Let the Taper commence!

Here we are again, wrapping up another week of high mileage as my race day draws nearer....

Monday was easy-peasy. An active recovery day, nothing major on the plan but I did squeeze out an easy 1-mile #nevermissaMonday run. I have not missed a Monday (yet) in 2016. Bam!

Tuesday, I met up with my friend, Barb, for our routine #5at5AM. We had unseasonably warm temps...the weather app said 63, but it felt much warmer. I'm just glad there was a hint of a breeze.

"This is not a normal start to November"

Tuesday also was our youngest child's birthday. How did 17 years go by so quickly????

 Also, did you know I'm hosting another planking challenge? It started on November 1st...details are HERE . Care to join me?

Wednesday, I took another pass on an early morning run and ran after work. A 1-mile warm-up and then a 10K time trial. The temps were moderate, but there was wind (again....the wind certainly is giving me a foretaste of winter). My feet have been a little achy recently, not sure if it's due to the (relatively) new shoes, the mileage, the way I've been taping, or a combination of everything (I have decided to go with my "tried and true" shoes for the remaining long runs and for race day). That said, I was cautious about pushing my pace too much.

What the WHAT????

To say I was stunned when I saw my finish time would be a drastic understatement. My GPS watch is out of commission, so my route was not exact as I was running. I mapped it after I got home and it turns out the distance was 5.78 miles (just short of a 10K distance). None the less, that still was a 10K PR given the pace I was going. As I have said before, my speed perception is pretty whacked these days.

Thursday was another day of active recovery. Nothing interesting to report. But I did do some planking...

That's right. Planking in jeans, boots, a sweater & a very bulky scarf. It can be done.

Friday, I was able to persuade Barb to meet me for another early morning run. I did my 1-mile warm-up then met her and we knocked out five decent miles at a brisk pace.

another run before the sunrise

Saturday was a simple 3-mile shakeout run on the plan. I treated myself to no-alarm-clock-wakeup for the first time in several months (although I did wake up earlier than I'd have liked). I spent the morning procrastinating, and finally got outside around 10:00. The weather was absolutely beautiful!

Yes, I'm wearing shorts in November (in Iowa)!

Sunday, was the big day...the climax in my 26.2 training...the 20-miler! Even with the "extra" hour of sleep (total oxymoron if there ever was), this run was a struggle from the doorstep. My energy was spot-on, and I think my fueling and hydration were well-executed.....but my body just wanted to go back to bed. Barb and I hit the road at 5:15AM, with a goal of not stopping for a break until we were at least to the 10-mile mark. I had water and fuel along with  me, so that was a solid plan.

We actually made it to 11 miles before stopping back at my house briefly. Both of us wanted/needed to change shoes (since we have that option on a training run after all), and we grabbed a quick snack and used the bathroom.  Not only did my body feel fatigued, but my feet (specifically, my arches) were not happy. I started with my "good" shoes, but opted to change into a pair of the "newer" shoes to see if that would alleviate some of the discomfort (it helped, but didn't eliminate the distress). Ugh.

Despite the tired body, for the most part we kept a moderate and consistent pace. My goal was to run the first 10 miles easy, then progressively increase my pace. Well....I guess we did get an itsy bit faster, but nothing to write home about. It just was not in the cards. Funny how last week's 18-miler in cold & windy weather felt so much easier than these 20 miles in perfect temps (with that extra hour of sleep). Oh well. I'm not worried about the marathon. I know first-hand that the training is always much harder than the race itself, and I also know my body has two weeks to scale back the mileage a bit and ride the taper.

20  miles  done! Let the taper commence!

So, the week's mileage capped at 42 miles, another weekly mileage PR. Do you suppose that may be a factor in some of the fatigue? Or is it "just" the reality of marathon training? I made it to my taper, so I'm at peace with everything. I pondered some of these very thoughts recently in another post...If we were having coffee.

In other news...

The #FridayFashion post was kind of hit and miss this week on  my Instagram. Did you see it? What do you think of puffer vests and cheetah print scarves?

I love me some pink and cheetah print!

Also, I got my hair done! That always makes me feel like a new person.

So, tell me about your week....mileage? Any early runs in the dark? Issues with shoes? Are you gonna join me for some planking?

As usual, we're linking with the awesome gals Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap. Head over and check out their blogs and read up on what everyone else has been doing.