to hit our stride, doing five miles in 59:38. When we hit the 6.33 round trip mark we were at 1:18. We then continued on and finished with 8 miles completed at an average of 12:08 minutes per mile. Now that's a good time!

Let's see, if we could do 26.2 miles at that pace...we would (potentially) have a 5:24 marathon time. We did Portland 2005 with a 5:56 time.

Early Morning Training

Jill and I will head to the park this morning and get in a long walk. We’re going for an 8 or 9 mile walk at a good pace. We did 6.33 miles yesterday and did it fairly fast and we weren’t really straining; except for the last 50 yards, where we raced each other and that was a tie. Despite a reduced (post marathon) training schedule, we seem to be doing quite well. My plans for a half marathon time of 2:45 seem to be more than just possible. Consider the fact that my last ½ marathon time, the Bidwell ½ marathon in 2002, was 2:48:25. And my first ½ marathon time, in 2001, was 3:04:17. What a difference!

A Good One

I had some good company this morning as Jill was able to make the rounds of the park with me. We started off at a decent pace and within a few miles, we were into the Zone...where we could have gone on that pace forever, or so it seems. It turned to be a 12:47 pace and that's not shabby at all, doing the 6.33 miles in 1:22 We're going to try an 8 miler tomorrow at that pace or better.

A Slow Day

13.38 and 4.48 mph...that was the best I could do today. I felt fine, but the legs weren't moving as they should have. Maybe it was the time of day; it was around 9:45 and I'm more of an early morning person. I like the feeling I get when I head out at 6:30 or 7, or as soon as it's light.

Weight 201 BP 110/67 Pulse 66

A Pretty Good Day

I got in another good walk before the rains come. I did the usual 6.33 miles in the usual 1:20. That seems to be a pace that I enjoy; in fact, about mile 4 I felt that I could have gone for hours at that pace. It just felt right!

It was 45 degrees when I started and after a few miles I was wishing that I had something to keep my ears warm. Despite an absence of hair, my head is quite warm, so I don't want a hat...I need to buy one of those bands that goes around your head and covers your ears.

There are fewer and fewer people in the park, now that fall has made it's presence known with falling temperatures. But I did run across the Beagle Brigade; 5 beagles and 3 women. Getting past that group without being entangled in the leashes was very tricky!

PLan for the day

Ok, plans for the day; they must include a fast walk in the park! I need to make sure I get in at least four days of walking this week. 5 days would be better. I weighed myself yesterday and I was up to 203 pounds. Ideally, my weight should be at 195 and so I must concentrate on my diet. The exercise will take care of itself. But, this is the beginning of the most tempting months of the year. Beginning with left-over candy from Halloween. Next up is Thanksgiving with pies and potatoes and gravy and I’m sure there will be some stuffing. (How apt a name!) Christmas will only tempt with even more of the same. And this time of the year brings us colder weather and the body cries out for items like stew, chili and rich soups. Salad or a grilled cheese sandwich? The answer is obvious, but will I make the right choice?

The Phoenix marathon is not that far away…8 pounds; be gone!

One More Time

Another day and another 6.33 miles. I missed walking on Saturday as both of my grandchildren’s soccer games were given a “bye” and so I didn’t make the trip into town. I know I should have gone anyway…and I have already spoken sternly to myself about it. It shouldn’t happen again.

This morning’s walk was done in solid fashion, 6.33 miles in 1:20 and using the racewalking technique all the way. The goal for the coming month is to do a half marathon distance while racewalking and do it with a 12.5 minute per mile pace. That will prepare me for the Bidwell Classic in March.

Fast Times at Bidwell

Back in Bidwell. The day was chilly, 47 degrees, but I warmed up fairly quickly and after a few miles I broke a sweat. I was wearing a plain cotton long sleeved shirt and they don’t breathe that well. And after 5 miles, I was having a problem with sweat getting into my left eye. Ouch! I need to make sure I’m wearing a better shirt next time.

1 hour and 37 minutes. 8 miles. That adds up to a great walk this morning. The GPS unit told me that I was doing 5 mph. I did the calc’s and came up with 12.13 minutes per mile. Now I have to ask myself; would a marathon average of 12 minute miles be within my reach? I think so.

The park was beautiful this morning, with lots of sunshine and no wind. The only problem I encountered was a “rolling roadblock”, 5 walkers, walking side by side and taking up the whole roadway. This was on the south side where the road narrows; and I had to veer off onto the shoulder to pass.  

26.2 Reasons Why...

26.2 Reasons Why...
I "ran" across this blog the other day and found it interesting. And if you're interested in running a marathon, this might be of some inspiration to you.

No, I'm not changing my goals and becoming a runner. Racewalking is still my sport. And today I need to get out to the park and get in more than the usual 6.33 miles of practice. But I had better do it early as I see that the forecast is for rain later today.

Back At It

I was back in the park once again. And I was able to get in some decent times in my circuit. I did the 6.33 miles in 1:19 and that translates to 12.48 minute miles, or 4.8 mph.

As usual, I had reservations about the morning walk; would I be fast enough? Had I spent too many days away from the circuit? And what about the desserts I had consumed over the past few days? Would they come back to haunt me?

