I made the mistake of checking the weather in Lethbridge way too early. Rain is in the forecast for race day, and the day before. (It has been changing every few minutes so by Friday morning, I will expect everything from a blizzard to a scorching heat wave.)
Now I am having crazy flashbacks to when I was at the bottom of a small hill clawing my way to the top, and all the mud. All the mud. It can’t possibly rain two years in a row? Can it?
Questionable weather aside, I am in full taper mode. You may be surprised to learn I actually slow down and taper especially before a big, scary race.
This time around I slowed down about three weeks ago. I dropped my distance and vert down to nearly zero. Truthfully I didn’t plan it that way. I have been going full steam for weeks and I was beginning to feel rundown with random niggles popping up. Self-care and rest were part of my self-imposed prescription.
Last year I was feeling all kinds of crazy and uncertainty as I plodded my way through kilometre after kilometre. It got pretty ugly in the end but I finished the darn race. I still can’t believe I managed to pull it off with my lack of training and poor tattered body! It goes to show that you can do anything if you put your mind to it!
Two days to go!
All the usual self-doubts, fears and insecurities about the race are flooding my brain. Did I train enough? Did I get enough long runs in? Am I too fat? I have all the feelings.
I want to PR this race. There I said it. Even if it is only two minutes. I am telling myself that I can do it since I walked most of the last last 46 kilometres. (Proof: I checked my leg times from last year and I was painfully slow.) I am trying to remind myself I have had a strong, consistent training season with no injuries. That has to count for something, right?
Even if I don’t PR, I am so happy to have had a training season where I got cover so many kilometres without injury. I met some great new running friends and I explored some pretty awesome places in the Rockies. Sure I wish I had done more with my training, particularly targeted speed training and faster-paced runs. But where’s the fun in that?
Seriously I am excited to run and see what my body is capable of doing in the coulees on Friday!
ICYMI: Some of my favourite long training runs: