Hello! Are you excited Friday is almost over? 
My day has been busy, but for some reason the end of the day is drrrraaaagggggiiiinnnnngggg!Almost there!
Lunch today pretty much the same exact thing as yesterday. Sorry to be boring, but it was quick and easy to make it this morning. I had a turkey sandwich with mustard on a whole wheat flax flat bread with salt and vinegar popchips and fruit: grapes and blueberries.
I decided to try out the Chia iced tea that Tazo sent me on Monday.
I really, really liked it! I will say that it does have a strong spicy flavor so I don’t think it is a good idea to drink it with food that also has a strong flavor, like salt and vinegar popchips. Chia and vinegar do not mix well. I think I would like it much better on it’s own. Even though it had a spicy flavor, it was still super refreshing which I think is kind of difficult to pull off.
Around 3pm, I had an afternoon snack of a mini Larabar.
This weekend I will be doing my last long run (10 miler) before the Run To Remember Half Marathon on May 29th. After I complete that run I will be in taper mode. The strange thing about tapering for me this time is that since I was so sick for that last few months, I haven’t really been able to get my mileage up to the numbers I would normally be comfortable with. So it almost feels like I am tapering before I even began my training for real. I am not feeling under-trained though. I can do 13.1 miles. It will be challenging, but I can do it.
The thing is, I struggle with in tapering under normal circumstances, is really difficult for me mentally. I just have a hard time sitting still and not working out. But, this time, I had to take so much time off from working out that I feel like I am now finally getting back into a grove just in time to taper! I do, however, completely understand and believe in the importance of tapering. About one week out from a race like this, anything I do will hurt me rather than help me on race day. I know that, cognitively I get it- yet it is still hard for me to slow down.
Luckily, this is not my first time having to taper for a longer distance race. I have done it before so I have developed some tips. If you have a hard time tapering like I do, here are some of my tips:
Do something else: During the times you would be running or working out do something else. Take your dog for that nice long walk you never have time for. I actually plan on trying to hang out with some friends that I never get to see when I am training because I am so busy. I will probably read more, blog more and maybe actually get the laundry under control (hahahaha- yeah right). Do other things you love that you have to put on the back burner when training.
Remember what it all for: When you want to go out and pound the pavement or do other workouts remember how long you have trained and prepared for this race. Imagine if you did that one silly run and then ended up at the start line without100% rested legs. When you really think about it, that seems silly, right?! Think about your goals whether they be to finish, PR or qualify for another race and remember how important tapering is to get you there.
Use Others for Support: Chances are you know someone else running the race or preparing for the event. If you don’t, I bet you know someone that has done a race like that in the past and can commiserate with you about how hard it is to taper. Lucky for me, I have a large group of friends running this race with me and can count on them to understand how I feel and bring me back to reality when I think it is a good idea to just get in an “easy 3 miler” the day before my race.
Enjoy it: Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our training and our workouts that we forget how awesome it is to do nothing. I mean literally do nothing. There is a small part of me that is excited to come home from work for a few days and just relax. I am looking forward to it a little bit.
Have you had to taper for a race? Are you fine with it or do you find it difficult? What are your tips for the taper?
