Tapering Sucks

Rest

So this title mirrors the not running sucks title because tapering is just that: not running.

I'm used to logging some miles. Nothing that would make an elite or even a serious amateur runner gasp, but I put in about 30-35 miles a week.

For your last week of taper, you run about a third of that. Which equals out to 10-12 miles.

Which means basically not running.

Tomorrow I'll take my spin with the guys for around 6-7, then Friday I'll put in an easy 3.5, and then that's it.

Today, rest. Thursday, rest. Saturday, maybe a light 10 minute jog.

Plus, my muscles are still trained to hold onto that glycogen, which means you hold onto that water, which means you put on pounds no matter how you slice it. And EVEN THOUGH I know it's going to come off on race day, and EVEN THOUGH I know it's not only a normal thing, but also a good thing, it's still a hard thing for a runner to see.

Basically, I cannot WAIT until Sunday. I feel like I'm going stir crazy. I feel like a slug. I feel like an old rubber hot water bottle. I feel like every single ache and pain is a prelude to disaster. I feel like all I want to wear are pants with large drawstrings. I feel like I want the marathon to be TOMORROW.

From a training standpoint, I banged this out. My plans were amazingly ambitious for a first time marathoner. I bounced back from a pretty severe injury and straight into a long run pile up: 10, 14, 17, 20 miles. More, more, more, and moremore. Over trails, hard terrain, hills, snow, mud. I learned about gu and carbs and glycogen. It was hardcore to the max. I felt like a beast.

And the past two weeks have been anything but. They have been softcore. To the max.

I KNOW that this marathon will be an amazing experience. But I'm already looking ahead to my first ultra. In that sense, even this will be a training run. Rule of thumb is if you can cover half of the distance of an ultra, you can run the full distance. This marathon will clear me to have my sights on a 50 miler.

I know that I do this sort of stargazing and downplaying all the time. I'm the Luke Skywalker of the family. Always looking to the future. Never my mind on where I am. What I am doing.

Fortunately, I'm pretty sure at mile 23 my mind will be squarely on where I am and what I'm doing.

Right now, though? It's hard to keep my focus.