Monday, April 2, 2012

TAPER TIME

5 weeks of training done and dusted, so a week of taper lies ahead... and then we race!!!

The truth be told I don't like racing anymore, it's just too hard and I don't have it: That going hard from the gun, the pushing till the lungs burn so you can stay in the mix till the next turn... when it might be your chance to turn the screws and see if you can drop the competition!

Don't get me wrong I love running races and I love running hard, but racing, NO. The Road is easy, the logbook never lies, so before you line up on the start line you just read the last couple of weeks of your training and that should tell you what you are capable of doing...

So what does this last week of mine look like?
Monday: easy 10km no surprise here I had just run a hardish 30km the day before...
Tuesday: 6 x 1km reps ave sub 3:20, last one a fast 3:02 (slightly down hill) legs starting to work!
Wednesday: easy 14.5km
Thursday: it was raining, so I stayed off the track and took to the road, and after 2km easy did 10km tempo in 38:01.
Friday: easy 5.5km round the block.
Saturday: 11.5km, 51:34 should have swapped Friday and Saturday around...
Sunday: Race, trail race at the end of the Epic Cycle race... (we got the see the winner come in after our race)

Short race report, went out hard... but the running was easy under foot and at 2km Bernard and Riaan took off... Johnny tried to follow, but Ben and I caught him on the first hill... couldn't shake them on the short singles track and then on a flat jeep track at about 7.5km Ben went for it taking Johnny... I backed off a bit (very little) and at 12km as I took a sharp turn up a steep hill I thought I would see them, but they were gone, I had been lazy!!! I trotted home for a 5th place... but crossed the line in 3rd!!!!! Ben and Johnny had taken a wrong turn, and I bagged the last podium. I think they had turned down at 12km....

I'll take it and the wine I won...

This coming week should be easy and maybe my legs will get a bit of go in them and I will be ready to race come Friday...

5 comments:

  1. To the victor belongs the rewards - even if you were only victor because of a navigational error. I hope that wine tasted all the sweeter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My wife might like a sweet wine, but this was a rather nice bottle of red which we'll drink this winter infront of the fire...

      Delete
  2. Good luck this weekend! A little "hurt" is good for you. Burn those longs and turn those screws. :) I will be cheering you on from here!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't like the 5K races for that reason. They're over before I'm even warmed up, my lungs and chest burn ...dreadful! Congratulations on your win!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congrats on 3rd! Wine is a decent prize too. Good luck with your next race!

    ReplyDelete