I started off too fast, getting right up to 5.2 mph for about ½ a mile and then I realized what was happening and I slowed to a comfortable 4.7 pace for most of the way around. When I had gone about 5 miles, I decided to up the pace a bit and I finished strong.

Also, I was giving my new NB 111’s another chance and this time they were comfortable for the entire time. Perhaps they are finally broken in?

Weight 202 (Shame!) BP 122/68 Pulse 63

Another Day in the Park

Another day in the park. It was cloudy and cool, good walking weather. And walk I did; doing 6.33 miles in 1:21 (12.79 min/mile)

I like this pace; a 4.6-7 mile per hour pace and if I were to keep this up for a marathon distance, I would do the 26.2 mile race in a little over 5 ½ hours. An improvement of, perhaps, 20 minutes over last week’s time.

I was a little bothered by my knee at first. The same knee I injured in Portland when I fell. It feels a little puffy, as if there were fluid building around the injury, but there is no pain at all, even during a fast walk. So for now I will assume that all is well, but I need to keep an eye on it.

And I should probably take a camera with me during the next few trips to Bidwell. The landscape is changing dramatically as the leaves are beginning to fall, giving the park a whole new look. In fact, my GPS unit seemed to be working better today and I am wondering if a lesser amount of leaves would create greater accuracy?

Race Results

Race ResultsHey! My name is still there! (way down at the bottom)

Sierra Race Walkers Home Page

Sierra Race Walkers Home Page
I'm still a member of this organization...but I had better send in my dues if I want to continue! The members (some) will be in Chico for the Bidwell Classic in march of 2006 and I hope to renew some friendships.

Recap

It was once more around the park and doing it while racewalking. This time I decided to slow it down a little and try to work on my form...such as keeping my back straight and my head up. It's actually more comfortable that way, but I still have a tendency to lean forward and keep my head down. Why do I want to look down at the road? Anyway, I ended up doing the 6.33 miles in 83 minutes, or 13.11 minutes per mile. That is faster than any of our Portland splits.

Racewalking Humor

I ran across these recently...
Racewalking is a Hip Sport.
Racewalkers are Hip People.
Actual Atlanta Racewalk T-shirt (can be ordered by calling said number): On the front: "RACEWALKING: THE HIP WAY TO WALK" On the back, it says, "How is my Walking? Call 404-847-WALK."
Racewalkers Do It With Technique!! -- With one foot on the ground at all times!
"Runners who racewalk run faster"
"Racewalking: the benefits of running without the injuries"
"It's OK. I think RUNNERS look funny"
"Are you going to let a walker beat you?"
"I love to run" (with "run" struck through a "racewalk" written below it)
"If I'm walking 'as fast as' you're running, how come I just passed you?"
"The World Record for the 20 km RACEWALK is 1:17:25 -- You can't even bike that fast!"

All Right!

I just got back from a walk around Bidwell Park. I figured that it was time for me to get back on the road if I wanted to stay in shape. I must say that I enjoyed the days off after the marathon, but...I had to find out if I was still in good shape after the rigors of last weekends 26.2 miles at a fast pace. So I decided to go once around the park as fast I could. And, surprise! I did the 6.33 miles at an average of 12.16 minutes per mile. That's real close to 5 mph.

For the metrically minded, that's 6.33 mile = 10.1871475 kilometers or 7.558 kph. I think.

And I should note here that I used a racewalking form throughout the entire time. It wasn't the best form ever seen and I would have been DQ'ed if I had been in a judged race. But as much as I enjoy plain old fast walking...it has limits and racewalking doesn't. If I want to go fast, I have to racewalk. It's all about efficiency when you need to get beyond the 12.5 mph barrier of fast walking, and racewalking, with short steps and fast turnovers is the only way to go.

Clarity

My, how things change after the excitement dies down...At the finish of the marathon, I was certain that there were only 2 or 3 people between Jill and myself. I heard them call her name and then it seemed like I was stepping over the mat right behind her. Not! I was checking out the race photos on the photographers website and there had to be at least 6 or 7 people crossing the finish before I got there. Oh, well...

And this; after the race and in the finish area, I saw a racewalker that I knew from my practice walks in Bidwell Park and I was certain that I had come in before he had. After all, he was hanging out around the area where they remove your chips. And so I assumed...wrong again. Looking through the photos I found him and read his bib number. Checking that number against the results I found that he beat me by about about 10 minutes...and he's 74 years old! I never would have guessed.

You're it. Get fit!

You're it. Get fit!
You might want to look into this...I joined up and already have 2400 points toward my Bronze medal. ( I used my marathon experience) No matter what your political bent is, this about fitness and not the president. And hey! A medal is always nice...plus it's your tax money, might as well use it!

More walking

The search for more walker friendly marathons goes on. Surprisingly, there aren't that many. Walker friendly means an open course time of at least 7 hours, and not that many cities want to close streets for that long of a time, even on a Sunday. Portland has an 8 hour open course and re-routes those walkers who are at a 7 hour pace. But Portland looks at the marathon as an opportunity, not a task. They make $13 million on the race and over half of that comes from walkers.

