Taper Madness

I’m not sleeping well… new aches and pains cropping up all over… high level of nervousness and agitation (more so than usual). I’m not battling drug addiction or dealing with mental illness (more so than usual) – It’s taper madness. It’s a phenomenon marathoners all across the country are dealing with right now. This weekend is a huge weekend for marathons, including, just to name a few:

– Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, OH
– Providence Marathon in Rhode Island
– Eugene Marathon in Oregon
– Vancouver Marathon in British Columbia
– Pocono Mountain Marathon in Pennsylvania
– Lincoln Marathon in Nebraska
– Colorado Marathon in, um, Colorado

My training peaked at 47 miles in week #11. This week I’ve run less than 8 miles and have started focusing on eating more carbs. So I already feel like I’ve gained 150lbs and lost all my fitness. The expo at the NJ Marathon includes family day the day before the race. My 5 & 7 yr old are eagerly waiting to run the kid’s races at the expo – it will take all my willpower just to keep from jumping out on the 100 yard 7yr old course just to run. But I know there are runners all over the country right now who should be working, or doing the laundry, or scrubbing before surgery, and they are secretly thinking about stupid things like “How many gels should I bring”, “Should I run with a pace group”, “Do I walk the water stops”, “Where else might I chafe”, “Arrrrgggggggg”…..