Weeks taper program

I have a taper in my program and I thought I would set it out before the week starts as I need to follow it and not add anything to it. I uesed it and it worked the last time I ran under 3.

MONDAY
7k very easy with stretching - 6 minute pace

Done - and what a pleasure to ease out Sunday's aches with a rather pedestrian 6 min k pace but at that speed it gives you time to enjoy the pleasure of the early morning crispness around the Bay. Did some stretching while watching some birds hunt for breakfast along the waters edge. They are probably there each morning but on other morings there is no time to observe them.

TUESDAY
2 x 5k @ 4.00 with 5 rest

19.35 out along the 5k challenge course with 6/7 minutes rest then back again with thoughts of it getting ugly near the end but gritted and held on for another 19.35 - splits for the second run 3.48/3.57/3.56/3.58/3.54 - took the first 2 k to get into a rhythm and it was then okay and I held on up the last up hill on the last k to the Rowers.

WEDNESDAY
16k @4.40 - KL in 75

I was a bit naughty this morning as I didn't follow the program exactly. Mt PB for this run was way back in December at 71.58 and I haven't been close to it for sometime. So I thought I would give it a shot to guage where my fitness is and a hard 16k run will do no harm at this stage and it would not be faster than MP anyway. Suprises can always happen when you least expect them as I finished in 69.58 @ 4.22 - so a massive PB and a good indicator that all is going well.

THURSDAY
5 X 1K @ 3.45 with 2 walk between

Changed the session slightly. Decided I wanted a mix of a longer tempo run and some 1ks. 3k in 11.22 then 3 x 1k : 3.35, 3.30 and 3.35. I thought they would be much slower taking into account it was the 3rd hard session in a row and the 3k to start could have blown any speed but giving each a full effort resulted in better than expected times even on a rested day. The taper seems to be going very well.

FRIDAY
5k very easy with stretching - 6 minute pace

Decided the ultimate easy day was no running or exercising - a genuine recovery from the last three days was total rest.

SATURDAY
Program rest - will probably do the 5k challenge in 18.45 would be fine

At the last minute and very early decided to do the TT. Perhaps being alone, rushed and dark all went against me as it was a rather pedestrain 19.10 that did not even feel like challenging sub 18. After the run it was off to my daughters softball grand final and they won 31-3 - yippee!!

SUNDAY
16k @4.40 - KL in 75 and 5k @ 4.15

Did the KL run in 74.32 which is right on the pace I wanted although it felt tough. Decided to leave the additional 5k. After a quick trip to Port Macquarie to watch Aunty in the IM and back late in the nighy/early morning - and 800k round trip in 15 hours and all the rest of the time on the course. For those who are not aware KL stands for Karins Loop - one of her favourite training runs for IM - as it starts and finishes just 200 metres from my door and is a challenging 16k with hills I use it as my longish run often.