Like tall cans in the freezer when they get too cold

2 weeks to go until STWM

The taper begins.

This was my last week over 200km. Today was my last long-run, 30km.  Yesterday was my last banger of a workout, 5 X mile.  Now it’s time to put the finishing touches on the training and let the pop reappear in my legs.

In the past 12 weeks I’ve averaged over 200km/week which is about 15km/week more than last year in the same 12 week period.  Our full specific marathon build-up is 14 weeks but I don’t like throwing the last two weeks in the average because it just pulls it down, haha.

Another difference this year is the amount of external pressure I am experiencing.  It really hit me when I was watching the Berlin marathon on CBC yesterday.  At the end of their coverage Scott Russell told the viewers to tune-in on October 16th as Reid Coolsaet aims to break Jerome Drayton’s 36 year old Canadian record.  It was weird watching the statement from the TV even though I’ve read it in print a few times.  For a second it seemed a little scary but more than anything it made me excited.  I guess I could have taken it either way but I’m glad distance running is getting some attention and it helps having a good plot.  For many years we’ve complained about the lack of media attention so now that we’re getting something I might as well embrace it.  Part of me even feels like playing it up and making bold statements, but I’m not sure I could do that without laughing.

Internal pressure vs external pressure.  Last year I probably put more pressure on myself to break the Olympic standard than I am putting on myself to break the Canadian record.  I think that is because I’ve been focused on making the Olympics for a much longer time.  In 2005 when I made the World Championships in the 5000m it only seemed logical to shoot for the Olympics in three years time.  Having not had the chance to chase standards in 2008 due to injury put even more fire in my belly.  Hopefully the media attention on the record chase will ease some external pressure off of Eric and Dylan chasing the Olympic standard at Scotiabank because I assume they’re already putting enough pressure on themselves.  Heck, maybe it will allow them to go to work silently on the record on October 16th.

Something cool that I got the opportunity to be a part of is www.whatmyphonesaw.com. It’s a page where numerous Canadian athletes post pictures of…well, whatever.  There’s a cool video of Adam Van Koeverdan, titled “Fortress of Solitude,” about his remote training camp in Algonquin Park.  It’s a great piece and it opened my eyes up a little more to kayaking.  For some reason I always pictured rowers and paddlers training back and forth on a strip of water in a lake or river, similar to swimming in lanes which, I find boring.  But Adam can paddle 35-40km from lake to lake in an awesome landscape, similar to doing a long-run in the trails… just watch the video.