Thoughts, Rambling and Otherwise

    I am starting my Taper. The ever elusive, optimal taper. Rest and recuperate, but don't slack so much you lose conditioning. I am aiming for an "active taper," continuing to workout with intensity, but shortening the duration of workouts. Last night I did 30 minutes of high intensity cycling, high cadence and high tension. Tonight, since weather made me skip my swim, I opted for 90 minutes hard cycling followed by 30 minutes of core work. My legs feel almost fully recovered from sunday's half, and I had great energy tonight. I admit, I am feeling a bit anxious as the days count down, but I just keep reminding myself, I can do the swim, I can do the bike, I can do the run. I have three weeks remaining to put the final polish on the machine I have built. Part of the polish is a tweak to my diet. I have been eating a fairly high carb, nearly vegan diet for several months, and feel great. But as the duration of my workouts shorten I will need fewer carbs, and in reality, fewer calories. I am still sticking with the delicious, high protein, whole grains that have treated my body so well, but I am replacing some of the carbs with more protein. I have reintroduced eggs into my diet the last week or so as a protein and omega 3 boost. I'm also adding extra brown rice protein and hemp protein to my smoothies. Yes, they taste a bit overly "healthful" at this point, but my muscles need the protein if I want to be fully recovered and at my peak on The Day.
    I am not quite sure what I will do with myself after the race. I have devoted so much time to training that I will be at a bit of a loss when my focus has been removed. True, I have the Portland Marathon the first weekend of October, and various trail races here and there. In February is the Hagg Lake 25K Mud Run, I am thinking I will need to get it on the calender so I will have a training focus. It is funny to think that in less than 4 weeks I will be done with this goal, for better or worse. I am so used to always being in a state of fatigue, sore muscles, whiny joints, hair constantly wet from swimming, or sweating, or getting out of the shower and crawling into bed with a wet head. Half the time my ears are crackling from water in them, I am surprised I have not contracted Swimmer's Ear. It has been an interesting year. I am already thinking of new goals to keep me on track and moving forward. Though I think my training will take a different bent as I head into winter. I plan on incorporating a lot more XFit Endurance workouts to increase my strength, agility, and power. I will also add moves specific to feet, ankle, and knee strength. I need to stop thinking too far ahead, and focus on the next few weeks. It's almost race day.
    That's about all I got tonight. I keep promising myself I will get to bed earlier than normal, as sleep is the optimal time for muscle recovery.