Monday, January 2, 2012

Battlements

We're having some work done at the house and this week I've had a chance to watch a damn good mason do his work. A wall built that provides strength and is almost perfect. It reminded me of stone walls I've seen on three continents...castles, fortresses, battlements.
Monday, January 2nd and in two days, ML and I will head off to see The Mouse...our annual pilgrimage to all things Disney. Especially the Disney races. Half Marathon on Saturday and the Marathon on Sunday. ML does the half and I roll up for both.
So as some of you know the few weeks before a race are usually taper time. Decrease your workouts but not your intensity so that on race day you're rested and ready with lots of snap in your legs.
I'm chomping at the bit. Leading up to Disney I've been putting in sixty mile weeks of running with some time on the bike and pushing metal around. Now, just sort of sitting here waiting to run can make you a bit stir crazy. I'm obsessing over shoes and what running togs to take and what snacks to carry and all the stones in the wall of distance running. Not the fabled wall that people say they hit in a race (I only have once or twice, but the truth is if you "hit the wall" you're doing something wrong) but a wall of strength that you run along the top of. A strong battlement to keep the dark side of endurance sports away. A wall that lifts you up.

Just the niggling aches and pains to deal with, last minute what nots and then leaving. This week and the race weekend will actually be the first week of a new training cycle, running along the top of the wall.

More later from the House of the Mouse.