Start of Tapering Week

Daily Quote: "I got kicked out of "Riverdance" for using my arms." --Michael Flatley

Brenda is now gone and I have my computer room back!

This week is my tapering for next Saturday's "Come Catch a Leprechaun 5k Race." Last month's 5k race I had cut back my mileage on race week by 70% and ran one strong speed session in the middle of the week. Now that I've read April 2007 "Running Times" article by Pete Pfitzinger called, "The Rest is Up to You," I'll be cutting back my mileage by 50% and with limited speed work. Pfitzinger states, "Some running articles recommend increasing the amount of speed work during the taper. I believe this is risky due the high lactate levels from these types of workouts and the relatively long recovery times required. An approach that leads to more consistent results is to maintain your interval speed but reduce the volume of intervals."

Hopefully this week I'll be allowing my body to recover and adapt so I am totally prepared as I approach the starting line. Pfitzinger states, "The benefits of tapering can be looked at as simply correcting the accumulated wear-and-tear of training. More specifically, it appears that tapering leads to improvements in running economy (how much oxygen you need to run at a given pace) and muscle strength. Tapering also allows repair of the ongoing microcellular muscle damage from training and full replenishment of glycogen stores in your muslces and liver, as well as boistering your immune system." His article also has suggested taper durations for half-marathon and the full marathon too...I've cut the article out and have placed it in safe keeping for next month's half-marathon tapering.

Today is a General Aerobic Run.
8 miles. Time 1:16. Pace, 9:30 minute miles. Out and back on Bretton Mews Route. Sunny, 68 degrees, Wind SW @ 6 mph. Average heart rate: 140 bpm. Cardiac Drift 147 bpm. Nice easy run! Normally today would be a Long Run, but I'm currently tapering and this would be almost 50% of the distance.

The temperature in Las Vegas is unusually warm, 16 degrees warmer than normal, with tomorrow having a chance to break the record with 84 degrees! I've been running earlier as to beat the heat, but my sleep has been suffering for it.