Tapering week

For some reason, tapering for this half is not as bad as the last time. Maybe it's because I know what to expect. Maybe it's because, as my friend Kathy said last year, just trust in your training and the hours and miles you put into it. Maybe it's because I'm only a few days into the week. Probably the latter. I fully expect to feel anxious and fat later this week. There's something about logging miles and miles and miles (and know I'm burning calories), so that when I put the brakes on I feel I'm just sitting around. My two mile run yesterday was almost laughable. Almost a waste of a clean workout shirt.

[And speaking of workout shirts, Erin and I have matching Under Armours for the race. She said hers is so much nicer than the Target shirts she wears that she almost doesn't want to blow her nose on it. I guess I haven't found a workout shirt that is too nice for that yet.]

My last long run before this race was six miles on Saturday. I had planned to go twice around the little lake at Zorinsky (6.2). It was a beautiful day - cool and sunny. I had to take a picture of the trail ahead:

I love autumn!

I got another mile down the trail and there was a deer standing right in the middle of it, so of course I had to stop for another photo. Right then a runner came by and didn't think the sight was as spectacular as I did so therefore didn't stop, startling the deer so she moved into the woods - but I still got a photo:

Objects are closer than they appear!

So I am out enjoying the beautiful weather, my spirit was uplifted because of the deer, when about a quarter of a mile down the trail something made me feel my Spibelt and I realized that the little "wallet" where I keep my driver's license, health insurance card, ICE info, and $10 had fallen out when I took my phone out to take the picture. I didn't know I could run so fast as I backtracked! I knew exactly where to look, and as I got to the spot, there was a cyclist who was looking through something - my wallet. Luckily I came upon him the exact moment he had found it. What a nice guy - although he did make me identify myself. Which is exactly what I would have done. So already my run was a little bit disrupted, not to mention my heart rate. I finished the little lake and went around the big lake far enough to make six miles, and then just headed home. After all, we were having friends over for dinner that night and I had work to do.

Again, I love autumn!

At least the six mile run gave me a little leeway to enjoy the German dinner I fixed that night, with much phone help from my German mother-in-law: rouladen (meat...wrapped in meat, as Alex says), späetzle, and red cabbage. And for dessert, kuchen that Dwight had bought when he was in Eureka and had been in the freezer for a few week. And wine. Lots and lots of wine. Which led to lots and lots of naps on Sunday!

To take my mind off tapering, we have fun plans tomorrow night. Several weeks ago I came home to an envelope on the kitchen table - containing Book of Mormon tickets! They were a total surprise to me; Dwight had gotten them because he knew I wanted to see the play. I knew long ago that I had chosen wisely in the husband department, but this guy keep affirming it. We just have to find a good restaurant for carbo-loading...

TTFN!