80 mpw

Continuing on.
I made what I planned for a single week – 80 mere miles, slow miles, some of them tough (oh that Long on Sunday) and some of them fast. It transpired as follows:

Fr, 6/22, PM: 5.8 mi, 49:12, pace 8:28. Ordinary routine, just put more miles into my account; I have financial manager up there, in the state of Maine, he manages my deposit well;
Sa, 6/23, AM: 5.4 mi @ 8:24. The same;
Main work in PM time, Andrew recommended Mile repeats or Tempo.
I do Mile repeats.
Sa, 6/23, PM:
2.02 mi @ 7:43 warming up; then decided to make sort of PR

suddenly met a guy who was an “unknown pacemaker” on one dark eve a month ago or so, the guy who helped me to make 1 hour at sub 7:00 pace. Really young Kazakh guy (I guess seventeen) hardly can speak Russian. Shame on me – I know no more than 200 Kaz words. We talked using both Rus & Kaz words, he’s a light (54 kg) fighter and runs from time to time.

- I work here to prepare to a marathon, do you know what is Marathon?
Negative, he shook his head.
- Ah, it’s about 42 km or
here at the stadium it would be around 105 laps.
He reasked me in Kazakh, One Hundred Laps?
So amazed and surprised! What for??!
- Have no idea what is it for?! Just madly long distance. Ok, young guy – will you run 4 fast laps with me? Please be a pacemaker.
Gave me approving nod.
1.0 mi – Mr. Garmin's history says I did it in 5:56
actually when I finished (I used “Workouts – Quick mode” and ran watching “Virtual partner” who ran at 6:00 pace) I saw result 5:57. I’m a little bit confused, so let it be 5:57. My 1 mile PR.
Yes, 10 years ago I did sub 5:50, but it was 1600 meters.
Then
1.0 mi @ 6:53
1.0 mi @ 6:52
2.0 mi Cooling down @ 7:49
Over.
Total for the Week: 11h:45m; 80.04 miles, avg. pace 8:48
So Slow! One of my slowest week at all. Finally the main thing here is pumping up the mileage and I really pleased with this magical mark.

One more.
I didn’t make uphills and really miss them, also there’s absolutely no chance for doing uphill runs in winter here. Too much snow .. uhmm, I better quit talking about coming winter. Enjoy summer!
My work with Andrew goes on and pretty soon we will discuss a strategy for the Race. Then we’ll think about Taper.
Yes, I can smell the sweat, sorry I mean Sweet Taper :)

Do you wanna Bump it?

Can't believe it, we started to discuss a Taper which is coming soon. The only problem is that I have to survive to get to that blessed period of time!
Here's my point, to be clear: I'm planning to have 5 continuous weeks with weekly mileage, let me guesstimate it - about 80 mpw.
Short disclaimer, just to be on the safe side: "about 80 mpw" means less or more. Also hope not to get injured doing a highest possible, well for me, mileage.
Andrew went to Boston and would be out of touch till Sunday I guess.
He supports me in my attempt to get the mileage. But warned me recently:
You work too hard sometimes. You are driven to succeed but I am worried that you will leave your race in your training.
I won't.

Thomas! I admit I do not know much about How to do a perfect Taper. Null is my Marathon history. I tried once (absolutely unprepared) and DNF! Now we work with Andrew and work so well.
Yep, coach will have to say something about that. We haven't talked about it yet.
As Andrew mapped it out for me, I'm finishing now 1st week out of four.
May be, beginning from July 15th I will start doing something special - can't read coach's mind. Hope to be able to hit 80 miles anyway.
Do I have enough time to make those mad weeks? here's how I visualize it to myself.

June, Sun 17 – Sat 23: ~80 mi
June, Sun 24 - Sat 30: ~80 mi

July, Sun 01 – Sat 07: ~80 mi
July, Sun 08 - Sat 14: ~80 mi
July, Sun 15 – Sat 21: ~80 mi

Taper starts somewhere here:
July, Sun 22 - Sat 28: .... mi
Jul/Aug, Su 29 - Sa 4th Taper & The Race!

Here's a lilttle bit about my Current week.
I guess it is called Andrew's Stage #3. Week 1.

Su, 6/17, AM: 4 mi, at 8:25. EZ AM miles
Su, 6/17, PM: 21 mi, 3:17:03, pace 9:23. Longest & Hardest workout

Mo, 6/18, PM: 5.03 mi, at 8:24. EZ refreshing work

Tu, 6/19, PM: 6.01 mi, at 8:53. Refreshing routine.
Didn't fulfill coach's plan Once - plan was 12 mi

We, 6/20, PM: 8.27 mi, at 8:31. Slow & easy.

Th, 6/21, PM: 12.01 mi, 1:54:50, pace 9:33. Tired.
Didn't fulfill twice / plan was 15 easy. Sorry coach.

Fr, 6/22, AM: 5.51 mi, at 8:45. Relaxed with a sunrise.

Total for now: 61.82 miles but this week is not over yet.
Got to run. Now.

it's Time to increase the mileage

Many times I read on other runners' pages something like:
I'm gonna use this Half-marathon as a preparation to my next Marathon.
I thought about it for a while, can I consider extremal Almaty race as a "good preparation"?
Here's my own conclusion:
No. I enjoyed the Race but The Half I did in Almaty is too extremal (6 mi/10 km up). Was I deadly tired several days after the race.

These are some stats:
Taper week (incl the Half)
June, Sun 03 – Sat 09: 44.65 mi
Recover week
June, Sun 10 - Sat 16: 46.14 mi

There were positives moments in my recent workouts,
e.g.
The last note of my recovery week was TEMPO and I managed it just as planned. Finally:
2 mi @ sub 7:20
2 mi @ sub 7:00
30 min @ sub 7:20
Total: 58:36, 8.11 mi, avg.pace 7:13, avg.HR 156
See details here.

Surely I'm not satisfied with my mileage, which is fairly LOW.
As I'm (and not only me) heading to SIM - Siberian International Marathon,
have 6 + weeks to go. Deduct a week for the taper and we've got only 5 weeks for a serious work.
From other hand I look on guys like Ryan.
This young man makes ~40 mpw and plans to hit sub 3:00
Really wonder How is it possible??!

P.S.
Best Marathon report of this month from "Mr. Banking Miles". It's a Great Lesson and I have to learn it.
P.P.S.
Hurray to Olga who recently finished her 100 miler !!!
Olga - You're Super!
I was doing my miserable 21 miler past Sunday and thought about you.
Will post soon more about this week with record (I hope so) mileage.

more shots

Almaz (aka Long Tall Kaz guy) and a Peace Corp guy after the race. A German mister who reminded me "Bilbo Baggins" just finished





















We did it!

Australian guys stand there, on the left and here is what happens if you're not good enough for the race. More photos in better resolution available here.

Some shots from Almaty Medeo Marathon 2007

Taxi driver explains the setails of the route: ".. and here you will suffer a lot, remember this, this incline is also not a piece of cake..." Official booklet says that elevation for the Half is 600m and about 900meters for the Full marathon.

















Number sewn


















A lady from Uzbekistan team with a Sign: "Rammstein"
















Opening ceremony
I walk head down