Monday: 6.9m easy 8:32/pace
Tuesday: 9m interval (8 x 1000s- 3 @ 6:48/pace, 3 @ 6:44/pace, 2 @ 6:40/pace – 2min recovery jog in between)
Wednesday: 25 min shoulders/back
Good Morning! I think i’m super excited about blogging again since I bought my new pretty desk. So hopefully you’ll enjoy hearing from me a few times a week rather than once in a while.
Let’s talk about PEAK WEEK! This is generally the week before you begin to taper. For those of you who are newer runners, tapering is when you cut back on overall running volume to gain the fitness from your training and are well rested and ready to run your best on race day morning.
Peak week is tough for a few reasons: This is your highest mileage week. You are getting up at ungodly hours in the morning or staying at the gym or out on the trails later than usual to fit training into your everyday life. It is mentally challenging and physically demanding to make it to and get through peak week after building mileage for 8, 10, 12 or 16 weeks!
not excited to repeat the 1000s workout.
Here is how I handled it and how i’m handling it a second time (if you recall on my last post, i accidentally thought last week was my peak. whoops)
- Plan out time for your workouts. Schedule these runs in and don’t skip unless necessary. You won’t really have an extra day to makeup a run.
- Take one day at a time. Each day focus on the workout at hand. Do not overwhelm yourself or wonder how you’re going to run again the next day.
- Run your easy days freaking easy. If your easy runs are slower than normal it’s okay!
- Go to sleep earlier. Focus on the recovery.
- Eat like you’re an athlete and get some good nutrition in. HRG always says junk in = junk out. If you eat junk, your workouts will be junk.
- Focus on your race day “A” goal. It will push you to finish your workout, trust me. Remind yourself why you’re doing this, a PR? because you love running? so you can run the race comfortably? Qualify for Boston?
Always remember, it’s not about hitting each workout perfectly–that rarely happens for me. Focus on the effort over everything. If the effort is there, you will have a successful peak week. And if you take it one day at a time with a little extra sleep, you won’t be dragging or bite the head off a co-worker or spouse.
Recovering with LE
Now for the fun! My favorite pumpkin dark chocolate chip cookie recipe! I make these cookies every year and they are always the best dessert no matter where I take them. The only tweak i make is adding way more cinnamon than required. I love cinnamon and I like the flavor to come through. Again, never had any complaints 🙂
No these aren’t healthy, I’m still learning to bake so i’m not doing substitutions for a healthier cookie just yet. If you try these and change any of the recipe, let me know how they turn out!
Now I have to repeat a long tempo today, wish me luck. Last difficult run before an easy 11 miler this weekend, THEN I get to taper! Haha!
Best tip to make it through Peak Week?
Favorite holiday treat?
shesgoingthedistance.com 
10/22/2015 at 9:53 AM
I couldn’t handle two peak weeks. I’d just take an extra week of taper if I miscounted training weeks! 🙂
10/22/2015 at 10:05 AM
If I was training for a full marathon I’d probably do that..but since this is a half I can’t do that long of a taper..
10/22/2015 at 10:10 AM
Oh, that makes sense. Hopefully Peak Week II is better than the original. :)(BTW, miscounting training weeks totally sounds like something I would do… it’s an easy mistake to make!)
10/22/2015 at 10:02 AM
Yummm pumpkin cookies=my fave. My mom made me 2 gallon sized bags of them a few years ago and I literally ate almost an entire bag in less than 2 days. Whoops.
10/22/2015 at 10:05 AM
I’ve been giving away some of these cause I literally could eat them all in one sitting! Haha tell your mom I’ll take some off her hands this year 😉
10/22/2015 at 12:04 PM
You had me at pumpkin cookies! Yes please!!! I need to make them ASAP. Crush it this week, sister! See you in INDY! AHHHHH!
10/22/2015 at 12:16 PM
I missed the desk in your last post in the sea of cute LE picks … cool stuff 🙂
As for peak week, I think you have a solid plan in place. Focusing on getting through day-to-day, not stressing over sub-par runs, making easy runs *easy*, focus on recovery and solid fueling, and so on … all critical. And I think they are critical to a successful taper as well.
That recipe looks pretty cool – we do loads of pumpkin baking, and also chocolate chip cookies are always a go-to treat, but haven’t made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies in at least a decade!!! Have to remedy that 🙂
In terms of substitutions, two common ones are:
– Flax & water for eggs
– Applesauce for butter.
Personally I like to play with the egg substitute for the occasional vegan dish I cook, and since Lisa is allergic to apples we don’t use THAT substitution … but for cakes and cookies I just don’t substitute … I’ll take the calories along with the yumminess for the few I will eat 🙂
10/22/2015 at 6:04 PM
Next week is my peak week and I am starting to get excited for the taper! I am already following alot of those tips since this week is almost as high as next week anyway. Trying to focus on lots of sleep and taking it one day at a time!
PS I am going to DC this weekend like I posted about a few weeks ago to celebrate our anniversary! Planning to do my long run on the C&O trail and definitely checking out Thunder burger:)
10/22/2015 at 7:53 PM
Yay!! I’m glad, the tow path is so awesome. Have a lot of fun and get through your peak healthy!
10/23/2015 at 11:01 AM
Love pumpkin cookies! Thanks for the tips, even regular runners need reminders. I am cutting back mileage to focus on quality speed workouts in hopes for some spring PR’s!
10/23/2015 at 7:01 PM
I think your tip about planning the extra time in advance is a great one. I find that anytime I have a big task ahead of me, if it’s planned out well, it will all go a lot smoother.
10/25/2015 at 12:36 PM
I don’t know how you coped with two peak weeks! At least it gave you some good perspective and gave us all these tips 🙂 I like the first two tips especially- not only having a plan, but taking each day as it comes. Previously I’ve trained with a slightly devil-may-care attitude and just ‘fit it in’ at the cost of everything else. But it would be lovely this time round to make time for my friends and family too!