Taper Time, Week 1

Taper Time is a wonderful time. You've done the work, now it's time to coast. Eat your protein steak and eggs to repair damaged muscle. Get as much rest as you can, shake the fatigue. Run progressively less. De-stress, feel good, no pressure. Plan a massage. Hey, it's been a haul, but you sidestepped through the minefield of injuries, illness and natural disasters and you're almost ready to go.

Week 1 of a 3-weekTaper, however, still "counts." It's a good week to get in a final mid-distance marathon pace run and maybe a final 5K time trial. I did the 5K time trial yesterday, midweek, and ran a 7:43 (in low 80s temp), which was one second faster than what I ran in June, but 40 seconds faster than two weeks ago; this past weekend, I tried a 5K and had to walk the last mile home. That was Pre-Inhaler. The 7:43 time suggests, according to Coach Bensen, a sub-4 hour marathon, but it's a razor-thin close call. 5K trials aren't as accurate as 10K trials, which aren't as good as Yasso 880s (10 of them would be the best test). Also, 75% of the last 150 miles spent on a treadmill will be an interesting test to see how road-rugged my legs are.

I have one hard run left -- a 10-12 mile MP or 10 Yasso 880s? I need a track for the 880s, which could result in more muscle damage than you want to take on two weeks out. My mileage this week is 75% of peak-- around 30 miles. Next week half, around 20. Most of the runs next week will be 3-6 mile marathon pace runs. That's the plan.

I'm starting to look at weather in Chicago this week. By this weekend, I'll be able to see 15 days out and begin the ridiculous exercise of freting over temperature changes on race day as posted on Accuweather. It's tradition.