Taper Week One: Amsterdam Becomes a Stepping Stone

Made it to taper week one.

Twelve days to the Amsterdam Marathon, and there is much to discuss and, inevitably, much to think about.

The previous weekend was, as you might expect, a heavy one. Sixty-one miles in the legs have left me a little fatigued, but unbowed and positive. It included a return to the Norfolk coast at Hunstanton, running part of the Stage 1 Round Norfolk Relay route — a bit of familiar real estate that somehow provided some inspiration to tired legs.

I understand the power of the mind in an event like this, and despite Monday being a rest day — my least favourite day of the week — I remain focused. I've also been inspired by watching the resilience of others in events this week.

But taper week is a strange time. The start of the mind games. The beginning of the maranoia.

I've earned the right to my maranoia, it's part of the journey. But I've also made a decision: I'm going to defer it until next week, the second taper week. There is little point worrying about something that hasn't happened yet.

I will, of course, still be running. The plan is around 36 miles this week, including a marathon-pace 10K at the Reims Festival — part of a club trip with Dereham Runners. My club colleagues are running everything from the half marathon to ultra distances, so I'll be doing considerably less than some of them.

This is the second Dereham Runners trip we've been on, and I love running tourism. There is something about combining running, travel, photography and good company that works particularly well for me. And there is more of that to come.

There are moments when I wish Amsterdam was already completed, but I quickly snap out of it.

One of the pieces of advice I regularly give to others is: enjoy the moment. You may not pass that way again.

It is important to look beyond the challenge you're facing, but equally important not to wish the current one away.

Once a marathon is completed, the recovery can be almost as frustrating as the taper. But if your mindset is simply, OK, what's next?, you never really get off the bus. You're just waiting for the speed restrictions to be lifted.

On that basis, I like to make sure the next challenges are already in place before I complete the one I'm facing.

Returning to running tourism, we're heading to Valencia in January for the 10K, the Metric Marathon in the Peak District in February, and then the Rome Marathon.

And when I say we, I of course mean H and me.

We also have places in the Stockholm Half Marathon and have entered the ballot for the Copenhagen Half Marathon and the Berlin Marathon. Who knows what the results of those ballots will be, but we'll see.

We are particularly keen to travel to Scandinavia. We've now travelled through 20 European countries in the motorhome, but not one of them has been Scandinavian. It feels like destiny.

And perhaps that is why this Amsterdam Marathon is beginning to feel different.

It is moving from being the be-all and end-all of my running story to becoming another stepping stone on the journey.

Psychologically, that is much easier to deal with. I saw this gif image on social media which just about sums it up.

Fuel for the journey

I've also been practising race nutrition, refining the plan and, importantly, training the stomach to accept the goo that is performance gels in increasing amounts.

Unless I can find a way of carrying three kilos of Haribo's, it has to be gels.

So how to fuel the marathon is essential, particularly as current thinking suggests that we need considerably more carbohydrate per hour than we once thought.

To cut a long story short, after plenty of trials and tests, Maurten gels appear to be the fit for me. They are, of course, expensive, and it is only towards the latter stages of marathon training, when I need to train the gut properly, that I abandon my much-preferred Haribo and take up the gels.

I also like the fact — although it isn't a defining issue — that Maurten has an online calculator where you can enter your weight, distance and expected time and it produces a fuelling plan. That plan also considers sports drinks, electrolytes and the rest.

It's another piece of the marathon puzzle.

Confidence, but no guarantees

There was some particularly good news this week, too.

My annual blood tests came back with good results.

Thirteen years after heart surgery, that was music to my ears.

It's a bit like an MOT. It provides no guarantees, but it is certainly confidence-building.

And there is still a tension surrounding the marathon , given that the first indications that I had a cardiac issue were felt in the last stages of a marathon.

You never run 26.2 miles at race pace in training. The recovery required afterwards, and the subsequent missed sessions, would defeat the object of marathon preparation.

So you have to trust the training and I do.

That is probably one of the hardest parts of the final few weeks.

This week is therefore a reduced-mileage week, with some running in Reims from Thursday through Sunday. I think it will be an excellent and stimulating few days.

H is running the Half Marathon on Sunday, which she is very excited about, followed by me the 10K.

Poppy is travelling with us too.

I'm not looking forward to restraining her as the runners set off. She won't understand why she isn't allowed to lead the pack.

There will, of course, be lots of photographs.

We are really looking forward to the week — spending time with running friends, exploring a new city, running different races and, inevitably, taking far too many photographs.

For us, running tourism really is as good as it gets.

And Amsterdam?

Well, it's still twelve days away.

But it no longer feels like the end of the road.

It's simply the next stop.

See you next week.