Operation: Try not to become a fat ass

So the title of this post was coined by a good friend Steve Gonser a while ago and it was in reference to taper time.  In the years past I've always inevitably gained some pounds over the weeks of taper.  Maybe this is just me relaxing and my body knowing that it would soon be finished, or maybe it was me over-indulging in several things (ie - food, beer, etc) but I've always come to the starting line a few pounds over my fighting weight. (not necessarily a bad thing, but you work so hard to thin out over the year that it seems counter productive to gain it back in a 3 week taper. 

But this year, I'm cutting the length of my taper down a little bit, I'm existing on about a 10-12 day taper and I'm finally feeling pretty good about it. I know that the work has been done and I'm just ready to get to race day and execute the plan that I've worked so hard to perfect over the last year or so.  (Really started training in about November of 2010 for IMLP)  So race day is always a fun one in my books. 

The other cool thing is that I haven't really gained a bunch of weight back.  I've been watching what I've been eating and keeping tabs on the scale and even with this crazy weather that we've been having lately (hot and humid) the scale's been really nice to me and I haven't seen that increase.  I'm thinking that maybe this has something to do with portion control, but also with the shorter taper. Maybe my furnace is still running hot.  Regardless, I'm not complaining. 

I'm still waiting to feel that pop in my legs, but I know with the schedule really low for next week and a solid weekend of sleep ahead of me, I'll feel that they'll come around in no time.  A weird thing for me is that I haven't gotten those Ironman freakout dreams quite yet.  I mean I had a good one last night that was IM related and I just haven't had those nightmares (you know the ones where you forgot to put your tri suit on under your wetsuit, or forgot your bike shoes...) yet this year.  I'm thinking it has a little to do with the confidence that I am bringing into this years race.  This is going to be a good year and I'm anxious to get it under me. No taper city blues for me yet, just anxiously waiting for next Sunday to come.

So that's pretty much it, I know that I'm going to rip the race of my life if I just stick with what I've been doing over the last few months and just execute come race day.  It's going to be a good day and I already have friends apparently betting on my finishing time.  (Seriously they have a pool with a $5 buy in set up...ridiculous) I've got some lofty goals, but as my good buddy Tim (who has been incredibly ABSENT from blog comments lately.....ahem.....) replied in an email yesterday, "I think Earley is going to uncork one this year....Solid bike followed by a smokin' fast marathon"

But until then, the name of the game is #1 SLEEP, #2 rest, #3 get everything situated and organized, and #4 EXECUTE on race day.  My big nemesis has been sleep lately because of the Tour de France being on later at night, but I'm going to start recording them so I can just watch whenever.  So here's the decree and competition; See who can sleep the most from now until race day.  Since there's only 9 more wakeups until race day and average people get 8 hours a night, that works out to 72 hours of sleep from now until race day.  I'm going to try and make a goal of ~80 hours of sleep over the next 9 nights and I'll check back and see how I do.  Until then friends, limit the food intake, wait for taper to take effect, rest and get some good sleep, cheers!