8 DAYS.  Yes 8 DAYS.  It is just 8 DAYS until the half marathon. How did that happen?  The tapering continues, with one interruption planned on Saturday to do the 8-mile run!  EndorphinDaughter arrived home this morning from college-freshman-year-conclusion and is ready to run the 8-miler side-by-side with EndorphinGirl™.  It’s all moving on schedule.  It’s a bit daunting and exciting too.

The reserves are still on point to lend support too – Adreena Lin, Sera Tonin and Vita Min.  And the further reserves are being pulled out too.  Those reserves include the reaching in deep to remind EndorphinSelf of some of her other pretty cool escapes that might enhance inspiraton!  Like the mountain climb, in fact summit, of Mt. Rainier.  Here she used the mantra one-step-at-a-time to get to the top!  It was a mantra that was truly used, and that truly worked. 

And the Sandy Hook Danskin triathlon; the short run and mildly longer bike ride which were 2/3's part of the tri were fine and fun, but the swim in the chilly sea waters of New Jersey frankly were mildly+ unnerving.  Her mantra for the swim was one-fin-at-a-time.  While perhaps she was 'overswum' (ha, if that's even a word') by many swimmers, she 'paddled' through it and completed the 1/3 swim part and the other 2/3's part!  

She doesn't have her marathon mantra in place yet, though these ‘reserve’ experiences remind EndorphinSelf that she can dash, sprint, okay maybe it's just a scuttle or jog through the half marathon.  Right?  Yes?  Oh sure!

Switching gears - it’s now time to get her iPod running
playlist together.   In particular, she wants to be sure the music keeps her run-beat going.  As she thought of the playlist she would put together for the half marathon she was  reminded of her mountain climb playlist.  Well it really wasn’t a specially organized playlist; rather it was just the music already on her iPod.  She was only able to listen to her iPod up to the base camp but not to the summit; she gigglingly recalled one of the RMI guides asking her on a climb break what she was listening to.  As it turned out at that particular moment she had a Dixie Chicks’ version of Landslide playing.  He cracked up laughing; EndorphinGirl™ cracked up laughing; and then she proceeded to omit that song from further listening pleasure until not only the summit but also the descent was done!

There was no playlist for the triathlon because of the 1/3 water ‘component’ of the tri!  Perhaps someone will come up with a waterproof iPod and maybe just maybe she’d consider
doing a Danskin tri again!  But certainly she would be sure not to have a sink-or-swim related song!

As for the half marathon, her playlist will include upbeat music.  Nothing mellow, nothing slow, only songs to keep the ‘adrenalin’ flowing. 

EndorphinGirl™’s next blog will be at ‘less-than-a-week’- before-the-half-marathon point.  How exciting.  Until then today’s drawing is courtesy of the just-arrived-home-from-college EndorphinDaughter.  Check out her 'tapering' pose in this image.



Until next time, comments are welcome in guestbook
and keep on endorphin’.

EndorphinGirl™

[countdown:  8 days]