Riverside CA - Walking the Course Circuit

Rule no.1 for any type of competition is getting to know your opponent. In running as with race walking the opponent is not the other competitors, but, is the race course or circuit itself. The only way you could plan on how you will actually perform on race day is getting sufficient knowledge of the terrain, the different obstacles, nature/condition of surface/pavement, the ups, downs, bends, distance per lap and other peculiar characteristic of the race circuit.

Last 12May09 at 0520am with the above objective to attain, I drove to the USATF 15km Masters Championships circuit at Fairmont Park, Riverside, CA.

At exactly 558am with temperature down at 15 degrees C or 59 degrees F, I started my familiarization run/walk of the circuit initially at 70 percent then increasing to 90 percent performance capacity to be able to bench mark a possible target time for the actual race day. The race circuit is a USATF certified 1.79km loop circumventing Lake Evans at Fairmont Park in Riverside California. The first two laps was getting familiar with the directions to take. Thereafter, full capacity was exerted to recover possible time lost.

Still with jet lag to overcome, I limited the distance to 13.00km with an accomplished time of 01h14m58s for a speed of 7.16km/hr and pace of 8.38min/km on a chilly 15degrees Centigrade air temperature. I was satisfied of the workout and still plan to make a complete 15km simulated racewalk scenario either on Thursday or Friday before taking a break for a recovery period prior to Sunday’s race event.

I herewith provide a slide presentation of the 1.79km race circuit which will require about 8.38 laps to cover the total distance of 15km

(click on the image for enlarge view)

Riverside12 May09

View more presentations from Amado Castro.