Seven days to Ironman Lake Placid and I'm well into my taper. I've been sounding like a broken record complaining about how sluggish and heavy I've been feeling (the usual taper doldrums) and how worried I am about all the little aches and pains that are creeping up. Jim says I'm "saying exactly the same thing you always do during a taper." I'll have to trust him on this one.

There are 15 days and three hard workouts left, and I'm currently trying to keep the fear at bay. The questions started this week with my taper. It was over 90 degrees every day and yet, when I ran/bike/swam, I was running/biking/swimming faster than I have all season. This isn't something that usually happens during a taper.