Moving on...I still have one "long run" left to go (20 miles next Saturday), but I have been thinking a lot about my schedule over the remaining weeks to the marathon and I have decided that this next week is going to be a pre-taper.
What that means: I'll still be running on my usual schedule (pretty much, anyway), but I am cutting my cross-training so that I am only doing one leg workout per day. Either running in the morning, or elliptical in the Y in the morning. Unless there's some reason I miss a morning workout, I won't be doing my supplemental evening workouts except for yoga (which is only one night a week these days anyway).
I am hoping that this will allow my legs to rest a little more and not feel Tired. All. The. Time. Lately I've scaled back the resistance on the elliptical a tiny bit to reduce the stress on my legs, but I think, for now, I have to be a little kinder to them so they won't betray me on marathon day!
In that vein, I am also rearranging my running schedule a little this week. Normally I would run Monday, Wednesday, Friday (or Thursday) and a long run on Saturday or Sunday. This week I'll run on Tuesday and Thursday (I expect my legs will be sore tomorrow from the up and downhills), with the long run on Saturday and a shorter run on Sunday. I'll still end up with four days, just different days.
That does not preclude a spontaneous walk or bike ride on a nice afternoon! Although we are supposed to get rain all this week so that's probably unlikely anyway.
That also means I am going to have to be extra careful about what I eat. I'm always pretty careful but when I know I'm going to be working out a second time in the evening I'm way more likely to indulge in cookies or trail mix at the office, knowing I will be burning up extra calories. I weigh a bit more (maybe 2-4 pounds) than I did this time before CIM, which isn't a big deal but it wouldn't be good to pick up any more.
I would have liked to lose a few pounds (hoping for an improvement of 2 seconds per pound per mile), but I just hope it doesn't happen the other way. Honestly, I don't see how a couple pounds is going to make a significant difference; there are so many other factors to affect my pace, including the course, the weather, my training, how I'm feeling on the day, and the weight of my fuel belt, for goodness sake! But I do know that I am running faster than I was last spring, when I weighed (at the high point, on a bad day) almost 20 pounds more than I do now.* (I don't think that I am running faster than I was last fall, I am hoping to be at the same level though.)
But enough of that. Things coming up this week (to write about): My Capital City race report, finishing my Bloomsday race report, and my plans for the long run on Saturday (may wait to actually write about that until I do it, though!).
Finally, here is my sweet cat Sophie keeping me company while I write. I would have dusted the arm of the chair before taking a picture but I didn't want to disturb her!*Compare my Bloomsday times last year and this—I was about seven minutes faster this year. That's more than two seconds per pound per mile (that would be equal to about five minutes). But obviously, my training level is much higher this year than it was last year as well.
2 comments:
Another good race finishing time for you! Congrats!
I admire YOU for being so dedicated to training for and doing marathons! I am just not a distance runner! :)
Smart move to back off to give your legs the rest.
Excellent time for the half, too.
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