Time for some tapering now.

I had never really heard of tapering until now. And I must say that it is quite nice to be able to run less than we have been for the past 2 months and not feel bad about. Tapering takes place during the last 2 weeks of training after the last long run before the race. I must say that I would have never thought that running 4 miles would be this easy. We've come a long way....

So our longest run so far was 20 miles which we ran about a week and half ago! Deciding to sign up for an organized training run might have been the best decision we have made yet through the course of our training (thank you, Calvin). CARA organized the Ready to Run 20 Miler with pace groups, water stops, porta-potties, support and food at the finish! I would definitely recommend this for anyone training for their first marathon because running 20 miles on your own and making sure you have enough fluids can be quite the challenge. Not to mention finding a pit stop while on the run (probably more than once)! The course ran one-way south, down the lake shore path from about our house to 72nd or 72rd street. I had never even been that far south in Chicago since I moving here!

Calvin and I started in different pace groups. To keep the course accessible and free of crowds everyone started in a pace group of about 15 people and a minute or so apart. We met up at the first water stop and ran the rest together, pace group free. Running was going well up until about mile 17 or 18, at this point I was ready to see the finish, get some food and relax. As Calvin is talking me through the last few miles, all I can think about is "Where the hell is this South Shore Culture Center where we supposedly finish????".  We see a building about a mile away that looks like it could be a culture center and we assume that must be it then. Calvin keeps telling me "C'mon babe, that's it right there. You can do it!"  Ok, I can run that far, that's nothing.
But nope, that is not the building we were looking for (still not sure what it was). So at this point, I turn my frustrations to Calvin and blame him for telling me that that was supposed to be the finish. This is kind of what I do when I get frustrated during running. I know, it's not fair, but it helps me to vent. So I vent at Calvin. I think he's ok with it at this point.

So we keep running (barely). We see another building in the distance that looks like another culture center. This has got to be it then. Ok, that's not so bad. I can even see runners up ahead going around a bend to get there. Again, I am mentally preparing myself for that building to be the end of our longest run ever. More disappointment strikes.... this building turns out to be a children's hospital! Aaaahhhh!!! How much further????

Calvin and I have stopped talking to each other at this point and are doing our best to fight through. We finally make it up onto a main road called South Shore drive and I realize that this must be the last half mile.  Finally knowing that I am almost there, I get a burst of energy and pick up the pace as we both  proudly make it through the finish line. Yes, we made it! And if it wasn't for Calvin, I would not have made through all the training that got us to 20 miles.

3:40 hours and 20 miles later, feeling accomplished and happy we enjoy a cold beer, chips, energy bars, bananas, muscle milk and pickles. All guilt free. I know, you're probably thinking "that sounds disgusting!" But after a tough, long run, anyone is allowed to (and trust me, you will enjoy it) eat anything that is being offered to you at the finish line.

After untying our laces and stuffing our faces, we boarded a yellow school bus full of sweaty, tired runners and rode the entire course we just ran back home. It was a happy moment. We ran to "the wall", and as Calvin put it, next time we get to the wall, we'll karate chop through it and finish at 26.2!

"The battles that count aren't the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself - the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us - that's where it's at."  ~ Jesse Owens, American track & field athlete and Olympic gold medal winner