Taper Madness: Part I

WORK-outs | ----------------------------------------------------------

Thursday (9.27.07). 7:15 AM, 52°, 3m. Can you believe that I had a three mile run to do? Three miles! I can't remember that last time I had such a short run on the schedule. It almost seemed like a waste of time to get up and put all my running clothes on, tie my shoes, load the garmin and walk out that door for only three miles. But, at last, it was a perfect morning and a nice run. My goal was something like Pam's race strategy (from The Office)... okay, so I hadn't seen the episode yet, but it fit perfectly with my run for Thursday. I wanted to start fast (or actually "steady" was what I was looking for), run faster, and finish faster. My hip didn't bother me a bit while I was running, but it was a little sore afterwards.
3m / 31:47
10:42
10:33
10:14

Friday (9.28.07). Rest day... Nothin' too exciting. We ate dinner at Cossetta's near the race finish, and then came home and Zack went to see The Kingdom with his buddies while I cozied up with Pride and Prejudice at home.

Saturday (9.29.07). 1 PM, 62°, 30 mph winds, and sporadic torrential downpours. 8m. I slept in and enjoyed a sleepy morning at home before finally coaxing myself to get dressed and ready to run. As soon as I walked out the door and onto my porch, the heavens opened and the rain fell with fury. I stared in disbelief for two minutes before going back inside and changing out of my new marathon shoes and into an older pair of running kicks. Back out the door. Overall, the run wasn't bad. I had my moments... like running through the muddy fields and yelling at the winds that were pushing me back with a terrible force. There was a x-country meet going on at the UofM, and I saw lots of runners out warming up. It was interesting actually... they all had running tights on and long sleeved shirts... and there I was, with shorts, a tank and a fuel belt. Definitely didn't fit in with the crowd. The first four miles or so were somewhat uncomfortable and I was acutely aware of a nagging soreness in my hip the entire time, but I still finished feeling decent. The last two miles were good... the rain was pouring down and I just ducked my head and ran like mad. My splits were sort of all over the place, but my route turns this way and that, and the miles that were into the wind were definitely slower. Oh, and I hit the lap button accidentally two times... so they really got messed up!
8m /
10:12
6:18 - .57
4:47 - .48
11:07
11:25
10:37
10:37
10:00
9:43 - .95

Sunday (9.30.07). It was a very rainy day, and I was tired of being cooped up inside the house, so Zack and I put on our rain jackets, baseball caps, and old shoes and went for a good old walk in the rain. We didn't go far, and we stopped a couple times to rescue earth worms from the sidewalk, clear leaves from a clogged drain, and splash in the puddles. X-training was never so much fun.

Monday (10.1.07). Rest day. I am using today to plan out the rest of my taper... oh, and my race strategy. Lots to think about. And maybe I'll watch a movie tonight? Hhhmmm... what a great way to check off another day on the countdown calendar.