The 1st week of taper and the training breakdown

Week ending 5^th October

This was the first week of the taper. Always a tricky thing to get the first week right. I like to undertake a small reduction in mileage, small enough to allow for recovery but not pronounced enough to lose fitness. The second and third weeks sees the reduction become more pronounced. Realistically it’s unlikely I will gain any more in fitness over the two weeks so it’s best to just keep the legs fresh and the pace ticking over.

Tuesday I ran 11 miles up in Mayfield. I hadn’t run up there since last April but this was my third run up there since last Friday. I kept the pace steady enough erring on the slow side but I still managed to cover the pace in 8.04 pace and probably could have pushed the workout to a sub 8 pace had I tried. The last 3 miles are as always testing but the Hr on average remained very steady – 144Hr. It was more of the same on Wednesday, a 7.5 mile run up in Mayfield again- run exactly at 8 minute pace. Again I didn’t feel under too much pressure and was happy with how things went. It was good to know that I could still manage a decent turn up here but the calves were twinging afterwards. The day itself was one of the busier days in work finishing up at 9 pm that evening and getting back to Charleville after 10 that evening.

Thursday evening i was felling tired and i wasn’t sleeping all that well since the Tuesday. I had one big speed workout left to do and that was a 10 mile run at a fast pace, closer to half marathon race pace. I was surprisingly fresh this time, getting around 10.2 miles completed  in 75 minutes  or 7.20 pace. I was very happy afterwards – speed and endurance. I have no doubt were I doing this kind of training in a group I would have been a lot faster. Again though I found it difficult to sleep that night though- obviously the body was a bit wired which meant a rest day Friday and a mundane 4 mile recovery run on the Saturday.

That left Sunday – the last proper long run of the schedule. I met up with the Mallow gang at 8 am, running 7 miles in the first hour before looping around again to meet up with the main group for a further 10 miles around the same route. There was a big crowd for the run.  To be honest i was pretty sluggish for the first hour and it was obvious the Autumn had arrived this time – no sunny skies, no heat but plenty of wind with spatters of rain. I was happy to finish up with Tony after 17 miles, the rest of the group ran for a further 13 minutes. The pace was 8.26, Hr 144. A lot of the lads and ladies heading over from the club are probably all going for PB’s. Mileage for the week 50 miles.

To be honest I’m also going for a good time.  A Sub 3.15 is out of the question, a sub 3.20 would be exceptional, a sub 3.22 would be a very good time indeed. I wouldn’t fall out with a 3.29.59 either. Marathons can go pear shaped on the slightest thing so I will keep my plans to myself for a while yet. I did note with interest that on the marathon course the water is in the form of cups rather than bottles. I’m not a fan of the paper cups in marathons but as the stations are 5 km apart and there is 10 of them i should be ok for water. I’ll just have to slow down getting through them making sure I get plenty of liquid inside me on the day.

Anyway here’s the breakdown.

Weeks of training (not including taper) 17. Total mileage 748. Average mileage 44 miles. Highest mileage weeks 62.3 mls, 63 mls, 60 mls.

Long runs over 20 miles. 1) 20 miles,2) 20 miles,3) 21.5 mls, 4) 23 mls and 5) 20 mls (with 15 miles at 7.38 pace).

PB’s in races. Cork to Cobh 15 miles – 1.54.51. Ballincollig 5K – 20.35

Other races entered- Shannagarry 5, Dromcolloger 4,Churchtown 5, Clonmel 13.1, Ballycotton 5, Tullamore 13.1, Charleville 13.1.

A lot of races this time around but only two PB’s. That said though I achieved a lot of course PB’s in the above races and used the Clonmel  race a as marathon pace run, 17.5 miles with 13.1 miles at 8.05 pace. In the other two 13.1 races I achieved a improved second fastest time. I also ran plenty of tempos' in training improving each time.

I can’t fault my training cycle. This is very little I would change- the weight has dropped from 13stone 8pounds to 12stone 10pounds over the 17 weeks too . This is the best training cycle I have ever undertaken, without at the same time ever setting the world alight.