I Feel Fat . . .

So, if anyone needs a primer on how a taper shouldn't go, take my training schedule as a example. After spending the first two weeks putting in steady 12-14 hour days at the office, I thought I'd be coasting in to the finish. The irony is that, after months of asking out-of-town folks to visit with no bites, two do and Erin and I are doing our hostly duties during the last week of the taper. That alone would be fine (and really, I'm glad to see these folks), but the visits, three must-attend birthday parties (all, obviously, at bars and starting late because I'm in my 20s) and various other dramatics that I really just can't get into have combined to create a not-very-restful taper-time. I'm really not sure how, but although I've been running significantly less in the last few weeks, I'm not getting any more sleep and I certainly don't feel well rested. I have the feeling that when I hit that BQ time in DC, it will be because I've overcome the taper, not been aided by it. Oh, and, as the title suggests, after two weeks of light duty, I feel kind of sluggish and puffy. Please, can I just go race???

On the other hand, my times certainly appear to reflect rest. Take today for instance, after a consciously slow 2.5 miles in 20:10 for the first half of the Billyburg Out-n-back, I scorched the return trip in 18:20 with no real effort increase (in fact, since I opened my stride it felt a little easier). So, hopefully the body's been resting and I just need to find time over the next four days to pull it together mentally.

Last night went to eat at Daisy May's BBQ USA on 11th Ave in Hell's Kitchen. Now those were some good ribs! I also had baked beans with burnt ends (sooo smooth) and cole slaw (sooo good), which was too much becuase I had so much food left over. And as someone who's from the home of the International Bar-B-Q Festival, to give my credentials, let me say it again: those were some good ribs! My friend, who had the Kansas City ribs was equally impressed as I with my Memphis dry rub. And, AND I got sweet, mint iced tea in a mason jar! How cool is that? Let me answer the rhetorical question -- it's very cool. You'll be put off if you go, because the restaurant's really in the middle of nowhere and you order (and likely eat) at a counter, but it's all worth it. Go try this meat.