So week 9 is technically a tapper week, however, we're far enough along in training that 10 miles constitutes a shorter distance. This is also the first week that every day was a different distance (3-7-4-10), losing some of the much treasured consistency from the 3 milers that used to serve as the whole grain bread in the Wednesday hard run special sandwich.
This past weekend was the farthest I had ever run: 13.1 miles. I bumped up the run to .1 just to round out the exact half marathon measurement. I attacked the distance in four easily digestible 3 mile loops, with the victory lap of 1.1 miles around the neighborhood. I again kept a cache of water and gatorade in my makeshift water station, and made out quite alright in the process. To say it was chilly would be an understatement, but weather wise, it wasn't all that terrible. I dressed far more appropriately for this jaunt than I had done earlier in the week, and indeed got myself a fine pair of running tights for the occasion.
Onto the running...
The loop system that I've implemented for these longer runs seems to be working well for me. I get to look forward to those brief drink pauses, and in addition, the distance really doesn't seem all that overbearing. That's not to say it was a breeze, but it was easier than the three 4 mile loops I had done previously. I took as many of the hills out of the run as I could in plotting out the course, so that helped big time in the later portion of the run. Even though I was tired, that victory 1.1 mile I mentioned seemed like nothing at all after swaggering through the first 12. I was done before I even noticed I was running. Best guess approximation for my possible marathon time is right about 4 hours. This, I've ventured out on a limb like a one legged monkey wearing an eyepatch, therefor having no depth perception, reaching for the apple, which lord only knows who forbade, farthest out on the ever thinning branch, ready to pluck it and taste the sweet sweetness within, on fact that my "half-marathon" time was about 2:10 hours.
I have been dedicating my Sundays to the heart wrenching Temple of Doom's inevitable ITBS pain, which has just become part of my running routine after these long runs. I'm really not sure how to get around it, but with MICE (Movement Ice Compression Elevation) it has luckily healed before the Tuesday runs. More than anything else it really effects my cross training ability, because I've skipped out on cycling on Sundays specifically because I'm in too much pain from the previous day's LSD. Sure, walking is fine, but I use my legs to walk like a sucker all the time; I'd like a break from the monotony if possible, and like Kevin Arnold, I want to spend as much time as possible with Schwinny Cooper.
As for this whacky week of technical tapering, Tuesday, if you can believe it, was the hardest day, and the shortest distance. I guess the problem was getting my body excited about moving again after forcing it to run 13.1 miles, then teasing it with a rest day on Monday. My legs just felt heavy and lethargic. I'm not sure of the time, but I am sure it was slow. Wednesday's 7 miler went much better than I expected, although I'm still nursing a cough, and this outdoor running seems to just be prolonging my complete recovery. I applied the same loop method to this one, except I didn't stop at all for water along the way. So I basically ran half of the half marathon I had done 3 days prior. Today's 4 miles was accomplished in a warm basement thanks to my aunt, who also gave me 20lb. dumbbells, which means I can actually incorporate a more serious approach to the strength training that I was supposed to be doing since, oh...about week 2. All good things kids...all good things.
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