(Graphic from my page at dailymile.com. The mileage in the graphic includes both running and cycling miles.)
On my first taper week, I took advantage of the additional energy from reduced mileage to experiment with pace a little, and pushed it a little hard on a couple of runs, finding speed I'd never experienced before. Taper is all about recovery for the race, so I approached the second taper week more cautiously. I still ran a little over my anticipated race pace, but kept the pace at a comfortable level without pushing it.
This week, I concentrated on stride and rhythm, trying to maintain a smooth, efficient flow. My approach to these runs was to start easy, run the middle miles nice and steady, and to finish a little quicker. This week, I timed my splits to get a better feel for the flow of each run.
I continued to add some cycling miles for cross-training, but fewer miles than previous weeks. Weekly totals: 26 miles running, 13.2 miles cycling, 39.2 miles total, plus three weights workouts and two core workouts:
- Monday: Rest.
- Tuesday: 4 miles running. Splits: 10:04, 9:36, 9:40, 9:37. 1 mile cycling.
- Wednesday: 6 miles running. Splits: 10:19, 9:50, 9:47, 9:33, 9:06, 8:41. 6.05 miles cycling.
- Thursday: 5 miles running. Splits: 9:57, 9:31, 9:29, 9:01. 6.15 miles cycling.
- Friday: Rest.
- Saturday: 4 miles running. Splits: 10:04, 9:47, 9:24, 9:06.
- Sunday: 8 miles running. Splits: 9:46, 9:44, 9:20, 9:26, 9:36, 9:31, 9:17, 8:18.
This leaves one last week of taper. I plan a couple of very short, easy runs, no leg activity in my weights workouts, and very little cross-training. I'll increase carb intake all week, especially from midweek on, and hydrate well all week.
17 weeks down, 1 week to go!
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