This week's stats:
- 55 Miles
- 11M with 4M at 608 average, 7:00 jog, 3M in 614 average
- 12M MLR
- 13M with 5M progression via 628, 616, 618, 612, 606
- 3 days in Plano
- 1 day off
- 2 climbing sessions
- 2 lift sessions
It's beginning to feel a lot like TAPER TIME! Taper can be tough because your mind can run wild thinking about the weather, the food, the travel. Your legs might start to feel more sore than they were just two weeks ago. Fortunately, if I had a crazy work week where I had to book a trip to Plano, Texas last minute, not leaving any time to overthink the "what-ifs." I did come back from my trip on Wednesday this week with my calves feeling a tad tight, but that's nothing that Josh at Sports Medicine Institute couldn't fix in a one-hour massage.
The hardest thing for me when traveling to Plano this time was battling the humidity and my own overall negative feelings towards running in Plano. Honestly, if I just changed my mindset on how I view Plano as a running destination, I would probably see an improvement in my times here. But, I haven't worked on that yet. My final big workout going into the marathon had to be run in Plano. 2 x 4 miles at goal marathon pace. The workout didn't go superbly, but it wasn't absolutely terrible either. Did I feel particularly mentally tough in the workout? Not at all. But, did I finish (most) of it? Yes. Did I have to stop and rest in the middle of the interval to accomplish that? Yes.
I am human. I get tired. My body is ready for 10 more days of taper. That's all, end of story.
Needless to say, I was very excited to fly back to California, where my team of practitioners is here to keep me feeling fresh! I got a massage, went rock climbing and slept a lot! On Saturday, a group of us knocked out a five mile tempo together. It's so much easier to wake up knowing that there are four other people ready to run with you. I've got seven days until the Chicago Marathon and that's enough time to ensure my mind is ready to take on this challenge of physical strength and mental tenacity. Calm confidence.