After this past Sunday's run (Omaha half + 8 more miles), I feel I'm ready for the Des Moines Marathon. I've been waiting to officially register, just to make sure. My knee has been the overriding factor this whole time. In fact, I could wait until the day before the race to make a final decision, but I feel I'm ready. The long runs have been progressing, and the pain in my knee is mostly not an issue. I see no reason why I couldn't run the Des Moines marathon, so decided to officially register today. At this point, I'm committed (or do I need to be committed, ha).
And now, the taper begins. The taper does not mean that I don't run, it just means that I'll continue to ramp down my training over the next three weeks, to ensure that my legs are as fresh as can be. The runs will still be at the same intensity, but the mileage will progressively drop each successive week. This is also a time when self doubt begins, and the sinking feeling that you're losing all that you've accomplished over the previous 18 weeks. Those are normal feelings, everyone has them, but in reality, they're just fantom concerns.
The main thing will be to stay healthy! That may be easier said than done. The training cycle leading up to this point has put my body under incredible strain. But, at the same time, my immune system has been bolstered (hopefully) by the hard training. It will be a delicate balance. My wife is a teacher, and my daughter is an 8th grader. There are several cases of H1N1 going through her school, including a couple of my wife's co teachers, and a couple of my daughters classmates. Must stay healthy! Must stay healthy!
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