TAPERING THE TAPERS

With just a couple of weeks to go until marathon number one of my 12 in 12 months challenge, I am officially into what’s known as the taper. For the uninitiated, that’s the 2-3 weeks after your last long run before the big event, when us runner folks gradually cut back from our longer distances in an effort to recover from the months of, in my case, early morning training (while loved ones have still been snuggly warm in bed fast asleep). It's also one of my favourite times of the cycle when I get to concentrate on replenishing many of the calories I've incinerated , and store up extra energy for the impending 26.2 mile adventure.

Thing is, I realized this morning, that, as I’m going to attempt to do the distance a dozen times over the next year, THIS taper will perhaps be my last classic taper until December ’09. Reason being, doing a marathon every 3-6 weeks should mean that I’ll be in marathon condition all year. Each completed marathon should serve as the last long run for the next...followed by a few carefully planned maintenance runs to keep the legs from forgetting what they're for.

I’m guessing that, if I play my cards wisely, resting as well as I’m able between races, and not having to push so hard to get into shape, I may actually be able to pull this off running LESS overall than if I was only doing 3-4 marathons in 2009. It could also mean that I'll be needing to fuel up on a fairly consistant basic. (Read: I'll get to eat lots!)

Best case scenario, I'll get to consume plenty of pasta, will lose more weight, will get faster (if only slightly), and will get to travel even more than usual.

I'll admit I'm itchin' to get going.