I see Phoenix, Fargo and San Diego in my future...they have the kind of marathons I think I'm going to like. Reno has a marathon, but it's a runners race...too bad. And next year around this time, it's our plan to do Portland one week and Susanville the next. Two marathons in 7 days is the plan.

So this means that I will need to get back out on the road and continue the practice...January 15th is coming quickly and that means the Arizona Rock and Roll marathon!

Our Pictures

Here we are, posing in our new shirts with medals included. This was taken on Monday afternoon and doesn't reveal how painful some simple actions have become...such as bending and walking!

Portland, October 9, 2005

And what a wonderful weekend it was. We arrived late Friday afternoon and after visiting with Jill’s grandfather for a short time, Bill drove me into downtown Portland and I checked in to the hotel. I was asleep by the usual hour of 10. I woke up a little later than usual, but by 7, I was already starting to feel the pre-race excitement building and thought that a little more caffeine and some sugar would certainly not be inappropriate for such an exciting weekend, so I left the hotel and went looking for a good cup of coffee.

In downtown Portland, there are more Starbuck’s stores than there are parking places! And so it wasn’t long before I had large latte in one hand and a pastry in the other. Then I decided that it was time for some exercise and a tour of the starting area. So I walked over a few blocks and watched as work crews began erecting tents and placing barriers at the start/finish line area, and they were almost through with the placing of the hundreds of bright blue portable toilets that would line both sides of 4th Avenue.

As long as I was up and certainly awake, I figured that a short walk around the downtown area would be in order, so I left the crews to finish their work and headed downhill towards Chinatown. And as I crossed Morrison, I made a mistake. My toe caught the slight curb at the handicapped ramp and down I went. Hard. I put my hands out and that kept my face from being planted into the concrete but it didn’t save my left knee from smacking the edge of the curb. And as I fell, in slow motion; I was actually thinking of all the hours of training that I had put into this marathon and would it all end right here, sprawled on a Portland sidewalk?

I got up slowly and made certain that nothing was broken. Then I retrieved my hotel room keys; they had flown out of my pocket when I hit the sidewalk and had gone about 10’. My knee hurt, but it wasn’t broken so I decided to try a little walking, just to make sure that it didn’t stiffen up.

After a block or two, the knee started to hurt a little less and so I decided to keep going and eventually I walked about 5 miles. All during this time, my mood was going from one extreme to the other. Would I be able to walk at all on Sunday? I couldn’t come this far and not compete; but how far and how fast?

By the time I arrived back at the hotel, the pain was almost gone and my mood was on the positive side. But all during the day and into the evening, I felt every little twinge and worried about it.

Jill joined me that afternoon and we went to a local restaurant for the obligatory carb loading dinner of pasta. All quite good. Then Jill suggested that I ice the knee and take some Aleve to combat the inflammation. I kept the ice on it for about 20 minutes and then it was numb. And numb was certainly better than how it felt earlier. Now it was time for bed…and prayers that it would be better in the morning.

Sunday morning came quickly and we were awake at 5. Excited. The day we had trained for had arrived. My knee was sore to the touch, but I seemed to be able to walk smoothly and without any discernible limping. Maybe? We headed downstairs and joined the crowds that were heading toward the starting area. It was 6:15 and still quite dark. After a quick stop for Jill to grab a scone and coffee we immersed ourselves in the crowd and made our way, slowly, into the 14/15 minute mile pace group.

There are large signs in the street with minute per mile pace numbers on them and the idea is to group yourself with those who walk at a similar pace. This ensures that the start will be somewhat orderly and the faster runners and walkers won’t have to stumble over the slower ones.

We were in the middle of the street now, surrounded by the crowd. A crowd of 13,000 people, all ready for the 7 AM start. Excited? You bet! And at 7, we heard a cheer from the front of the crowd. The race had started!

There were so many people ahead of us that it would be almost 10 minutes later before we would cross that same starting line; but since your actual starting time is automatically recorded on the “chip” you have strapped to your shoe when you cross the electronic starting mat, all is well.

I’m tall enough so that I could enjoy the sight of the thousands of runners ahead of us, moving quickly down the street. Jill wasn’t as fortunate and had to content herself with my description of the scene. But, after a few more minutes, the crowd began to loosen up a little and we began to walk a little faster. After about a quarter mile, we passed a group of drummers who were beating out a rapid bass rhythm that echoed among the tall buildings. That really got us moving! By the time we reached the China Gate we were up to 4.7 mph and I told Jill I thought it would be wise to slow down a little; after all, we still had about 25 miles to go!

The miles seemed to pass slowly at first and by the time we reached 6 miles, it really seemed much slower than normal, yet the clock times were showing us that we were the 13 minute/mile range? Volunteers call out the gun time elapsed minutes at each mile so that you can get an idea of how you are doing. We were doing fine; it just didn’t seem very fast.

We picked up water and sports drink at each water station, just a sip or two and no more, as there are plenty of these aid stations along the route. And around the 12 mile mark, we were handed a Marathon candy bar…now that became the highlight of that portion of the race! Best candy bar I ever ate. And the miles kept coming, but still slowly; or so it seemed.

