Note on this week's workouts (last big run week)

I worked pretty hard Sunday at the SF Half Marathon and was expecting this week's workouts to be sub-par. Still, mentally I needed to try to hit the schedule, which called for an 8 mile tempo run (7 at 7:30 pace) and 10x400 at 1:35.

Tempo was Tuesday, but I wasn't a stickler for time or distance since Sunday was basically a 7:34 tempo pace for 13.1 miles. I got through 7 of the 8 miles at about 7:45 pace without too much strain. The Intervals also went well, hit 9 out of 10 on pace, with the fastest being 1:31 and repeat #3 being at 1:37. Mentally it was good to get through these workouts, because this is the stage where missing a workout affects my mental as much as my physical condition. Not good to leave excuses on the table, e.g. "I might not run as well as I could since I missed a few workouts last month." I have one last long run this weekend and then we taper. Taper on this program is not that light however:

Week 3:

Heavy Track session: 8 x 800 @3:13 (1:30 rest)
6 mile tempo, 5 @ 7:29
13 miles @8/mile

Week 2:

5 x 1000@ 4:03 (400 Rest)
6 mile temp: 2 easy; 3 @ 7:14; 1 easy
10 miles @ 8/mile

Week 1:

6 x 400 @1:35
3 mile run, 1 easy, 2@8/mile
MARATHON

I'm feeling ready now, but I like the taper in this program. If I include a bit more biking I should feel great.

And now a note on the economy:

This feels like very historic times we're in. As an economics major I've always had a bias that, in general, deregulation and allowing the market to work were most always the right choice - you know, good old-fashioned capitalism. For as long as I can remember those in charge of our country have felt relatively the same way. So what happens when we see a recession this big, caused by what could be called a lack of regulation? Do market principles no longer apply? Did the market fail us or was it something less benign? In my attempts to better understand these questions, and move my focus away from the personal misery so many are feeling and try to think about it at a higher-level, I've been listening to Bloomberg's "on the Economy" podcasts, which i highly recommend. The podcasts are occasionally sobering, but always interesting. This is a time when economists will be scrambling to answer some big questions and this program has some of the best minds I've heard in awhile.

Yesterday's program with James K. Galbraith was focused on the less benign side. He makes a serious argument that conservatives have really abandoned the market and grabbed control of government as a means of generating more wealth for a highly select and protected class. Get a sense for that in this article:. let's just say I love the title: "The Predator State: How Conservatives Abandoned the Free Market and Why Liberals Should Too"