Week 41 Wrapup

Now that I'm deep into the taper, I find I'm hungrier than I have been in a while. I have no idea if these two things are related, but I do know this: WIth my caloric intake way up and my caloric expenditure way down, I have effectively halted my weight loss trend. I'll take at least a week or two off after the marathon, too, so I might put on a pound or two by the time I start running again.

I've also noticed something else about my diet as I look back over the individual days. Shane previously chastised me for the amount of "crap" in my diet, and he should be understandably concerned about the increase in the crap percentage in my diet over the last couple of weeks. I'm sure it's just because I'm hungrier and snacking on everything I can find, but it's probably not a good way to enter into the last week before a big long race.

I've also started hurting a lot more over the last week or so. I've got the shin splints again, this time mainly in my right shin. I've been icing it every day, and it kind of goes away after I've been running for a few miles, so I think it will be okay for the race. Still, it would suck to come so far only to drop out for injury at the last minute.

The idea of the taper seems to be to push yourself almost to the edge, then back off to let your body come back rested and stronger for the race. I think that since I was starting from such bad shape to begin with, I probably pushed myself way over the edge, and the taper's nothing more than some temporary breathing room until I do it again Saturday.