The redemption Run!

So, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction?!  Kind of like what comes around goes around!  One is some crazy scientist's theory, the other is what I live my life by.  Tonight they both played true to the written word.
I don' quite understand taper in the context of IM training plans.  So far this week it has been close to the same kind of workout as other weeks. The swim was 300m short, the bike was about the same, but the run???  It was speed work a la big time!! 15-20 warm up, 4min low zone 3, 1min recover, 3m low 3, 1 recover, 2m , 1 recover, then 3 min high zone 3, 1 recover, 2m high 3 recover, 1 min and recover. Then 2 minute mid to high 4 , 1 minute recover, then 1 minute and recover and cool down.  Did you understand that?  So, in the context of full training vs. recovery,  ummm?  It was a bitch workout!
 After putting mu shoes up on my extra run yesterday I did not know what to expect as I walked out the door for this one.  I sat around the house for the longest time procrastinating, putting off the inevitable.  Procrastinating is such a crazy game we play with ourselves!  Yep, I know I need to do it, yep, I am going to do it, yep, I am going to waste time getting myself up in arms about it  for more time!  Someone suggested we are a smart species, hmmmm?  I have to argue that from time to time!
As I started out on my run it was like a new set of legs compared to yesterday!  I felt light and ready to tackle it(when I finally got off my behind).  I started out at a relaxed pace for warm up and caught  myself repeatedly speeding up.   SO finally I just kept going.  The whole run was a blast, I was running at speeds that I have never run before.  Earlier in the year I would have been at Zone 4 at the slower speeds I was running.  I was sub 4min/k for intervals tonight and not breaking 170HR.  I was blown away by the run.
I finished the evening with an additional 5k with the LULU run club that I lead on Thursday.  That is when I discovered my efforts and that I had pushed!  Although running very relaxed I got to 4k and started to feel light.  No not like losing weight, like I was going to fall over.  The only time I have felt that before is when I was out like Bryan would the night before and did not bring any water for a long run. It was crazy, I was bonking on a 5k run.  As soon as I got back to the store I filled up on water and then got home and ate like a horse.  Overall, not including the bonk the evening was an awesome run and a come back from yesterday's rest .

I did learn a good lesson today on the importance of nutrition.  I am already quite aware, but it showed me how intensity increased the need for nutrition, even for short distances.  Speaking of nutrition???  After all this training I am at around 177lbs, from my healthy start point of 223lbs a year ago(see plump guy in photo).  However, I can not stop eating these days.  No matter what I eat, I seem to be able to eat more.  I am focusing on only good food, no alcohol until after my race, but it is not working.  Seriously, I am probably packing back 4000 calories+ per day and not gaining weight.  Let me know if this is par for the course at this point in the process or if I have a tapeworm!!
Gotta go have a snack now and get some sleep!

A quick note to Training Payne who lent me his trainer for a couple of months. Just riding on that thing made me faster!  Spent some time with Bryan today, always an inspiration heading into a race!