It seems hard to believe, but after months of training, the 119th Boston Marathon is exactly one week away. By this time next week, I'll be sitting in the Athletes Village waiting for them to call us to the corrals.
For me, one week to go means a lot of things. For one, it means cutting out caffeine. Last week I began weaning myself off of it slowly, first by replacing my second cup of coffee with half-decaf, then making that second cup all decaf. Starting today, it's all decaf until the race. I like to ween myself off of caffeine so that on race morning when I take caffeinated gels, I really feel the boost. It's also probably not a bad idea to break my coffee-dependence every once in a while anyway.
Another thing the one week mark signals is that it's time to start obsessing about the weather. Yes, a lot can change over the next seven days, but that won't stop me from clicking refresh on weather.com and NOAA.gov several times an hour and worrying about every minor temperature increase or shift in wind direction.
With one week to go there's also no more time for any junk food or mindless snacking. From no until the race I aim to be very mindful about what I ingest. I only have about 20 miles scheduled between now and the marathon so I try to watch what I eat even more so than usual. I'll spend the whole week praying no one brings cupcakes into the office.
It's also time to start thinking about my packing list--I'll be posting something about that later in the week. Do I have everything I need? Are there any last minutes errands I need to run to restock on any pre-race essentials?
Finally, it's time to relax. This may not seem to go with everything else I've said above, but I'm going to try and take it easy this week. That may mean extra Netflix or some light reading. One thing it should definitely mean is catching up on sleep. The last thing I want is to head into next weekend sleep deprived since I know the closer I get to the race, the harder it is to get any shut-eye.
So with all that in mind, I'm going to try and enjoy this final week of taper. Only 169 hours to go!
Showing posts with label taper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taper. Show all posts
Monday, April 13, 2015
Friday, April 10, 2015
Friday Haikus: Taper Crazies Edition
Another week is coming to an end which means I'm another week closer to Marathon Monday. I'm at the point in my taper where I can't decide how I feel. Part of me is so ready to get this whole marathon thing over so I can go back to leading a "normal" life, one where I get to go out occasionally and can sleep past 6:30 a.m. at least a couple days a week.
The other part of me is freaking the fudge out. Wait, I have to run 26.2 miles, AGAIN!?! And I have to run it fast? That part of me wants the race to hold off indefinitely. Ultimately, I know I'll be pumped come next weekend and while the nerves won't go away, they'll turn into a more positive energy. For now though, I'll continue to have this weird internal imbalance.
Anyway, while my taper crazies continue to eat away at my soul wreak havoc on my digestive tract mess with my head, I leave you with a few Friday haikus.
Break Them in Before the Race
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| Photo credit: Reddit |
New shoes, feet on clouds
Glorious, until, what's that?
A nasty blister
Deep Thoughts Mid-Run
Didn't go before
So much regret, gotta stop
Never trust a fart
Is It Race Day?
Been hitting refresh
On the BAA website
Countdown clock's too slow
Friday, September 27, 2013
Taper Time
It's hard for me to believe it, but two weeks from today I'll be leaving for Chicago to run my 11th marathon. (Why didn't I stop at one? One has such a nice ring to it, doesn't it?). That means I've begun my taper, sort of. I always feel like the first week of the taper is a rip off. Yes, you've reduced mileage to about 80% of your peak, but often it's not that noticeable.
I go into the three-week tape—I always take three weeks, though some folks do two—thinking that I will instantly feeled refreshed and ready to go. The truth, that first week is still difficult. Your legs are still tired from you last week of real training and if you're tapering correcly, while your mileage has dropped a little, you're still keeping the quality and intensity of your workouts relatively unchanged.
Since I'm sure I'm not the only person in America who is tapering for a marathon right now or will be doing so soon, I figured I would offer a few words of wisdom. While this may be especially valuable for someone who's training for their first marathon, veterans may benefit from what I'm about to say as well.
The taper is a serious mind f*$%. No matter how many marathons you've run, no matter how well your training went, when it comes time to taper you will experience some degree of self-doubt. Did I log enough miles? Are my shoes the right ones for the marathon? What's that weird pain in [insert body part]? These kinds of questions are normal but you have to ignore them. You've put in the work (I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here, you did train for this, right?) and now it's time to trust yourself and your training plan.
