Negative Split....

“Out of our reach

Out of our reach

Out of our reach

And it's gone

Getting to be

Getting to be

Getting to be

A drone

Negative creep

Negative creep

Negative creep

And I'm stoned!

Negative creep

Negative creep

Negative creep

And I'm ...”   Negative Creep, Nirvana

A Negative Split is when the second half of your workout is faster than the first half.  I was always trained to train with negative splits especially when walking ½ Marathons.  When you negative split, you walk or run patiently, then you pick up the pace a little bit in the middle and then you finish strong.  It works and is good because it takes several miles to get warmed up.  As you warm up your muscles start to get fired up.  Your endorphins start running wild like Hulk-a-mania on your system.  Then you find yourself going longer, harder, and faster with less effort. 

As Billy b the Walker of Halves, I was crowned myself the King of the Negative split.  There was never a race or walk I did that I didn’t negative split.  I start slow, I mean really, really slow.  Some people I have walk with never understood this.  Why I would hobble like a cripple, only to find my groove later.  Normally it was because if I start fast I get the shin splints.  Starting slow has always worked for me.  A little known fact is when I set my half marathon personal best in Santa Barbara in 2007, I was actually at one point in time dead last in the race.  I shit you not. I was dead last.  The race started up hill and I knew if I walked up that hill fast I would get the shin splints and ruin my afternoon.  So literally, it was me, this 86 year old lady, and a race official and the lady was beating me, and not in massage parlor in a strip mall with nothing but ladies sort of way either.  Yes, that is a happy ending joke, I tried.  I ended up going from worst to first, ok worst to not worst, and finishing with my best time ever.   

I trained back then negative.  I would practice the split start slow and finish fast.  Every walk I did.  When I moved to the Game of Triathlon and become a tri-Fathlete I used the negative split on the bike, and in the pool.  Even in those two sports the logic held.  Start slow and finish strong has become my way of life. 

Since my five week walk journey began, I have not been able to master the negative split.  It doesn’t come back naturally.  It also doesn’t help when your body only has one speed.  The Super-Fathlete isn’t concerned about speed, just moving.  Still though, the racer in me wants to go fast!

So Sunday was the last day of week 5 walking program and finally, I was able to go fast, or at least fast for me J  My first workout on Sunday was 1225 swim of the boob stroke.  Then I sat in the sun for two hours, so when I got home from the pool I wasn’t feeling up for a walk or that a walk would do me any good.  However, I was committed to get week five done!  So I went out.   The walk started with a little Black Dog from Zeppelin, you can’t go wrong with the Black Dog, it is Dean from Supernatural’s favorite song.    I mean after all what other song tells you “I don't know but I been told, a big-legged woman ain't got no soul”?

However, as I was moving I started to forget about the play list on my phone and started to do my own play list, because I was out, it was hot, but I felt good.  So, I started to think, I have a 35 minute walk and damn it, if I sell out on the way home, then I can negative split this mother fucker and for some reason that became all I could think about.  Was the Negative Split pushing my body to the limit on the way back, so that I could prove to myself that I was working hard?   Also, I started to sing to myself a tune that was very similar to Nirvana’s Negative Creep, it when something like this:

“Out of our reach

Out of our reach

Out of our reach

And I am boned

Getting to be

Getting to be

Getting to be

To Slow

Negative Split

Negative Split

Negative Split

And I'm walking home!

Negative Split

Negative Split

Negative Split

And I'm home”   Negative Split, Billy b walking on Sunday…

When I hit the corner of Meridian and Blossom Hill slowed a bit and I was fuck this “Out of our reach

Out of our reach

Out of our reach

And I am boned”

I had to slow I was pushing so hard, it was so hot. 
However, I made myself pick it back up because “Getting to be
Getting to be
Getting to be
To Slow”

When I turned onto Waltrip, it suddenly hit me the negative split was possible.  So I kept singing “Negative Split

Negative Split

Negative Split

And I'm walking home!

Negative Split

Negative Split

Negative Split

And I'm home!”

When I crossed Waltrip onto Lyonsville I knew that I had negative split the mother fucker if I just kept pushing so I sang on “Negative Split

Negative Split

Negative Split

And I'm walking home!

Negative Split

Negative Split

Negative Split

And I'm home”

I knew when I turned onto Strawflower I had negative split.  I knew because I started the 35 minute walk after I left strawflower and I turned at the half way point and traced my path exactly, so it had to be.  I pulled my phone out and I had a minute and a half to spare… WHAT!  I am bad ass!

So that was my walk… it was great!  I am glad I did it and now!  Let Week 6 begin! I am going out for a 25’er.