I finished this week with a 17-miler after the race yesterday. My legs were a bit heavy, but cardio-wise it felt very easy. This is the end of the first taper week, which is still 56 miles and with a race; from next week on taper is in full effect.

Furthermore, I'll have to skip a day, because the goal race one day early. I kept schedule until now so that I can run some tune-up races (only one, as it turned out), and it fit better with real life. But now I have to switch back. So I'm skipping Tuesday's GA run. That will give me effectively two rest days next week: Monday and Sunday, and only 36 miles. It's been a long time that I had such little running in a given week.

This cycle has been probably the closest to perfect that I've ever done. My winter 5K/10K was close, until I had that stupid knee injury from the fall. But even in that one I skipped a few days around new years day, and maybe some others. This time, I think I skipped only two runs in the whole cycle (one was actually a tune-up race, which is important, but still).

I will also risk it that despite the dismal 10K performance yesterday, I am in the best shape of my life. An evidence for that is that In 2013, before my half marathon PR I had a 5x1200 workout similar to the one that I had a week and a half ago. My paces were slower and the run felt harder back then.

My endurance also seems to be there. When one can run 17 miles at 7:33 pace after a 10K race and it feels pretty easy, that is a good sign.

Wellbrooke Fall Classic 10K Race Report

Goal: 6:00-6:15 pace, depending feel and racing situation. Dream goal: PR (37:52).

This was a tune-up race for the marathon two weeks from today, but I originally I was hoping that maybe I can threaten my PR. However, it was warm (65-67 F) this morning with strong winds and very high humidity, so I knew a PR (on marathon training with no taper) was unlikely.

This turned out to be an extremely small race, which is not what I thought based on the website. The 10K had only 25 participants altogether. Another reason not to hope for a great time. But of course it had the advantage that a bathroom was available 5 minutes before the start.

The organization was excellent, and the only thing I didn't like about the race was that every participants received a medal. A total waste of money and natural resources. The course ran entirely on bike paths in a nice park; there was a 5K and a 10K, and the 10K ran two laps on the 5K course. Unfortunately as a consequence, we had curvy roads and many turns, which makes my GPS notoriously inaccurate (showing short). So I'll give some adjusted paces for each GPS mile, which, in reality, were probably a bit more than a mile each.

We started right on time with the firing of a cool cannon! We started on a slight downhill and strong tailwind. I started to get worried, because my pace dipped below 6 minutes/mile. Also, I quickly left the other runners behind, and I found myself leading alone by a big margin.

Mile 1: 6:01 (adjusted: 5:53)

After mile 1, I decided to slow my pace to LT effort. Nobody was around, and I wasn't going to push my body into the paincave for nothing. Also, even if victory comes easy, running is sport fought primarily for position. So if I'm winning, it is not smart to risk it.

Mile 2: 6:20 (6:12)

By this time, I was running a time trial. I couldn't see the second place runner any more when I glanced back. A (gas operated) golf cart was leading me ahead.

Mile 3: 6:14 (6:06)

I arrived to the finish, circled it, as instructed, and headed back to the course. The headwind was occasionally quite brutal.

Mile 4: 6:15 (6:07)

This was the back part of the course, and the volunteers left after the last 5K walker passed them. The golf cart didn't set out to the second lap, so I was totally, entirely alone. I could cut the course, take a nap, whatever I wanted. It was no different than a crappy morning LT run.

Mile 5: 6:20 (adj: 6:12)

I caught up with the back of the pack 5K walkers, so I had to dodge some of them. At the end of this mile, I turned into a headwind so strong that it stopped me in my track. The course was also a bit uphill here.

Mile 6: 6:26 (6:18)

I turned to the finish straight, and sprinted down to the finish line. I did a courtesy clinch, but I felt more like "meh..".

Final time: 38:12. First overall out of 25.

My 5K split was 18:52, so it seems like I faded quite a bit. Not so surprising though given the lack of  competition, and the worsening weather. The 5K winner was a 13 year old girl, who ran 21:16 (that's a pretty good time for her age and gender). I should be more careful selecting races. It was too much driving, too much money, and I really could have just run an LT run. Well, at least I got a trophy.

On the other hand, with all the issues, it's only 20 seconds off of my PR. Maybe I should try to spend another winter on 5K/10K preparation?

Training is finished for the week, except for a 10K tune-up race tomorrow. The weather won't be ideal: 65 temp/ 60 dp, 50% of rain. Race plan: go out at 6:00 to 6:15 pace depending on feeling, and race situation. I.e. I don't want to be alone, especially not in the lead (in case it's a very small race -  I have no idea), but if the lead pack is slower than 6:15, then I'll go. On the other hand, a sub-6 mile in the race would almost certainly result in an epic blow-up.

My PR pace is 6:06, and a PR would certainly be nice, and maybe I have the fitness for that, but I'm not peaking for this race, neither the weather will cooperate, so it seems unlikely.

Essentially perfect week finished today with my last 20-mile run. It didn't feel too hard. I managed to run the last few miles faster, accelerating close to marathon race pace for the last mile.

Now it's taper time. The hay is in the barn, as they say it.

The next workout was today: 5 x 1200 m at 5K pace. I determined that considering a 5:50 5K pace, I would have to run 1200's in 4:21. At then end my splits were 4:23, 4:15, 4:19, 4:19, 4:16 (rounded) for an average of 4:18.33. All this without ever feeling oxygen debt or pain.

As for discomfort, and a bit of burnout: yes. When I started my last interval, at around 300 m into the fast run (so 900 m left), I thought: "This is not fun. In fact I'm fed up. I really want to quit now." But of course I didn't.

So it does look like I'm in pretty good shape. I'm wondering if I could break my shorter distance PRs. Also, it is very temping to attempt ton go out faster than 3-hour pace. (Which I will not.)

Training update.

Last week was finished with 61 miles; sounds low, but it was as planned with plenty of hard workouts. All went fine.

Tuesday I did 5x600 at 5K pace, and I nailed it. (5K pace at this point is 5:50/mile.) As it was fall break, I finally managed to do this outside (on the Waggener High School track, which is an asphalt quarter mile track).

On Saturday, I visited the track again for an LT session: 6 miles at 6:11/mile. This is quite a bit faster than my supposed LT pace (6:20/mile), but the training plan wanted me to run a race, so I assumed it was fine to go a bit faster. I think one of the points here to run a race is that approaching the end of the training cycle, your ideal training paces may have changed, and the race gives you the option of run faster. Indeed, after the initial 6:11 mile, I settled into a 6:13-6:14 pace, and it subjectively felt it was my current lactate threshold. I was able to run a 6:01 closing mile and it still wasn't race effort.

Sunday morning I managed a decent 17-mile run, roughly 16 hours after my LT run, and I felt pretty strong, in fact I felt stronger later into the run, and I got quicker, too. Then I got home, and painted rooms all day. Not bad for an old man. :)

Training update:

Week of September 21 went OK, but due to the weekend conference I had to skip the all-important tune-up race on Saturday. I didn't much try to make it up: all I did was a strong (marathon-paced) effort for he last 10 miles of the 18-mile long run in the weekend. I finished the week with 56 miles.

Then the week of September 28 was better. Even though I was forced to do the Tuesday intervals on the treadmill, I feel it was a decent workout with 6 x 1000 meters at 5K pace. I also ran a decent long run of 18 miles with the last 14 at marathon pace. In fact it was even a little faster: averaged 6:41/mile. I finished the week with 70 miles.

Two more hard weeks left before taper. I'm feeling good, I am where I should be. The training cycle wasn't perfect, but it never is, and so far this one was as close to perfect as training cycles have ever been.