5 km Waterfront Run - Cross Training

I wanted to improve on my time from last week so I aimed to do 2:30 500m laps. I was doing okay at the start but felt a slight pull in my right buttock - probably something to do with our concentration on tightening those muscles in my yoga class yesterday.  I got to the turn around in 13 minutes flat but the heat was starting to get to me. My throat was feeling very dry and I didn't see any point in pushing myself too hard.  I stopped  a few seconds at a drinking fountain and carried on at a more moderate pace. I was glad to finish but my time of 27:02 was 39 seconds slower than two weeks ago.  It was an eye opener to find out how much I melted in the heat today. I think I need more practice in these conditions. Average pace 5:27, average HR 161.

5 km Waterfront Run

Sunday 27 January - 20 km training walk

I got to bed at 2:00 am after celebrating a friend's 50th but was woken at 7:30 when it was too hot and sunny to stay in bed. I decided to head out for my walk without bothering about breakfast but I did take a hydration pack. My Garmin ran out of power before I got to 500m. It had somehow been turned on after my race on Friday.

I walked a route from home to Island Bay that I have done on many occasions. I think the distance is 20 km.  It took me around 3 hours which is very slow but not bad given the circumstances. It was a lovely day and there were heaps of people around enjoying the coastline. Philip timed himself to arrive just as I finished and we had a picnic by the sea.

Friday 25 January - Capital Classic 3000m Track Walk

I was feeling a bit jaded before this race which I think was due to not getting to bed early enough over the week. I did get to the track in plenty of time and warmed up well. The new track has only just been finished and ours was the first event on it. The surface is very different to the previous one but it felt pretty good to me.  It was a warm afternoon with little wind - good conditions for walking really.  My time of 18:06 was a little disappointing - I was hoping to better my PB of 17:48 set a few years ago at this event.  The good thing was that I did not receive any cards and only one warning in the second to last lap. (There were 5 judges out there).

I will be a bit more prudent in the lead up to my next races and will take confidence from not attracting the attention of the judges.  I will also try to practice in the heat some more since I think that was a factor in my performance.

The Garmin data shows the race in the first 6 laps but then shows nonsense as the watch was accidentally turned on. My average HR sat around 165 bpm.

3000m Capital Classic