"If you don't got it, you won't get it"

I drove to the mountain on Tuesday to put in 30 kilometers on the skis but weather in the parking lot was 30 mile per hour wind, 1/4 mile visibility and drifting snow. I couldn't muster up the energy to get out of the car. After having so many great days of skiing I wasn't about to pull a 2:00 suffer fest. I drove back into town and climbed on the rollers for a 1:25 spin. Wednesday looked better but still high winds so I opted for a long 1.5 hour run and a 1 hour spin rather than test the nordic trails again.

Today was the turning point in the weather. Winds are calm on the mountain and not a cloud in sight. I did the usual Kettlebell workout at 6 A.M and then hit the nordic trails for 2 hours. With 40 degree temps on the mountain the conditions were perfect. I did 1.25 hours at race pace keeping my heart rate between 155 - 165 followed by .75 hour, light intensity cool down. My legs feel good and all the Gunther hops I've been doing in the gym are starting to pay off. Saturday will be my last high intensity workout and then I go into taper.

Taper is the worst. It always feels like I'm giving back all the effort I've but in to getting strong but it's a necessary part of the process. I'm tired all the time and my legs are constantly sore. The taper period should restore my energy and the soreness should fade as I focus more on light intensity workouts and lots of yoga. The trick will be to control my eating so I don't gain weight over the next week leading up to the race. Hopefully my hard work will pay off. As my old coach used to say just before each race, "If you don't got it, you won't get it."