I touched on this earlier in the week but I have been going crazy with the taper. It's tough. The mental game is on big time. There has been doubt just as much as there has been excitement. Sunday I calmed my nerves a little by going on a solo run of 6 miles which will be my last long pre-marathon run since we are closing in on race day so quickly. Monday night the plan was to go to my BodyPump class and then hop on the elliptical but due to a meeting I was late to the gym and missed class. So, my awesome husband pulled a CrossFit workout for us to do and that was loads of fun. haha Thankfully I don't feel too dead from that today. I also did my regular Monday elliptical work.
Today Terri and I planned to meet after work for a quick/short run. We met at my gym and agreed on 4 miles but rather than taking the right turn on our regular route we decided to go left for a change of scenery. I'm glad we chose that route because with the sun and temps we've had lately the shade from the left path was nice! We finished 4 miles at a 9:32 pace which I was pleased with.
As usual we discussed the marathon strategy. I haven't really discussed my pace plan or my goals for finishing. If I said I didn't have a time goal in mind I'd be a big fat liar. I DO have a time goal. I DO have a pace plan. And I will get around to talking about that before the marathon.
I'm getting off track with my topic! Taper madness is crazy stuff. Taper brain... it's like running mush all mashed up inside my head. Makes total sense I know. Those of you who have ran a marathon will get it or at least those of you that I have talked to that have ran a marathon will get it! It's no joke. I go back and forth between excited and nervous and it totally depends on the time of day I'm being asked as to how I feel about Sunday. This morning I was down thinking, "The fact that I am running a marathon in a few days is crazy. What was I thinking?" I logged onto the marathon sight when I got the email about final instructions. Click here, it read, to confirm your registration.
Yep. There it was in black and white (or blue actually because the background was blue)... my name, age, and location then the word marathon. It's real. For real.
When I first registered I told my husband and running friends that if training didn't go like I hoped or something came up I could always change to the half marathon at the expo when I get my packet or even on race day. Guess what though!? That is not going to happen. On Saturday I will be picking up my race packet complete with my MARATHON race bib! I'm doing this.
See, earlier this week I had a head full of doubt but you know what? I dreamed that one day I would run a marathon and now I am proving to myself (and that negative/hating little voice inside my head) that because I believed in my dream I can do it. I will.
So take that taper madness. Take those little miles that felt hard last week, take the 21 mile hilly run I did 3 weeks ago, take the weather, take the good thoughts, bad thoughts and every thing in between whisk it all up together and what you have now is someone who is confident that no matter how crazy I have been the last week (plus) with the fact that I am tapering I am going to cross the finish line and be able to call myself a marathoner.
Tonight the excitement is alive and the doubt has been settled.
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