Round two of 'Taper Tuesday'. The past week has been crazy. Monday (last Monday) we got snow... which was okay because I took Monday as a rest day (Nookachamps 10k followed by 15ish miles equals one tired girl). The rest day, however, lead to Sicky McSickerson. I went to bed that evening with a sore throat and congested sinuses. I loaded up on apple cider (I swear by it) and popped Alka Seltzer Cold and Sinus tabs (my Mom swears by it) and then went to bed.
Tuesday I was still sick - boo - and there was still snow on the ground - double boo. Now normally I'm not a 'I hate snow' kind of gal and I would suck it up and run in it. But being so close to my 'A' race I didn't think that was wise. Not to mention I ditched my pair of YakTrax last year thinking that if it ever snowed enough I would either just take a rest day or hit the gym. Well... now I had to hit the gym. Rats!
As many of you know I loathe the treadmill. It's boring. There's nothing you can say to make me change my mind. I can't watch TV to distract me because either 1) it's on a channel that no one wants to watch anyway or 2) I can't stand commercials and there are way too many of them. Similarly, I don't do well with music because again I get bored (hence the reason I don't train WITH music). But I had to get it done. So I sloshed my way over to my tiny gym and got on the treadmill - knowing that I had to at least get 3 miles in and was just going to go by feel. HARD! I made it 4 miles (supposed to do 5) and called it quits. My lungs felt congested, I was bored, and way too hot.
Wednesday - still snow, still lingering cold - and on top of that I had my last key workout - 8 miles with 3 x 1 mile repeats at 5k pace. Crap! Back to the treadmill I go. This time I grabbed my iPod with my Ironman mix on it and just focused. This was a MUST workout and there was no skimping. I warmed up for 2 miles and then hit it. Cranked that baby up to my 5k pace and held on for dear life for the entire mile. Then it was two minutes of much needed rest (grab some water, walk for a few seconds, and ease back into a faster pace). By the third time I had my music cranked to maximum - blowing my eardrums out. I was dripping sweat, starring at the floor in front of the treadmill and angrily pounding out the mile. I'm pretty sure I had a determined angry look on my face and I got more than a few odd glances from my elderly gym mates.
After that last mile it took all of my remaining energy to finish out the 8 miles. Cool down? Can't I just do that in the shower? But I sucked it up and in the end I was proud of myself for my determination.
Thursday was another day on the treadmill since the snow had now turned to a solid sheet of ice. Luckily my cold had abated for the most part and I ran a steady 4 miles (I wasn't going any farther). Sure... I was 'supposed' to do 5 on Tuesday and 7 on Thursday but that just wasn't happening so why stress over it? I'm in taper.
Then the weekend was upon me. Normally that doesn't mean much but this last weekend it meant hours of driving and trying to squeeze in my last 'long run' (12 miles). Friday - up at 5, on the road by 6 AM, in Sacramento by 9 PM. LONG A** DAY! Saturday, change of plans. I was 'supposed' to head to Lake Tahoe to visit Lindsay but the night before they got a foot of snow which meant that the pass in between Sacramento and her was set for mandatory chains. So instead, hit the coast, weaved along highway 1 and added all sorts of time to my direct trip and landed late that night in Barstow, CA. Sunday, Barstow to Lake Havasu, pit stop at the lake for a 12 mile run that ended up being only 10.5 (didn't want to start doing laps around the parking lot just to get the extra mile and a half), back in the car and headed to Phoenix.
Voila. Now it's race week which means, hydrate, hydrate hydrate, then dehydrate in the sun, take in a few sites, work, and run around the maze-like neighborhoods of the Phoenix suburbs. Sorry for the lack of pictures. I'll get my act together soon(ish).
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