Taper week

My bike standing in for the both of us. What a view. What a place I live! (looking across Lake Washington to Seattle)

My gosh I am...well, I have so much free time! And so much undoing-ness during which to get anxious about the race!

Tapering is when you lay off the heavy hard training and just keep your body 'tuned up'. For big races like Ironman I think they start tapering maybe a full month before the race! For the sprints I just would lay off the training for the 3 days or so beforehand. For this one, about a week or so.

Tapering doesn't mean not doing anything. When I mentioned to my mom that I had gone on a 14 mile bike ride on Sunday - for my taper - she laughed, startled. I guess the 3 mile run the day before would have surprised her too. But with the intensity and length I've been training for, that is a taper.

(wheee, biking without the trailer! such a treat. caught the lovely sun on Saturday as I rode the circumference of Mercer Island).

Tonight I went out for a quick easy spin on the bike, squeezing it in as dusk arrived. It was real work to hold back on the pace!! My legs are used to pushing harder and going faster. It felt great to have that latent energy there, ready to spring on Sunday.

Tomorrow I hope to get an easy run in, then Thursday an easy slow swim. Then nothing. Nothing. For two days.

Then race day.