The Hay Is In The Barn

I once had a running coach who would say to us, as race day drew near, the hay is in the barn.  He meant that training was complete, the hard work done, and this was the time to taper the training and rest for race day.  I like this saying – it appeals to my rural roots.  It means You Are Ready.  My taper begins tomorrow, but truthfully I do not feel like I have a barn full of hay.  I do not feel ready.  I need at least 3 more weeks of tossing bales before my barn is even close to full.  And now?  I’m dwelling on all those bales I didn’t store.  I started my training cycle three weeks late due to a post-holiday slump.  I haven’t done any speed or interval work since November.  I missed two endurance runs due to a (thankfully now-resolved) knee injury.  My lower back problem is ongoing (crossing fingers and toes).  I haven’t even been following a structured training plan.  In January I made a lovely spreadsheet detailing my 12 week (because I stated late) training schedule and I haven’t opened that file since.  This is how I decided my endurance run distance each weekend – I asked myself how far I thought I needed to run and I ran that distance.  I’ve just been going though the motions for 12 weeks.  Translation – my hay is still in the field and rain is in the forecast.
 

So I don’t scare myself into a DNS I need to remind myself that I have (last two weeks excluded) been diligent about my thrice weekly training runs, my once weekly swim, my once weekly spin, my once weekly yoga class, and my once weekly upper body workout.  Even so, my training feels unfinished.  I repeat to myself at frequent intervals  – I have trained. I have trained. I have trained.  It’s a little positive self talk to win the battle against The Nagging Doubts.  Farmers may feel a weight has been lifted when the hay is in the barn, but the taper just reminds me that I’ve run out of time.  No, this is not a restful time for me.  Tapering does not come naturally to me.  Taper time is when I panic and then must talk myself out of cramming in every missed workout like I’m in school pulling an all-nighter for a final.  Fortunately rational thinking always prevails and although I’m tempted into terrible taper traps I ultimately do not make those mistakes.  I do taper smart – my taper suits my race distance and training load, I only taper for my key races, and during my taper the total volume of training decreases but the frequency is about the same and I still include a bit of high-intensity work.  I taper smart, but it sure isn’t easy.  Or restful.