Keep it simple. Don't try anything new during the taper. Now isn't the time to try some new workout you just heard about: it's not going to make you faster at this point in the game. Now isn't the time to try to make up for a missed long run or to start cross-training. Stick with what you've been doing all along, just allow for a gradual reduction in mileage. Nothing you do in the two weeks before the marathon is going to improve your running, but it can hurt it.
When in doubt, rest. If you find yourself questioning whether you should do an easy 5 miler because you're tired or you legs hurt, take the day off. This doesn't mean you should blow off all of your scheduled runs, but taking an extra rest day here or there isn't going to hurt. If your body is telling you to rest, listen to it. Wait until marathon day to fight the voices in your head telling you to slow down or stop.
Do something that isn't related to running. Especially during the final week of the taper, you need a distraction. If left to your own devices, you would probably think about your marathon until your head exploded. That's not good for anyone (read: you or the people you interact with on a daily basis). Is there a book you've been wanting to read? A series on Netflix all your friends have been telling you to watch? An apple pie you've been meaning to bake and FedEx to me? Now is a great time to do one of those things.
Lastly, Visualize success. Whenever you have any doubt, just picture yourself crossing the finish line looking good and feeling strong. Running 26.2 miles won't be easy, but you've trained for this and if you believe you can succeed, it will make it much easier to run a good race.
I go into the three-week tape—I always take three weeks, though some folks do two—thinking that I will instantly feeled refreshed and ready to go. The truth, that first week is still difficult. Your legs are still tired from you last week of real training and if you're tapering correcly, while your mileage has dropped a little, you're still keeping the quality and intensity of your workouts relatively unchanged.
Since I'm sure I'm not the only person in America who is tapering for a marathon right now or will be doing so soon, I figured I would offer a few words of wisdom. While this may be especially valuable for someone who's training for their first marathon, veterans may benefit from what I'm about to say as well.
 |
| Photo courtesy of http://trilife.org/blog/?paged=6 |
Keep it simple. Don't try anything new during the taper. Now isn't the time to try some new workout you just heard about: it's not going to make you faster at this point in the game. Now isn't the time to try to make up for a missed long run or to start cross-training. Stick with what you've been doing all along, just allow for a gradual reduction in mileage. Nothing you do in the two weeks before the marathon is going to improve your running, but it can hurt it.
When in doubt, rest. If you find yourself questioning whether you should do an easy 5 miler because you're tired or you legs hurt, take the day off. This doesn't mean you should blow off all of your scheduled runs, but taking an extra rest day here or there isn't going to hurt. If your body is telling you to rest, listen to it. Wait until marathon day to fight the voices in your head telling you to slow down or stop.
Do something that isn't related to running. Especially during the final week of the taper, you need a distraction. If left to your own devices, you would probably think about your marathon until your head exploded. That's not good for anyone (read: you or the people you interact with on a daily basis). Is there a book you've been wanting to read? A series on Netflix all your friends have been telling you to watch? An apple pie you've been meaning to bake and FedEx to me? Now is a great time to do one of those things.
Lastly, Visualize success. Whenever you have any doubt, just picture yourself crossing the finish line looking good and feeling strong. Running 26.2 miles won't be easy, but you've trained for this and if you believe you can succeed, it will make it much easier to run a good race.
Monday, September 23, 2013
A 5th Avenue Mile Race Report
This weekend I had my final long run before my Chicago taper; I also had a race...on the same day. or the past four years, I've run NYRR's 5th Avenue Mile. It's always a ton of fun, getting to sprint down 5th Ave and then watching your teammates and pro runners to the same. Unfortunately, the race always falls during fall marathon training which means there's always a long run to do on the same weekend. Some years--like this year--it's doubly unfortunate because the mile falls on a Sunday.
Last year, with the race on Saturday, I was able to do my long run the following day. This year, I opted against going into the race with tired legs so I took Saturday off.* Of course, last week was my peak week of training, so one measly day of rest didn't mean all that much. I even had two weekdays last week with over 15 miles--not exactly a recipe for a solid mile time.
