racewalk training (seriously)

Here's a weekly snapshot from the on-line training logs of a world class junior lady racewalker:

Monday

Day Mileage:

5km / 3.13miles

Workout:

5k easy racewalk with up exercises

Comments:

Today was just easy like yesterday to see how my leg felt. Today felt even better than yesterday so thats a good sign. I didnt feel like I had any problems at all. I had a massage too and she said that there is still some junk in my right quad. Its getting better though.

Tuesday

Day Mileage:

19km / 11.88miles

Workout:

5k wu, 4 sets of: 400/400/1000/2minsR except 3minsR inbetween sets, 4k cd

Comments:

First workout back since I took a few days off because of my IT band and quad. I went to physio today and she said that its still a bit tight but that I could still train. My leg felt fine, actually great during the warm up so I wasnt as worried about the workout. Times were: 1st set: 1:43, 1:42, 4:19, 2nd set: 1:43, 1:41, 4:24, 3rd set: 1:42, 1:42, 4:22, 4th set: 1:40, 1:39, 4:25. I walked slowly during the rest periods. Hopefully this means im back to normal. Hopefully this wont slap me in the face tomorrow when I train again!

Wednesday

Day Mileage:

15km / 9.38miles

Workout:

15k easy racewalk

Comments:

I started off the workout outside and it was beautiful out then suddenly it started pourring and the temperature dropped a lot. Luckily I was close to finishing one loop around my house so I decided to finish the rest off on the treadmill so that I wouldnt risk tightening up my IT band and quad anymore. This ended up being the right decision for sure. My leg feels great still so thats a relief. It went really well and I felt good. Just nice and easy.

Thursday

Day Mileage:

15km / 9.38miles

Workout:

5k wu, 2X200, 6X400, 3X200/2mins activeR, 4k cd

Comments:

This went really well. I didnt feel any pain in my right leg at all so things are continuing to go well. The workout was short to keep me sharp for the time trial on saturday. Things are looking up again. Times were: 0:43, 0:45, 1:44, 1:43, 1:43, 1:42,1:43, 1:44, 0:45, 0:45, 0:45.

Friday

Day Mileage:

0km / 0miles

Workout:

OFF

Comments:

Today was supposed to be a pre-race warm up but I had a fever/strong headache so I took a nap and by the time I woke up it was too late and I felt very heavy. I thought id be better off just to take the day off. Hopefully ill be alright tomorrow!

Saturday

Day Mileage:

21km / 13.13miles

Workout:

6k wu, 10k time trial, 5k cd

Comments:

The weather was pretty crazy today, just like every other day this week. It was -3c but the weather changed every 5mins. It would go from snowing pretty hard, to really windy, to sunny, and then snowing, windy, etc. It was crazy. The goal for today was to go through the first 5k in 24mins then try and hold the pace as long as I could. I just felt very flat today and just like I wasnt up for the time trial today, my head wasnt in it. Plus I didnt get a good sleep the past week really. The first 5k went as planned (23:59) and I was just a few seconds off for the next 3k but then my body was getting heavier and heavier and the wind picked up so my legs felt pretty bad. I had a really bad 9th km (5:04) but then I was able to close in 4:51. I finished in 48:33. Not bad for the weather and considering how I didnt really feel motivated for it today. It felt easy but I just didnt feel like pushing it much more. Its still a good sign for my race in 2 weeks.

Sunday

Day Mileage:

6km / 3.75miles

Workout:

6k easy

Comments:

Today was supposed to be 13k all together but my quad was hurting a bit so I decided to call it quits early. I need to start being very careful the next few weeks leadingup to the race. Other than my quad, I felt fine.

Total Week Mileage: 81km / 50.63miles

The only difference in their training is that they do it race walking instead of running, which means it takes a bit longer.

Olympic racewalkers can go 6-minute-pace or faster. Let's see some folks here try it. I did 4-miles, keeping to the rules, in 59:40...the next day my hips were letting me know it was something different.

Yes wrote:

Olympic racewalkers can go 6-minute-pace or faster. Let's see some folks here try it. I did 4-miles, keeping to the rules, in 59:40...the next day my hips were letting me know it was something different.

