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Welcome to the Taper

Welcome to the Taper

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Sunday’s 20 miler #3 probably could not have gone any better.  Maybe if it were about 5-10 degrees cooler toward the end, but by then, the end was so near that it didn’t take much to hunker down and get through the increasingly sunny (read: gorgeous) temperatures.  It was my first time doing the CARA Ready to Run 20-Miler, and it was fun.  Running south for an entire run was just lovely… and again, the fact that we had such great, cooperative temps, and that we were hitting our desired pace (or faster), I think, gave all of us a great confidence boost for 10/10/10.   The pic (below) is of Erin, Chris, Stacey, and me after we got back to Erin’s car at Foster Ave.  Don’t we look like we’re glowing after such a great run?!

The FF BB 2010 gang... all smiles after our last 20 miler before Chicago!

I had been writing before that the taper really wouldn’t officially begin until this week’s final *big* speed workout, 10×800.  Well, Mother Nature had different plans in store for us tonight around 7pm, so we bagged it after running 8 and seeing the lightning over Lake Michigan move increasingly closer and closer to us… probably a good idea, seeing as how it’s damn tough to run a marathon (or run at all) if you’ve been struck by freakin’ lightning.

SO – that said – it’s on.  I’m not really one to throw a “taper tantrum” or get increasingly antsy during the time that I’m not running (when I usually would be), so this is pretty welcome right now 🙂

For all the other fall marathoners and racers out there in the throes of their taper, greetings.  It sure is nice to be here, at last.

10.10.10, as seen from 09.08.10

10.10.10, as seen from 09.08.10

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This week is a pretty huge one for the world’s Muslims and Jews, thanks to Ramadan coming to an end on Friday and Rosh Hashanah kicking off, beginning at sundown tonight, followed by next weekend’s Yom Kippur, beginning on Saturday.

In the running world, on a much smaller scale, this week is also pretty huge for many fall marathoners—especially those of us doing Chicago—since (gasp) Friday means we’re officially ONE MONTH AWAY from the 26.2 mile festival.  Crazy how the training calendar flies by.

I’ve got at least 3 more hard speed workouts (8×800, 9×800, 10×800, anyone?) followed by the last of 3 20-milers before I can really start to exhale.  My eye’s on the prize, whatever that is right now, since I’ve noticed that Chicago’s already starting to get in the marathon spirit.  A bus ride down LaSalle last week made me notice that the financial district hub is already lined with 10.10.10 signs on nearly every light-post, and my mid-day run today took me to Columbus, where, for the first time, I noticed that the road (the staging grounds for the marathon start and finish) are already lined with the exciting-yet-intimidating 10.10.10 signs.  It’s fun, it gets me psyched up, and while it does make me a little quesy to think Is it already marathon time?, the proof is in the weather… fall-like temps for the past week or so (intermittent, at best, but still present!) mean that fall’s around the corner, which means that the marathon’s around the corner, which means, by order of the transitive property… you get my drift.  (Did I mention that last weekend’s hilly 20 miler on the Akron marathon course was a balmy ~high 40s/low 50s at our 6am start?!)

It’s almost here!  Eeeeeeeeeeee!!!

PS- I’d post a copy of one of the 10.10.10 signs, but the marathon website makes it damn near impossible to lift any of its images… stupid IP!  Take a jaunt down Columbus or LaSalle Sts., though, and you’ll see what I mean!