Taper is taking its toll on me!
1. I’m getting sick!
I woke up this morning having a bad headache, my nose stuffed, my ear hurt and my body aching. Not good! I have 5 days left until the marathon! Since I was cold all day long, I had tons of tea and chicken soup. A friend told me to take Cold-Eeze, this should help to shorten the cold. Plus, I’m planning on taking a hot bath tonight.
Two sweat-shirts and chicken noodle soup for lunch
2. The weather!
First it was cloudy and 0% chance of rain, then on Sunday it changed to showers and 40% chance of run. Monday was back to perfect: no rain, cloudy and temps in the low 60’s. Well, this morning we are back to 40% chance of rain!
3. And the worse…FEAR!
I’m not sure exactly why I’m afraid of. I like training for a marathon, but once we are getting close to the race I wish I could bail out.
· I’m afraid I will be in pain and not being able to finish
· I’m afraid I have a bad day
· I’m afraid the weather sucks
· I’m afraid I will be sick
· I’m afraid I will be disappointed
· I’m afraid of not achieving my goal
· I’m afraid I will not be able to keep up with the 9:30 pace group
· I’m afraid I will have breathing issues
Writing this list made me feel better and I realized all the things I’m afraid of are really not that bad! This is what I will do:
· I trained hard and ran 2 great 20 milers, I can run a marathon! I have to believe in myself!!
· If I have a bad day or I’m sick, I will not be ashamed of not finishing this race.
I will see how it goes and listen to my body. Sometimes life is not fair and things are just not perfect. I will do my best on race day and see how it goes. It’s early in the fall season and worse case I can always run another fall marathon (Richmond) and proof that I can do this!
Definitely sounds like a case of the taper crazies…feel better soon!
You’re ready for this race. You have put in the work and you will do great. Imagine your mind is a clear vase full of water and that each thought/fear you have is a handful of sand that you drop into the vase; the more fears you have the more unclear your mind/the water becomes. During this taper, just imagine letting the sand/your thoughts settle to the bottom of your mind (let them go). The thoughts will still be there but the water/your mind will be clear. I hope this works. I probably sound like a kook but it works for me. My running mantra is “let go and allow”.
oh taper is the enemy…..you are READY/ you did all you could do. someone very smart told me this at hood to coast “trust the process”…I think he is correct. lots of rest for you….liquid liquid…watch some chick flicks to take your mind off marathon craziness… also for cold ACV in water….it is nasty but it does work,. get BRAGGS ACV
you are so ready. this is just the crazy taper talking. relax. trust your training. HAVE FUN!
You can do it! Feel better!
That’s the taper talking! I ran tonight and thought of you. 70 degrees and so freakin’ humid! You’re doing all the right things and your attitude is going to get you through all of this. Oh and stop stalking the weather! It will drive you crazy. I say this from experience
Taper madness! Ackkkkkk!!!!! It happens to all of us! The weather will continue to change to race day…..who knows….but I’ll take ‘showers’ over heat any day! See you race day….I’m planning on catching a shuttle around 6:15 so I have plenty of time at the start.
You are going to do great! Hope the cold goes away quickly – get lots of sleep this week!