Ok so this week I'll start tapering. Honestly. I will. No really. I promise!
If you want to nitpick about last week and how it should have been a tapering week, I will say that I did stick with my given mileage. I was just off a bit on the intensity of my sunday 24k run. Instead of running a pace range of 5:44 min/km to 6:21 min/km, I ran it at marathon pace, or 5:32 min/km. There was a method to my madness. Even though I was doing the distances I should have, there was still that lingering thought about whether or not I could run my marathon pace on the first half of the Bluenose course. I had run the first half several times before during training and the best I could do was around 2:18. I had run my marathon pace before as well but never on a course as hill as what the Bluenose has to offer so on Sunday I decided to put that last shred of self doubt to rest once and for all.
It was partly sunny and warm for running, about 16C so I was also going to get to push it during weather I'm not 100% comfortable running in. Thats the problem with running outside all winter/spring, you never really get to run in warm weather. So I take off at the clock at Citadel Hill around 1pm. I'm cruising pretty good, wondering if I can maintain this pace for the whole 24k. I slow down to get over the bridge and up Nantucket Ave. That's ok though as I speed up on the downhill portions to make up the difference. I make it to Shubie Park and I'm still averaging a 5:28 pace! I slow down a little in Shubie park but this time I didn't get lost. I exit the park still on pace.
On to Maple Street, a tough, never ending uphill. By the time I get to the top I'm really sucking air but my overall pace is still in the range I want it. I start smiling at this point (18k), I know I'm going to break 2hrs for a half marathon but don't know by how much. To be honest, I didn't care. I get back to where I started (21km point) in 1:55! Holy shit, I did it. I finish the whole 24k run in 2:15, 4 minutes faster than my previous best 21k time!!! I felt great. All doubt has been erased and this week I can really relax and enjoy the taper. I only have to run 20k this weekend so the plan is to run the 2nd half of the Bluenose route but at a slow pace. I promise I will behave and do it at a 6:00 pace. Honestly!
Last Wednesday I had my first theraputic massage. I knew it wasn't going to be overly relaxing and yup, it wasn't. The therapist worked on just the legs. It wasn't so bad on the quads, glutes and hamstrings but when she worked on the calves and feet, holy crap did it hurt. After I left it felt like someone beat me with a baseball bat. lol Ok, another tip I didn't know, a hot epsom salt bath after any kind of muscle abuse seems to work pretty good in cutting down on the amount of pain you'll feel the next day. I had one after the massage and even though the legs were still a little sore the next day, I still felt like I could have run if needed. I also had one after my long run yesterday and I feel good today despite the thrashing I put the legs through. I'm heading back for another massage session today and have one more scheduled for next monday, just to work out the kinks and help relax.
673 km down, 59 to go!!! Less than 2 weeks to the Bluenose!
onward and upward
I hope I don't go stir crazy with the further drop in mileage this week.
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