Garfield Time

I've always argued that an over-trained or over-tired race performance can be similarly poor to an under-trained or unfit race performance. Sometimes the only way to draw out the distinction is to taper properly so that you are as fresh as possible on race day and your chances of running well if you are suitably trained are increased as much as possible. Whether you are over-trained or under-trained you are not going to improve your race fitness the week before a race, but a good taper can help eliminate the effects of over-training whereas if you are under-trained or unfit the taper won't improve performance but it won't do you any harm either. As they say, a good taper may not guarantee a good race, but a bad taper may very well guarantee a bad race. With all that in mind, combined with feeling dead sluggish on my last medium distance pre-marathon run today, I'm committed to and looking forward to having a very easy taper week this week prior to next Sunday's Canberra marathon.

Of course my main goal for next week's Canberra marathon is not really about race performance. It is simply to get to both the start line and the finish line so that I can clock up my 10th Canberra marathon and become a Griffin. So, here I go .... off to be fat and lazy for a whole week.... It's Garfield time.