not sure I could even lift a 120 lb pack, let alone hike with one.

The last three-four have been pretty hectic for me work wise traveling between Las Cruces and Albuquerque every other week, but I have been able to keep up on my running.

I've basically been pulling 12hr+ days in the lab while in Albuquerque, which has left me to dreaded late evening dread-mill sessions back at my hotel... Usually I run a 5 mile progression workout (avg: 7min/mi) then bump up the incline and spend some time running around 5-6mph on a steep incline. I think it's probably an alright approach, but probably more suited for shorter/faster distances.

On the weekends I've managed to get in some pretty good runs in the Sandia Mountains, which still have a pretty good amount of snow pack above 9500' - I have been in pretty good shape for the last few years, but I think I am feeling the best that I ever have running gradual climbs (the straight up stuff can still force some hands-on-knees action).

I am glad we're getting close, because I don't know how much more training I could do without some kind of reward.

Now just to stay healthy this week on the treadmill and then maybe one last mountain run before the big day. See you all soon!

Is anyone tapering (yet)? Looking back I have always held out on tapering and ended up training almost right up to a target race/run, which realistically doesn't work for me... In some cases target runs or opportunities to run something cool have come up a few days before a target marathon leaving me thinking about what is right and what is fun... I hope I don't make the same mistake coming into this run. I noticed that resting up 3-days in advance helped me feel surprisingly fresh late into my most recent marathon (race; December) -- I'd like to at least feel somewhat fresh for as much of this as possible.

To this end I have a plan... This week I am running short 5-or-less milers (@7 to 7:30min/mi with some hiking/hill jogs in between). I am shooting for one more 10-12 mile run this weekend (if the recent snow melts off the Sandias in Albuquerque I'll run La Luz Trail). Early next week I plan on taking it pretty easy with a short run Monday 3-5mi, then maybe a hike on Tuesday (2mi up our small mountain in Las Cruces). On Wednesday I plan on calling it and coming to a complete halt resting up and packing for a Thursday departure (Flagstaff Thurs./GC Fri).

Dan - tapering is pretty interconnected with and relative to the intensity of your overall training and racing schedule, and also a function of whether or not the event is a "goal" event or a training event.

I've never taken more than one zero day in a row leading up to a race, usually the day before.
IF I've been training hard I might do alternate days the last week :
8mi, 0, 5mi, 0, 4mi, 0, race day
if my training has been normal, I might do :
8mi, 0, 5mi, 4mi, 3mi, 0, race day

I back off the long runs first, then the hill work, then just do casual easy runs.

my taper specifics sort of depend on the training schedule leading up to it.

Edited by asandh on 04/04/2012 08:18:22 MDT.

Art, I agree for sure about the correlation with training and the target event - in my own case from what I can tell I usually hang onto the intensity too long (read: I am a type-A runner and can't rest for more than a day even though research confirms it's value). Hopefully a few solid days of rest will freshen up my legs for a good day's run. Hopefully we can find a good rhythm where we are having an enjoyable day possibly in small groups.

pretty good week, got 30 miles in w/ a 12 mile Sat and a 8 today. I'm going to run Tuesday- probably 5-ish and call it good until the 14th

doesn't seem that long ago when we were first posting up in early November :)

Last full week for me was 51 mi(7h. 11'). The week included 4 high intensity treadmill workouts w/ climbing sessions at the end in Albuquerque (6200' elevation), a 12 mile run up to 9500' (total climb 3000') in the Sandia Mountains (felt good to keep on, but hit deep snow (did this run 3x in the last 3 weeks each time getting a little higher due to snow melt), today I got in my last solid effort of 11 mile traverse over/back of the Organ Mountains in Las Cruces hitting 6325' at the pass (total climb 2300'). Probably run tomorrow or Tuesday then put the kibosh on training.