It's taper time......................................

Being two weeks behind schedule, I planned to do a long run today, but didn't set a goal in stone in case my wrist acted up or the down time had taken more out of me than I thought. Had one in my head (don't we always), but told myself I would be happy with anything in the teens. I ended up completing what I wanted to do:

TWENTY FOUR (24) MILES!!!

YES I DID!

Okay, I completed twenty two (22) running, and walked the last two, but I am counting it.

I started out slow and steady. Then the sun came up (which by the way was beautiful and very entertaining for a mile or so) and made it feel more humid, more like it really was. What is up with 85 and humid in October?

By the time I met my youngest at mile seven I was feeling pretty nauseated, and moving like a turtle. I had been out for 4.5 hours and still had seven miles to go to make my hearts desire.

I know all the books say if you do one or two twenty milers then you will be able to finish the marathon. I also know in all the stories I have read the people really struggled mentally with the last six miles. I figured if I did twenty four once it would be a mental boost. Heck I know I can CRAWL two miles if I had to.

I am glad I did, because the last two miles that I ran I WAS having trouble ignoring the aches, the nausea, the heat. My face felt like it was literally on fire and of course the water I had with me was warm as bath water so that was no help even though I kept making myself drink it. This ended up being good practice for my youngest to get my mind off things and for me to stay focused on moving my feet. At one point she said, "Okay. We are going to pick up the pace when we get to that tree." For the first time (I can remember anyway) since beginning this training the words, "I can't" came out of my mouth. I alternated between I can't and I'll try until we reached the tree and I did indeed try, and even managed to do so for a short distance.

Had today's time been the marathon, I regret to tell you I would have been kicked out by about 8 minutes (this comes from the 5:40 time for the 22 miles and then calculating what the other 4.2 would have taken me) from their 6.5 hour cut-off time. I will say I did leave the clock running while I was collecting my Gatorade from the side of the road and when I went potty (only twice. Now that I hope is exactly the same on marathon day). I am not really worried about this as I am sure race excitement and running with a partner will easily absorb that. Really nothing I can do at this point so what happens happens whether or not I invest time worrying about it.

So now, with one last long run behind me I can turn my mind towards relaxing and getting well rested and well fueled for the big day. Sometime this turns out to be harder than a long run, but I plan to give it as much effort.

Almost to the starting line of my goal, this will be the last post I write as a forty-nine year old. Tomorrow I turn fifty, and move up in age category. Too bad all those other forty-nine year old women in my area, the one's that are way faster than me, move up along with me. Doesn't make me any less a winner in my heart or in my soul. I am totally content to just be able to be a part of it all.