Tapering? I normally don’t taper well. I experimented with it off and on over the years. Right now I’m watching my stats in both Training Peaks and the Stryd Power Center so I can see where I’m at in readiness to race. I experimented with tapering for the Broken Arrow VK and I think I was a little flat for that one. Could I have finished 10 minutes faster? I don’t think so with the technical terrain, especially the snow.

Scenery at the start of the Broken Arrow VK in Squaw Valley

This week I’m experimenting with tapering for the Rut Training Run. I’m pushing my stats for three runs in a row of greater than 220 RSS (Stryd) or 150 TSS (Training Peaks). This is done on the treadmill at roughly 3.1 miles in about 64 minutes (5k) at 22% incline (a little over 1000m of climb).

There’s my Stryd Race Readiness from the Metabolic Fitness graph in the Improvement tab. It’s right on 65.

40-65 Skill means you are prepared for a half marathon race.
55-70 Skill means you are prepared for a marathon race.

I’m currently at a little over 7,000′ of vertical for this week. Tomorrow I will be over 10,000′ and then I’ll be done running till Saturday at the Rut Training Run. I’ll be doing some cycling tonight, Wednesday (OTB Trainer so lucky to get a mile or two in) and Thursday.

I think I made a mistake for the Broken Arrow VK by not getting in any appreciable vertical early that week. We’ll see how I feel on Saturday and apply the lessons learned for my next race. Possibly another “C” race in early August.

All in all it’s been awesome to try to come back to running, such as it is with all the vertical. Yes, it’s fast vertical, but it’s slow running. I’ve felt it when I’ve been out doing 10:00 miles out on the road. Ugh.

Map My Fitness (Map My Run, by Under Armour) has a 1000 km challenge every year. I’ve entered it for a handful of years running (pun) now, and every year was so totally lucky to get in even 300 km. This year I’m way ahead of pace. I’m over 800 km already, putting my solidly in the top 5% of registrants. Super duper. I’m actually on pace (according to Strava) to exceed 1000 miles this year.