End of the Taper

The final week of the taper before a race is always a weird time. You feel off. Runs are short. You wonder and wander over every niggle. You wonder and wander over race plans, race gear, the weather. Or maybe that's just me! But regardless, gah! Let's just get on with it already 😂😐😉

Monday, I headed out for a walk during Sam's swim practice. Too nice to sit inside. Beautifully bright and sunny, but cool, especially in the shade. (1.88 miles walked)

Wasn't really feeling getting up and out into the early morning darkness on Tuesday, nor was I really feeling the mid-afternoon run, but I did it anyway. Ran down to the river and back. Trails are drying out but the river is still roaring. (5.0 miles)

Wednesday dawned in the mid-30s and there was a thin layer of frost on the ground when I headed out as the sky was lightening a little after 6:45 am. Didn't need the headlamp for long. Short on time and it's taper time anyway, so just looped around the old "suck loop" up Canam, through Highland Green and back on the powerlines. Quite lovely on the final hill crest on the powerlines. Less than 30 minutes run, I was hardly even warmed up!! 😂😉 (3.0 miles)

Yesterday, Mom and Dad took Sam to swim and Ryan and I wandered around the house starting to pull together all our gear and clothing, and I worked on checking things off my checklist. Somehow I have a lot of stuff to bring! How much of it will get used remains the question though 😁😂😉 And Gigi apparently wants to come too! 😹

This morning, after dropping Sam off at school, I headed across the street for one final shakeout before the race. Bright and sunny, frosty and chilly. Pretty with the frost covered grasses and the ice-skimmed puddles. Felt decent, but as always before a race, I'm anxious. I hope I've done enough, that the legs will work and the niggles won't flare up, and in this scenario hat the head and waistlights last all 14 hours of darkness and that I don't freeze! Looking like tomorrow is going to be similar to last night/today. Brrr, it's going to be a long cold night out there tomorrow, I think! (3.3 miles)

The rest of the day was spent crossing things off the list and getting organized. Then when Sam got home, we headed to Hannaford for Sam to get Covid shot #2! Hurray! A 100% vaccinated household. I am one happy mama!

Balloons didn't fall from the sky in celebration, and she looks less than thrilled, but I am ecstatic!

Then we headed over to Mom and Dad's for dinner and to celebrate Dad's birthday! Happy Birthday, Dad! We love you and so happy to be able to celebrate together! Instead of cake, he wanted pumpkin pie. Yum 😋

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Sam stayed the night since we were planning to leave at 5:00 am to head to the race, so after dinner, Ryan and I headed home to finish up a bit of packing and then it was early to bed, since it was mostly definitely going to be early to rise! Now nothing to do but run!

Halloween Fun

Tuesday morning, I got out for a test of my Ultraspire waistlamp and headlamp. I had worn both a few times over the winter but haven't needed them much lately. Figured I had better ensure things were working well and felt good before Hamsterwheel though!😁😜 A dark, foggy, misty morning. The waistlamp/headlamp combo lit things up pretty well. One deer seen. (6.0 miles)

Wednesday, I just did not feel it and using the taper as an excuse, just said forget it! Did want to move a bit though, so put in my earbuds and listened to a podcast while I walked around the indoor track during Sam's 6:00 pm swim practice. Not my most preferred place to walk, but a nice option on a dark, windy night. (2.1 miles walked)

Friday morning, I headed over to the Commons after dropping Sam at school, doing the recycling and stopping at the farmer's market. A nice, bright, cool morning with lots of leaves underfoot. Ran into Nate in the final mile and stopped to chat with him for a bit, which was an unexpected surprise. (8.0 miles)

Saturday morning, I met up with Emma for a run at Pineland. It was so dark on my way there that I was fretting that I hadn't brought a headlamp! 😱 Thankfully, although it remained overcast with heavy cloud cover and the rain started shortly after we started our run, the skies brightened just enough to allow us to see in the woods without a light! Always fun to catch up with Emma. We ran Oak Hill x2, chatting away as we ran along. I'm so glad Emma will be joining me at Hamsterwheel next weekend! I know she is going to be a great not-so-secret weapon to keeping me moving!!! (8.8 miles)

With time rapidly ticking away towards Halloween, Sam and Ryan finally got to the pumpkin carving late in the afternoon. Sam did a great job doing a lot of the carving herself and the design is cute 🎃 Gigi was very intrigued with the whole process 😹

Then we headed over to Mom and Dad's for dinner, and Sam helped decorate some yummy pumpkin cupcakes that Mom had made. Yum! 