And what can they do if they actually try to run?

Also that training schedule seems to take too many days off "I have a headache" "My quads are bugging me". You won't see a serious runner take a day off because they have a headache. Hell I've done long runs with hangovers only stopping to puke.

th430BeerMiler wrote:... that training schedule seems to take too many days off "I have a headache" "My quads are bugging me". You won't see a serious runner take a day off because they have a headache. Hell I've done long runs with hangovers only stopping to puke.

You serious? It looks like it was a race week (personally I taper a little), and if you're sick, you're sick. Here's her week from two weeks earlier. 82 miles of racewalking training. That would put most LetsRunners to shame:

Monday

Day Mileage:

10km / 6.25miles

Workout:

30min spin + strength session (=5k)

Comments:

I felt good today. Last weeks training doesnt seem to have worn me down much. I felt almost better by the end of the week then at the beginning. I had another massage today so this should continue to help loosen me up.

Tuesday

Day Mileage:

23km / 14.38miles

Workout:

5k wu, 4 sets of: 400(1:45)/400(2:10) x2, 1000(4:30/1000(5:30), 4k cd

Comments:

Tonight went really well. I dont think I ate enough before the workout but I got through it just fine. I was feeling a little nautious throughout it but I was able to manage it fine. My arch in my left foot was bothering me all day. I felt good though, it was tough. Ive been pretty tired lately so I was happy with the times even though the 1ks were a little off. Times were: 1:42, 1:43, 4:34, 1:45, 1:44, 4:35, 1:44, 1:42, 4:34, 1:45, 1:47, 4:41.

Wednesday

Day Mileage:

20.5km / 12.81miles

Workout:

20k easy racewalk

Comments:

Tonight went really well. I wasnt sore or tired from yesterdays workout at all. My shins didnt bother me at all. We ended up having to take a pit stop half way through which was about a quarter of a k out of the way (hence the .5k more). I just went nice and easy finishing the 20k in 1:55:42. Felt good.

Thursday

Day Mileage:

21km / 13.13miles

Workout:

6k wu, 10X400/2mins activeR, 10X200/2mins activeR, 5k cd

Comments:

I felt good tonight despite how tired I am. The workout ended up being a little longer than i thought it would be but it was ok. It was another indoor day since it was raining, cold and windy outside. Oh well! My right quad was a bit tight but everything else was fine. All the times for the 4s were 1:45 and the 2s were 50. Good workout.

Friday

Day Mileage:

10km / 6.25miles

Workout:

10k run

Comments:

Wow am I ever tired today. The only chance I had to do my workout was this morning at 7am. This week has been crazy but im happy that my training hasnt seemed to have suffered (*knock on wood*). My arms were a little sore from the workout yesterday but my quad didnt feel tight so thats good.

Saturday

Day Mileage:

32km / 20miles

Workout:

4k wu, 25k steady (27,26:30 X 4= 2:13), 3k cd

Comments:

Wow today was incredible haha for 2 reasons. The weather was pretty ridiculous (raining and cold). Because of this we changed the target times of the 25k section to a bit slower to accomodate for the weather. Thank goodness we did that cause otherwise I would have struggled even more than I already did. I was feeling kind of tight for the first 5-8k maybe then I loosened up quite a bit. I was able to pick up the pace a bit in the middle of it. The last 5k was an unbelieveable struggle. The wind picked up and the weather started to get worst. My k's started getting a little slower and I was on pace to do closer to a 27min last 5k. I was really pushing through the pain and tightness but it was so tough. With 2k to go I was really trying to get myself going since it was almost over and then my coach said to me for the last k "try to go under 5:20 for the last k". So im was really killing myself thinking that I wouldnt be able to do it especially the way my training course is set up (slight rolling hills all the way through). I managed to walk a 5:03 last km. I had a really hard time cooling down though cause I was so tight! Quite the day! I finished the 25k portion in 2:12:42 so it was perfect. Glad thats over

Sunday

Day Mileage:

16.5km / 10.31miles

Workout:

5k wu, 4k light fartlek (2min easy/1min medium), 2.5k cd + strength session (=5k)

Comments:

Surprisingly I didnt really feel sore at all today from the workout yesterday! If anything, my left knee was a touch sore but I didnt notice it or anything during my workout this afternoon. I felt just like any other day. I really tried to make sure I was going easy easy today so that I could fully recover from yesterdays workout. It went well. Now I just have to make sure I get a good sleep tonight.

