Marathon training, week 17

Taper begins! The race is December 8th, and our mileage is winding down.

Monday: Five easy. I have a new Monday schedule that gets me off work at 5pm, which means I have 2 hours before karate class at 7. Before, when I got off at 6, I'd head to the gym - very close to my work - and lift weights before my karate class (also at the gym). Now, with 2 hours to kill, I decided to move my morning run to the evening. I ran five easy down the Lafitte Greenway, a pedestrian and bike path connecting the French Quarter to Mid City. That was a fun change of pace! 
Tuesday: Another road/track combo tonight: A three mile tempo, followed by 2x1200 at 5k pace, then 8 strides. I ran 6:31 average for the tempo and my 1200s were 4:32 each. I felt much more myself than last week, and this effort didn't feel hard. 
Wednesday: 5 easy.

Vapor Fly - possibly my marathon shoe.

Thursday: That terrible turkey day race in 32:29, plus warm up and cool down, for 8 total.
Friday: 7 easy. I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to run this after being sick on Thursday, but I did, stomach cramps and all. 
Saturday: 6 aerobic. Finally feeling better! I wore my Nike Zoom Fly for this run, and they felt fast. In fact, I ran 7 average pace, which is fast for aerobic for me, and was done by feel (I usually wear the Garmin, but scroll it to time only, if I want to go by feel but have data later). That could be the shoes...or just the fresher legs with lower mileage.I do think I'm getting used to those shoes, though. I felt sluggish in them last week, but this week I feel peppy!
Sunday: This was an easy long run, as long runs go: just 16 miles, with miles 10-14 at marathon pace. I decided this was as good a time as any to try out the Zoom Flys for distance. For the first ten easy, I felt what I can only describe as resistance as I tried to overcome the squishy cushion to propel forward. Yet when we picked up the pace for the four miles at marathon pace, that feeling went away. I wouldn't say they're giving me some magic bounce, but they do feel fluid and smooth at faster speeds, and since my feet don't hurt in them - they'll probably be my marathon shoe. My "marathon pace" splits were far too fast - 6:44, :40,:41, :32. Oops. I blame 1. the rain, which made it impossible to read my Garmin; 2. the taper and lack of real race Thursday, which gave me fresh legs; and 3. My teammate Tom, who I had in my sights, and who was also quite a bit fast for the day! This is what happens when I pace off other people! 

Weekly mileage: 57 miles. Taper time!