9 Days to Go (Obstacles)
Date - Day - Scheduled Workout (Intervals within desired pace, Strength +/- 5 sec, everything else +/- 10 sec)
12/21/16 - W - MBW light
12/22/16 - R - 2 miles @ 9:47 min/mile + 10 miles @ 7:33 min/mile + 2 miles @ 9:47 min/mile *Changed CD to 0.4 miles
12/23/16 - F - 5 miles @ 9:01 or slower min/mile
12/24/16 - Sat - 6 miles @ 8:33 or slower min/mile + MBW light
12/25/16 - Sun - OFF
12/26/16 - M - 11 miles @ 8:13 min/mile
12/27/16 - T - OFF
Total mileage = 34.4 miles
Number of intervals within pace = ?/? (?%) *I'd say 100% based on "effort"
This week was all about trying to balance multiple things at a time. Balance getting heat acclimation training, with getting sick, with the weather, with trying to get get healthier, with trying to maintain fitness gains, with trying to adjust the timing of the schedule for Dopey. Lots of balance and obstacles.
Thursday was heat acclimation training (HAT) #2 with a 14 mile run scheduled with 10 at marathon tempo. The actual windchill was 28, so hooray for "warm" weather. I dressed as if it were -15F out though for HAT. I was mildly sick with a sore throat for this run and forgot to charge my iPod for music. Given the sweat, the sickness, and no music I was pretty happy with the average pace being a 7:38 min/mile and near goal pace. Although, I cut the CD down to 0.4 miles because I was so sweaty and I didn't want to prolong or make the sickness any worse.
Friday was HAT #3. There was an active snowfall during the run of about 1-2 inches. The sickness had then progressed into a mild cold. So this run as scheduled was to be "easy" and I did just that between the sickness and snow. The average pace was a 10:10 min/mile. I cut the run short by 1 mile because the goal duration was 55 minutes and at 5 miles I was just about at 51 minutes, so I met the duration goal.
Saturday was HAT #4. No snow on the ground. Still sick. It was 33F out, but I dressed as if it were -15F. Sweated buckets. Pace was decent at an average 9:01 min/mile.
Sunday (Merry Christmas) was to be the last long run of 11 miles. Because I was sick I valued sleep over the run, so getting it done prior to Gigi waking up and opening presents was not an option anymore. The plan was to be home from my sister's by 5-6pm that night and I would do the run then. It was a nice christmas and G really liked her new "watch". Not quite the screaming "hooray" we were hoping for (I think she was too aware it was coming), but nonetheless she is excited. Got to see most of the family. I already got my Garmin 235 for christmas a few weeks ago, and got a few other running related items (columbia thermal, t-shirts) but nothing too crazy. Lots and lots of Disney gift cards though so I can do some damage at the rundisney expo if I choose to do so. However, on the ride home from my sister's it was raining outside (it was 34 degrees out so freezing rain). It didn't show signs of letting up. Between the freezing rain and 20-25 mph winds my wife and I decided it would be for the best to stay home and rest up. I felt I was sooooo close to breaking this cold and if I pushed it with a freezing rain run it might just restart the whole thing again. So no run on christmas for me.
Monday was a decision day. I didn't do the long run on Sunday as scheduled. I was to have off on Tuesday and do the last M Tempo on Wednesday. So technically Monday could have been a long run or the last strength run (6 x 1 mile). I originally had it scheduled as an easy day, because Sunday long run. But I was wondering whether I should get in one more fast paced workout with a total distance of ~10.5 miles, which was nearly the same as the long run at 11 miles. The same thing right? Well, I decided to go with the long run. I was coming off a cold, so the long run was the safer choice of the two. Let the muscles rest a bit more and not take the fast paced pounding. This also gave me the opportunity to wear my newer Zealot Iso shoes again with the plans that they will serve as marathon day plan B shoes if things aren't going my way (can't go slow in Kinvara 6, but I can in Zealot Iso). The run was good. It was HAT #5. WC was 35 with sustained wind of 25 mph and gusts of 45 mph. I dressed as if it were 15F. I sweated like crazy. Like I was dripping sweat from inside my clothes when I got home. But, I'm starting to feel more comfortable in the self made hot microclimate. I hit a solid 7:59 min/mile average pace with the wind and HAT. So I'm pretty happy with the results because I ran similar paces with similar HR to conditions that were much cooler then during this run.
Tuesday is off. As the schedule shifts by one day accommodate the 10 day taper window for the HM. I'm not concerned about benefits/recovery for the 5k/10k so much, but I'll need my strength for the HM/M. So this meant move the off day from Wed to Tues and the M Tempo from Thurs to Wed. It also happens to be Steph's Birthday too! So conveniently I have the day off from running to go celebrate with her, her friends, and Gigi!
Only one real training run left on Wednesday! This training cycle has taken a bit of a hit here at the end, but overall I'm still feeling really confident. Whatever happens happens. And no matter what I know I'll have a good time.
With that it means it's almost time to pack and get ready for Disney!
NOW THE REAL PROBLEM..... THE TAPER IS COMING!?!?!?!?!
<--------Anti-illness Voodoo mixing
So much for being done with marathons.... 
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