Total Week Mileage: 133km / 83.13miles

From another on-line blog:

I've had a run (bad word choice) of good training. About 93 miles last week, probably the only week over 70 since the 50k nationals. After a strong 10 mile walk on Sunday a week ago (sub-76 on hills), a decent 10 mile indoor track jog (run) on Monday (64), and some good sprints on Tuesday (80 minutes with 20 X 115 meters sprints and a 1600m in 7:07), I did a 20k with tired legs Thursday on the indoor oval in 1:38:37, starting at 50k pace and finishing with the last 2 miles at 20k pace. Saturday I did a 25 mile walk, my only really long workout since the 50k, with the first 20 miles around 10:00 per mile and the last 5 miles in 42, last mile 7:42, working my heart rate from 105 or so the first 3.5 hours to 130-145 in the last half hour. That sounds slow to you heart rate trainers, but I figure my max is around 160 and my lactate threshold around 142. That means I'll be aiming to keep at 133 or so, 8:00 per mile, in the first 3 hours in the 50k. Most walkers would be around 155 or so, drifting toward 165-170 in the last hour. I was very achy Saturday night. I hope the 50k race won't be too much harder, but of course it will be -- 6 miles farther in the same time, it will be a whole 'nother level of suffering.

Monday went great with 10k on the track in 44:59, even 7:14 pace with a HR of 144-145 and hitting 148 in the last 1600 of 7:07, last 800 around 3:30. I'm pretty stuffed now, and taking it easy for a few days, just light training. Then a 7-day vacation in Tucson at my parents' house, followed by 12 days taper to the 50k race in Brazil, the Pan Am Cup. I'm hoping for a top-10 result, but no prediction about time. I was 8th in 1986 and 12th in 2005 in this meet. I'm pretty happy to have made an international team 3 years in a row, 2 Pan Am Cups and a World Cup, but I'm looking for something more this year -- a breakthrough in the 20k, a return to the kind of form I had in 1986-87, consistency at 1:27 or better. Sounds crazy, but I'm closer than you might think, and we'll see when I race a couple of them this summer.

A very hard training week in preparation for the Pan Am Cup 50k on April 22. We arrived in Tucson last Sunday, to a northwest suburb called Marana, at my parents' house a mile (1500m) from the boundary of Saguara National Park. This has been a good training site for heat (but not humidity), with daytime temps around 90F (32C). Monday we spent the day at the Sonoran Desert Museum, so I did light training in the afternoon. Tuesday I walked about 17 miles (27k) in 2h26, the first 90 minutes at about 9-10 min per mile (5'30 to 6' km) and the last 11k at 8:20 per mile (5'10" per km.) Wednesday we hiked up a mountain, 4 hours of scrambling up and down steep talus and rock with the kids in the hot sun, and I followed that immediately with a 48 minute 10k with a heart rate of 143 under a hot sun. Today I hiked with the kids for 2 hours, and then walked 15 miles (24k) in very hot weather through the park on dirt roads. I am tired! Tomorrow morning we'll be at it again, Wendy and I at least and maybe Kai, doing a 16 mile (26k) trail jog up a mountain and back. Then in the late afternoon I'm giving a race walk lesson to a pro triathlete from Tucson.

The reason for all this training is that Sunday and Monday will be travel days, then 4 super busy days at work, then 2 days when I can train again, then I travel to Brazil. So after Saturday, I'll only have 2 more good days to train in the next 14 leading up to the race. The other days will be light training if I find the time.

All that training being done by a guy old enough to be the father of most everyone on this board, too. One could only imagine what results the US could have if some younger athletes REALLY wanted to be Olympians.