GRT 50k Training Week 16

I made it to the taper!!!! Week 16 was my last 50k-specific week of training, and now I have entered into the Peak Phase, or the taper. It feels really good to be here. While the taper brings all sorts of challenges of it's own, I am really ready to focus on mental and physical rest to get ready for race day.


Here was how my last week of 50k specific training went:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 50-70 min easy run
Wednesday: XT
Thursday: Tempo Interval Workout
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 3-4 hour long run
Sunday: 70-90 min long run, Jasyoga- Booty Lock Mitigation
Total: 34.07 miles

* McMillian 3hab, Strength, Core programs 2-3 times per week

Thursday was the only Tempo run of my entire 50k plan, and I actually enjoyed it. After so many fartlek and strides, it felt good to run at a tempo pace, which is faster than race pace. The workout consisted of 4 x 1 min with 3 min recovery, then 3 x 40 seconds with 1 min recovery, with a warm up and cool down. I heard Greg McMillan on a podcast recently, and he explained how important speedwork is for trail runners, especially when we spend so much of our time running easy to conserve energy on long runs. Breathing hard is a good thing and I really have enjoyed the speed workouts each week of the plan.

Saturday was my last long run and overall it went really well. I ran into another Oiselle IL teammate during my first 8 mile loop, and we ran together for what was her second loop. That made the time pass by, and the fact that she was on her second loop helped keep my pace in check. I did make a mistake and forgot to pick up my extra gel when I stopped to refill my water and Nuun, so I did hit a mini-bonk during my second loop which I was fully expecting. I know one gel does not make or break a run, but I could tell my reserves were low and I paid for it. Still, I felt so good to be done with this run, which signaled the start of the taper!

When you see race day on your training plan!

Runner Highs:

• Weather: Oh the weather was amazing this week! It felt so good to run in shorts and feel the warm sun. While I definitely need to acclimate to the warmer temps, I am so glad that it finally feels like spring. 
• Last long run: Mentally I was looking forward to finishing this all week, so it really gave me a boost to complete it and head into the taper. At least this go-around, I don't wonder if I've done "enough". I've put in the work, done the long runs and back to back runs, and I don't feel as if I needed to run longer on this last one. 

Challenges:

• Strength/Core Work: I really phoned this in. I am at the point where I am tired and limited on time, and the last thing I want to do is more work. I am still doing it, and I know it helps, but it was torture and I was looking at the clock the entire time waiting for it to be done. Thankfully I am done with the strength workouts as it is recommended you stop the week before your race. I have two more core workouts to do, so mentally I feel like I can manage that for this week.

Overall, I had a great last week of 50k specific training and I feel good going into the taper, both mentally and physically. Yes my body really needs rest, but I don't feel guilty at all about winding down and putting in fewer miles. Someone I work with asked if two weeks is too long and I would be "out of shape" before the race, but this is not something I am concerned with at all. I still have quality workouts to complete, and I have put in the hard work for 16 weeks. I really need this time to get myself ready for the race. Here's to the taper!