I knew going into the race that I wasn't in the best shape for short speed. While last year I practiced the mile several times leading up the race, this year I hadn't done any speedwork at faster than half marathon pace in over a month.
Also going against me was the fact that I raced the previous two weekends. Knowing all of this, I set a modest goal for myself of running a sub-5:30 mile. (Four years ago, I ran this race massively hungover and still managed to eek out a 5:25 so I figured sub-5:30 was realistic).
I didn't get to do my usual warm-up because I didn't get back into the city until an hour before the race and had to cab to the start. I did manage a couple strides and a couple form drills, but that's a far cry from the 2 to 3 easy miles I usually like to do first.
Feeling less than warm-up, I made my way to the packed starting area for the Men 15-29 heat. I managed to get relatively close to the front but didn't seen any teammates.
When the gun went off, I took off, trying to avoid slower runners in front of me while not tripping up faster runners trying to pass me. The race is market every quarter mile and the first 400m are downhill. I looked at my watch--1:17--I could have been pleased, but instead I was concerned. I was sure I needed to slow down in order to finish standing upright.
The second 400 contains the only real uphill on the course. The combination of the incline and my worry about my pace meant I reached the 1/2 mile at 2:45. This was a little too close for comfort if I wanted to break 5:30.
I got my legs to move a little fast, but not much. With no real recent speedwork, I simply couldn't find a higher gear to shift into. My team was cheering at the 3/4 mark, which helped mentally but didn't give my legs a boost. I ran the third 400 and the final 400 1:22 a piece, meaning my finishing time was 5:29. It was my slowest time on 5th Avenue, but given my lack of specific training I feel pretty good about it.
The hard part came after the mile when it was time to run 19 more miles. Thankfully, several of my teammates also had long runs to do so I had company the entire way. I actually finished feeling pretty strong, but I am definitely ready for my taper!
_____________
*Full disclosure: I spent Saturday helping my girlfriend's parents move, so while I didn't run, it's hard to count that as a total rest day.
Last year, with the race on Saturday, I was able to do my long run the following day. This year, I opted against going into the race with tired legs so I took Saturday off.* Of course, last week was my peak week of training, so one measly day of rest didn't mean all that much. I even had two weekdays last week with over 15 miles--not exactly a recipe for a solid mile time.
I knew going into the race that I wasn't in the best shape for short speed. While last year I practiced the mile several times leading up the race, this year I hadn't done any speedwork at faster than half marathon pace in over a month.Also going against me was the fact that I raced the previous two weekends. Knowing all of this, I set a modest goal for myself of running a sub-5:30 mile. (Four years ago, I ran this race massively hungover and still managed to eek out a 5:25 so I figured sub-5:30 was realistic).
I didn't get to do my usual warm-up because I didn't get back into the city until an hour before the race and had to cab to the start. I did manage a couple strides and a couple form drills, but that's a far cry from the 2 to 3 easy miles I usually like to do first.
Feeling less than warm-up, I made my way to the packed starting area for the Men 15-29 heat. I managed to get relatively close to the front but didn't seen any teammates.
When the gun went off, I took off, trying to avoid slower runners in front of me while not tripping up faster runners trying to pass me. The race is market every quarter mile and the first 400m are downhill. I looked at my watch--1:17--I could have been pleased, but instead I was concerned. I was sure I needed to slow down in order to finish standing upright.
The second 400 contains the only real uphill on the course. The combination of the incline and my worry about my pace meant I reached the 1/2 mile at 2:45. This was a little too close for comfort if I wanted to break 5:30.
I got my legs to move a little fast, but not much. With no real recent speedwork, I simply couldn't find a higher gear to shift into. My team was cheering at the 3/4 mark, which helped mentally but didn't give my legs a boost. I ran the third 400 and the final 400 1:22 a piece, meaning my finishing time was 5:29. It was my slowest time on 5th Avenue, but given my lack of specific training I feel pretty good about it.
The hard part came after the mile when it was time to run 19 more miles. Thankfully, several of my teammates also had long runs to do so I had company the entire way. I actually finished feeling pretty strong, but I am definitely ready for my taper!
