Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Taper Thoughts: Eleven Days Out

Bib Numbers and Swim Wave Starts have been posted for Augusta 70.3.  The ability to look at my name, a bib number, a swim wave, a swim cap color created quite the visualization this morning.  After a night where I have dreams about swimming down the Savannah River for most of the night, I am experiencing some race anxiety this morning.  Honestly, there's part of me that is just ready for it to be over.  This race has consumed so much of my life, thoughts, plans for the last 5 months that it feels like it has overstayed it's welcome.  I'm tired of thinking about nutrition, cut-offs, and if I've done enough.  Truthfully, I'm just plain tired, too.  I cannot even fathom what Ironman training must feel like, but it's yet another reason that 2011 is not my year of Fe.

I am contemplating tabling my fall marathon.  Just work on a solid run base for the winter and then ramp up closer to ING in March.  I won't make a decision until after Augusta.  It's just a thought at this point.  Maybe it's the taper talking.  Maybe it's the exhaustion talking.  But, right now, a fall marathon just seems, daunting.

Anyway!   Last night was group run in Buckhead.  6 miles.  Taking it easy for taper and for the new girl who joined us last night.  We looped around Arden.  Kept about a 12:30 pace.  It was comfortable all the way.  I was able to maintain conversation the entire trek.  After, we headed to La Fonda Latina for something other than pizza.  Frozen margarita is a great way to lower your core body temperature, if you've never tried it.

The foot is a little sore.  Last night it felt bruised after the run.  This morning I spun on the ball of that foot (therefore stretching those muscles/tendons) and the feeling of pinpoint pain was back.  I tried another extraction (which made me insanely late for work.)  I may have gotten something out.  I clipped on something hard with the tweezers at one point.  It felt glassy.   I didn't see anything on the tweezers, but I couldn't find the object again.

 After work, I'm going to try to go get my swim done.  I have plans tonight at 7 on the northside, so I have some time to kill.  Taper calls for 2000m.  That doesn't feel very tapery, but I need the practice. 

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

5 comments:

  1. "my year of Fe" - Love IT....does that make me a nerd for getting this?

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  2. what a pain! literally. maybe some extra padding in that part of your foot might help?!?!

    Swimming is low impact. Keeping your distance up until the final week is a good idea. My normal swim for my half last year was in the 2700 yard range. 2000 y/m of solid swimming will keep you tuned up nicely.

    Good luck!

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  3. I totally understand feeling like you want it to be over. I get like that when I do half-marathons, so I'm sure I'd really get like that with half-ironmans. (ironmen?)

    Yum La Fonda.

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  4. Tried to post this earlier but my phone did not cooperate. I am sure I was much more eloquent the first time.....the gist was if you could turn back time by one year, I was feeling all the same things you were except I had the added monkey on my back of having signed up for Ironman CDA. If there is anything I have learned in the past year is that everything I stressed about never became an issue and things that were issues I never even thought about. So, as long as you have prepared you just have to let the rest go. If you could mentally get through that marathon in the spring, you can get through this. You have trained and you are ready and we will be there to cheer you on every step of the way. Your Ironman time will come if you want it and there is no need to rush it. Try to enjoy the next 2 weeks!

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  5. Oh, yeah. I like the "year of Fe" too but I already know I am a nerd.

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