How Do You Eat an Elephant?: Taper Madness and Finals

It's 4 Days till Race Day.

It's 10:49pm.

I'm lying in bed staring at the ceiling.

I just finished throwing together some homework and packing most of my stuff.

My heart starts to go THUD THUD THUD. And then all of a sudden I'm like a cross between

AND

(Mostly the former.)

My Tweet to Coach goes something like "!!! FULL TAPER MADNESS IN EFFECT. T-MINUS ZERO MINUTES TO CRAZYTOWN !!!"

His response was: "relaaaaax."

Shortly after that, I did relaaaaax. (Gimme a break. Finals are next week and work is bananas.)

Today was my final run before the race. Just a little cruise around the block - 20 minutes, easy effort. Aside from the random twinge in my leg, which is to be expected, my legs felt the most rested and full of energy I've ever felt before any marathon. I did my 17-mile run last week (it got pushed back after my almost-3-week bout with an ear infection), and I hardly felt like I ran 6 miles. This may be the best-trained I've ever been for a marathon.

And I feel good. I feel ready. For the race to be over, for finals to be over, all of it. (How's that saying go? Nothin' left but the dance?)

I am looking forward to the trip, the race, and Chrisgiving (Thanksmas?) with my family.

Race day weather: low of 53, high of 69 (good), 11mph winds (good), low UV index (good), cloudy and 20% chance of rain with 81% humidity (blerg.) That was about the condition of my run this morning. MAN was I hoping for some less-humid weather so I could breathe easy and not feel like I'm running in Florida.

But I've done the hard work; I've put in the training. In sun, sleet, rain, 100% humidity, and ear-infected-roller-coaster-vomitous-vertigo. In the end, the weather will be what it will be. In the end, the race will be what it will be.

All I can do is follow some sage advice:

1. Do my best every day as it's the only thing I can control
2. Never worry about anyone/thing else I have no control over
3. Keep being an awesome person and awesomeness will follow.

And get up at earlier than I want to say for an ass'o'clock flight on Friday morning.