All during the first half of the race, we stayed among the same general group of walkers and that was fine with us. But, at mile 16 that would change. I had told Jill about the hill leading to the St. John’s Bridge and we both knew that we could really “shine” on this portion. And up the hill we went, our pace never slacking. We passed people all the way up that hill and over the crest of the bridge. Then a quick downhill where we jogged. Then it was relatively flat as we walked along the bluffs above the Willamette River. And again we were passing more and more people, while the miles seemed to pass ever more quickly. According to our rough calculations we were still close to a 13 minute/mile pace after 20 miles. And we both knew that we would finish the race. After all, we only had 6 miles left.

And my knee? Well, after the first 4 miles, it had become pain free. Oh, I knew it was still injured but it wasn’t bothering me anymore. And it remained that way for the entire race.

Finally, we saw the entrance to the Steel Bridge and on the other side of that are the last 3 miles. We continued our pattern of passing people, Jill to the right and me to the left. One mile to go and then a half mile. Jill was really excited now as the end was near and she urged me to follow her in a run for the finish. Somehow, I was able to do that and I ran for the last 3 blocks. What a feeling! I heard them call out Jill’s name as she crossed the line and 24 seconds later my name was called out as well.

We made our way through the crowds and had our timing chips removed and received our medals. A real thrill! This is what it’s all about…it’s not about how fast or how many people you beat to get here, it’s the fact that you finished and are being recognized for that fact.

My time? It was fantastic! My time in 2001, when I was only 61 years old, was 6:17:48. This time it was 5:56:34! And we had maintained a 13.35 minute/mile average, far above what I had expected us to do. Thanks, Jill!

Now what will I do with this blog? It’s supposed to be about my second Portland marathon. I am certain that there will be a third, so I will keep it around. And there is already some discussion about the Phoenix Rock and Roll marathon, the Catalina marathon and even the Fargo, ND marathon in May! Why not? I’ve never been to Fargo before…

Race Day, minus 2 and counting

Physically, I think that I’m ready for the marathon. I have done all the long walks and have done some of them at an altitude of 4,500’. I have no major aches or pains to contend with. Mentally; I am always nervous and filled with doubt before a marathon, or even a simple half-marathon. But that will go away as the day progresses. Last time, the 18 mile marker was the point where I suddenly “knew” that I would finish the race. Crossing the St. John’s Bridge and seeing downtown Portland from the heights above the Willamette River made it seem possible for the first time during the race. So I'm already looking forward to that long climb up the hill to the bridge...

Forecast

Here's the latest forecast for Sunday...

Partly Cloudy
High: 68° Low: 47°

Sounds good! There is a section of the marathon course that can only be referred to as "Asphalt Hell" and cooler weather will certainly help there.

Ready or Not

The day of reckoning is fast approaching. The Portland marathon is this weekend; Sunday morning to be precise. Are we ready? I think so. We have done long walks and short walks, fast and slow…we’ve done them all. And we have taken a week off to relax before the big event. (Although, I did enjoy a very relaxed and slow 3 mile walk with Laurae on Wednesday.) I was thinking about doing a walk this morning…but I certainly don’t need to. And I do have lots of other demands on my time. Perhaps I will toss a coin. Heads, I walk; tails, I paint.

Sunday, the 9th - Forecast

Daily Local Weather Forecast
As we get closer to the day...it's still a guessing game. A few days ago it was showers and now it's sunny!

Marathon Weather

weather
Now the forecast is for 62 degrees and cloudy...what to wear? What to wear?

Recap

Recap for yesterday with lots of detail!

2.5 Miles 33 min (13.2 minutes per mile) (4.55 mph)
3 miles (13.1 minutes per mile) (4.58 mph)
4 miles 53 min (13.28 minutes per mile) (4.52 mph)
5 miles 1:6 (13.2 minutes per mile) (4.55 mph)
Once around the park - 6.33 miles 1:23 for (13.112 minutes per mile) (4.57 mph)
Include walk back to the car - 1:27 for 6.5 miles (13.38 minutes per mile) (4.48 mph)

What Day?

Well, it's Saturday and next Saturday I will be picking up my pre-race packet at the Hilton in downtown Portland. The revised forecast now shows a chance of showers for Sunday, the 9th. (60%)

But this Saturday morning I was still in Northern California and I took the time for a 6.333 mile walk at Bidwell. I started at 1-Mile, where the first mile marker is located and then used my GPS and pedometer to determine just which one was accurate. The pedometer won, being right on the money at 3 out of 5 checkpoints. At the 5 mile marker, the pedometer showed 4.99. That's close enough for me. Despite all of the checking and verifying, I still did the 6.3 miles in 83 minutes.

Day 8

I was off to the park early this morning for a short walk (6.25). Ya know, it's dark out there at 6:45! But off I went and was soon up to my usual 4.5 mph. Then a satellite gave me some false info and the next time I looked at my GPS unit, I was showing 5.2 mph. I'm good ... but not that good. So I had to give up on the GPS and I used the clock. 13.28 minute per mile average for an 83 minute walk. Not bad, but I have been faster.

