Embracing the taper

The tapir - at the zoo with my niece Eva on Tuesday afternoon.

Unlike some, I don't have much of a problem with dialing it back before a marathon to help my legs and body rest up. Perhaps that is because the only thing I really cut back on is my weekend long run. My weekday runs remain in the 6-8 mile range, with some sort of speed work and tempo work, and cross training on non-run days.

I did cut out evening workouts during these last couple weeks. Even though my twice a week yoga class would be a good thing to do, I don't get home until 9 p.m. on those nights and I wanted more restful evenings.

Here is the running schedule I have followed over the last four weeks. I didn't consider myself in taper until three weeks out, but my longest run was four weeks before.


Saturday 3/31 - 22 miles (includes Birch Bay 30K)
Monday 4/2 - 10K easy
Wednesday 4/4 - 7.5 mi with 10 x 400/quarter miles
Friday 4/6 - 18 miles
Saturday 4/7 - 6.5 miles with Tulip Run (5 mi race)


Easter Sunday - 15K at about 9:45 pace (I consider Friday to be the "long run" of the week, moved up for Easter)
Tuesday 4/10 - 8.5 miles with 8 x 800/half miles
Thursday 4/12 - 7.12 miles with 5 at HMP (about 8:45)
Friday 4/13 - 8.17 miles with 6 at MP (about 9:30)

:
Sunday 4/15 - Whidbey Island Half Marathon - 1:59:19
Tuesday 4/17 - 7 miles with 5 at MP
Thursday 4/19 - 7 miles with 5 x by 1000m (fun fact--although I was pleased with these intervals, the total time for 5000 meters was actually slower than the 5K I ran the following Saturday)
Saturday 4/21 - 6.23 miles with Earth Day 5K (24:40)


Sunday 4/22 - 11.2 miles at MP (9:41 including warm-up miles)
Monday 4/23 - 7.18 miles easyish (a little slower than MP)
Wednesday 4/25 - 7.71 with 6 x 400/quarter miles plus one mile intended to be MP but too fast (9:05)
Thursday 4/26 - 5-6 miles planned

Friday 4/27 - travel!
Saturday 4/28 - Eugene!
Sunday 4/29 - EUGENE MARATHON!

I don't know why my iPad made some of those dates into links. And I don't know how to change it either. So the weird and pointless links remain.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Embracing the taper

Eugene minus one week:
Eugene minus two weeks
Eugene minus three weeks:
Eugene minus four weeks: