Praying for my last long (to me) run before the Get Lucky 21k to be pain-free, fun, and most of all, over. After a week of slacking (on the running anyway), this may be a bigger task than it appears.
BUT…it is sunny. It is warm. I am ready to tackle those miles! One more “training” session will be under my belt and I will gladly greet taper week 🙂
A lot of people (mainly ultra and marathoners) will argue that you don’t need to taper for a half-marathon. I did with my first two, so why quit now?! I think it is a good idea to give your body a little rest before a race- that way your legs will feel fresh on race day.
The past two half-mary’s I did, I followed a pretty strict training schedule. This time, well, not so much. I had the intent, but lacked the execution. I didn’t run 3 times a week every week. Last week I only ran once. I didn’t always up my miles correctly. (The previous plans had me increasing 1 mile per week.) I didn’t do a lot of “short” runs (2-3 miles). In fact, most my runs were between 4-6 miles. I tried a few speed drills on the treadmill. AND, I have been doing a fair amount of cross-training on my bike.
I am not sure whether this new non-training plan will work. I don’t know if I will magically get my under 2:00:00 goal for 2012 this race. One thing is for sure, I will try my damnest on race day and hopefully even smile a little 🙂
I feel you! 🙂 I have the same goal time and running my 3rd also. This time I DID follow the plan and feellike I am killing myself with 5 run days a week. To the point of bad knee pain. You will do great and I can’t wait to hear about it!
Karen, My run today was awful. I felt like I was stopping constantly. My legs felt tired and heavy. I could come up with a million excuses, but taking almost a week off of running within 2 weeks of this half was a bad idea. I just have to play it smart the next week and hope the stars align.
I really want to go under 2 hours but it may be the half I signed up for in June instead. Either way, I have to remember that I am still stronger than I was 2 years ago at this time! (Note to self: remember this statement!)
Knee pain is bad. Have you just been icing after your runs? When is your half?