Holiday Taper

Off on some well earned holidays this week, which disrupted the training schedule.
I know the hard core runners don't allow such things get in the way of a disciplined approach, but for two reasons I did allow such a thing. 1. The family made me, and 2. The family made me!

Monday last was a rest day after Sunday's 15 miles.
Tuesday was again tempo Tuesday. Initially the plan was for 8 tempo, with some warm up and cool down miles, but a short notice work change put paid to that.
I got the 1 mile warmup done, and then was resigned to a six mile tempo. At the off, I struggled at the faster pace, which seems to be happening a lot at around the 6:20 pace. After mile 1, 6:17, I had the idea to make it two sets of three, but it occurred to me that I had been doing that a lot lately, and that was to the detriment of a consistent longer mileage effort, so I pushed on for a 4 mile block at exactly the 6:20 average. 2 minute break, and a 2 mile rep, 6:19 average, with two easy miles to home.

No run Wednesday as I had a work commitment which meant I was gone from early until late.

Thursday was to be a speed session. Two miles warmup, and 2x2 at 6:10 pace. This was a bit of a cop out really. It was not really a speed session, nor was it a tempo session, but somewhere in the middle. I consoled myself with the theory that it would hopefully help towards the problem with the longer tempos. 8 miles for the session.

Off on the holidays on Friday to a nice warm Spanish destination. No run, I dare not ask!

Saturday was a glorious day of 24 degrees, and I found an hour to escape for a run. I had forgotten my garmin, so I set off for 30 minutes out, and the reciprocal 30 minutes back, at an easy enough pace, which I figured would be 8 miles. Running in the heat was actually not a problem, although I did sweat more than usual and I could notice it later in my thirst levels.

No run Sunday, and I was forbidden on Monday when I mentioned it, too much to do apparently, and the whole 'can you not just take a break for a few days' bit.

Home today, and after some unpacking, I ventured out, the wife glad to get me out of the way (I think). Plan was 12 easy miles, to try and get some miles on the legs, not to mention start to burn some calories! Easy pace was around 7:30 to 7:40, but strangely, the legs felt very strong. He first few hilly miles, and I glided up with little notice, and had difficulty trying to slow down the leg spin on the way down. After 8 miles, with a 7:30 average showing, I decided to let the pace flow, and it went 7:09, 6:53, 6:45, with a concious pull back on mile 12 to 7:12. I was well impressed at how easy it felt. Thinking about it, I all but tapered as I would for a marathon over the last two weeks. A high 50 miles, followed by alternate days of fast running, and then none for two, put me in good shape.

Back to normal now, the only blip on this weeks horizon is a meeting with Axel, Slash and co at an intimate venue called Slane castle this Saturday. 15 miles planned before hand, Sunday might be dubious though.