MARATHON TAPERING

Two years ago I didn't even know what this was. Now I'm doing it. The last two to three weeks of a marathon training schedule is called a taper. This is where you reduce your mileage and let your body absorb and recover from all the hard training you've done over the past four months.

Wow, four months of training. It started at the end of July and for the most part I didn't think it would ever get cooler than 75 degrees, even in the early mornings. Those first few months of training were pretty brutal, slogging through 12-16 milers in the heat and humidity. For the most part I've done almost everything on my training schedule. When I first printed it out and looked it over I was overwhelmed by the finish time it predicted - 4:13. At that point I couldn't imagine finishing under 4:30. But a wonderful thing has happened over these past 16 weeks. I've gotten stronger and faster than I ever thought possible. Not just physically, but mentally as well.

Sometimes I get carried away thinking about pacing and finish times. It's easy when your spouse is also training for the same marathon and trying to get his Boston Marathon qualification. I'm also a very competitive person and to keep all my expectations in check while at the same time staying confident has been hard for me.

You never know what will happen in the marathon. It is a fickle beast to say the least. Anybody can be taken down by it, whether they're a first timer or a seasoned elite. You can train perfectly for it and still something goes wrong in those last 6 miles.

I'm excited. Very excited. I don't know what will happen, but I'm determined to finish strong. My finish time could be anything from a 3:59 to a 4:45 but I'll keep this quote in mind as I approach November 13th -

And every runner at every level should heed Goucher's affirmation that "you can handle more pain than you think, and if you just keep moving at all costs, you will make it." (Runner's World quoting Kara Goucher, the fastest debut marathon by an American woman)