The Eugene Diaries: Chapter 15
Time to taper
Week 15 of a training plan always feels like the last hurrah of the cycle. The end of the road. The beginning of the end. I still have 20 runs left before I get to race day. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 150+ miles before I run 26.2 as fast as I possibly can.
But for all intents and purposes, training is done. Now it’s about staying healthy and getting to April 28th with my legs fresh. My mind sharp.
It’s honestly the most frightening part of the entire cycle.
I’ve had an interesting relationship with the taper over the years. Sometimes I feel like I’m injured the entire time. Sometimes I miss running as much as normal. Other times, I feel like I’m gaining a pound for every single piece of food I eat. I feel heavy and sluggish.
This year, I don’t expect to deal with a whole lot of that. Instead, it’s wanting to put myself in bubble wrap. It’s taking the long way around corners at home, making sure I don’t bump my knee or foot into something. It’s not wasting any movements. Putting my feet up as much as possible. Relaxing.
We’re in the endgame now. Let’s get to April 28th.
This week in podcasting:
Eli Vedral was my guest on Chasing Three Hours this week and wow did I enjoy this conversation! Spending most of my life in Nebraska, the last name “Vedral” has meant a lot in the sports world, specifically football. One thing I wanted to ask him about was about growing up with that last name. Did he feel pressure? And why choose running? Plus, Kookaburra Cookies, goals for the 2024 Boston Marathon, and more!
Chasing Three Hours is proud to have Fleet Feet Omaha as the title sponsor! Stop by either location in Omaha, or their spot in Lincoln, and mention this podcast for $15 off your first pair of shoes at regular price!
The log:
April 1st: 6 miles in the AM + 4 miles in the PM
April 2nd: 8 miles
April 3rd: 12 miles with 6 x 1200 meters at 5k pace
April 4th: 15 miles in the AM + 4 miles in the PM
April 5th: 6 miles
April 6th: 8 miles with 8 x 100 meter strides
April 7th: 22 miles
Total: 85 miles
Year to date: 1080.25 miles
April 1st: The final Monday double of the cycle was a good one. After a long week of travel (with some poor runs mixed in), I wondered where my legs would be as the final week of 80+ miles got going. The returns: Good! Went 9:10-per mile in the morning with my heart rate averaging 119 and knocked out another four in the evening at 9:02-pace with the HR at 121. In the process, I hit 1000 miles on the year, easily the fastest I’ve ever hit that milestone before.
When I began 2020, my goal for the year was that same number of miles. With 366 days that year, it was 2.73 miles per day. I figured I could knock out at least three a day, on average, and hit that number, but I also wanted to give myself some wiggle room in case things went a bit sideways. Instead, I hit that number in August, an incredible moment for me in a year filled with those on the trail.
Four years later, I never take moments like this for granted. Here’s to the next 1000 miles this year.
April 2nd: Tuesday’s run — eight miles at slightly easier than easy1 pace — will again be remembered as a milestone run for yours truly. Tuesday’s run was my 100th straight day running, easily the longest running streak I’ve ever had. I don’t think I’ll ever be someone that goes after anything too much longer than the streak I’m at right now, but it was still a cool moment to have. The run was solid as I averaged 8:05-per mile with my HR at 131 throughout. That said, it was another day of horrific wind and I had it in my face on the way back. Someday it won’t be this windy all the time. I look forward to that day!
April 3rd: When I began this newsletter with thoughts on the endgame, it’s workouts like this one that are truly about to be in the rearview. I still have a couple workouts left in the final 20 days of training, but nothing like the one I had on Wednesday. 12 miles total with six 1200-meter intervals. I’ve done 11 with five 1200s before, but this was a new one for me.
With more wind coming out of the north, and my biffed workout with 1000s still on my mind, I decided to head to Lake Cunningham’s 6.2-mile loop of a lake. I usually like giving myself a four-mile warmup, so this would give me two reps with the wind, three reps against it, and one more with it. Rather than give myself a little grace and dial the pace back, I decided to stick with my goal of two weeks prior and aim for a 5:30-pace for each of the 1200s.
I began by increasing my speed just a little bit over the course of the first four miles: 7:44, 7:42, 7:39, and 7:20. My legs felt good, I wasn’t running into the wind2, and I felt ready to go. I took off.
