Sometimes a Mental Taper is What You Need

This week has been tough.

I think the last four weeks have been truly catching up with me - and it's not even in terms of running, but in life. Traveling is great and fun and all and I wish I could even do it more, but it's not until the last of the weekends-away-from-home come creepin' upon you that you wish you could just stay home for the weekend. With little to nothing to do.

But true, no?

I don't think I've had a chill weekend since January 9-10. And that still involved running a half, then staying out until 1 or 2 am doing karaoke, and then spending all day Sunday lounging and a whole lot of nothing. Since then, it's been a lot of go, go. go. Which - let's be real - probably eventually added up to the flu.

After Surf City, I was really nervous for pacing the following weekend at Mermaid. 2:15 is a walk in the park these days, but for how lousy I felt at Surf, I was anxious to make sure that I didn't feel that way when I was responsible for meeting a time expectation. Good news: I felt fantastic.

With Phoenix coming up in just a week and a half (didn't I just write that 30 Days post yesterday?!), I haven't run since Saturday at Mermaid - we spent a lot of time walking around Sea World, and I've been pretty fantastically lazy since Sunday. The running clothes and shoes have laid on the bathroom floor a few mornings, waiting for me to get up and go do it, but it's just not happening.

And I'm starting to think that's okay. I mean, tapering shouldn't mean you're putting in zero miles, but I think the mental taper is here and that I realize that not getting in two 3-mile runs won't kill me next weekend. I'm conditioned, I'm in shape (maybe not as great as I want, but I am) and that I'll still be able to conquer Phoenix with no problem. Mental tapering is totally a thing.

Rock 'n Roll posted this yesterday and it was just perfect timing. I have a week and a half to get my head on straight, to get in a few easy runs to keep my legs fresh, but  I know I'm going to be fine.

T-minus 9 days until 26.2!

When you're close to a big race, how do you stay mentally focused? Do you let yourself go easy the last two weeks of taper?