Decisions.

This week was supposed to be the peak week in marathon training. I had a great 15-miler last Sunday and I was looking forward to another solid week of running, to be capped off by a 22-miler this coming weekend before being able to slip easily in to a 3 week taper…in fact, I wasn’t much bothered by the impending 22-miler, looking beyond it to the lower mileage, lighter load, more sleep of the taper.

But then I caught a stomach bug. Sunday night as I was vegging out on the sofa and contemplating turning in for the night, I started to feel a little “off.” By the time I put head to pillow less than an hour later, I was really starting to feel awful. Then, a little over an hour after falling asleep I was huddled in the bathroom thowing up. For the rest of the night, I repeated this hourly performance not stopping until the sun had come up the next time.

Just like that, just as quick as that, there went my peak training week down the toilet…swoooosh, plop! Bummer!

Yesterday, Thursday was the first time I ran since Sunday and it well. I could tell I was tired and not quite “on” but I completed the run and felt good about it. This morning I ran in to work, covering about 8 miles and tomorrow’s long run was on my mind for most of the time.

What to do? Take it easy tomorrow, don’t push it but cut my taper from 3 weeks to 2 weeks and run 22 miles next weekend. A 2 week taper didn’t work for me when I tried it during my training for marathon #2 so I’m very hesitant about this idea. However, I am a much stronger runner than I was back then so maybe, just maybe I could handle a 2 week taper.

Or, should I attempt the 22 miles and see if I can do it in order to preserve the 3 week taper that I was so looking forward to last week. I like this idea better but I’m just not sure it is wise.

Decisions. Decisions.

Daily Dozen:
8 miles run to work