Patience

 

    With less than two weeks until the Pittsburgh Marathon, I am now officially tapering.  Tapering means running much less prior to an important race to give your body the rest and recovery it needs in order to be in top racing shape.  For runners, a proper taper is critical for a successful race.  The tricky part is when to taper and how much.  If you do not allow your body enough rest, you will not perform your best.  In turn, if you rest too much your you will start to lose stamina and speed. 

   I did a lot of research about a proper taper for a marathon.  Most experts agree a 3 week taper is best for the toll a 26.2 mile race does to the body.  Last week, I only cut my mileage to about 70% of what I normally run.  I did not notice the reduction too much and the break was good for my shins.  This week I should only do about 50% of my normal mileage.  It is only Monday and I am going crazy!  I know in the back of my head if I run too much now I will pay for it in the race.  I want to be my absolute best, but my schedule and routine is completely off.  It is hard to be logical when my body is so used to the predictability of my daily runs.    It is hard to tell myself I will not get "out of shape" in two weeks because I am so used to striving for the next level.  I am blaming my anxiety on my type A personality!  Hopefully I will start to relax and enjoy the experience of the marathon.  As a friend of mine who has run countless marathons recently told me, the money is in the bank and it is time to reap the benefits!