Thursday, October 4, 2012

Taper week one - Overthinking

Tonight I ran just 4 miles. Last Thursday I ran 6. Next Thursday it will be even less. The tapering has begun for the BIG RACE. My first Half Marathon.

It is just 9 days, 12 hours and 20 something minutes away as I type this.

I am wearing brand new shoes this week. My left ankle is wondering what is up with them. I am not sure. Might try the laces differently. Maybe the socks were too thick. SOMETHING is different than my other new pair.

So where is my other new pair?

It is in the spare room....waiting for race day. They were PERFECT last Sunday with just 60'ish miles on them. I am not adding another mile to them until the planned '20 minute run' the day before race day. I already have the pants set aside that I will be wearing, and the socks that fit those shoes best also in the spare room.

I just need to decide what shirt I will be wearing that day.

Why not the same one I wore last Sunday for good luck? I am thinking of it. But also, I am thinking of the weather. It is a long way off but the extended forecast is showing RAIN expected that weekend.

We haven't had RAIN in months. My experience with running in it is ever scarcer. You see, I began running on the treadmill when I started running last August. I told myself I HAD to because of bad knees. Then when the rain came, I had all the more reasons to stay on it. A lot.

All year I stressed each race - "What if it rains?"

Then at each race, I ran dry. I had beginners luck for sure!!!

  • 11/2011 Turkey Trot - Threatened to rain all morning. Not one drop until walking back to the car
  • 1/1/2012 Randy E. Memorial Run - Ran that night, but at 7:00am, the sun was shining for us
  • 3/2012 Shamrock Run - Light drizzle as we stood waiting to run. I wore a plastic rain cover. When it was time to start, it had stopped. By the end of the first turn on the road, I saw blue skies coming through the clouds. I was dry all the way.
  • 5/2012 Rum Run - It was overcast. It was also dry.
  • 6/2012 Vancouver USA Marathon - VOLUNTEER - sunny and dry
  • 6/2012 Run Like A Girl - Partly cloudy. And dry.
  • 6/2012 Solstice Run - Had a few drops of drizzle on my arms the very last quarter mile. But by the end of the finish line, it stopped. We sat, ate and drank in dryness.
  • 7/2012 Harvest Day Run - Overcast, but dry.
  • 8/2012 Every Girl's Run - ran 5K and VOLUNTEER (HM) - Overcast, but dry.
  • 9/2012 North County Wine Run - VOLUNTEER - Partly sunny and dry
  • 9/2012 Color Run - Partly cloudy, and dry.
So you see, at 11 events here in the Pacific Northwest - I have beaten all the odds. Now, here comes THE race. The one I have been training for much of this year. And it is too far out to say for sure, but in the last 24 hours the forecast has gone from 20% chance of rain on race day, to 40% chance of rain, to 40% all that weekend and before, to just now, 20%.

So many questions.....
  • Will my heart rate monitor be okay in the rain? 
  • Will my Garmin watch be okay in the rain? 
  • Will my Foot Pod be okay in the rain?
  • If not, will they be functional in a plastic bag? 
  • Should I wear a form fitting singlet or maybe a compression shirt in case it rains? I own neither....maybe I should be shopping this weekend? Try it on my 5 mile run?

So far away. So close. So excited. So nervous. 

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