Today was a great day for a walk, not too hot or sunny. I got started a little before 6:00 am and did my usual route around the lake. I got several nice comments from runners and also ran into a couple of other racewalkers. We finished together and talked about upcoming races and possibly training together.
I also got a negative split today, which I always feel is a sign of a good, well executed training walk. The first nine miles took me 1:42; the second nine took 1:40. My splits were 11:58, 11:23, 10:59, 11:48, 11:31, 11:20, 11:18, 11:04, 11:07, 11:21, 10:41, 10:58, 11:01, 11:05, 11:10, 11:10, 11:34, 10:38, 10:09 (.666 miles). My pace was 11:11, below my marathon PR of 11:20.
I'm tired now but felt good through the walk. I was able to drink plenty of water and some gatorade and used Hammer Gel and electrolyte caplets. I didn't finish the gel and didn't feel the need to eat the Clif Bar I had in my pack; I think that's a sign that I'm more able to handle the longer distances than I was a few months ago. I used to crash around mile 18 but I never crashed today.
Distance: 18.67 miles
Time: 3:29:00
Pace: 11:11
