Week 16: Taper Time

75½ miles for the week

M – 9 miles recovery run, average pace 8:26 mpm, 56°F at 11AM, Christmas Eve [SeaC/NtrailMBtrail-MBTrail/SeaC]
Tu – 10 miles general aerobic, average pace 6:57 mpm, 61°F at 2:30PM [SeaC/NtrailMBtrail-2MMBtrail/SeaC]
W - 14 miles, average pace 6:50 mpm, Vacation Day, sunny and windy 71°F at noon [SeaC/NtrailMBtrail-2MMBtrail-2x2M/SeaC]
Th – 7½ miles recovery run, average pace 8:28 mpm, 59°F at 1PM mostly cloudy and windy, Vacation Day, [SeaC/NtrailMBtrail/SeaC]
F - 7 miles recovery run, average pace 8:05 mpm, 64°F at 1:30PM, sunny and very nice [SeaC/Ntrail/SeaC]
Sa – 11 miles tempo run with 6 at LT, average pace 6:35 mpm, 6 LT miles in 36:32, 56°F at noon, sunny [SB-Yaupon/FC4CourseTempo 2-S-4F/FC4Course 4F-2cooldown/Yaupon-SB]
Su – 17 miles, average pace 6:47 mpm, 66°F to 68°F from Noon, Sunny a bright blue sky and the dewpoint in the 30s°F, [SeaC/Ntrail-5x2M/SeaC]

Starting to coastdown this week, but there were some strong runs in there.

Not much hard training left:
M 31st: r6
Tu 1st: g9
W 2nd: r6
Th 3rd: 9 with 3x1600
F 4th: r6
Sa 5th: g8
Su 6th: MLR 13

M 7th: r6
Tu AM 8th: r5
Tu AM 8th: r4 [I will NOT run a stinking double that day!]
W 9th: g8 with 2@GMP
Th 10th: r6
F 11th: r5
Sa 12th: r4

Here's my Bottomlands Park paved trail/Mountain Bike Trail combination run. I was a little disappointed that the GPS measures the Mountain Bike Trail portion a little shorter than I thought. It might be because of all of the tight turns in the woods. My GPS pace goes way down on the trail even though my heart rate stays constant.

View Larger Map


The 16 day model forecast for Houston Marathon day now shows cold air froom the 10th on. The weather through the 9th still looks pretty bad, warm and humid with the dewpoint above 60. Marathon morning now has low 40s and a North wind up to 12 mph....watch out on Post Oak. And if you believe that's exactly what's going to happen, I know of some swampland in Matagorda County....


AccuWeather has Saturday night and Sunday on their 15 day forecast. They predict:

Saturday Night, Jan 12
Low: 31 °F RealFeel®: 36 °F
Mainly clear and cold


Sunday, Jan 13
High: 58 °F RealFeel®: 61 °F
Sunny and warmer


For the record, here's the climate data around Houston Marathon day:
Jan 11 Average High/Low 62/41; Record Max 81 1995; Record Low Max 30 1962; Record Low 12 1982; Record Hi Min 69 1995; Record Precip 1.77 1934
Jan 12 Average High/Low 62/41; Record Max 81 2000; Record Low Max 37 1985; Record Low 17 1962; Record Hi Min 68 2007; Record Precip 1.93 1944
Jan 13 Average High/Low 62/41; Record Max 81 1935; Record Low Max 32 1996; Record Low 20 1973; Record Hi Min 68 1965; Record Precip 1.53 1967
Jan 14 Average High/Low 62/41; Record Max 82 1971; Record Low Max 42 1964; Record Low 19 1982; Record Hi Min 63 1965; Record Precip 0.90 1946
Jan 15 Average High/Low 62/41; Record Max 79 1996; Record Low Max 42 1984; Record Low 23 1979; Record Hi Min 61 1968; Record Precip 1.78 1974
The record high minimum temperatures are the ones that worry me. I hope we don't see anything close to those warm minimums.


Why does Rice play Texas?