Taper Madness

A WEEK AND A HALF UNTIL RACE DAY!!!!!!!!

Holy smokes--I can barely believe it. In my last post I said that it had been about 6 months of training, but after looking at a calendar, it's really been about 9 months in the works.

Last week was slightly tough. I felt really tired all week long, but I got all the miles in. Saturday was a 12 miler. It was hot. I couldn't find my sports watch to help me with my pacing. I think the heat, coupled with a bit of a faster pace than I should've been running, made me lose steam for the last couple of miles. I finished, but not strong.

I thought I might not enjoy the taper period since it meant that I'd have to cut back mileage and food intake, but it has been a really nice change. My daily runs have been shorter, and I'm finding how much my speed has improved with these shorter workouts. I'm also reminded of how good it feels to run short and "fast", and how my body is loving these quick cardio bursts! I thought it might be hard to cut back on the food, too. But, again, it's been a nice change to shift focus a bit. It has been a bit hard to adjust to eating less--but only psychologically, and I welcome the challenge!

Monday was an easy 5 miles. Off Tuesday. Wednesday was a 4 mile tempo run, and today was a 3-mile w/hills. I worked out at the Gym the last two mornings. I think I will eventually get back to those early morning workouts. I miss them. It's tougher for me to find the energy at the end of the day to get it in. Tomorrow is a rest day, then 8 miles Saturday morning!

Next week will be just a couple of days of short runs. Then Wednesday night I leave for Ellensburg where I will stay with my friend Stacy's parents--Barb and Frank Stanley! (Thanks Guys!) My Mom and Ben will pick me up there and we'll head to SunRiver, OR Thursday morning. We have a house rented for 4 days. Cory, m