This is What Taper Looks Like

Sunday – REST

Monday – 20 minutes easy before work (woopsies slept in)

Tuesday – 3×1200 @ 5k pace w 400m jog recovery, 1 mile warm up and cool down. Great workout to get the legs turning over fast, but not overly taxing

Wednesday – 4 mi easy before work with EB

Thursday – rest – my birthday present to myself :)

Friday – rest, unplanned – a hangover/food poisoning birthday present to me!

So pathetic. 26 sucks.

Saturday – 10 mi LR (8:20 avg) & easy yoga – remarkably consistent despite minimal garmin-stalking. great confidence booster although I KNOW TOO FAST.

Sunday – 45 min (easy) ellipticizing.

Monday – SoCal Brick workout…

Watch out, Tri World.

In reality it was like 5 miles of easy cruisin and a 3 mile recovery run.  And 20 oz of icy cold coffee for fuel.  Delightful.

Tuesday  -  Track Party – short intervals, nice and easy

Wednesday  -  Does laundry count as cross training?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So that brings us to now.  Marathon week.  Taper.  GAAHH CRAZY THOUGHTS WHAT’S GOING ON WHERE DID THAT PAIN COME FROM WHAT ABOUT THAT ONE RUN 5 WEEKS AGO OMG AM I RECOVERED WHAT IF IT RAINS???

This is my first time really tapering.  God it’s just as terrible as y’all say it is.

Whenever a thought – ANY thought – about the race creeps into my head, I shove it out with some distraction as fast as possible. 

‘Bib pick up?… oh what should I make for dinner?…’

‘Pacing strategy?… oh right that work report due next week, should do that…’

‘Race outfit?… I wonder if it’s time for the dogs’ flea medicine…’

And when people ask how I’m feeling?  Am I ready?  Excited?  Nervous?  I’d give them a smile, mumble a “yeah, you know…”

… probably look a combination of confused and completely terrified.

I know how badly I can get in my own head, so instead of letting all of the pre-race anxiety wash over me these two weeks, I’ve just been letting it fly over.  No stressing over pace splits, fine-combing the elevation chart, or succumbing to self-doubt.

But now we’re just a few days out, and it’s time to sit down and take this shit serious.  Focus in on my goal.  Iron out the plan.  Figure out what the hell I’m wearing.  Etc.

First?  I think I’ll tackle my second-to-last training run.

Because in less than 60 hours I’ll be toeing the start line in Ojai.

(Holy crap.)

Sarah OUaL