A lot of wind and rain overnight, with the rain pouring down like crazy in the middle of the night, and awoke to a lake out back, winds whipping and rain still falling. No need to rush out into the mess so had a rather leisurely Sunday morning and then finally headed out for my run around 9:00 am once skies cleared. Read later that we got over 4" of rain, and it sure seemed it out there! So.much.water! I went out into the Cathance to get out of the wind and check out the river and it didn't disappoint. River was roaring, trails were flooded and there were puddles galore. No chance of moving too fast on this run with all the water. Windy and warm. One fox seen galloping across the trail near the Heath. (7.2 miles)

After lunch, Sam and I went over to Mom and Dad's to help them finish up the Halloween goodie bags they were putting together for the evening and to get out for a walk. It had turned into a lovely afternoon, warm and bright. We walked down to the swinging bridge to check out the Androscoggin, which had risen quite a bit and was flowing along quite well! Then it was home to get ready for trick or treating! (1.5 miles walked)

After convening at our house so the girls could get dressed together, we headed back over to Mom and Dad's and found we had the whole neighborhood to ourselves! The littlest grandkids had all trick or treated already and apparently, the rest of the crowd didn't start up the hill until we were done, so in the meantime, we enjoyed the quiet streets and the girls picked up quite the stash of candy!! And as always, so fun to see the girls together 💗 We love this Halloween tradition!

Spring, Darkness and the Good Witch say "Happy Halloween!" 🎃

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I just love the expression on Sam's face 😂😂

Then it was back to our house for pizza, and of course, candy sorting, which is always the fun part! So.much.candy! 🍡🍫🍬🍭

 

Starting the Taper

It's been a long time since I've tapered for a race. As in Western States 2019. 😂😁😉 And while I'm not quite sure what 24 hours at Hamsterwheel on November 6th is going to bring, I'm setting my hopes on 100 miles. So with that, I definitely need to taper, whether I've put in enough training or not. It is time!

Monday, Ryan joined me in Bath for a walk during swim practice, which was a nice treat! We veered off my typical route, enjoying the William Zorach Spirit of the Dance sculpture in the middle of the pretty garden outside the library and walking down to the water before heading back uphill to the Y. Bath is an interesting city. Fun to explore a bit more than usual. (2.4 miles walked)

In typical fashion, I did not get up and out the door into the darkness on Tuesday morning, so instead I got in a late afternoon run down to the river and back before getting dinner ready and sending Sam and Ryan off to swim practice while I did a few things around the house. Overcast and breezy, with the more muted and subtle tones of autumn that appear after the showy maples leaves have dropped. (6.0 miles)

Wednesday I didn't mage to get out of bed, nor did I get up Thursday morning in the darkness. Oops. Does the excuse of being woken up by one of the cats puking at 2:30 am right next to the bed work? Gah. Was working from home, so started work a bit early, dropped Sam off at school and then headed out around 8:00 am. Ran the Highland Green loop and was back at the computer by 9:00 am. Cool and overcast. (6.0 miles)

Rain the early morning hours on Friday and incredibly heavy, humid, muggy and soggy when I headed out at 8:00 am. Ran the powerlines and out around the dump pond. Hip flexors are feeling a bit cranky. (10.0 miles)

Ryan headed over to Chalk Pond on Friday after lunch for a boy's weekend, with helping Neal take the dock out as the excuse but we all know it was mostly just to hang out, 😉😊 and I took Sam to swim and headed out for a short walk around the Bath block during the first half of practice. (1.8 miles walked)

Then, Sam and I went over to mom and dad's for dinner. We were excited to try the new noodle place in town, but were a bit disappointed. Ah well. 

I told Sam I'd wait until she woke up to head out for my run on Saturday but she was still asleep at 8:45 so I left her a note and headed out. Overcast and a bit cool. First run of the season in tights! Ran down to the river and back. Things are browning up out in the woods, but there are still some nice hints of the color, and always love the blueberry bush leaves turning red! Sam finally woke up around 9:25! (6.0 miles)

We did a few errands, picked up lunch from Wild Oats for a treat, and then went for a walk around the block before I dropped Sam off at Anne's for a sleepover and Halloween costume making. Breezy! (1.7 miles walked)

Mom and Dad had invited me over for dinner, so I headed that way around 5:00, only to unfortunately receive a phone call that Anne had a sudden onset migraine and the sleepover was not in the cards 😢 Poor kiddo! 

Sunday morning dawned cold and clear. 39 degrees - brrrr! It was pretty cold in the house so I turned on the heat too. No reason not to be comfortable! I dillydallyed a bit but finally headed out around 7:30 for my run. With the colder temps and a breeze blowing, it was tights and gloves today! Ran the roads around town. Did a lot of stretching, rolling and found some new activation exercises, and the hip flexor felt much better. Decided not to push it and add on more miles. I would ideally have liked to have gotten in a shorter-long run this weekend, but oh well. 5 more miles Friday or today won't make much difference in the long term, even if it might feel better to get in 15 vs. 10. Bright blue sky and the moon above. Pretty out there. (10.0 miles)

Ryan got home just as I was headed to drop Sam back off at Anne's. She was feeling better and the girls really wanted to finish up their Halloween costumes! Once I got back, we headed across the street on the powerlines for a walk. Cool and breezy, but nice to have the chance to catch up on the weekend happenings! (2.0 miles walked)

And just for fun, a few cute cat photos 😻

Pretending not to like each other, but holding hands anyway 💗

Awww