Road to 26.2 Having a Tantrum

Road to 26.2

Wednesday, February 5th- 1 week, 3 days

Taper tantrums. Taper madness. Taper crazies. OMG y’all! I’m in it!

A taper period is a few weeks before a big race, when a runner gradually decreases the mileage that’s been building up for months. Running has become my new normal, it’s a constant, and my way to unravel everything that’s spooled up all day. I have come to look forward to the long run, the strength that comes with that! Literally the only thing I want to do right now is go for a long run, or at least a fast run, but NOPE. I’m in my taper and have to take it easy.

It sounds great, right? A nice relaxing bit before the race sounds like what I have been training for, right? WRONG. There is now all this pent-up energy, massive appetite, mood swings, phantom pains/illness, enduring exhaustion, and allllll the marathon anxiety dreams! It’s normal for a taper, especially for my first marathon. However, that doesn’t make it any more exciting.

Here are some ways we can distract ourselves from the fact that we are not freaking running right now;

-Start a new project! Not like a huge remodel project, but a small project like cleaning out closets or steam cleaning the carpets.

-Read! Spend the time you would normally be running investing in some personal development books, entertain yourself with some great fiction, and learn something with a good non-fiction book!

-Look past this finish line! Check out options for what’s next! It’s helping me to have a plan for the springtime training, and a few ideas about what my next goals and races will be in 2020/2021.

-Stick to your taper plan and pace. It is SO tempting to run longer and faster than the plan calls for, but trust your training. 

-Talk to your runner friends, they all get it and won’t think you’re batshit crazy!

-Stay off WebMD, you’ll just end up diagnosing yourself with 100 things that aren’t real. I get it.

-Don’t drive yourself crazy with trying to find the newest and greatest anything, you have trained and found what works for you, just stick with that. 

-Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. 

-Stretch, stretch, stretch.

-Fuel, fuel, fuel.

-Surround yourself with positive content and people, you’ll need every ounce of positive energy!

Ok, y’all I’m going to go fold some laundry and reorganize the kitchen, probably cry for no reason, and then most likely eat for the 497th time today. Protein, you’re my boo. 

Xo,

Ellie