Taper Madness

Symptoms of Taper Madness:

1. Crankiness (I'm low on endorphins people! I need a sufficient substitute - oh, there you are Mr. Chocolate. Ahhh, much better now.)

2. Bloating (extra carbs in + light running = storing carbs for race)

3. Mysterious aches and pains (shin pain! tightness! I'm not even running much!)

4. Worrying about my condition before the race (Will I sleep well several nights before the race? Will all body systems be functioning the morning of the race? Yes, you runners know what I'm talking about. Will I eat the right foods? Will I be hydrated enough?)

5. Worrying about something going wrong during the race (will I have to go to the bathroom? Will I cramp up? What if I'm really tired? What if some mysterious pain pops up to stop my forward progress? Will I not meet my goal?)

6. Feeling exhausted (well, I am working some overtime this week and my allergies are KILLING me. Wildflower season has drawbacks.)

7. Trying to plan THE OUTFIT - Which skirt do I wear? Do I have a top that matches perfectly? Will I chafe? Which gaiters do I wear? Which shoes? Yes, I know, these aren't problems, just fun to think about! Will I forget to bring something I need for the race?

I only ran 2 miles on Monday (shins too tight, I think it was the shoes I wore to work that day - clogs). I ran 4. 5 miles on Wednesday and that is it for the week! No running Thursday, Friday or Saturday!

I'm getting ready to head over to White Sands, NM for the Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon, which is on Sunday. I did it last year in about 4:54 (I wasn't as well trained as I would have liked to have been, and I had planned on walking a portion of the uphill and sand pit parts, which I did - about 3 -4 miles of it). This year, my goal is 4:20 - no walking. Yes, I know, I won't qualify for Boston on that (I'm not trying!). I don't want to kill myself. I just want to have fun! And I have another big race coming up a month after this one, so I have to keep it all in perspective. I'm looking at this as one big long run for the Zane Grey 50k.

Here is the race elevation in meters. One meter is about 3.28 feet, so it is a little bit of a climb in the race between about 6 and 14 miles.

I can't wait to see how I do.