Weight 201.2 (Darn! It was the cookies...) BFI 24.3 BP 108/58 Pulse 68

Portland Weather

weather.com - Six to Ten Day Events Page
The extended version...sure hope it comes true. 68 degrees and partly cloudy. It can't be much better than that.

Day 11

Another day in the park. It started with my trip to the VW dealer for scheduled service. I dropped the car off at 7:30 and headed across the downtown maze on my way to Bidwell. This is always fun, as I get to see so many different houses, mostly old, on my way to the entrance on 4th Street. Once inside the park I was able to maintain a good pace. I noted that after about 4 miles, I was really feeling strong and although my pace was at 4.6 mph, I was sure that I could maintain it. On my way back to the VW dealer, I detoured down around Morning Thunder restaurant and decided that this restaurant must have been the source of the great aroma of sausage and eggs that I noted a few weeks ago. Before going much further, I stopped and put on my “Groucho Marx” glasses, complete with mustache and cigar. (I am not supposed to be seen in public while racewalking and this way I can protect my family from any embarrassment.)

Sure enough, I did a full 8 miles at 4.6 mph and feel pretty confident about the marathon. No walking tomorrow as it is irrigation day, but I think a walk on Thursday and Friday will be in order.

Weight 198.4 BFI 24 BP 106/57 Pulse 70

Day 14

I started the day with an 8:30 AM visit to the soccer fields where I watched Karlee play. She had a good game, making 3 runs down the sidelines and then passing the ball off. She also got in on a close goal attempt. After the game was over, I headed to the park and another day of walking; short but sweet enough. I got in 5.75 miles and kept a 4.4 mph average. I had worn my warm-up pants to the game and then decided not to hassle with taking them off before walking. That was a mistake, as I felt hindered by the pants. Of course, starting my walk at a later hour was also a distraction for me.

Just a note…the people who walk and run later in the morning are a cold bunch. I received replies to my greetings about 20% of the time. What’s their problem?

Weight 199.4 BFI 23.9 BP 114/60 Pulse 67

Day 16 - Revisited

I am back at home after my 6 mile walk. I did the walk in 1:20, or a 4.5 mph average. And I got a chance to see what had caused the closure of the park path the other day. A very large oak was down and a crew had sawn it into manageable lengths. This oak was at least 4’ across at the stump; maybe 5’. As you walk through this park, you can’t help but think of the possible consequences of a tree falling and I often play scenarios in my mind where I hear the snap of a branch and I break into a run for safety.

Almost forgot...Weight 198.4 BFI 23.7 BP 107/64 and Pulse 60

Day 16

The days are slipping away. A little over two weeks before the marathon now and I am probably as ready as I can be. I will continue to get in some practice walks, fast and slow, but no more long walks. A 10 or 12 mile walk will be the limit.

And I need to get in a walk this morning, as I had a ice cream last night and somehow I must pay for that. 6 miles at a fast 4.5 mph pace should take care of the deficit.

Day 18

I just came back from another walk in the park. This was 6.25 mile walk and I did it in 1:19 minutes. A solid 4.7 mph pace. After our 21+ mile extravaganza on Saturday, it was tempting to think I might be able to go 3 days without walking, but I talked some sense into myself and drove to the park. 2 days off was enough.

The only hitch in the walk was when I came to the 3 mile spot and found a city employee barring the path and telling us all to exit the park or turn around. I couldn’t tell what the problem was…it was something just a little ways ahead of the barrier. And I didn’t feel like questioning the man; I will find out what it was in the paper tomorrow.

Day 21

This day turned out better than expected, as we were able to exceed our goal of 21 miles...and quite easily. I had come to Susanville for this last long walk before the marathon because I wanted to get in some high altitude training along with the distance training. We walked up and back (twice) on the Biz Johnson Trail and that gave us 18.7 miles, so we turned around and headed back up the mountain one more time. We didn't go far, just far enough to give ourselves a 21.5 mile walk at a 3.9 mph pace. We both felt that we could have gone another 5 miles easily.

So it seems that the marathon is within reach now...if we can do 21.5 miles, we can certainly do 26.2!

I didn't get a chance to weight myself immediately after the walk, but this morning I weigh 198.

Day 22 - Revisited

I'm back and I did get up to some serious speed (serious for me). I did 5.25 miles at a 4.9 pace. That's 12.25 minute per mile and I was sweating for this one, despite the early hour.

Tomorrow I will be in Susanville just long enough for a high mileage walk on the Biz Johnson Trail. We hope to get in 21 miles and that will be the end the long walks needed for training. For the next few weeks we can concentrate on short and fast walks...and no walks at all for the last 4 or 5 days. Hurray!

After the walk, I stopped at Cal Java for hot cup of antioxidants and steamed milk.

Weight 198.4 (Must have been the ice cream!) BP 118/66 Pulse 51

Day 22

The countdown continues...Today I will do a fast walk, trying to get in 6 miles at a 4.8 or 4.9 mph pace. Short walks, medium and long walks, they all add up for improved fitness for the marathon. I did the first marathon at a 14.389 minute per mile pace and I'm hoping to better that. If I can keep up a 4.5 mph pace I will be at 13.3 minutes per mile and could finish the marathon in 5.82 hours.

