Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Confessions of a First Time Taperer

This is my first REAL taper!  Although I have read so many blog posts about what to expect, I honestly was completely unprepared!  Three weeks before the race, I started to cut back my mileage, 10% each week until the race and I still did a few workouts with high intensity.

My mileage:
Week 9 = 37 mi
Week 10 = 32.97 mi
Week 11 = 28.87 mi
Week 12 = Estimated at 27 mi

The best part about this taper was that I didn't make any drastic cuts in mileage or intensity.  I have slowly cutback on the workouts and mileage but continued to run tempo and half marathon paces in most of my workouts (except for easy runs).  Here is how things have been going -


First week -

Who needs taper - not me! I feel great.  Ok so my legs are a little tired from that super long run this past weekend but I am doing fine.

I thought this was taper - that meant no more hard workouts!  3x 2mi at Tempo is not supposed to be a taper workout!

Where are my recovery socks and sleeves? I should wear them all the time now to help my legs recover even faster...

Second week - 

I am RAVENOUS! I just want to eat all the time! I just had my mid morning snack which turned into a second breakfast! I cannot stop thinking about food!

And my knee hurts.  For real.  Ok maybe not, its fine now.  My hip hurts - I am serious this time.  Just kidding I am fine!

Third week - 

Ok 10 day forecast stop playing games with me! Yesterday you said 60% chance of rain and now today you say it supposed to be sunny and 70F!  If you are going to keep this up I am not going to continue to check you until the day before the race!

I am sorry high heels but I can't wear you this week.  I promise we will get back together in another week or two.  It has been pretty rainy out and you wouldn't want to be out in that weather anyway!

Only a few days left and only a few more workouts...am I ready? I hope so!

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

sounds like a taper to me, although i am soooo bad at it myself :)

goooood luck this weekend! woooooooooooot!

Beth said...

Nice taper! I always get phantom pains when I taper and they're never anything. Its the madness.

Marlene said...

Oh man, I am going to be there in just a few days. I'M SKEEERED!

Teamarcia said...

Really? First official taper? Well you're doing awesome! I'm kinda craving one...too bad I haven't trained for a darn thing.

Mary Nevin said...

sounds perfect so far!! good luck in the race this weekend!! can't wait to hear how it goes!! :)

Suzy said...

Your taper sounds right on cue! Especially being ravenous. Enjoy it the best you can. Try not to check the weather hourly (yeah, right!). I can't wait to read about your half soon enough.

Jamie said...

Sounds like a healthy taper! The feeling so hungry all the time is the worst for me. Good luck getting through the next few days!

Zaneta @ Runner's Luck said...

hahaha... i love reading about everyone's tapers!! I have yet to do a taper ... but it's coming!! and then I hope everyone laughs with me/at me, like i do to everyone else! lol ;)

Angie said...

It made me smile what you wrote about the 10 day forecast.. TELL ME ABOUT IT!! I have been obsessively checking it EVERY DAY! Haha! One day it was a high of 80 and I was panicking.. that's TOO HOT! But now it says high of 72. I need to stop checking it! :) Good luck this weekend!!

Nicole said...

phantom paints irritate me! :) eeekkkk!

Christine said...

Hhahaha you have a sever case of taper jitters :) Training is the hardest part, the race will be the reward for all the hard work you did. Enjoy!!!

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

Amber and I both struggled w/ these 'phantom pains' when we were tapering for the marathon. Amber did some research on it and I guess it is something that is common during the taper!

Good luck! You are going to rock this race. You are SO ready for it!

Anonymous said...

taper madness! hehe. at least you're almost through with the taper and race day is close. I like to think of tapering as a necessary evil with a great payoff. You will rock the race :)

Rebecca said...

I am right there with you on being ravenous - yikes!! I have a hard time with self-control while exercising, so its just gotten 5 times worse... Of course I overthink it, because my job is about food. Haha. Oh, and also with you on the pains, and weather. I am excited/nervous for Sunday!

Anonymous said...

The first taper is definitely the worst!! I went CRAZY during the last week - total panic attack madness. Ha, but we all survive, and YES YOU ARE READY! Just keep reminding yourself of that :) You're going to do great!!

Val's Adventures said...

I wish I had been prepared enough for my upcoming races to do a proper taper.

Molly said...

oh yes, wanting to eat and being starving sounds right on track!

Glenn Jones said...

As long as you're not giving in to the desire to run, you're doing fine. All of the other symptoms you are describing (including pain) is normal for a taper.

Have fun and good luck this weekend!

Chelsea said...

Ignore all the crazy taper voices. You are so ready!

Unknown said...

You can do it!!!

Felice Devine said...

ha ha ha! You captured taper madness perfectly!

You're ready!! Good luck!