GC HM - Weeks 7 & 8

The countdown is on. Taper-town is here! 

Honestly, the last two weeks of pre-taper training left me a little drained and over it. I know now for a fact that doubling up (instead doing of a long run) KILLs my legs. I think after that first run, my legs enter rest-ville and start chilling out, thinking they won't be running for another 48 hours. And then I be all like WADDUP SUCKERS BACK TO WORK. Its not a pretty sight. 

Anyway, I also added some pretty big tempo workouts these last two weeks. As I think (?) I mentioned, Jake had advised me to just do one key workout a week; and I have had some success in avoiding injury that way (though see Gracie's post today re a 10-day cycle... another good way to do it).

So heres what it looked like. 

Week 7

Sunday: 8.5 miles (In Alice Springs)

Monday: am: 6 miles easy (Alice), pm: 8 miles easy (Sydney)

Tuesday: rest

Wednesday: 6 miles easy

Thursday: 11 miles with 2 x 3 miles at HM pace - 6:53 avg pace

Friday: 3 miles easy

Saturday: 6.5 miles easy (in the Blue Mountains!)

Total: 48 miles

(Unfortunately my running photos didn't really work out, but I do have a photo of the Three Sister from a Blue Mountains trip we did earlier this year). Its soooo beautiful there. 

Week 8 

Sunday: am: 8 miles easy (Blues), pm 6 miles easy (Sydney)

Monday: off

Tuesday: 6 miles easy

Wednesday: 7 miles easy

Thursday: 11 miles with 6 x 1 mile repeats and 0.25 mile jog recoveries (ended up being about 3 mins recovery): 6:41, 6:45, 6:51, 6:51, 6:49. 6:45 = 6:47 avg pace.

Friday 3 miles easy

Saturday: 7 miles easy

Total: 48 miles

Was reasonably happy with both tempo workouts though unfortunately I have done them before and a wee bit faster. So Im not counting myself out of the sub90, but... might be a stretch. Kristen reckons it'll come down to conditions on the day. Probably right. 

Ultimately though the nice thing about having been injured so much last year, is that Im genuinely happy just to be able to run at all. Its effing good. 

Aaaand I'll just go ahead and reread that paragraph when I start obsessively checking the weather for next Sunday.