I’m Calling This a Taper

Yes, there I was again…going through a taper (of sorts).

With DAM to DSM happening on Saturday, this week was all about prepping my body and mind for the start line. As most know, this was my 19th time taking part, and it kind of felt more like an annual holiday  (as opposed to the half marathon that it actually was).

Nonetheless, I still needed to respect the race itself, and (most of) the tapering protocol that entails running those 13.1 miles…

Tapering & TLC

Tapering. For a big race (that I procrastinated on registering for). Yeah…

Let’s just say this taper came at an opportune time (and isn’t that the plan?). Since I’ve done upwards of 60 (?) half marathons, I’m guilty of taking the distance slightly for granted (#MyBad). Because of all the cross-training I do, though, I think I’m pretty much in year-round half marathon shape even if I’m not logging excessive year-long weekly mileage (#MyGood). 

Those are the thoughts and rationale that sustained me during this week leading up to the IMT Des Moines Half Marathon…

Color My World

 

It was a week filled with all things Color (and some  Paint, PTO and a little bit of Patience).

Actually, this colorful endeavor began last Saturday morning and has continued through the entire week. There’s still a lot left undone, but I'm enjoying the process and loving the continued progress. Color totally soothes the soul, much like running (and fitness in general).

Speaking of running (and fitness), it also was a decent week of continuous activity and movement. Suffice it to say my quads saw a lot action on the ladder and my glutes did their fair share of squat “holds” as I painted along numerous baseboards (cross-training, LOL).

Taking the Taper Seriously

 

Another week, another seven days of taper.

What can I say? We all know the benefits to a proper taper prior to race day. 

Without much on the racing roster this fall, I had ample opportunity to thoroughly embrace this taper, and really pay it due respect. Gotta admit, though, the compromised weather definitely helped, LOL. Cool temps, windy temps, damp temps...all made it easy to opt inside and not overdo any of my usual outdoor fitness this week. That was definitely a good thing!

Bankin' the Taper

Taper. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

With the IMT Des Moines Half Marathon one week out (as this post goes live), this past week was Week-1 of my taper. I use the word taper quite loosely, though, since I'm kinda/sorta always in somewhat of a 13.1 condition (at least this time of year). That being said, this week I made a concerted effort to take the taper seriously in terms of scaled-back mileage, lighter strength-training, and extra ZZZ's.

Gotta say I'm pretty happy with how things played out...

Recovery or Taper?

It WAS a week.

There was a frost advisory that lasted for several days. There was a mini heat wave. There was recovery from Sunday's race. And, there was a bit of a taper for a last-minute race on Saturday.

And...how did all that play out? I'm glad you asked; read on...

E.D.I. (Easy.Does.It)

There's a lot to be said about Taper Week.

There's even more to be said about scaling things back (fitness and otherwise) and taking some TLC for oneself, especially in the midst of chaos.

Lucky me, it was nice to have all this going down at the same time, LOL

Riding the Stride

A lot can be said for the fine art of prepping for a big race.

There's the taper, but also the daily fitness "fixes" that we all know and love. Finding that perfect balance, which is an individual thing, is tricky. It's also well worth the trial and error in seeking it.

Thankfully, for me, I have my trusty bike(s) to keep me happy when I'm scaling back on other vices. It was an active week of tapering, so to speak. And a week of eager anticipation of a favorite race... 

Peek-a-boo! I See You, SPRING!

Well, what do ya know...it would appear that Spring has finally sprung!

We did have some cold temps, early in the week, and we had plenty of wind (I know, I know...I say that every week). We had quite a bit of rain in the forecast, but didn't get as much as we'd anticipated. It is still a bit cooler than normal, but it does feel like Old Man Winter has finally left the premises.

With an upcoming half marathon on the weekend's roster, I treated this week as a bit of a taper... 

A Topsy-Turvy Taper

With two races on the weekend's roster, this week was all about the taper.

The thing is, it didn't really feel like a taper. Since I was kind of in a holding & coasting pattern (since the cancellation of my September marathon), I haven't really been in a real training mode. I've done some long runs (10/11-miles) in the past couple of months, but no speed-training. The weekly mileage has averaged near the 20-mile mark. And there have been a few weeks with minimal mileage (and lots of biking) while I worked my way through some weird aches and (mild) pains.

Still, as we all know, a busy race weekend benefits from a not-too-strenuous week prior...

The Final Countdown

Here we go! The final week of Taper...

Taking things easy. Staying active without over-doing anything. Erring on the side of caution. Getting a little more shuteye than usual....ugh! Just get me to the MCM start line already!

As luck would have it, Momma N felt it her duty to step in and give me some challenging weather. Or, maybe it was Fate? After all, if the weather outside is frightful, it may be in my best interest to stay inside and not risk getting sick.

STOP! Taper Time

...and the Taper goes on...

I am not one to dread the Taper. In fact, I look forward to it with bated breath (quite literally LOL) with every training cycle. It's like a small reward for all the hard work that's gone into the race I've been training for.

That said, things have been a little different this go-round. Much like the training itself has been different in terms of long-run-schedule-juggling (more so than I ever have before), this Taper has thrown me for a bit of a loop as well. I'm still enjoying the Taper, but just this week I experienced a subtle taste of burnout...in terms of weather (ahem, #wind #cold #rain) and not wanting to exert any extra effort in making workouts happen in said weather.

But, first things first...

Taper - Yay or Nay?

How do YOU feel about Taper?

Dread it? Love it? Hate to love it?

Many runners dread the taper, fearing they will lose some of their fitness gains, endurance or speed by easing up on their training.

Myself? I'm a fan.