Week 16 highlights:
- Weekly miles: 31.5
- Taper continuing
- A great interval session
- parkrun pb
Week 15 completed just one week left before the big day.
The taper is in full flow now as can be seen by this weeks total miles. Going from 50+ to 30 has been tough; I'd heard that the taper sends runners mad and I see now why. From six or even seven sessions a week I'm down to four. Its been nice having some extra time in bed in the morning but I want to RUN!
However, I really saw and felt the benefit of the taper on Thursday when I did this weeks interval session. I normally don't enjoy intervals as they are the hardest session of the week as I'm pushing myself beyond my 5k speed. This week however I really felt like I was flying my final rep was my fastest in 76 seconds which I think is one of my best time for that distance.
Getting to parkrun on Saturday I was ready and felt like a coiled spring. There was a pb in the air. I could feel it. As an added bonus anybody that recorded a pb this weekend went into a draw to receive a new pair of trainers. Why more incentive did I need?
For those that don't know my wife Janet has started running and this Saturday was her tenth parkrun. She has been improving her time week on week two pb's in the last two runs at Oldham, could she make it three? I knew she could, even if sometimes Janet's favorite phrase was "I can't" I offered to run with her and coax another pb from her. Janet was more than happy to have some company.
Having ran the Oldham course fifty-one times myself and after conversations with a good friend Simon who has twice that number of runs we knew where Janet could pick up some time. The Woodland Walk could wait for another week but going downhill faster and taking on Janet's nemesis of the first corner would take some seconds off her previous time.
Janet flew round and took over a minute off her time - even if she wasn't too keen on going down the hills leaning forward. I know you read this Janet so you should be setting a target of under thirty-five minutes before Christmas, you CAN do it! Keep working hard and you'll get there.
It gave me more pleasure on Saturday to run round with Janet and help her to a pb than I would have got from getting one myself. parkrun really has changed for me; before it was all about times and clocking up fifty runs. Now I want to help other people improve and enjoy their running and I hope I can do that.
Sunday saw me run my last run of any distance before race day. I completed just over twelve miles of which I did ten at something like Sunday's race pace. The whole coiled spring thing came back again though as I found myself going faster than I should on race day. I'm going to put that down to the slight downhill and the wind behind me. But we all know it wasn't. I felt really good and couldn't believe the run was over in under an hour and half. Plenty of miles next Sunday to make up for it I guess.
So, just one week left to race day. There is not a lot of running this week: five miles of short intervals on Tuesday, a three mile run on Wednesday with Mike and then a gentle two on Saturday morning and I'll be all ready for the big day.
Right now I'm all excited about the race and can't wait to get going. I've been training for four months for this race, the miles are in the legs, the hard work is done. This week is about being rested and fresh for Sunday morning. Doesn't mean I have to enjoy it though!
This might not to be my last blog before race day; I've got a lot of time where I'm not running so there may be some last minute pre-race thoughts to be had. Well as much thinking as I ever do.
This is the final countdown......
No comments:
Post a Comment