Taper Time...Chicago Marathon

Good morning.

Wow, it's the final week of September and October is staring us in the face. You can just feel a change in the air. It's almost time to start using the heat to warm our home.

I almost feel like it's time to hibernate.

A couple years ago while walking my dog Barclay on a frigid cold evening a thought came to me. I thought, "how much of your life has been spent freezing in the winter?"

Well, if I was 48 years old the answer was almost 24 years. That's 1/2 my lifetime. Twenty four years of almost hibernating inside and avoiding the rotten cold weather. Just think if you could be in a warmer climate. It would be like enjoying another lifetime of running, golf, etc.

Last year I decided to embrace the winter months and run outside. Well, I did do that. I ran in temperatures 20 below zero with wind chill. Doesn't that sound fun.

It's almost time to embrace winter again, but I do look forward to when I can spend my winter months in a warmer climate. "Living" is so much easier when it's nice and warm outside.

The main bulk of Chicago Marathon training is over and it's time to taper towards the actual event, 10/10/10. This weekend were my final major runs. I had an excellent 6 mile speed session on Saturday and a nice slow 13.1 miler yesterday. My speed is great and my cardiovascular fitness is outstanding.

When I saw that my average heart rate yesterday was 116 beats per minute during the 13.1 miler I was happily surprised. My runs looked like this:

SATURDAY

Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:06 0:08:49 1 0 6 9:06 8:49 7:40 107 121 0 50
2 0:07:39 0:07:37 1 11 0 7:39 7:37 6:05 129 141 0 60
3 0:07:14 0:07:12 1 3 0 7:14 7:12 6:22 137 147 0 58
4 0:07:15 0:07:06 1 0 4 7:15 7:06 5:58 142 159 0 54
5 0:06:57 0:06:56 1 0 4 6:57 6:56 6:06 141 152 0 57
6 0:06:38 0:06:38 1 0 7 6:38 6:38 6:07 155 164 0 62
7 0:00:03 0:00:03 0.01 9 0 5:31 5:05 6:18 160 160 0 0
Summary 0:44:55 0:44:21 6.01 23 21 7:28 7:22 5:58 133 164 0 341


SUNDAY

Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:09:25 0:08:43 1 0 5 9:25 8:43 7:01 124 152 0 37
2 0:08:59 0:08:56 1 9 0 8:59 8:56 6:35 115 120 0 54
3 0:08:44 0:08:38 1 3 0 8:44 8:38 7:02 115 121 0 51
4 0:08:47 0:08:32 1 0 19 8:47 8:32 3:56 116 124 0 52
5 0:08:59 0:08:53 1 9 0 8:59 8:53 8:11 113 119 0 46
6 0:08:55 0:08:46 1 0 9 8:55 8:46 8:00 113 120 0 43
7 0:08:59 0:08:50 1 13 0 8:59 8:50 4:26 113 125 0 44
8 0:08:52 0:08:46 1 6 0 8:52 8:46 7:42 118 126 0 48
9 0:08:43 0:08:39 1 0 5 8:43 8:39 6:49 120 129 0 49
10 0:08:55 0:08:50 1 4 0 8:55 8:50 7:02 117 121 0 44
11 0:09:00 0:08:56 1 0 0 9:00 8:56 7:29 117 122 0 43
12 0:08:59 0:08:57 1 0 6 8:59 8:57 7:08 117 123 0 43
13 0:08:56 0:08:55 1 6 8 8:56 8:55 7:55 120 123 0 46
14 0:01:03 0:01:03 0.12 0 0 8:54 8:51 8:15 120 121 0 5
Summary 1:57:22 1:55:24 13.12 49 52 8:56 8:47 3:56 116 152 0 605




Edited by Silentrunner 9/27/2010 6:45 AM

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" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."

* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin