This should be short. Because I only ran about 39 miles this week.
I’m headed into full on taper madness, much as I’ve tried to avoid it. Where should I start?
I feel fat and slow (I’ve been reassured that this is a good sign).
Where making lists and plans typically calm me, they’ve had no effect.
Every stupid ache and twinge heralds pre-race injury. This is especially ridiculous considering that I spent most of this cycle training with a groin injury as my constant companion.
I have zero discipline in the evening when it comes to drinking (although I have managed to avoid overeating). I want to quiet the voices of taper madness, so I have that extra shot of vodka. This in turn raises my heart rate the next morning, so I have no clue what my RHR would be sans alcohol.
I’m convinced that I’m going to catch a cold from some idiot over the next few days. What was I thinking when I scheduled our flight three days before the race?
On the positive side, my legs are finally starting to feel as if they’re coming around. Although my upper legs are way ahead of my lower legs, making for an oddly schizophrenic recovery. I went out this morning and wanted to rock, running 8:26 pace for the first quarter mile before I came to my senses.
I’m sleeping well, something that has surprised me given the cutback in miles and effort. I typically have bad insomnia during recovery weeks.
As for pre-race preparation:
I’m not bothering with “mental training” this time around. Doing visualization exercises has never had any demonstrable effect on how I race. So screw it. I’m going to approach this one as a purely physical animal.
I feel strangely calm when I think about previewing the course, which we plan to do on Friday — the first two miles on foot (easy run through the streets of downtown Newport) and the rest by car. I usually freak out when I drive a marathon course (because it becomes all too clear just how far I have to run). I don’t think it’s going to be an issue this time around, for some reason. (Famous last words.)
The only hard running I’ve got between now and Saturday is a seven mile “rehearsal run” on Tuesday morning. Forecast looks nice: low 50s and very low humidity. Windy, of course, but I don’t care. I only need to run three of those miles at slightly below MPace.
In the meantime…
* twiddle twiddle twiddle *
Filed under: injury, racing, recovery, training | Tagged: madness, marathon, mental training, newport, oregon, taper |
Races Like a Girl 
Do drink enough water this week, very importend for the marathon!.
Rinus.
I’m surprised there’s no intensity or marathon-pace in there at all – I guess after so many big weeks you need something pretty easy. It’ll be interesting to see how the legs/body feels during the 7 mile MP run. Have fun.
That schedule is so strangely bare, it’s weird. 🙂 Keep strong, m’dear, you’re almost there! Wonderful on the sleep catchup, that’s ever so important. I like the plan to check out the course, too, some on foot, some by car. Yay on the forecast, too. This is going to be a fantastic race for you.