On another note...I lost the toe nail on my right big toe. It doesn't hurt at all, even when I walked yesterday, so I don't expect it to bother me during the marathon. But, it is ugly! There is lots of dark blood under the skin, somewhat like a blood blister, from the injury I did to it.

Long Day

I started out early, heading to the park at 6 and began my walking at 6:30. It went well and I put in about 2 1/2 hours at a 4.7 mph pace. Then I headed back home so that I could get showered and then drive up to Red Bluff to meet, Jill, the twins and Donna. Donna, a friend of Bill and Jill's, as well as ourselves, had her left knee replaced 3 weeks ago and she had asked Jill to drive her to see the surgeon for a checkup.

Is that cool or what? A brand new surgical steel knee and she walked out of the hospital the day after the surgery. She walks up and down the stairs at her home; and she will have the right knee replaced after the left one is well healed.

Well, since they were going to be so close by, I met them for lunch and we found a little Mexican restaurant that was just the right place for the twins to enjoy themselves...(We were the only customers)

My weight today, before the Chili Relleno, was 196.4.

Catalina

Catalina
This is one marathon that I dream of doing someday. Catalina has lots of good memories for me and to walk this marathon would be a real treat. From what I've read, it's more of a trail run than a conventional marathon, with 23 miles of the course off pavement. Hey! I can do trails!

Day 25

The walk went well. I got in 8.7 miles and I did it in 109 minutes. (12.53 minutes per mile) My intention was to do a relaxed walk and I started off at a 4.6 mph pace, using a racewalking gait. At the end of 3 miles, I looked at my Garmin unit and I was up to 4.8 mph. I tried to slow down a few more times, but the racewalking steps soon had me back to a steady 4.8 mph. It's definitely a more comfortable way to walk, although my children would prefer that I keep my identity a secret while racewalking.

Weight 196.8 BFI 23.4 BP 119/72 Pulse 59

Day 26

The walk went better than expected. I did the 6.25 mile circuit in 77 minutes. That's a 12.3 minute per mile average. The first 2 1/2 miles went by and and I was at 4.9 mph and then I felt what seemed to be a shin splint, so I slowed down and kept the pace at 4.7 mph for awhile. That seemed to do the trick as when I looked at my GPS unit around the 3 1/2 mile marker, I was back up to 4.9 mph and kept it there for the duration.

It's odd, but every time I start my walks, it takes a few miles before my muscles get into the rhythm I need to maintain a steady pace. And I have also found that it's true...I can't walk and do something else at the same time. If I try to find a kleenex in my pack, my feet get all confused and suddenly I'm slowing down!

Barriers

This morning I have a walk in the park planned and it should go well. It’s just a fast 6 mile walk and those are fairly easy to do now. One hour and 20 minutes is now the normal time for that distance. When did I become faster? The funny thing about the training is how the perspective changes. A walk of one time around the park was once a challenge and now it’s a short walk. I walk 3 times around the park for my challenges now and even that is becoming easier. For awhile, I saw the 13.1 mile (half marathon) distance as a barrier to overcome. Now it’s a routine distance and quite easy to do. The only challenge I see in the immediate future is a 21 mile walk on the Biz Johnson Trail. After that, the marathon distance of 26.2 miles will be a snap! As I stated earlier, marathons are easy to do if you simply separate them into do-able portions of time and distance. I am using 6 miles, the distance around the park, as my do-able. Four of those equals 24 miles and the remaining 2+ miles will be easy, just a third of a 6 mile portion.

Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon

Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon
Except for the misspelled "Bizz", (It's "Biz") this is a great description of the event and the area. Now I'm wondering if I shouldn't plan on this one for next year? It has a 7 hour time limit and that's certainly do-able for a good walker. But...I would hate to miss Portland and this year they are on the same weekend. If they were only a week apart, I would go for it! A week is long enough between marathons for recovery.

Data

Here are some old records of mine…

Bidwell Classic ½ Marathon in 2001 - 3:04:17
Portland Marathon in 2001 - I finished 57th in my age group, the 60-64 group. Overall, 6:17:23:50, 10K time was 1:28:10, half marathon time was 3:05:28 and 20-mile time was 4:49:17
Bidwell Classic ½ Marathon in 2002 - 2:48:25

Well, I may not be up to the pace of 2002…but I’m gaining on it!

Today is a day off and tomorrow will be a short and fast walk.

Day 29

14 miles was the goal and I made it easily. I kept up a 4.4 mph pace for the entire time and I noted that I did the 13.1 mile 1/2 marathon in exactly 3 hours. So if I use my skills for higher math and throw in some calculus and trig, just for fun...I see that I would have done a full marathon in 6 hours if I were able to maintain that pace. I did the first marathon (2001) in 6:17, so I feel good about my time.

I did note that today was a particularly unfriendly day in the park. I gave everyone my usual "Good morning" and received about a 40% rate of return. What does that mean?


