Reverse Taper

I’m not sure which is worse at this point, pre-race taper or post-race taper.  The pre-race taper was actually kind of fun.  It was a well-deserved rest from the grinds of the last four months of training, but that anxious, anticipation state wasn’t so fun.  The post-race taper has been harder on me than I thought.  Granted I was really sore for the first three days post-race, but after that I immediately wanted to be back where I was before the marathon.  I’m not there yet.  I’ve ran 14 miles total since May 3 and that’s been tough, I want my miles back.  BUT, I am trying to be as intelligent as possible during this time and focus on my long term goals (aka another marathon yet this year, more on that later). 

My first post-race run was the Thursday following the Saturday race.  I ran Thursday, took Friday off, ran Saturday, took Sunday off, ran Monday, took Tuesday off, and I’m hoping to get out tonight.  I don’t plan to do back to back running days until next week.  I have a half marathon one month from today, June 14, and I would sure like to PR, but I just don’t know if that is in the cards.  My pace has been pretty rocky on these first few runs back.  I’m not pushing it either, they are just easy, steady state runs.  But my easy pace used to be slightly faster than it is now with the same perceived effort.  Time to be patient I guess.

My Reverse Taper

WEEK 1:

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
REST	Walk + Whirlpool	30 min elliptical EASY	30 min elliptical + walk	4 miles! Easy	CXWORX	6 miles + CXWORX

WEEK 2:

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Body Pump	4 miles + CXWORX	BP Express + 50 min cardio arc trainer	CXWORX ?? miles	?? miles?	REST	6-7 miles

Next week I plan to start to increase my mileage, slowly but surely, and start incorporating a few tempo workouts.  I have been easing back into strength training, which feels AMAZING!  I have taken two Body Pump classes since the race, and a handful of CXWORX classes to keep my core strong.

The rest of this month is dedicated to my 24 Day Challenge and cleaning up my eating habits.  I started the cleanse phase on Sunday, and so far so good.  I find myself feeling full all day, rather than constantly being ravenous like I used to be.  I KNOW a lot of this is due to my major decrease in mileage.  I am truly committed to this challenge, and I am really anxious to see my results.  A well-nourished and properly fueled body in theory should run faster, right?!