Pre-Taper

We all know how important it is to properly prepare for a big event.  A party requires cooking up delicious food.  An exam requires hours of studying.  A marathon requires weeks of running miles and a sufficient taper.  The taper provides the much needed rest a few weeks prior to the big day and includes shorter distances and less intense workouts for the most part.

So, who says we can’t have TWO tapers?

Here I am, 39 days from my marathon, feeling like many runners training for a Fall marathon:  slightly broken.  This training season has been, by far, the best one ever.  I’ve pushed harder in the number of miles and the speed at which I've run those miles.  That speed element is what lies behind my “broken-ness”.  I can’t complain much, but it is a bummer.

Presently, my right calf has a big, black bruise on the “meaty” part of it.  My Achilles are still pulling at the slightest movement.  Worst of all, my shins are screaming.  And the screams come even at rest.  I haven’t had shin splints since running cross country in high school.  I guess this is my private high school reunion.

OK, so not to panic.  I’ve definitely had a couple of days this week where I thought, “All this great training and now I can’t run?”, but I refuse to stay there too long.  I’ve got 2 long runs left before my official taper, so although this week is not panning out as originally thought, I’m reframing my picture.  It’s a little early to be tapering, so I now dub this period my Pre-Taper.

My Pre-Taper is consisting of….

• Resting
• Icing
• Stretching
• Massage
• Visualization of a fantastic race day
• Pushing negative thoughts out of my head (I will heal!)
• A slower pace when I do resume running

….which I hope will all lead to a solid last long run and well-earned official taper in the next few weeks!

So don’t be too jealous of my Pre-Taper, but if it goes well, feel free to borrow this concept.  After all, it’s better than wallowing in injury-land and losing all of my blog followers!