Ironman number 9
Anyone else find that they think in song lyrics? When I read the title above, it brings to mind a particular vintage song, something of an earworm. It's the same out on the bike or running, I see something that reminds me of a song, or worse, hear one, and it's hours at the particular tempo of whatever bit of music.
Anyway, taper has just started for Ironman number (engine...engine...number ...) nine, and I'm quite pleased with this year's progress. I've got a complicated spreadsheet which tells me that I've done more running in the last 9 weeks, more swimming, and almost as much cycling as my best training effort in the past. Knowing that should make me less anxious that I'm ready, however I'm also aware that I'm heavier than ever, older than ever, and taper-mania has nothing to do with being rational or reasonable, I'm surely going to catch something horrible, injure something unfixably, or just generally find some creative way to sabotage the upcoming adventure. Or someone else will.
Starting taper is an interesting place to be for a number of reasons, one is the application of the training 'brakes' requires active effort, there's this temptation, actually, it's more an urge, to just get in one more long session. You can be as logical as you like, repeat the mantras of tapering such as 'the hay is in the barn', 'you can't get any fitter now', and 'more people fail due to being under-rested than under-trained', but it's hard to let go and slow down. Not sure on the source of the warning pic, but it's too good to not share...whoever designed this one, it nails taper...of perhaps I should say Taper.
Anyway, taper has just started for Ironman number (engine...engine...number ...) nine, and I'm quite pleased with this year's progress. I've got a complicated spreadsheet which tells me that I've done more running in the last 9 weeks, more swimming, and almost as much cycling as my best training effort in the past. Knowing that should make me less anxious that I'm ready, however I'm also aware that I'm heavier than ever, older than ever, and taper-mania has nothing to do with being rational or reasonable, I'm surely going to catch something horrible, injure something unfixably, or just generally find some creative way to sabotage the upcoming adventure. Or someone else will.
Starting taper is an interesting place to be for a number of reasons, one is the application of the training 'brakes' requires active effort, there's this temptation, actually, it's more an urge, to just get in one more long session. You can be as logical as you like, repeat the mantras of tapering such as 'the hay is in the barn', 'you can't get any fitter now', and 'more people fail due to being under-rested than under-trained', but it's hard to let go and slow down. Not sure on the source of the warning pic, but it's too good to not share...whoever designed this one, it nails taper...of perhaps I should say Taper.
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