Waiting on "GO!"

Perfect taper week, for once!

I am usually a bit stressed the week before a run. I have figured out that the aches/pains everyone normally shakes off during training are given increased attention during taper time. Stuff that seems like no big deal any other day of the year (work, allergies, whatever) is magnified, at least for me, just before the run. Mostly because I'm not running as much, so I have time to think "The mail is late today...I wonder if that will effect my 50 mile time on Saturday?"

But just this once, it has been awesome! Life has slowed down to a crawl, and even though I'm on the weather channel website every five minutes to get the forecast (rain, rain, rain), I have been unsuccessful in stressing myself out. Confidence may be a bit of it. When I was asked to pace for Western States, my runner had no evidence that I could actually run for forty miles. For WESTERN STATES? ME? That's like putting everything you own on a donkey to win the Kentucky Derby!

But now I know I can. I know, I know... I will respect the distance. And I will demand respect from the distance as well. Just say "GO!"