Taper Confessions

This first week of taper has been going so much differently than I expected. I am having feelings of wanting to increase my mileage to make up for missed runs throughout training, but mostly I want to run more because I have really caught the running bug lately. Instead of dreading my runs and constantly rearranging my run schedule I am trying to convince myself NOT to run and instead relax. I imagined that when I hit taper I would be ready to embrace the extra rest and catch up on cleaning and seeing friends. And as much as I could use the rest I have the urge to go for a run as a way to relax. I am really glad I decided to only do a two week taper instead of the usual three weeks as I'm pretty sure I would go insane.

The thing that is surprising me the most about taper is how calm I am. The NYC Marathon is only 11 days away and yet I am still so chill about the whole thing. I am waiting for the moment when it hits me that I am really running 26.2 miles on November 4th. Although the fact that I already completed my 20 mile long run has still not set in. I was thinking the other day that I hadn't done any long runs and that I was not going to be ready to complete a marathon until I realized that I have done long runs of

2 x 14 miles, 1 of which was the RNR Philadelphia Half Marathon
15 miles, that included the Baltimore Half Marathon
16 miles
20 miles

I had initially planned on doing more long runs but now when I look back on my training I am realizing that this is only my first marathon. I have only been running for about a year and a half and consistently running for 6 months. I am a competitive person so it is hard for me not to get caught up in trying to do too much too soon. I also had some nagging injuries that derailed my training. Given the circumstances I am happy with what I have accomplished and look forward to putting it all to use on race day.

Welcome to Taper Town!

It's been a long road to get here but it is finally taper time! I never expected my training would go the way it did but I did the best I could with what was thrown at me. Sure there were times where I skipped runs but I'm not dwelling on those missed runs. I am trying to focus on all the successful things about my training cycle and how much progress I've made as a runner this year. I have come to terms with the work that I have put in and now it is just time to relax and embrace the taper.

This is really the first race where I've had a real taper so I'm not too sure what to expect. I've heard horror stories about people becoming cranky, irritable, sick, developing injuries, etc. I have dealt with minor injuries/aches & pains throughout training so I'm being extra cautious to stay healthy. Just last week my throat felt scratchy and I thought I had come down with the flu. I don't want to take any chances. I want to be ready when November 4th roles around.

I'm ready for you, NYCM!

On Saturday I went for a quick shakeout run that my sore legs didn't love. I was pretty much shuffling but by the end of the run my legs felt much better. I felt somewhat recovered from Friday's 20 mile long run. But then a few hours after the run I started getting this weird pain in the back of my knee. It was kind of a sharp pain that happened randomly. After it started occurring more frequently and the pain became sharper I started freaking out, running around the apartment telling my boyfriend I was broken. I'm not always the most rational person.

Lucky for me my knee has felt fine since then. I took an extra rest day just to make sure that everything was okay. I have a little bit of tightness in my shin but nothing that a little ice and some compression socks won't fix. I am anxious to test my legs on a run tomorrow morning. I am excited to get back on the trails and feel the dirt under my feet. I am trying to soak up every moment of this marathon experience and that includes the taper.

Doing the Little Things Right

Ever since I was about ten years old I have always been told by my swim coaches to "do the little things right." This saying always drove me crazy but lately it has been my personal mantra. I have been super swamped with schoolwork this week and haven't had much to do anything other then sleep, eat, train, and study. Normally when I am this busy my nutrition suffers along with all of the other things that enable my body to train the way it should. Since my first triathlon is a week and a half away I am being extra careful to take care of my body though.

Eating clean.
I have a tendency to just grab whatever is the quickest and easiest, which in turn is often not the healthiest. This past week though I have been making an effort to eat lots of fruits and veggies and monitor my intake of macronutrients. I have also been making sure I am not eating too many calories. In just this past week I have lost 2-3 pounds and I feel much better. I just feel healthier.

Drinking lots of water.
I rarely drink as much water as I should be. Due to a medical condition I have I am often cold and do not want to drink anything that will make me even colder. And because I am infrequently hot I am infrequently thirsty. I have been drinking a large glass of water before every meal and often have another glass with my meal in order to ensure that I am properly hydrated.

Compression.
With coming home from college and packing all of my stuff up I forgot that I had a pair of compression sleeves. I busted them out after Tuesday's run and could feel a huge difference after I took them off. I recently read a great article about recovery methods and when to use them. The article said compression gear is best worn immediately after a hard workout so that is what I did.

Ice.
After a hard track workout on Wednesday I took the plunge (pun intended) and suffered through my first ice bath. I only submerged my calves and shins so it was a wimpy ice bath but it still did the trick. There was a serious reduction of swelling and my legs felt invigorated afterwards.

Sleep.
I am not one of those people who can survive on only a few hours of sleep. I rarely get less than eight hours a night and most nights I am getting 9-10 hours. This may not work for everyone but lots of sleep has helped keep me rested both physically and mentally. And naps are an even better way to recover between two-a-days.

Yoga.
I started going to yoga last week and already I have seen a huge improvement in my flexibility. The looming tightness in my legs after running is no longer there and my IT bands feel better than ever. My legs feel lighter too. I'm not sure how this relates but every time after I leave yoga the heavy feeling in my legs is gone.

Taper Time

Don't forget to vote for me to become a member of the Refuel With Chocolate Milk team! Voting is open until September 15 so go tell everyone you know to vote for me (I'm serious!)

My very first triathlon is less than a week away and I am kind of, sort of freaking out. I haven't been biking or swimming in a few weeks and I haven't been doing strength training either. I thought about not doing the race because I was unprepared but I think that is a pretty dumb idea. I know that after 12 years of competitive swimming I can handle the swim portion and I have been running very consistently for awhile now. I have really nothing to worry about except for the bike leg. I have no idea what the bike course is like except that there are some hills. I have no idea how big or small and I am not prepared at all to do hills. After a few days of self-doubt I realized that there is no reason why I can't do this triathlon. It doesn't matter how fast or slow I am as long as I finish. I am training for something else right now to that takes priority so I shouldn't be too worried about this weekend. At this point I am most worried about the little things. I have never done a triathlon so I don't really know what to expect and that makes me pretty nervous. I am planning on getting there pretty early so I can get everything figured out.

Since I have a triathlon this week I am using it as a rest week for half marathon training. I am not going to do a long run this week or a tempo run, and I am going to focus on getting in some swimming, biking, and running in an easy fashion. I want to feel prepared but I also don't want to kill myself this week with workouts. I am probably only going to do one swim this week, 2 bike rides, and a couple short and easy runs. My goals for the week are to keep everything nice and easy, eat healthy and stay hydrated, and get enough sleep. I am hoping that with all that I will be able to do a somewhat successful first triathlon