The Home Stretch (Again!)

If you are my friend on The Facebook, by now you may have seen my new cover photo:

Did I change this in Powerpoint from a Kourtney & Kim ad? Yes, yes I did. And I'm damn proud of it.

Since my last update, I've continued to have The Plague. It's been not so great. I've been able to get some workouts in, but they are mucus-filled, wheezy workouts. Suffice it to say, I've been super cute.

I think -- though -- that it's ok. Would I like to be snot free? Sure. But my little condition has actually kept me properly tapering. I'm running slower than I would and less miles. Which is precisely what I should be doing. It's weird to say, but it's actually difficult to keep yourself tempered during this taper time. The schedule says an easy 4...but the training has made your body primed to run a fast 7. 

That's how you know you're ready I guess.

But the words of wisdom I have received and talked about in my last post are true. You really only have downside at this point in the process. No incremental workout is going to help...but one could hurt you.

So The Plague -- perhaps -- is my guardian angel.

This is a stuffed animal "Common Cold." He looks happy and like a decent guardian angel who is reminiscent of Lilo's pal Stitch. Sidebar true story: In college when I had mono a friend got me a yellow mononucleosis stuffed animal. Allegedly. But then we looked at the label and it turns out he got me a stuff Hepatitis A. The end.

But I digress.

In 8 days I get on a plane in 10 days I will be [allegedly] running a Marathon. 

Let the stalking of the 10-day forecast....COMMENCE!

People keep asking if I'm nervous and, no, I'm actually not that bad [yet]. I'm trying to stay positive and not freak out about all the could-bes and would-bes and should-bes. 

And I WILL NOT keep considering all the things that could still go wrong (although I have a fabulously messed up list in my mind) to continue my streak of training-for-but-not-running-marathons.

It must feel like the classic film Groundhog's Day to you, dear reader, as you listen to my "one week to go!" rant once again. Exactly 10 days away from the NYC Marathon that wasn't this year, I wrote this gem and it was an ignorantly blissful article about how the tapering was making me crazy.

Oh, you wanted to see crazy, MeriG? You had no freakin' clue what was to come. I'll show you crazy.

So, again, 10 days away, I'm trying to keep away the crazy as much as possible. I want to maintain the Excited (I'm going to my first Publix in just over a week, how could I not!). But I really want to keep the doubting, worried, and truly Scared part of me under control by trying to under-schedule, over-rest and to just be zen. What will be, will be. 

We don't want this on our hands:

Television genius

Instead I want to try to channel my inner Running Zach. Without the undertones of ignorance and racism.

In closing, as we enter my final week of marathon training & tapering [again], I leave you with this powerful quote from one of the great lyricists of our time. I hope you enjoy it and reflect upon it as I have:

Here I am in the place where I come let go 

Miami the base and the sunset low 

Everyday like a mardi gras everybody party all day 

No work all play okay 

So we sip a little something lay the rest the spill 

Me an [Betsy] at the bar running up a high bill