Is this the taper?

This past Tuesday marked exactly 2 weeks until the start of the TransRockies Run ~ woo!

 

Team Ando-Dibbs logo, updated from last year for TRR.

I suppose that means I am starting to taper. Putting those feet up and resting until the big day, right? There are no real gains to be made now, just keep the body happy and healthy and away we go. Definitely. Although, you know, the thing with big endurance challenges is that the first bit of taper is still a decent amount of volume. It’s not like you can just suddenly stop moving. So while I suppose I am technically tapering – I don’t necessarily feel like it yet.

Anyway, that said, things over the past couple weeks have been pretty good. I think I am just really ready for the big event to get here, and while there have been a few stinkers on the workout front, **cough cough, Tuesday’s run, cough cough** most of my runs have been fun and I’m definitely feeling stronger and excited to head to Colorado.

One of the things that I think has helped me to finally put the struggle behind me is that since my return from San Francisco I’ve been on a Garmin hiatus. Since I will be “racing” TRR based on effort, all of my training over the final few weeks has been effort based as well. (I should note however, that I have found that throughout this process, while I’m out on the trails, I don't actually pay much attention to my Garmin other than for time, but I think just even having it on and knowing that it is capturing pace and stuff is still different than running totally free from it). So yeah, I’ve ditched it and have actually really been enjoying my freedom from the ol’ wrist computer.

Another fun thing that I’ve been doing over the last week or so in prep for TRR is to focus on finding something to enjoy, something positive, on each run. I know, that should be a no brainer – I run/exercise because I like it and it is fun, not because I have to, right? But during my “struggle”, finding something positive about a run (other than when it was finished), was not always easy. Anyway, I’ve been adding these little highlights to my training log, in an attempt to get in the right head space and really enjoy the last couple weeks of training.

So, in keeping with that theme, here are some of the highlights of my recent runs interspersed with some other, non-run related things that have kept me laughing/smiling in recent weeks.

· Running with my Dad. Enough said.
· TheBloggess. I can get lost in this blog for hours. Some of this is so fantastically messed up. I love it.
· Running an out and back route and negative splitting it without even trying to.
· Getting a bit lost in thought about TransRockies and realizing how excited (not anxious or nervous, just excited) that made me feel.
· Brooke & Jubal In The Morning. From the 'Shock Collar Question of the Day', to 'Phone Taps', to 'Second Date Update', this Seattle morning radio show makes me laugh every day on my drive to work.
· Sympathy Cards for Runners. Especially this one...

· Aside from feeling good and happy and strong on a recent Mt. Finlayson double summit day, the beautiful clear view from the top with the sun just starting to really shine was pretty special.

 

· Not getting eaten/attacked by a cougar.

 

· Giant Mike & Ikes. Why, oh why, didn’t I buy these?!

 

Race Fuel for the year?

And with that, I'm out... Onward to TransRockies!