Tapering is Hard Work

I finally got some running sunglasses.  I love them!

In two weeks, at this exact moment I will be able to say "I ran a marathon!".  I think I am ready to just go get it done...but then I think- what happens after its over?  This training has consumed my life for the last 4 months- what in the world will I do after I complete the marathon?  I had another dream about running Friday night.  I was just running.  There was nothing else, all I could do was RUN, with no distance, no destination, no nothing.  Just me running.  I kept waking myself up so I could dream about something else, except I would fall back asleep and just still be running!  It was so weird.

I can tell my body needs these weeks to taper.  My legs are just exhausted, and it has almost been harder to do these shorter runs than my longer ones.  Maybe it is all in my head, or maybe it is normal?  All I know is that my legs felt like they were made out of lead this week.  I also ended up playing the field at our soccer game on Friday night.  I was keeper for the first half and the team was just killing me in there (it was that darn C league team) so I threw in the gloves for second half so I could get some of my frustrations out by running the field.  I don't have the greatest ball control but I can be quick and powerful when necessary!  They asked us to play an extra half so I ended up playing the field for 45 minutes.  And even though I kept saying I was going to stay back on defense to save my legs...ya, that didn't work so well.  I definitely felt that for my 12 mile run on Saturday!  Oops, so much for tapering properly!

And I do have a few races planned for after the marathon.  I am signed up to run the Ragnar Relay Northwest Passage on July 22nd and 23rd which I am really excited about.  It is a relay race that goes from Blaine to Whidbey Island and covers 187 miles.  I am part of a 12 person team that my friend Mandy recruited, it is going to be a blast!  http://www.ragnarrelay.com/race/northwestpassage

I am also looking at several half marathons for late summer and early fall.  Some that have caught my eye are the Eugene women's half (9/4), You Go Girl (9/11), Bellingham Bay (9/25) and the Leavenworth Oktoberfest Half (10/16).  Has anyone ran these before?  Any ideas or suggestions?  I did the You Go Girl last year and it was a fun race.  Any friends out there want to get trained up and run with me???