And...just 6 days left (5, actually, if you don't count today).
I averaged 79.33 MPW for the peak 6 weeks of my training (and yes, I wish it was 80 MPW also, or at least 79.5, so I could round up), with one cut-back inserted in the middle when I raced a half. This week, I cut back my mileage a bit more than a third. I also cut out all of my yoga and lower body strengthwork, and pared back the swimming and upper body stuff.
This upcoming week, I'll cut back even more - running only about 20 miles between now and the race. No swimming. No upper body weights.
The last week of taper is really weird. It's just just waiting, and I HATE waiting. For me, it's not the distance of the marathon that is the test, it's the patience. There's nothing I can do except wait and TRY NOT TO DO TOO MUCH. Which is hard.
The hardest part about marathon training is not the mileage but the discipline.
Dailies
Monday: 6 "miles" pool-running in the morning; foam rolling at night.
Tuesday: 10 miles, including an interval workout of 2x1600, 2x800. Scheduled workout was 3-4x1600, but I felt a bit off, so modified slightly. Split as 6:08, 6:08, 2:56, 2:53. Followed with 1000 yards easy swimming. Massage at night.
Wednesday: 10 miles easy (8:50), followed by drills and strides. Foam rolling at night.
Thursday: 6 miles very easy (9:19), followed by some upperbody strengthwork and injury prevention work. Foam rolling at night.
Friday: 8.5 miles, including an 5k tempo of 21:40 - 6:37/6:40/6:38/0:45 (temp in mid 70s, DP 72). Followed by 1250 yards easy swimming. Foam rolling at night.
Saturday: 3 miles very easy while cheering for a race (9:05), followed by foam rolling.
Sunday: 12.5 miles - most very easy (9:18), and then last 2.5 miles at "marathon pace feel" (7:13 pace - temp was high 70s, with DP of 72). Followed with 750 yards easy swimming to loosen up. Foam rolling at night.
Really solid and high mileage. How you guys do that is beyond me...I struggle to hit 40 now that I do so much strength stuff, but you do all that AND run 80 mpw!
ReplyDeleteIn terms of fitting it in timewise? I cheat. :) I work from home, so I don't have to dress for work or drive in. And I don't have kids - another timesuck. I'm also not terribly social, which helps.
DeleteAs for sustaining it in terms of stress on the body - I've built up to it - definitely can't jump into it after injury. I've also found that I'm LESS injury prone when running higher mileage, and when doing all the supplemental work.
"The hardest part about marathon training is not the mileage but the discipline." Truer words have never been spoken. UGH- the waiting! Sounds like you're in amazing shape and the taper is going according to plan. Sending you distracting thoughts so you don't think about the marathon too much this week!
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