Week -2 went well. It's not an easy week with the 600s, the tune-up race and the long run the day after that, but I did it all quite fine.

Instead of the tune-up race, I ran another 40-minute LT run, and this time, I was aiming for a 7:09 pace (because last time I ran 7:09 pace while aiming for 7:15). Guess what. This time, it turned out to be 7:00.

Funny thing, I ran the first mile, and I pushed the beginning a bit to get my system up to LT quickly, and when I hit the first mile marker, the split was 6:51. I loudly exclaimed "holy shit!" I slowed a bit, but it does seem like I can sustain 7 min/mile without accumulating lactate. Still not near where I used to be, but not astronomically far any more.

That puts me squarely at 48+ VDOT, I'll do training according to this number now.

The Sunday run after the workout was not easy. I ran in the Parklands again, just so that I would experience more brutal hills. It was "only" 16 miles, and I don't think it would have been an issue, if it wasn't after the hard workout on Saturday. This way, I had to fight. It wasn't quite as hard as my hilly 20-miler, but I would put it into the same category as my relatively flat 20-miler.

I'm finally hitting taper this week. I was thinking about running on Monday, because the schedule works better that way, but legs were totally dead, so I skipped it. I ran today (on Tuesday), 7 easy, but I had breathing issues. I resisted using the inhaler, but it made the run slightly unpleasant, feeling harder than it should have been.

Yet, this week, still has a hard workout on Wednesday. I'm debating if it is worth doing it or not. The hay is probably in the barn. The portion that's left outside can rot. :)

M: Rest

T: 7 R w/ 8 x 100

W: 8 w/ 4 x 1200m @ 5K pace

T: Rest

F: 5 R w/ 6 x 100

S: Rest (that's new)

S: 12 MLR

I usually run my "5K pace" at my VO2 max prescribed by Jack Daniels. That would be 6:26/mile, or 4:49/1200m for the 48 VDOT. But his 5K time for the same VDOT is 20:39, so that's only 6:39/mile or 4:57/1200m. Maybe I should do that.

I will probably shift the 5-mile recovery for Thirsty Thursday (if I even do that), and maybe do the 12 MLR on Saturday.

Here is the last week:

M: Rest

T: 6 R

W: 7 w/ 2 @ MP (called the "dress rehearsal")

T: Rest

F: 5 R w/ 6 x 100m

S: 4 R (packet pickup, boat pull)

S: you know what... I'm scared.