Fending off the marathon taper crazies

I’m really good at tapering. I mean, like expert level. I love the added free time, the extra sleep, the reduced mileage. I try to eat healthy but I don’t stress about it. (Even when my current diet seems to consist of all carbs all the time.) I’m busy with all of the important things…

Like stressing about whether my new Altra One 2.5’s will arrive in time (Spoiler: they did. Now I need to actually run in them.)

And ordering Crazy Compression socks to wear on race day…

And a Headsweats hat…

I don’t get crazy about imagined injuries or sicknesses. I know any symptoms are all in my head during taper time.

Except when I wake up congested. Then it’s immediately into panic mode and worry about whether I’ll get over the cold that my darling child gave me in time for the marathon. Yes, everyone in my house has a cold.

Except me, apparently. It only took me a few minutes of hyperventilating to realize that I’m not actually sick. It’s fall. I have allergies.

How do I know I just have allergies?

• The symptoms came on suddenly –  If your symptoms develop fast, it’s likely allergies. Allergy symptoms flare up as soon as you’ve come into contact with an allergen, whereas cold symptoms can take several days to develop.
• My eyes were itchy and red – Itchy eyes are a common symptom of allergies but RARELY occur with the common cold!
• I have no fever or aches and pains – all of which are common when you have a cold.
• The cat and I go through this at the same every year. Yes, my cat has fall allergies as well. Too bad I can’t take her to the Minute Clinic with me…
• And most importantly, my snottiness responded quickly to a dose of my favorite allergy medicine.

Of course, symptoms are not always quite as cut and dried as mine were and it’s hard during cold season not to immediately assume you are sick, but a quick trip to the local Minute Clinic can answer the question AND provide you with some over the counter solutions. After many years of spring and fall allergies, I know what works for me, but it’s always good to start with a medical visit if you aren’t sure what to take. Their practitioners can help you develop a fall allergy plan that is specific to your symptoms. They also have lots of suggestions for naturally controlling your allergies, like keeping the allergens OUT of the house and washing your bedding to decrease the dust mites.

So, at this point, I’ve dodged the cold bullet and I have my allergies under control. But if you see me, don’t be surprised if I’m wearing a mask and dousing myself in hand sanitizer. After all, I’m supposed to be running the Marine Corps Marathon for fun – and there’s nothing fun in running with a cold.

Do you have a big race coming up? Are you losing your mind during your taper?

Disclosure: I’m proud to partner with MinuteClinic as part of their Fall Allergy campaign. As part of my involvement, I have received sponsorship from MinuteClinic for my posts and activities, but all opinions expressed are purely my own.