Weight 198.2 BFI 23.7 BP 118/62 Pulse 69

Day 29

My plan for the day is to do a long distance walk in the park. Normally, the long walk is a Saturday event, but this Saturday is the first soccer home game of the season for Meghan and we want to see that. I will try for a fast 14 mile walk and that should keep me fit and on a good pace for training. Next weekend, I will make a quick trip to Susanville on Friday night, do 20 or 21 miles on Saturday morning and return that evening. And that will be the last long walk before the marathon! I’m really looking forward to getting that behind me.

Day 30

Oh, oh...30 days to go. The days are slipping by pretty fast now and this is when you start to wonder if you have trained hard enough. Of course you have, but still you wonder?

This morning I did an 8.5 mile walk at an average speed of 4.7 mph. That figures out to be a little over 11.18 minutes per mile. Once I got started and really into the 4.7 pace, it was hard to slow down!

Weight 200 BFI 24.2 (200 #'s - how did that happen?)

Day 32

A good walking day for me...Once around the park (6.25) in 1:19. That would be a 12.64 minute per mile average or about 4.5 mph. But I could have done better. What slowed me down was finding an old lottery ticket in my pack. Pretty soon I was daydreaming about the money I might have won and that was when the speed dropped!

Weight 198.8 BFI 23.7 BP 117/62 Pulse 55

Blocked

Today is the "official" Labor Day holiday and I am blocked from going to Chico and Bidwell Park...unless I take the long way around the anticipated traffic jam on Highway 32. This is the day for parties on the river as thousands of college age men and women take inner tubes, rafts and lots of alcohol out onto the Sacramento River. The main entry for this excursion is just off the highway in Hamilton City and the law enforcement agencies will have a gauntlet of check-points for the party people to pass. That makes for a tough day for everyone...

So I will pass on the ride into town for today and make up for it tomorrow.

Day 33

The long walk day...and I did 18.75 miles. And I was able to see my pedometer and my GPS unit agree on that number. Also, I kept the pace at 4.2 mph for the entire time; making that a 14:24 minute per mile pace. Yes, I was supposed to do a long walk and do it slow...but I just can't do it when I'm walking alone. My timers become my obsession and I keep trying to set records of any sort. My plan is to make one more trip to Susanville before the marathon and get in a 21 mile walk on the Biz Johnson trail. That's a 9 mile round trip, so 2 round trips and the walk to and from the college parking lot would give us more than 21 miles.

Overall, I'm tired of course, but I felt that I could have done one more circuit of the park. (I had done 3) I was in better shape than earlier in the week and hydrated as well.

Weight 199 BFI 23.8 BP 101/53 Pulse 75 - See how the BP goes down when you feel better?

Recovering

I decided to do a one mile event this morning, as I'm still not at 100%. I had done a measured mile once before, in 2002, The Fleet Feet Capitol Mile. This race is up and back on the Capitol Mall in Sacramanto. It's also a judged racewalk and that was my undoing back then. I decided to do a practice walk of 5 miles before going down to the event. During that practice, I had done a 10 minute mile and so I felt tired, but confident. The race was a disaster as I failed to make an 11 minute mile and ended up dead last. Why? I was dumb enough to think that I had enough in me for two races, one real and one practice.

This mornings one mile event took all of 10.50 minutes, so I was getting a good cardiac exercise.

Weight 201.8 (Mostly water) BFI 24.3 BP 124/67 Pulse 56

I wonder if the elevated BP is because of the additional water I have been drinking this morning?

Suffering

The cramps I suffered yesterday have me worried. Jill thinks it may have been lack of hydration and that could have been caused by the meat I ate on Wednesday night. She has a good point. The steak had been marinated and that was the probably the source for all of the additional salt. Since I haven’t used (added) salt in my diet for close to 20 years or more, I seem to be more sensitive to its addition.

So I’m drinking water this morning and I will have a banana (potassium) and some more Schweppes Quinine drink before I go for a short and fast walk. I will do a 5 mile walk in as fast a time as I can. Hopefully, that will allow for my heart to get a good workout and won’t tax my calves too much; they’re still tender.

Day 37

Day 37

This was a tough one! I was hoping to get in a full 13 miles but it was not to be. I started out OK, although I wasn’t feeling all that good. I had overdosed on red meat last night and that is something I’m not used to anymore. I did the first 6.5 miles in 1:30 (13.84) and I headed out for one more circuit. For some reason, I just didn’t feel “right”. It was right about 11 miles when I felt a cramp in both calves! I can understand having a cramp in one, but both? I gave it up right then and headed for the car. 11.85 miles. 166 minutes.

Weight 198  BFI 23.7  BP 107/59  Pulse 68

Day 39?

Another walk in the park. One circuit in 1:20 and my Speed-O-Meter said I was doing 4.8 mph. That's 12.5 minute miles for 6+ miles and I will take that any time. I have 3 pair of shoes now that I'm rotating through, hoping to find the perfect ones for race day. I still have a blister on my left heel and it was weeping a little after today's effort. I will have to protect it better than I did today.

Weight 199.4 BFI 24 BP 113/65 Pulse 68

Comment Spam

Comment Spam. That is a pesky problem with blogs and so I have added protection by using Blogger's "word verification" for comments. If you comment, you will see a series of letters that only a human can see... and you will have to type them in to post the comment.

