Week 24 - Race Week

I can't believe am finally in the last week of training for the Akron marathon this Saturday, I remember when I put the training plan together seeing the 18 and higher miles run and wondering how I was going to get through it , but I did and now am down to the last week which is race week and last week of tapering.

It has been an interesting journey, so much different from my 1st. I wrote my training program this time using the level 1 training plan in Brain Training for Runners by Matt Fitzgerald,  only ran 4 days a week, crosstrain and strength train the rest of the week. For all the interval or tempo runs, I did the Dynamic Flexibility routine before the run which makes a big difference in  how I am able to handle the pace. I paid close attention to my recovery nutrition, using Hammer Recoverite after every workout, I felt fine after every workout and able to carry on with my day with no lingering aches and pain. I really didn't pay as much attention to my diet like I did last year so I am at a higher weight that I will like to be, need to refocus on this once the marathon is over and target getting back to a more reasonable weight before my 30k race in December.

Yesterday, was a 6 miles run at base pace, I was very tired in the morning so moved this over to after work. Got home around 5:30pm, ate dinner then dropped my son of at the high school for the PSAT review session, leaving my car at the high school, I ran down the main road which is about 2.4 miles between the 2 cities, then on my way back added some side street to make up 6 miles. This was not a fun run, I was miserable from the very beginning, I guess I didn't give my dinner enough time because it was threatening to come back up, I had heartburn and my legs felt like they are made of brick. Now I question whose brilliant idea it is to run 26.2 when I am struggling with 6, but I did finish it and barely avoided running an 11min/mile for an average pace by  speeding up at the last quarter mile ti come in under.

Today, felt great getting out of bed, last mixed interval workout, did the dynamic flexibility routine to warmup
1 mile @ 5.4mph
2k @ 6.6mph (HM) 90 sec rest
1 mile @ 7.0mph(10k) 90 sec rest
1k @ 7.5mph (5k)
Base - Recovery pace 6.0 -5.4mph to get up to 5 miles (average pace of 9:40) added on Barry's Bootcamp Code Red + Hardcore beginners + legs love lunges.

This may actually end up being my highest training week of this 24 week cycle, how can that be taper.