Its finally time to taper again as the Flying Pig marathon is just 2 weeks away .. but I plan to be much smarter than I was when I tapered for The Ocean Drive marathon just a month back. I’m actually going to take it a little easier as I don’t think I cut back the miles enough … when I think about it, I only do a 2 week taper to begin with, but then by not cutting it back enough, I think my legs tend to be too tired still by race day.

I also plan to continue to eat better as I really feel much stronger and in better shape now then I was a few weeks back. Its funny how when you actually start to log what you’re eating everyday, how easy it is to figure out where I was going wrong before and how I ended up being heavier than I should be. I finally scrapped the whole theory that I could eat what I want because i’m a marathon runner, thats so not true. If I keep eating GOOD food, it fuels me up, makes me train better and helps me to recover. I realized that by looking at what I was eating all winter, I was taking in a very small amount of protein and almost 90% carbs .. and I wonder why i’m a little soft in the mid section. Hopefully i’ve now balanced my calories properly and i’ve added some light crosstraining, and its really made the difference. The indigestion and stomach issues I was having also gone away as well, which really came back to haunt me around mile 20 back at the Ocean Drive (and I don’t want that happening again)..

So the Flying Pig is my first race that i’m actually taking a plane to get to .. I planned to not take any actual luggage and just use a carry-on bag for my stuff, but thats not going to work .. I have too much stuff and too much “stuff I can’t take in a carry-on bag”. I figure its easier to just wait for my bag in Cincinnati (or is it Kentucky?) instead of dealing with the screeners at the airport.. I expect to get to Cincinnati pretty early on Saturday, so i’m kind of excited to check out the city since the expo doesn’t start until noon I think and I can’t get in a hotel until around 3pm, looks like i’ll have a lot of time to hang out.

As a quick summary of the past weekend, I got in my 22.1 miles yesterday at the best pace i’ve had all season, and I finished strong despite the cool breeze. I had not run a 22 miler at this pace since the summer of 2008 (before the marathon I ran a PR in)… then I knocked out a 12 mile hill run this morning once again in the cool breeze at yet another strong pace. Even though it wasn’t my killer hill workout I’ve done in previous weeks, by the time I was done, it was enough to make me say “its time to taper” .. my legs are really tired now.

I guess its time to start checking the 10 day forecast for Cincinnati on May 2nd even though i’m 13 days out .. i’m not even sure what the average morning temperature in Cincinnati or even the daytime temperature, but i’m sure its warmer then where I am (I think).. Its an early start marathon, so i’m not worried so much about the daytime temperature as much as the morning temperature .. but regardless, its time to start planning logistics (and what i’m going to wear)..

Good luck to those doing the Boston Marathon tomorrow, hope the weather holds out…