Skip to main content

My Journey to the Marathon (8):
Time to Taper

The hardest part of the training period is now over, and now it's time to taper for the big day. Yesterday morning I did my last long run, a distance of 28km - 7.5km shorter than last Sunday's but at a faster pace of 5:47min/km.

In these last two weeks before the Marathon, training intensity and mileage are reduced in order for the runner to be in his optimum shape for the event. In fact, this week's training involves only a tough hill session on Tuesday, an easy 8km run on Wednesday, a 5km tempo-run on Thursday and an easy 6km run on Saturday before a final 15km run on Sunday. The last week then just involves one 8x400m speed session and a very slow 6km run. Looking forward for the last week for my favourite part of race preparation: carb-loading!

Basically, the countdown has now started. 13 days left for my lucky birthday with a milestone.

One last reminder, if you haven't already done so, below are the details  for making your small contribution to Inspire. More information on the work Inspire does can be found in their website and in one of my previous blog-posts.


I am running the Marathon for Inspire Malta (www.inspire.org.mt). To support my run and make a donation for this charitable institution, send an SMS to one of the below numbers, with the text "Mark Sammut, Malta Marathon". Thanks in advance on behalf of Inspire.
50617359 - €2.33; 50618080 - €4.66; 50618926 - €6.99; 50619215 - €11.65 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why I am dropping out of the Anti-ACTA protest

Like many avid internet users, I have followed with interest the debate about ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement). After reading numerous articles, watched sensational videos, and discussed ad nauseam with friends, I have realized that what I have come across is a campaign hi-jacked by lies, myths and misconceptions as to rival Malta's misinformed divorce referendum campaign. I have to say that the videos on Youtube   got me worried. I quickly signed the petition, joined the Anti-ACTA groups, and prepared myself for a full-blown fight against the big-governments who want to intrude on our privacy and freedom of expression. Like our MEP Edward Scicluna invited us to do in the University debate last Wednesday, I did not try to understand the details of ACTA but rather saw who the players behind it were. But as usual, my logical instincts took over, and his call to not try to understand ACTA actually pushed me to read the text. And here's what I now know: ACTA is ...
19 comments
Read more

Who's the real monster?

I usually hate comparisons, but some very different reactions from the 'great unthinking' rabble do merit some analysis. In May this year, the notorious dog Star was found buried alive . A prima facie , this looked liked the most horrific case of animal cruelty, and is still considered so by some. The perpetrator was described by the sensitive and caring animal-lovers as a villain, a heartless monster, deserving of death, stoning, or even to be 'buried alive in the same manner'. But what did Mr. Vella actually do, according to the testimony heard in Court? Star was sick. It was shedding fur, and quite old already, and its owner did not afford the treatment. In trying to save some money from paying for the dog to be put to sleep and killed properly by vets, she gave it to Mr. Vella to have it killed himself. Nothing much to make people angry till now. Mercy-killing of very sick and suffering animals is widely done and usually a...
17 comments
Read more

The Church and its riches

The above pictures has lately been doing rounds on facebook. Posted comments refer to injustice, hypocrisy, and of the Church not practising what it preaches. It seems it has become a common trend to blame the Church for everything under the sun. Hitting at the Church is the new way of looking cool. But before joining the bandwagon of shares, likes and comments, let me try to analyze the points this photo is trying to make. The first one: the Church is immensely rich. Well, it could be, but what do most of these riches constitute? Most of the Church's "riches" are fixed immovable assets, of which most are important human heritage. They can practically never be sold. Let's just say that the Pope sells all his adornments (provided anyone wants to buy them), maybe even Michelangelo's Pieta, and once we're at it , yes, maybe he should also sell the Sistine Chapel and have it converted to apartments. Then what? Apart from making UNESCO and the rest of human...
10 comments
Read more