Honestly, it was a great workout. I finished the reps with a pace of 5:29, 5:25, 5:23, 5:43, 5:30, and 5:27. While I didn’t get anywhere near my goal on the fourth rep, it was the hardest the wind blew all morning and I was going right into it. Given I bounced back in a big way with the final two, I was kind of happy to have dealt with it. Was some good adversity to overcome, especially after the similar workout two weeks prior. I averaged 5:29.5 for all six. Overall, I knocked out the 12 miles at a 6:52 pace with my HR averaging 155. An incredible brick to lay.
April 4th: While Monday was the final Monday with doubles, Thursday was the final day of doubles, period, for the Eugene block. Ever since I wrote everything out sometime last year, this was one I kept my eye on with a bit of curiosity. 15 miles in the morning before four more after work. While I’ve juggled the occasional Long Run to a Friday morning, this was going to be the most scheduled miles I had ever run on a weekday. When I first wrote it out, it was daunting. By the time it was Thursday, I was excited!
The 15 miles went so well in the morning that I will once again be forced to quote my own Strava title:
In like a month, I’m going to go for a run and get jealous of the fitness I had at this exact moment. Trying to soak it all in 24 days from Eugene
Yeah, it was that good. 7:38-per mile with my HR averaging 139. Pretty ridiculous stuff and one of those runs that had me not only asking myself what’s possible at the marathon, but asking others what they thought as well. A great one!
Meanwhile, I finished the day with four more not even 12 hours later. Given all the miles of the week, not to mention the hard miles of the day before, I cannot believe how good this one felt. Averaged 8:50-per with the HR at 123 throughout.
My first doubles for Eugene came all the way January 22nd. I kept things inside, wanting to avoid the dark and the cold. Not even three months later, I got to run in shorts and a shirt on the best weeknight of 2024 so far. Next time I run a double, it’ll be somewhere north of 80 degrees.
April 5th: I got out much earlier than usual on Friday, starting my six recovery miles before 6:30. I had a busy Friday morning on tap, so I pretty much woke up and went. The run went better than expected though, as I averaged 9:07-per mile with my HR at 121 over the course of the miles. Plus, I got to watch the sun rise. Nice morning, if a bit chilly.
April 6th: For the first time all week, Saturday’s had the wind at my back on the return! Which was greatly appreciated. I had eight miles total but also had eight 100-meter strides. I always like doing those with about a mile left, so I’d fire them up six miles in. Those six miles went well, as I averaged 7:48-per mile with my HR averaging 137.
On top of that, I cannot remember a set of strides going as well as these did. I kept my pace sub-5:00 on all eight including a 4:34-pace for two of them. In doing so, I ran my second-fastest mile since high school: 5:33. Wind aided? Yes. Do I care? HELL NO! “It still counts though!” Riss told me Saturday night. It does indeed!
Overall, I went 7:34-per mile with my HR averaging 140.
April 7th: The final true Long Run of the cycle is always one I love. With three weeks of (mostly) easy running left, this really does feel like clearing another barrier, in a way. So it made it all the better that I got to do so with my friend Cory Aulich. We met up at Lake Cunningham around 9:00 am with 22 on tap for yours truly, 14 for him. The miles flew by, both in terms of the literal pace of the miles and the figurative pace of time. We rarely weren’t talking, which is a theme when we get together, and when it was time to separate for the final eight on my own, it was the first time all morning I felt the miles.
Still though, it was another great one. 7:30-per mile with the HR averaging 143. Hoo boy.
Three years ago, I remember looking at the Pfitzinger 18/85 marathon plan, wondering if I’d ever be able to run that much. Eventually, I hoped it would be something realistic. Something I could do. At the start of this cycle, I thought I was ready. With three weeks of easier miles on tap, I’d say it’s a resounding yes that I could do it. My fitness has improved more than I expected and I’m excited to put myself in bubble wrap until race day.
My “easy” pace has been quite the moving target this cycle, but generally I like it somewhere around 7:50 or so.
That said, the west side of the lake is much, much hillier. So what I lost in annoying wind, I gained in some ups and downs.