Taper time and planning ahead

So I haven't written anything in a while, but I've just been strategically saving up some really great updates for a special time.  Well you're in luck...that time has come!

• First and foremost, I had my first ever cup of coffee this morning after a long run with the guys (thanks Soller!).  This closely followed my first cup of tea a few weeks ago.  Apparently 2011 is the year of being adventurous.  Get excited...there's more where that came from.
  
  
• I did my taxes today.  Refunds are a good thing.  That's all I really have to say about that.
  
  
• I ran my first 10K at the Polar Dash on New Years Day.  It was a bit cold and windy, but then again it's January in Minnesota.  The race went pretty well, but my only regret here is turning down a once-in-a-lifetime offer by my buddy Erik about two minutes before the race to run in a penguin costume.  Dang that would have been memorable.
  
  
• The training for this marathon I'm running in two weeks is pretty much in the books, and now I am thinking that a bit of taper time will feel sort of good.  I've learned a whole lot since Nov 1 about how to train for a marathon.  It's just so much different than training for ultras...or at least I definitely don't get so hung up on 5 seconds here and 10 seconds there when running on trails.  I think I've realized that those long slow trail runs definitely come more natural to me, but I know the marathon training makes me a better runner all-around and it has been a lot of fun...just in a different way.
  
  I've had a couple really good workouts where I've felt pretty optimistic, but also plenty where I thought to myself, "There's no way in hell I can run this fast for 26.2 miles."  Nonetheless though, I know I just have to trust the training, hope for a good day, run my heart out, and everything else will hopefully take care of itself.  Regardless of how things shake out, I'm excited to race again since it's been a while, and looking forward to a good long weekend in New Orleans.
  
  
• I'm so excited for spring...believe it or not I think it'll be even more adventurous than coffee and taxes!  I have a pretty full six weeks planned to start the season from late April to early June.  It'll be complete with three 50Ks and a double-crossing of the Grand Canyon.  I'm sure I'll be trashed by the end of all that, but hoping it'll leave me with a real good base of long runs and hills.  I still have to figure a couple things out for late June and July, but am planning on the main event of the year being the Cascade Crest 100 in the end of August out in Washington.