"So done with the training"

I ran into my friend Betty at the pool this morning. I don't often get a chance to chat with her because like any good athletes training for their races, we're too busy actually swimming. She happened to be enjoying a bit of a rest interval as I was getting in and putting on my cap and goggles, and I asked her how she was doing. She just shook her head and said, "I am so done with the training." Yep, that pretty much sums it up for me, too. She is currently training for her second ironman, second time in Lake Placid. Of course she is finding that training for the second one isn't nearly as exciting as training for the first. So the feeling of being sick of the training at this point is only magnified.

I haven't felt this way during a taper in a while, and I'm just now realizing why. First of all, this is the first time since 2005 that I'll be doing an Ironman after not having done another one in a year. Last year I had been injured and out of shape and I knew that the race wasn't going to go well, so there wasn't the same level of anxiousness, just kind of a feeling of, ok, let's get this over with and see how bad it really is. Before that it was Kona in '07 when I was just plain burnt out, but I was at least fortunate enough to spend nearly two weeks in Hawaii before the race thanks to a college friend who happens to live there, so certainly being on the big island made it easier and more motivating, even if I knew deep down it wasn't going to be a good race. Lake Placid that year was a throw-away race since I had already qualified... I guess I didn't realize that my bike would be throwing me away at mile 56. At Ironman Arizona that year I think I was just anxious to go home after having spent 4 months living and training in Phoenix, so my mind was elsewhere then as well.

So I guess maybe the last time I experienced this kind of feeling when tapering was for Kona in 2006 maybe? If not then, certainly Lake Placid that year. So anyway, the point is, I had forgotten how much I hate this part. All I want to do is go to sleep and wake up on race morning. Well, maybe at least wake up in time for my carbo loading to begin in one short week, because my mind is constantly preoccupied with food. No amount of fruit or giant salads is going to fix that for me. Tonight, for instance, I watched my father consume an entire pizza while I ate my 400th giant salad with turkey and topped with salsa. I did at least thank him for ordering pepperoni, since I don't like that anyway, but still, which would you rather have?

I'm hungry, I'm tired, and the pseudo-resting of the taper has not filtered into my legs yet so I still feel like crap during most of my training. Actually, my swim this morning wasn't so bad, but anything that involves the use of my quads is just painful.

And tomorrow is the last long-ish ride... I think. To be honest, I can't see beyond Sunday, so there could still be a sneaky 3-hour ride or something hidden in there somewhere, but I highly doubt that would be the case. I'm already dreading it enough without the knowledge that due to an unfortunate case of bad timing, it will likely be pouring rain the whole time. That is certainly not going to help the time go by fast. Of course I just checked the weather forecast for Lake Placid next Sunday - and who knows if this is right - but yep, rain. Sure beats heat though. I think I'd be in real trouble if it was suddenly 90 degrees out that day. It was like 86 today, the warmest day of the summer so far by a wide margin. Crazy, considering usually we're good for several stretches of much warmer weather. Summer is pretty much going to be nonexistent this year.

Did I mention I hate the taper? Because I do. You will probably get a few more entries almost idential to this one in their rambling, nonsensical nature. I just need a break. And a sandwich. And a week or two away from my bike saddle. I promise I'll be more excited next week when I actually get to Lake Placid, and get to eat pancakes! But for now, I'm just going to be annoyed with every training session and wish the race were over so the eating fest can begin! Really, I'm excited for the race itself, but I try not to think about it too much for fear that it will just make me nervous, because for the first time in a long time, it actually means a LOT to me how things turn out. It's far easier to whine about the training and the rain and the food. But for now, I will savor the chocolate Powergel I plan to eat during my bike ride tomorrow. Yeah, right, like that's going to make me feel any better!