CIM Ready: Taper Time!

I have completed the training portion of my marathon preparation plan for CIM. Six hundred twenty-seven miles, 111 hours, 51 minutes, and 27 seconds later, I am in the taper phase.

Last week, I had the best 20-mile long run of my life and averaged 10:15/mi. Friday’s 10-mile marathon pace run average pace was 9:11/mi. with splits between 8:49/mi. and 9:36/mi. My planned marathon pace is 9:20/mi with a range of 9:09-9:44/mi. I will need to work hard to stick to my race pace, but I am feeling very prepared for the marathon on December 3.

The taper phase is also the maranoia phase. This is the first time I have made it through a training block without injury. This makes me extra paranoid about my taper. I’ll continue to do what I have been doing for the last 15 weeks to stay healthy and try to keep the mind games to a minimum.

Thanksgiving is around the corner. Are any of you preparing for a Turkey Trot? Let me know in the comments below. If you are near San Jose and want to avoid the crowds of the big turkey trot downtown, look at the Zoom Turkey Trot. I ran it last year, and it was a lot of fun.


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