Taper Madness

I've not blogged for ages but thought I would take time this morning to put down my thoughts about my up and coming marathon in Windermere on Sunday.

My training has been, to say the least, sporadic. Life has just gotten in the way far too much but I have managed my obligatory long runs (although would have liked to have gone further than 20 in training but no Sunday's left).

I am running on Sunday with my best mate Hazel. Hazel turned the young age of 50 this year so in our usual, odd/crazy/mad/bonkers* (delete as appropriate), way we signed up for the Windermere Marathon to help her celebrate That was away back in October 2014. Seemed like we had a long time to train but as usual, here we are days away convinced that we won't make it round in one piece. Hazel made me laugh saying that between us we probably have one fully functioning runner. Her back is sore and I have a sore foot! And then there is the hills...

I have spent a lot of time training in the Pentlands, including all the hills in Edinburgh during my long runs to get used to the hills. Windermere, according to my Fetch friend, Chris, who I will tell you about shortly, is "unforgiving at times but you'll be fine". I can only hope that my legs have enough hills in them to take me up and down all the undulations around Windermere.

Chris is running the 10 in 10 which consists of running around the Windermere Marathon course ten days in a row ending on Sunday along with the full field of runners. The 10 in 10 runners are a "special" bunch of people. Amazing, inspirational, mad, bonkers.... Reading Chris' blog has kept me inspired through my fortnight of tapering.

http://www.brathaywindermeremarathon.org.uk/blog/chris-rents-renton/2015/5/hey-ho-lets-go.aspx

So when it gets tough for me I will definitely be thinking about Chris and his huge challenge of tackling those hills ten times, ten days in a row!

So to go back to the taper madness. Anyone who has run a marathon will know how this is a very real phenomenon. You train to run big miles and then suddenly, you stop. You drop down to mileage which by comparison seems like nothing. And for some reason your body objects. You pick up colds, muscles start to ache, tendons start to ping and your mind begins to tell you that actually you can't 26 miles so better not to bother. I am on marathon number 9 now and it happens every time. So far, I have a sore bit on the bottom of my left foot, a tendon has pinged on the top of my left foot, I have had terrible cramps in both calf muscles and I most definitely don't think I am going to make it around 26 miles. And I swear I am getting a sore throat this morning.

Rhona and I are heading down to meet Hazel on Friday night, so hopefully all of these things will disappear as magically as they appeared and I will in fact make it around Lake Windermere in one piece. I have no doubt my foot problems are actually very real but have been taking care of it all week so hopefully it will survive.

I have just noticed on facebook that there are 925 entrants for the marathon on Sunday, gulp, guess I'll be rocking up as number 925 then! That's not a big field but hey I was 30 out of  30 in the Kielder Ultra - Someone has got to be last!

Going to go for a last wee joglet today just to check out my foot and then that is it. Packing the bags, sending Kobi on his holiday to Dionne and then heading down tomorrow, after Rhona has sat her Higher English and I finish work.

Will blog over the weekend to capture the fun and games. Windermere here I come....

don't worry, be happy :)