Final 9

The final 9 weeks of training prior to the taper are upon me.  I am starting the switch to higher intensity, more recovery, more specific training.  It feels like the right time.  Hopefully a focus on my weakness and a greater specificity with the training will provide me the improvement that I need in order to maintain pace in the marathon.

For this cycle, I think I’ve discovered some paces that I can run and maintain with steady race effort.  I now need to narrow in on these paces and boost my stamina, mechanics, and efficiency while running at this effort.  After Tuesday’s tempo run, I’ve been dragging a little and I think it’s the accumulated fatigue and me touching the end of the string when it comes to aerobic improvement in the short term.  Now to solidify the gains.

So first up today was core work.  And I might have well announced that I’m the weakling of the bunch.  Pushups, abs, you-name-it, I did a little bit and I was wobbly after 40 minutes.  I did some drill work too.  It’s just not the same as cruising and letting the miles slip by.  But by starting now and doing this workout periodically, I hope to strengthen the right muscles that tend to fold on me in the final miles.

Yesterday, the blind moose got together for another 17 mile run.  These workouts are part of Mike’s recovery and while he might be recovering, they’re killing me.  I almost begged him to hammer out the last two miles so we could get the run over with.  It was hot, humid, and the horseflies were ripping the meat off my bones.  Instead, Mike held to his plan:  20 minutes with a Galloway walk to get the heart rate down.  I’m starting to be suspicious… he doesn’t seem to need any of these breaks and he knows I have trouble getting going again.  I think he’s up to his old tricks trying to wear me down.  If this keeps up he’s going to have to start telling me jokes.

I got in 12.4 miles in 90 minutes.  The humidity took me completely by surprise and I found myself in a dehydrated state by the time I got home.  That’s the reward I get for grabbing a few extra winks.  I should have got up at my usual time.  It would have been much nicer.

So it turned out to be a lower mileage week at 66.83 miles w/two recovery days embedded.  I believe with the higher intensity workouts to come and the recovery days that follow, the mileage will remain lower than the past 14 weeks.  Everything has a price.  The weekly mileage up to this point:

5/3        59

5/10      65

5/17      88

5/24      96

5/31      105       May = 388

6/7        55

6/14      98

6/21      108

6/28      86         June = 357

7/5        38

7/12      97

7/19      90

7/26      114       July = 370

8/2        66

Today: 0 miles / drill work / core work ~ 40 minutes.  Worked new muscles.