_____________
*Full disclosure: I spent Saturday helping my girlfriend's parents move, so while I didn't run, it's hard to count that as a total rest day.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Pre-Boston Freak-Out
I had hoped to have a few nice posts this week talking about how well I'm handling my taper and the final few days before my next marathon. I assumed I'd be talking about the near-zen state I was in, offering wisdom on how you too could achieve such bliss. Well, that sure didn't work out.
First, on Sunday, I dropped a dog bone on my foot, splitting the nail on my right second toe (the one next to the big toe). I had taken a couple days off to deal with a nagging hip injury but this ensured that I won't be running before this weekend at the earliest. Thankfully, a doctor's visit yesterday confirmed that it's only mangled, not broken.
Next, there's the little matter of race temperature. After last year's fiery inferno, I know that no matter what, the weather in Boston will be much better. For most of this past few days (every since we entered the 10 day range) it looked like we'd have a race day high in the mid- to low-50s. Now, however, the temps seem much more in flux and all of that flux seems to point up! Realistically, this shouldn't be too big of a deal, but right now my racing mind is imagining the worst.
What's the point of this? I guess it just goes to show that even after 9 marathons, each time I approach the starting line I still get nervous. Of course, there's plenty of excitement mixed in there with those nerves and I know that come race day I'll have a blast, but for the next four days, there's going to a lot of freaking out--my apologies in advance!
First, on Sunday, I dropped a dog bone on my foot, splitting the nail on my right second toe (the one next to the big toe). I had taken a couple days off to deal with a nagging hip injury but this ensured that I won't be running before this weekend at the earliest. Thankfully, a doctor's visit yesterday confirmed that it's only mangled, not broken. Next, there's the little matter of race temperature. After last year's fiery inferno, I know that no matter what, the weather in Boston will be much better. For most of this past few days (every since we entered the 10 day range) it looked like we'd have a race day high in the mid- to low-50s. Now, however, the temps seem much more in flux and all of that flux seems to point up! Realistically, this shouldn't be too big of a deal, but right now my racing mind is imagining the worst.
What's the point of this? I guess it just goes to show that even after 9 marathons, each time I approach the starting line I still get nervous. Of course, there's plenty of excitement mixed in there with those nerves and I know that come race day I'll have a blast, but for the next four days, there's going to a lot of freaking out--my apologies in advance!
Friday, April 5, 2013
Countdown to Boston: Friday Haikus
Note: With Boston only days away (10 to be precise), I'm
going to be doing a countdown to Boston series as I did last year. In the final
days of the taper, it's hard to get my brain to focus on much other than the
upcoming race, but with plenty of Boston-related topics, hopefully I can at
least keep the blog interesting.
Just one more full week to go before Boston, which means I'm starting to deal with all the usual taper madness. No many matter how many marathons I've done, it's impossible for me not to begin second-guessing everything over the final days. As such, this week's installment of haikus is dedicated to some of the stresses of marathon tapering. Enjoy!
Can't sit still at work
Can't sleep, can't focus--what's wrong?
Oh yeah, marathon
Want to eat a horse
My whole body seems broken
Taper has set in
Did I train enough?
Logged the miles, stuck to my plan
Hay is in the barn
Just one more full week to go before Boston, which means I'm starting to deal with all the usual taper madness. No many matter how many marathons I've done, it's impossible for me not to begin second-guessing everything over the final days. As such, this week's installment of haikus is dedicated to some of the stresses of marathon tapering. Enjoy!
 |
| How I feel right about now |
Can't sit still at work
Can't sleep, can't focus--what's wrong?
Oh yeah, marathon
Want to eat a horse
My whole body seems broken
Taper has set in
Did I train enough?
Logged the miles, stuck to my plan
Hay is in the barn
Friday, March 29, 2013
Good Friday--Bad Haikus
Spring is finally here in New York and I'm slowly coming out of hibernation. Does that mean I didn't run all winter? Of course not! But it does mean my fingers were too cold to type and my brain was too cold to think creatively. Thankfully, it's warm enough to at least allow me to type--no guarantees my brain has thawed yet. In the spirit of spring, here are some Friday haikus for you. Enjoy!