Later

Good news. I just got back from an 18.5 mile walk (at altitude) and we did it in 4:41. Almost 9 miles of the walk were on the Biz Johnson Trail and the uphill leg is 4.5 miles. So to be able to do a walk like this at 4,500 feet is a great boost to my ego. When I started, there was a slight uphill and I huffed and puffed, thinking that I was in for a very long and exhausting morning. But after that one moment of weakness...the walking grew easier and easier,until I was cruising as if I were at sea level.

Altitude

I'm up early and about to go walking on the Saturday long walk. This is going to be interesting as I'm at 5,000 feet and it's been awhile since I lived at this altitude. I can only hope that I fade gracefully and not "Bonk".

Day 43

Well, I wasn't able to leap tall building in a single bound and I wasn't faster than a speeding bullet, but my new shoes did work well - except for one little thing. I started off fine and I was up to 5.6 mph and then around mile 3, I felt that peculiar itching sensation on my right heel that signals a possible blister forming. I stopped and rubbed some Body Glide on it and relaced the shoes. But it wasn't going to go away that easy, so I decided to do a 5 mile walk instead of the anticipated 6.25. I ended up back at the car with a little under 12 minute miles for the entire 5 miles. (5.05 mph) So it wasn't a complete bust.

At home now, I don't see a blister...but the skin is tender on my heel. Now I have to come up with a plan to break in these shoes in less than a month.

Weight 198.8 BFI 23.7 BP 105/65 Pulse 59

Flexible

Now this is the shoe that Jill bought and I will deliver it in time for a long walk on Saturday. Notice that the colors are quite nice. Now why don't the women have the same opportunity to mislead the judges as the men do? Why don't they have orange shoes? Let's demand equality!

Flexible

Here's the new shoes. Gaudy aren't they? There is a method behind this extreme coloration. In judged racewalking, the color will (hopefully) lead the judges eye away from the knee and down to the feet. And it's the knee that the judges are supposed to be watching. I've had a judge actually crouch and run next to me as she watched my knee for a "Bent Knee" violation.

Tomorrow will be a good time to get them dirty and maybe cut the glare...

Oh, yes...they are very light and very flexible!

Google Map Pedometer

Google Map Pedometer
Now this is an interesting site! Ah...technology! Don't you love it?

Bidwell Musings

Some odd thoughts...

What's up with the guy who walks the cat? I've seen him a dozen times during the past few years. He wears a black silk robe style outfit and he has a black cat that follows him through the park. He walks quite slowly and the cat is always about five feet behind him.

Expensive parts? Quite often, as I walk, I will see shiny and expensive looking nuts, bolts and gears along the path. I always wonder how far the bicycle went before the owner noticed or crashed?

Dogs, dogs everywhere! And the resulting dog poop is everywhere as well. No one seems to notice the doggy bag stations that provide free bags to clean up their dogs mess.

I'm still saying, "Good morning!" to each person I see, but the responses are predictable...not many answer at all and they avoid eye contact. I guess I'm just a shameless extrovert!

The Congregators. You know the people that will stop their grocery carts right in the middle of the aisle while shopping? Well, they do the same sort of thing in the park. They stop directly in the middle of the road and...congregate. And when you get Congregators, Doggy People and the Exercise Mom's together in one place...what a zoo!

Yesterday it was a new group added to the mix...the Senior Strollers. The time of day for my walk was off by about 45 minutes and so I was surprised to see dozens of seniors strolling the paths. It took me about 20 minutes to get past the traffic jam.

Day 45

Not the best of days. I got a "low battery" message on my GPS unit and so I just walked as fast as I could around the park, once. Without a watch, it was tough to determine if I was faster or slower...but I know it was good for me and that's all I need.

Weight 198.6 BFI 23.8 BP 110/63 Pulse 66

Day 46

Since I had so many chores stacked up at home I decided to do a fast walk instead of a long walk. I was off and walking by 6:45 and the first mile went by at a 4.6 mph pace. So I switched to a pure racewalking stride and by the end of 2 1/2 miles, I was up to 5 mph. I kept up that pace till just a little before I made the circuit complete. Overall, 3.6 miles at 4.8 mph.

That's good aerobic exercise and it is always good to get in a few miles of racewalking, just so that I don't lose my touch. And to please my children, I didn't greet or make eye contact with anyone and possibly embarrass them. I was strictly incognito!

Weight 198.4 BFI 23.7 BP 113/66 Pulse 60

Day 49

As you can see by the number 49 above, we're getting closer to the day of the Marathon. October 9th is "the day" and one of the nice things about that day is the fact that we won't have to train for awhile afterwards. In fact, we can quit our training walks about a week before the event.

I talked to Jill today and she also did a fast 18 miles and she did it at altitude! Susanville is right around 4,500' and that gives her great endurance when she walks at sea level. Plus she was doing a very hilly route, with lots of ups and downs. That kind of course will generate black toe nails very quickly.

Yes, I will be glad to see the end of walks around and around the park...so boring!

2 hours after walking; Weight 197.5 BFI 23.5 BP 110/62 Pulse 72