Friday, November 24, 2006

First Week of Taper

Week 14 of 16 is almost done. Here's what I've been doing:

Sunday I never really had a chance to go riding or swimming since J.T. worked all day and into the late evening. But I did manage to put in the CTS dvd and do the 60 minute time trial work out on the trainer. Monday I did nothing. Really no excuse there, I just didn't do a thing. Tuesday was intervals. FIRST said that I was to do a 10 - 20 minute warmup, then 8 x 800m intervals, and a 10 minute cool down. I could not stand the thought of running outside in the 30 degree weather on this day, so I took myself to the rec center and did the workout on the treadmill. Each interval was supposed to be done in 3:31 with a 1:30 rest interval, so I just set the treadmill to that pace each time and made myself get it done. While there are obvious disadvantages to the treadmill, you have to admit that it's easier to loaf a little on the track when it starts getting tough as opposed to when you are on the treadmill and vow not to reduce the speed. You are basically forcing your legs to get the job done, or face falling off the back and looking like an idiot to all those who were staring at you like you were crazy in the first place. About halfway through the 7th 800m interval @8.5 mph I was wondering if I'd be able to make it, and I had a vision of me refusing to hit the "down arrow" to slow the pace and eventually passing out and falling all over the place...haha...but nothing that dramatic ever occured. I finished up all 8 intervals and then went downstairs top play some basketball with my boys. The mind will try anything to convince you to go for the "down arrow" though. Wednesday was back to cross training, so I took off on my bike during my lunch break for a 17 mile ride including "Brinkley Hill". My mind tried to tell me I wouldn't make it up Brinkley Hill this time too, but I went right up, no problem. Wednesday evening I took Briar to the bike shop to get measured for a road bike, what he says he wants for Christmas this year. It looks like it's gonna be either the Felt f24 or the Trek KDR1000. If I can 1)figure out how to pay for such a thing, and 2)convince J.T. that it's a good idea(he knows that's what he wants, but he doesn't know what it costs yet....~sigh~) Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, the Mach Tenn Running Club held a group run with options of 5 miles and 8 miles. Since FIRST said my tempo was supposed to be 5 miles at mid-tempo pace (8:06), I chose the 5 mile route. And boy was I happy that FIRST said 5 miles, because the 8 mile route included the same Brinkley Hill I had biked up the day before. And one Brinkley Hill a week is plently, whether on bike or foot. The club had a good turnout, but I didn't have my best tempo run. I never did hit the target pace, and my heart rate averaged 170 bpm!!!

And today I should have gone to the rec center to swim, but I didn't get up there. I won't go into the excuses I made to not go. Tomorrow is the long run of 13 miles, and it is to be done at planned marathon pace, which is 9:00/mile.

6 comments:

Neese said...

FIRST is a good (and tough!) program.. way to stick to it even when your mind trys to argue with you! :o)

Kate said...

I like the sound of FIRST too. By the sounds of your 800s, you're well on track for your marathon!

Michele said...

Those 800 were tough, way to stick it out and get em done!

That is great that Briar is getting a road bike, y'all are going to have so much fun riding together.

Glad I din't know about the Mach Tenn's run thursday. I would have gone and that didn't fit my 6 mile tempo run.

Lance Notstrong said...

Wow, 170!!! You were doing some work!!! Are you starting to feel like the workouts you do now are not just what you are doing now but the accumulation of the entire marathon training? I do.....I'm feeling pretty tired all the time now.....even in the taper. Maybe just overall fatigue is why your HR was so high.

Tri-Dummy said...

Lana,
Which Garmin are you using?
Jay

tri-mama said...

I hope you had some good music for that treadmill workout! I'm sure people at the Y think I'm a little crazy when I do my tempo runs on the treadmill-but at least then I'm sure about my pace.

Reading through your list of things to be thankful for made me tear up a little- especially for your friend MJ. That's tough-but so rich to see God's grace in her life even in this difficult time.

Keep up the training! You've almost made it!!!