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| Early Spring Afternoon, Central Park by Willard Metcalf |
Running Nutrition
Chocolate, mocha
Sounds like a delicious treat
Too bad it's just Gu
Nature Calls
Really got to go
Public bathrooms still all locked
Look I found a tree!
The First Week of the Taper
Sixty done this week
Thought my taper had begun
Fewer miles my @$$!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Getting to Know the Course
I'm a firm believer in previewing a race course as much as possible. Except for track races where every oval should be pretty much the same, no two course are alike. I've run in Central Park enough to tell you that even there, having the race go clockwise versus counter-clockwise, or starting at 67th on West Side instead of 72nd on the East can change your strategy.
With the marathon it's no different. If anything, practicing on the actual course can be even more helpful. Before I go any further let me first quickly say that I realize this kind of practice isn't always possible. I'm lucky enough to live in NYC and have friends in Boston so I can practice on those courses but sometimes you want to run a race in an exotic place and visiting before hand is not an option, no biggie! You can still have an awesome race.
Anyway, the last few weeks I've really been getting in a lot of time on the NYC course. This weekend, for example, I did my final long run (22.7 miles) using the marathon course for miles 9 to 22. This morning, I fit miles 18 to 26.2 into my 12 mile run. The more you familiarize yourself with the course, the better prepared you'll be come race day. There won't be any surprise hills or turns because you already know them. (Not that the hills are necessarily any easier...)
Over the next 2 1/2 weeks of the taper I plan on really getting to know the final 10 miles of the course, incorporating portions of them into as many runs as possible. Those are the toughest miles of the marathon, especially once the spectators disappear north of 96th and I want to be ready so that come race day I can slip into autopilot.
Alright, the countdown has officially begun!
18 DAYS TIL RACE DAY
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| A sign that the race is coming! |
Anyway, the last few weeks I've really been getting in a lot of time on the NYC course. This weekend, for example, I did my final long run (22.7 miles) using the marathon course for miles 9 to 22. This morning, I fit miles 18 to 26.2 into my 12 mile run. The more you familiarize yourself with the course, the better prepared you'll be come race day. There won't be any surprise hills or turns because you already know them. (Not that the hills are necessarily any easier...)
Over the next 2 1/2 weeks of the taper I plan on really getting to know the final 10 miles of the course, incorporating portions of them into as many runs as possible. Those are the toughest miles of the marathon, especially once the spectators disappear north of 96th and I want to be ready so that come race day I can slip into autopilot.
Alright, the countdown has officially begun!
18 DAYS TIL RACE DAY
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Easter Run
I'm out in Rockland County for Easter weekend which means I got to do my final double-digit run in less urban surroundings. Since today will be filled with friends, family, and food, I opted to get the run out of the way yesterday (though the weather was so perfect this morning I couldn't help but sneak in a quick 3 miles).
With 13 on tap yesterday, I mapped out a run on roads that looked runable (there aren't many sidewalks here) and hoped for the best. I was not disappointed! After a couple initial miles through the Village of Suffern, NY, I made my way across state lines into Ramapo County, NY.
Before long I began thinking, It smells like Central Park, why is that? I rounded a corner and the answer was clear--horse poop! Of course, I got to see the horses two. One horse, and three ponies (only two are in the picture) just enjoying some time in the field.
I continued along a winding road, hugging the shoulder and hoping no one would hit me. Although I missed one of the turns I had planned on taking, I didn't mind running a little further because the weather was perfect. When I finally made the turn I was in for a treat--a long climb up a winding road. I couldn't see the end because of the curves, but I figured this was a good final practice for the Newton Hills.
Eventually I found myself back in familiar territory as I entered the town of Ramsey, NJ. I had a final long climb and then the run evened out. With a couple miles to go, two wild turkeys ran across the road. I tried to snap their picture but they were faster than me. Oh well, I guess that's how they made it through Thanksgiving.
