When I trained for the 2016 Bermuda Half Marathon, I experienced serious taper madness. I had not run an endurance event in 7 years. I knew I was well trained and that I would and could go the distance but there was a lot of baggage from the past that I brought with me before I crossed the starting line that reared its head during taper time especially a few days before race day.
Last year I put so much pressure on myself about finishing in under 4 hours that I couldn't enjoy the victory lap of all the hard work I'd put into training for 2017. I had not allowed for enough taper time nor did I take advantage of my cross training and strength training days once we started building miles. I focused more on my miles and less on all that I needed to do mind, body and soul to prepare to go the distance. My taper madness went into cheering on Tom and our friends at the Front Street Mile and the 10K. I was not well rested heading to the started line. My head and heart were not in the right space and I ended up cramping at mile 10. I was still able to finish and learned a lot in those last 3 miles. I was blessed to meet an earth angel at mile 12 who helped me get to the finish line and that was the start of a beautiful friendship.
This year I am ready to taper.
We had a dress rehearsal for race day during last Saturday's 12 miler.
Training for Bermuda Half Marathon 2018 has gone way beyond training for an event.
When we went from Team McManus party of two to Team McManus party of 3 we added a whole new dimension to our training. Ruth Anne had just gotten out of St. Elizabeth's Hospital. It was her 6th hospitalization in a year. As Ruth Anne often says, "Mental illness is no joke." It's not! Severe depression and psychotic thinking brought on by severe trauma is hell. But we know that our past doesn't dictate our future and know the therapeutic power of running and running together and so we trusted that training for the Bermuda Half Marathon was going to work for all of us!
We weathered freezing cold days, rain, heat and humidity while Ruth Anne weathered the ups and downs that go with any recovery and healing journey.
All 3 of us knew that last week was the last double digit long run we would need.
I am going to relish having extra time on weekends especially as we head into the holiday season. Thank you Bermuda Race Weekend for the timing of your race.
I am looking forward to the flexibility of whether or not we train outdoors. We have been so blessed to get in every training run outdoors during these past 7+ months. Last year we took to the treadmill and bike to get in the miles on several occasions. Being able to get outdoors for every long run builds a sense of confidence, physical strength and mental toughness.
My body is ready for a rest. There was a restlessness on my rest days as we built miles anticipating the weekend's long run. I had to make sure we had everything we needed for long run days heading into the weekend. Thursdays and Fridays are my rest days and today I feel relaxed knowing that we are either going to do 6 miles outdoors depending on the weather or head to the gym and do a treadmill run perhaps topping off the tank with a 6 mile bike ride. I do love those indoor bikes at our gym. I am leisurely doing the laundry, doing the grocery list rather than heading to the grocery store which we can now do on Saturday afternoons again and letting my body let go and heal from the grueling training I've put myself through since May.
I've had hip and back issues that haven't interfered with my running but made for uncomfortable times. I'm looking forward to experiencing my weekly chiropractic care without "undoing" some of it on the weekend long runs. My body can relax and integrate the work getting me in top shape for January 14th.
This training cycle has been a beautiful spiritual journey of healing, of hope and recovery. These past 3 years have been a marathon of their own. Ruth Anne will be the first to tell you that there were times she wasn't sure she was going to make it through. We weren't either. There is no worse feeling for a parent than to feel helpless over their adult child's situation; to know that all we could do was turn to prayer and allow Ruth Anne to find her path - wherever it may lead.
It leads to the starting line of the Bermuda Half Marathon and to a new beginning for all of us as a family and as individuals having crossed the finish line of the past 3 years.
One month from Monday we board Delta Flight 561 for Bermuda. I am using my extra time and energy to imagine how incredible this trip is going to feel and to attend to travel and packing details while enjoying the anticipation of Christmas and my birthday.
As we count down the days to Bermuda and taper our training, there will be no madness in taper time - only joy, gratitude, anticipation and excitement for our runcation. There is a sense of overwhelming appreciation for what we've already accomplished during these past 7+ months of going the distance.
It's time to taper!
To going the distance with strength and courage
From my heart to yours,
Mary
Be sure to visit my website by following this link.
My books are available on Amazon.
Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life
Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:
And my latest and greatest book - Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):
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