It's taper time over here - just 10 days to go until it's time to unleash the 1400+ miles of training on the Erie Marathon course. I'm working this week to hold on to my sanity and convince myself that my fitness has not suddenly evaporated overnight and that yes, the hard work has been done, the hay is in the barn, etc. etc., and that there is nothing else I can do besides relax and try not to freak out. (key word: TRY)

These two weeks always remind me just rough the taper can be on a marathoner's psyche. It's the feeling of being somewhat helpless while you wait and wait to finally get your chance to line up and just RUN the darn thing. Sure, there are things you need to do this week to stay on track, to maximize your nutrition, to make sure you are physically and mentally ready for race day. But on the whole, the theme of these last two weeks is: DON'T SCREW IT UP BY DOING TOO MUCH.

So I'm doing my best to relax and silence the voices in my head that say "Hey, all this extra non-running time would be a GREAT time to clean the attic...or go on a house-project spree and finally install those shelves/paint/organize....or head to Lowe's and exhaust yourself by lifting 35 bags of mulch and carting them around the entire yard!! YES!!!!"

As you have probably guessed, I don't do "rest" very well. This week has also marked the emergence of my tendencies to over-research and second guess myself. Stick with my normal 3-day carb load w/no depletion phase? Try a 10-day "fat load" and THEN carb load? Cut out caffeine? Keep caffeine in and just load up on race day? You can see where this is going.

So in an effort to silence my own thoughts and commit to a plan, I present to you:

The FoxRunsFast Non-Crazy Taper Plan

Nutrition: I'll continue to eat pretty normally this week, while focusing on (slightly) decreasing calories as I run less and rest more. I'll also skew my diet towards the protein side this week to help with muscle recovery and repair. On Saturday, I'll have my last caffeinated tea or coffee and start my week-long caffeine fast. (Apologies in advance to everyone who comes in contact with me during that last week of taper.) With three days to go I'll start the carb load phase, aiming to get 65%+ of my calories from carbs in the final days.
Mental prep: I've got a mental visualization CD that a sports psychologist made for me a few years ago. I've used that in each of my past marathon buildups in the final two weeks and I'll listen to that again this time. I'll also re-read some key passages from Sage Rountree's "Racing Wisely" and work on some mantras to use on race day. I'll spend some time thinking about possible race-day obstacles (and how to overcome them) and then work on getting my pace chart and race plan ready.
Strength training: I talked about the optimal time to discontinue strength training before a marathon and I'll try to take my own advice. Unfortunately I can't stop as early as I'd like due to teaching commitments (I'm teaching Thursday, Friday and Sunday this week), but I'll be using very light weights starting Friday, and Sunday will be my last day of any extra gym work before the race.
Running: Finally, I'll be cutting back mileage and resting more. I will run my last "speed" workout tomorrow (3x1 mile) and will have one more workout next week (2 miles at marathon pace). All that's left is easy, shorter runs and a rest day.

Since I don't do rest very well, I'd welcome any and all suggestions for (non-energy-expending) ways to combat taper madness!! Whatcha got?

It's almost time, folks. Five days from now I will be toeing the line at the start of my 9th marathon. But until then, I've got a few more days of the taper to survive! I truly enjoy the daily grind of training - the 20-milers, the hard mid-week workouts - I feel most like myself when I'm in the thick of training. During the taper I feel....adrift. Unsettled. I know I must rest and let my body recover before the race, but I miss my routine and begin to suffer from what many of us affectionately refer to as "taper madness". How do you know if you are in full-on taper madness mode? Have a look at my handy checklist:

10-day Weather Expert - As soon at that 10-day forecast comes out, I'm on it. And though the weather is definitely one variable I know I can't control, I'm somehow drawn to checking that stupid 10-day forecast every day.
Gear Obsession - Once I've seen today's updated 10-day forecast, I am now free to obsess about the gear I'll run in. Garmin? No Garmin? Dig out the Timex watch? (Do I remember how to work the Timex watch?) The shorter, lighter shorts that sometimes-but-not-all-the-time chafe? Thicker shorts that don't chafe but feel pretty heavy (and ride up) when they are wet? Singlet? Short sleeves? Blind everyone with my super-white skin and go with the sports bra and shorts? You know it's bad when you start WEIGHING your shorts to determine which pair is truly the lighter one. And don't even get me started on shoes.

Training Amnesia - The taper always makes me doubt both my fitness and my training. I find myself having to constantly look back at my log in an effort to remind myself that all of my hard-earned fitness is not magically evaporating into thin air. I ran a solid 18-miler just over a week ago, right??? And just because today's little 6-mile run didn't feel so easy there's no need to panic - I can run over a minute and a half per mile faster than this....for 26.2 miles....yes?? Maybe?? Gahhhhhh.....
Phantom Pains - In every taper I seem to have something crop up juuuuust as I'm starting to think I'll get to the start line in one piece. Ghosts of injuries past? Or simply my body healing all the little tears in the muscle? Who knows. This time around it's the tendonitis in my foot that seems to be choosing this exact moment to make a reappearance. I'm hoping it's more in my head than anything else but I'm icing it anyway and hoping race day nerves/adrenaline will make it a non-issue.
Hungry, Hungry Hippo - Wait, no second afternoon snack today? What do you mean I can't eat that giant stack of pancakes AND some eggs and bacon? My body does not seem to understand (or enjoy) the fact that it is no longer running 90 miles a week and therefore does not get to eat accordingly.
Carb Overload: I was eagerly awaiting my Monday trip to the grocery store. Time to stock up on all my supplies for the upcoming carb-loading phase that starts on Thursday. Normally I'm all about the whole grain goodness but in the last few days before the race I try to stick to less fiber-filled foods and go with relatively bland, high-carb, salty stuff. I know I'll be sick of bagels and pretzels by Sunday but for now I'm excited to feel like I'm getting one step closer to that starting line.
Normal Person attire/schedule - Since I'm no longer running doubles and have stopped weight training this week, I've had some extra time on my hands. While my body is telling me that it feels weird to not be heading to the gym, my mind has convinced me to try out the life of a normal person this week. I ran this morning, showered and THEN....instead of getting back into athletic wear for workout #2, I got dressed in normal clothes!!! In jeans!! And I had time to get my hair cut!! Woo hoo!! I'm living it up over here, you guys.

T-minus 4 days...good thoughts appreciated!

Taper Madness survivors - what other "symptoms" did I miss? Tell me there are others out there that are as crazy as I am! :) Quick - what's your favorite race-worthy mantra/phrase that you use to psych yourself up?