Race Schedule and Results

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Living for the taper

It's funny how people freak out when it becomes taper time - taper tantrums as I like to call them. You know you are ready, you know that your body is thanking you for the rest, but you FREAK out with a capital F! Full on panic mode in some cases. And yet lately, I feel like I've been living one day at a time, trying to get to my taper. Now that it's here, I'm scared to see how my mind and body will react! :)

We did our last "longer" workouts the last few days and although I totally dragged butt through them (a sure sign that I'm ready for the taper to begin), they went well. We did back to back 10 mile runs on Sunday and Monday and then with very dead legs did 90 on the bike yesterday - in the wind. And I'm talking hold-on-to-my-bike-and-lean-into-the-gusts-so-I-don't-fall-off kind of wind. We did the lat 8 miles inside because it was so windy. And then it happened...

Full on, taper tantrum.

Tom had put a video of IMFL 2008 in the DVD player thinking it would pump me up.I sat on my bike and sobbed.

Freaking scared me shitless!

I guess that's a good thing. If you don't respect the distance of the race, all 140.6 miles of it, you won't finish. I respect it alright. In fact it freaks me out a little. Sure I did the race last year, sure I know what to expect, but it's only 2.5 weeks away.

2.5 weeks people!

There's no turning back (not that I want to and I need to make that perfectly clear).

So in the next 2.5 weeks, as I bring my mileage down, as my muscles recover a little, as I prepare mentally for what lies ahead, let's hope the taper tantrums stay at bay. I may have felt like the time would never come and that I was living for the taper, but sometimes that harder than the race!

7 comments:

Jumper 2.0 said...

You will rock and you know it!!!!!
;-)
Try to enjoy it! OK!

Aunt Nan said...

Your taper tantrums are well-deserved. Here you are at 2 1/2weeks and counting. Just think....in 3 weeks it'll all be over. I watched you nervously enter the waters last year at the beginning of IMF, but more importantly, I watched you finish with a huge smile. It was definitely worth the entire day! I love you, admire you, and can't wait to be in Fla. with you and Tom sharing your very special day.

Trisha.R.Jackson said...

You're going to kick butt!!!!

megan said...

Wow, I can't believe it's so soon already!!! You are going to do AWESOME, I can't wait to hear all about it!

I've been behind on the blog but it sounds like your training has been going well - awesome job on the kicka$$ swim and the half!!!

Stevi N. Honaker said...

Your training has been awesome and after you have a tantrum or two (let's not kid ourselves it's gonna happen), then take your own advice and RELAX. You have prepared and are ready....I think the more ready you are the crazier the taper can feel.

Can't wait....

Unknown said...

You had some great PR's in every distance this year and you are more prepared than you were last year - despite what you are feeling in your "Temper Tantrums". I love you and can't wait to see you cross the finish line again. This time hopefully the turf monster won't reach up and grab your foot!

Kate said...

Enjoy the taper, you have worked hard. So looking forward to seeing your race unfold.