Training in Montana

A regimented, 18 week plan is a grind. You've put in the miles and runs despite reunions, camps, etc. This is pretty normal. I always seem to suffer from psychosomatic aches and pains leading up to a race.

At this point, you aren't going to do much to prepare you more for the marathon. If you cut things back, you should be fine, although I don't know exactly what your plan calls for. Don't run on Friday, the day before the marathon, and maybe only run 2-3 on Thursday. Backing up from there, I'd run every other day for 5-7 miles, unless you are concerned about the aches and pains. If you are, then don't run. Swim or do the elliptical to keep the cardio up, but stay away from the impact of running. I'm guessing you've done almost all your running on the road. You may just be a bit beat up for logging the most miles of your life on a crappy surface.

russ - this is normal. last week i had every ache and pain imaginable in my legs, and i was feeling very discouraged. probably the worst day for me was friday -- my legs were achy and my knee had a sharp pain in it with every step. i was only running two miles and it felt like it took forever. talk about a demotivating experience the day before the race! luckily, i expected this from the taper, so i had to do my best to brush it off and not be too concerned about it. race day came, i felt fine. the body just does weird things during the taper because it gets thrown off. you put in all of these miles day after day, and then all of a sudden you back off a ton and your muscles and joints finally have a chance to start "settling". also, your brain and your body begin to anticipate what is ahead -- i like to think of the aches and pains as a good sign -- your body is "flushing out" all the bad stuff so that the only thing that remains on race day is a healthy, strong body that is ready to take on the challenge.

just try to stay relaxed and don't let the taper get to you too much. you are going to do great.

Thanks Kam and Allie - your encouraging words from seasoned runners means a lot - thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Hearing from you that it's normal to be a headcase/hypochondriac at the end is very helpful. Even though I had read about Taper Madness, I hadn't experienced it myself. After absorbing your thoughts I feel so much better - I didn't realize how much it was weighing on my mind. Here's to taking it easy over the next 10 days and having a positive result at SGM!