Tapering.  The longest couple of weeks of a runners life.  They never end!  You can’t run like you’re used to running!  You’re tired.  Actually, you’re more than tired.  You are sleeping more than usual.  Then you can’t sleep!  Every part of your body begins to ache where it never ached before.  Is it an injury? Oh no!  After all of this training, what if you’re injured and you can’t run!?!   You’re grumpy.  Sometimes you’re more than grumpy!  How many days until race day??? I’m hungry!!!  FEED ME!!!!

Tapering stinks.

Hahaha!!!

Tapering is a necessary evil.

I am tapering.

Last week was the first full week of my taper for Grandma’s Marathon. My first week of taper, I ran 40.65 miles…and I’m going bonkers!  Lately I’ve been running 50+ miles a week, so 40 is a significant drop in mileage.  Pretty lame stuff in the grand scheme of things!

This week, #2 in my taper, I’m only down for 35 miles!  I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a week with so few miles.  Hahaha!!!  Yea, I don’t taper graciously.

Actually, I don’t know of anybody who tapers graciously!  It’s almost like a badge of honor to go bonkers during taper time.

We all deal with “Taper Madness” differently.

There are the runners who get believably grouchy:  Word to the wise, proceed with caution!

 

There are the runners who think some strange karma is going to get them pre-race making it so they can’t run:

There is always the runner who eats like there’s no tomorrow.  You know, Carb Loading!

There is a lot of uncertainty and doubt:

Me?  I just tell the dumbest jokes I can find.  I think every person I know on social media has my blocked when I’m tapering.  Hahaha!!!

Why did the lollipop cross the road?  Because it was stuck to the chicken.

You get the idea…

We’ll get through this taper!  Fingers crossed for a PR come race day.  We’ve trained hard.  If the weather is cool, there’s a fighting chance for a terrific race.

#IRun4Aiden

#teamZensah

#AbbottWMM

#OiselleVolee

#ChafeX

#mscoffeerunners