So we're now less than 2 weeks to the MCM and I'm "tapering", though I don't really know what that means. I've certainly cut back on the long runs -- last week was 16, 12 this week and only a 7-mile "long run" the final week. Plus some other light-weight runs. I ran 5 last evening and although I was taking it easy, I still ran it at faster than "marathon" pace. After the long slogs, these almost don't seem like they're worth getting sweaty for!

I'm a bit confused on what I'm supposed to do on these  non-long runs.   An article in Runners World talks about shortening the taper and keeping up the intensity. Other things I've read seem to contradict this and push for a bigger slow-down.

So, mostly I'm just listening to what my muscles and joints -- if they ache, I slow down. And I guess I'm trying to force myself to run all my runs at my turtle-target pace of 10:30-11/mile. No more speed work. Hope that's right -- we'll see in 12 days!

Hooray, the "long" runs are done. In the past 3 weeks, my running bud and I did 3 20+ milers. In the awesome heat and humidity of the Washington DC area no less. And now that the heat has broken, we're starting our taper. Almost Laurel and Hardy  timing.

In spite of that, I don't really feel ready. Mind you, my goal is simply to finish. Well, I guess I have two goals -- the stated goal of finishing and the unstated goal (which I whisper to myself) of maybe breaking 4:30. But in spite of 3 20+ mile training runs, I dread the last 6 miles of the marathon. It has taken every week of training to finally get a hydration plan working. I want to do at least one more 23 miler to feel sure I have that right. But we're tapering; the idea of cutting back just seems counter-intuitive: why not run another long run? I mean, I understand the reasons -- heal thy injuries, build thy glycogen stores; get thy rest... It just runs counter. Maybe I need to think of the MCM itself as the next long training run!