Extreme Tapering

Part of a good long distance training program is tapering your workouts toward the end of training to allow your body to rest and recover so it will be ready for the ultimate test. Due to my leg injury I took tapering to an extreme. Since November 11, when I ran 6 miles, I have run a total of six times and 13 miles -- most of that this week. The sharp pain in my glute and foot and the soreness in my quad and calf and shin kept me from doing more.

Other than walking about a mile form the bus to my office every day and jogging up the Rosslyn Metro escalators about twice a week I did no training for an entire week. On November 19 I started easing back into it. I ran one mile, then three days later I ran another mile. I definitely needed the rest, but I was begining to feel that I would get too rusty or stiff if I didn't do more.

This past week I've stepped it up. Thanksgiving morning I ran two miles before heading to Lake Anna for the Bealafeld feast. Then Sunday evening I ran with Team Challenge at Haines Point. The workout was scheduled for one hour, but I just ran one lap -- 3 miles -- and stopped at half an hour. My goal this week has been to stay limber and not push myself. I'll save the pushing for race day.

I left DC early to squeeze in three days in Los Angeles before the Vegas race weekend. I've thoroughly enjoyed the last couple days here in L.A. I've spent some time with friends, soaked in SoCal living and had two fantastic runs. The last two nights I've headed down to the strand -- the running, biking, walking path along the sand that runs from Manahattan Beach to Redondo Beach, passing through Hermosa Beach in between. I ran two short 3 mile runs from 3rd Street in Manhattan Beach to the Hermosa Beach pier and back past 3rd Street to the Manhattan Beach pier. I was treated to two beautiful sunsets on my runs, too.

Hermosa Beach, 11/30

Manhattan Beach 12/1

I love Southern California.

I'm feeling better, but still anxious about the race. Aside from all the other pains I've described above, my  right ankle is constantly sore. I'm cautiously optimistic that I'll be able to run the whole race without doing any permanent damage to my body.

Saturday, November 19th
running time in minutes: 9:48
total distance: 1.1 miles
mile pace: 9:11

Thursday, November 24th
running time in minutes: 20:52
total distance: 2.2 miles
mile pace: 9:37

Sunday, November 27th
running time in minutes: 31:22
total distance: 3.2 miles
mile pace: 9:46

Wednesday, November 30th
running time in minutes: 30:47
total distance: 3.0 miles
mile pace: 10:07

Thursday, December 1st
running time in minutes: 30:04
total distance: 3.0 miles
mile pace: 10:01