I finally crossed back into New York and picked up the pace for the final stretch. The whole run felt restorative. Not all of it was particularly rural, but the whole time I felt like there was nothing between me, the sky, and the various animals I saw along the way (thankfully there was a fence between me and the dog that went crazy around mile 4!).
I'm now ready for my final week of the taper, but first, time for some Easter brunch!
__________________
Yesterday's Run: 13.6 miles at 7:30 pace.
Today's Run: 3.7 miles at 7:35 pace.
Before long I began thinking, It smells like Central Park, why is that? I rounded a corner and the answer was clear--horse poop! Of course, I got to see the horses two. One horse, and three ponies (only two are in the picture) just enjoying some time in the field.
I continued along a winding road, hugging the shoulder and hoping no one would hit me. Although I missed one of the turns I had planned on taking, I didn't mind running a little further because the weather was perfect. When I finally made the turn I was in for a treat--a long climb up a winding road. I couldn't see the end because of the curves, but I figured this was a good final practice for the Newton Hills.
Eventually I found myself back in familiar territory as I entered the town of Ramsey, NJ. I had a final long climb and then the run evened out. With a couple miles to go, two wild turkeys ran across the road. I tried to snap their picture but they were faster than me. Oh well, I guess that's how they made it through Thanksgiving.
I finally crossed back into New York and picked up the pace for the final stretch. The whole run felt restorative. Not all of it was particularly rural, but the whole time I felt like there was nothing between me, the sky, and the various animals I saw along the way (thankfully there was a fence between me and the dog that went crazy around mile 4!).
I'm now ready for my final week of the taper, but first, time for some Easter brunch!
__________________
Yesterday's Run: 13.6 miles at 7:30 pace.
Today's Run: 3.7 miles at 7:35 pace.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Taper Time Changes
Well, it's official--the taper is here! Technically my Boston taper started last week but with the Cherry Blossom race, a midweek medium long run, and a track workout, it didn't feel like a light week. This week's drop in mileage, however, should be a whole lot more noticeable.
Now that I'm cutting back my mileage, I've made some other changes in my routine to make sure I'm at my best on Marathon Monday.
1. More Sleep - I'm usually pretty good at getting a full night's sleep on weeknights, but come weekends I let myself stay up later. From now until the race, however, I'm sticking to an early bedtime. Having an established routine will help come the night before when I'm desperately trying to fall asleep.
2. More Vegetables - I do eat a lot of vegetables already, but during the taper I try and replace more carbs and fats with vegetables. Since I'm not running 70 miles, I don't need the same amount of food. I find I eat more sensibly when I just temporarily replace some other foods with fruits and veggies.
3. No Alcohol - Starting three weeks out I cut out all booze. This serves two real purposes, it helps me keep caloric intake in check as I cut down my mileage and it helps me get more or at least better sleep.
4. Dialing Down Cross-Training - Cutting back on running doesn't mean anything if I just pick up the intensity on cross-training. I usually cut out cross-training two weeks before and cut out strength training one week before.
All my trameframes listed above are subjective. They're what has worked for me in the past so I'm sticking to them this cycle. If you've got different changes that you make, or different schedules for incorporating similar changes, I'd love to hear them!
_______________
Today's Run: 9.1 at 7:56 pace.
Now that I'm cutting back my mileage, I've made some other changes in my routine to make sure I'm at my best on Marathon Monday.
2. More Vegetables - I do eat a lot of vegetables already, but during the taper I try and replace more carbs and fats with vegetables. Since I'm not running 70 miles, I don't need the same amount of food. I find I eat more sensibly when I just temporarily replace some other foods with fruits and veggies.
3. No Alcohol - Starting three weeks out I cut out all booze. This serves two real purposes, it helps me keep caloric intake in check as I cut down my mileage and it helps me get more or at least better sleep.
4. Dialing Down Cross-Training - Cutting back on running doesn't mean anything if I just pick up the intensity on cross-training. I usually cut out cross-training two weeks before and cut out strength training one week before.
All my trameframes listed above are subjective. They're what has worked for me in the past so I'm sticking to them this cycle. If you've got different changes that you make, or different schedules for incorporating similar changes, I'd love to hear them!
_______________
Today's Run: 9.1 at 7:56 pace.
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