Shutting it down for the night. The forecast temperature for tomorrow has dropped. It's calling for 46F at the start and 54F around the time I plan to be finishing. Weather should be close to perfect. There could be some wind as it looks like a front is moving through.

I'm planning to start a bit slower over the first 2 miles. I'll use it as a warm up as I work my way through the crowds. I'll try to settle in around Mile 3. The course starts a downhill section somewhere around there. I figure I'll catch the 3:20 pace group around Mile 7 or 8. Once I catch them, I'm going to try to stay with them. From Mile 19 on, if I'm feeling good, I'll break from the group a bit in an effort to build a cushion.

My apprehension builds. It's hammer time!

Sent from my Palm Treo.

Made it to Austin. Thankfully, there were still entries available.

Saw Dick Beardsley and Bert Yasso at the Expo - a couple heavy hitters in the US running scene. Reminds me that I saw Jeff Galloway at the Ogden marathon last year.

Going to find something to eat now. Looking for some carbs and plenty of liquids.

Sent from my Palm Treo.

Counting Down

OBJECTIVE
2 mi. jog
4 x 100 meter strides @ 5K pace (6:31/mi.)

ACHIEVED
2.03 mi.@ 8:42/mi.
112 m. 22.45 (5:22/mi.)
112 m. 24.67 (5:54/mi.)
112 m. 23.81 (5:42/mi.)
112 m. 23.90 (5:43/mi.)

My legs felt good this morning. However, I'm feeling a bit bloated from 2 days of carbo loading.

I studied the course yesterday and this morning. It looks challenging with some pretty good up's and down's in the 300 to 400' range. It levels out through the middle then climbs until Mile 19 before dropping to the finish. It's going to be a lot more hilly than anything I run on around here. I'm guessing it will be somewhat like the hills in Conroe. (My last run there was a strong one.)

The issue at the moment is that there are only 300 marathon entries remaining to be sold at the Expo. I don't really think there are that many runners going to jump into the marathon. But I am concerned that there are that many who may buy up the remaining entries with the intention of just dropping out and running the half. Stayed tuned ....

I'm having some negative thoughts .... Just the same old stuff .... How can I run that far? How can I run that fast? How can I run that fast that far? It's hard to imagine .... etc etc. So I'm combating those thoughts with the Billy Mills clip and just a general reality check. Over the past four months I have set PR's at the following distances:

marathon - St. George
10 mile - Ten for Texas
10K - Dana Point Thanksgiving Day Run
half marathon - Houston

The conversion tables for my last three race finishes put my marathon potential at 3:15-16. In addition, this has been a very good training cycle for me. I am fit and I'm ready.

Stay tuned. I'm planning to blog remotely so I'll probably have a bunch of short entries over the next day.

PRE RUN
weight = 158
apple juice & multivitamin

POST RUN
water, oatmeal w/brown sugar, flax & skim milk

My Mind is Working Against Me

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. jog

ACHIEVED
3.03 mi.@ 9:04/mi.

PRE RUN
Weight = 159.5

POST RUN
Apple juice, multivitamin, zinc, GrapeNuts w/skim milk

Takin' It Easy

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Easy
4 x 100 meter strides @ 5K

ACHIEVED
3.02@ 8:32/mi.
23.77
24.83
25.64
24.31

5:13 AM 50° 77% 5 mph

I bit cooler than the past couple of mornings. I'm feeling okay.

PRE RUN
weight = 159

POST RUN
water, multivitamin, zinc, oatmeal w/brown sugar & skim milk

Slow Run & Commentary

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Easy

ACHIEVED
3.01 mi.@ 8:30/mi.

4:36 AM 70° 83% 11 mph

It was warm again this morning. I wore my old Mizuno Wave Rider 10’s that carried me to a 3:27 on the rainy course in St. George. I rarely wear those shoes anymore as I think they’re close to the end of their useful life.

I’m really quite nervous about this weekend. I think I’m ready physically but perhaps not mentally. Work and life in general has been stressful lately and even though I’ve been getting my runs in, I’m not yet feeling that hungry, killer instinct that I hoped to have at this point. After all, this is the first time I will be stepping to the line and “going for it”. No more just having fun on a marathon run …. Something like that. I think part of my problem is, in the words of Jack Bauer (I’m a big 24 fan), “This is going to hurt.” I saw it on the faces of my friends as I watched them finish the Houston marathon a few weeks ago. Knowing that I’ve got those joyous sensations to look forward to seems to be traumatizing me a bit.

Another important note, the Austin marathon stopped taking online registration yesterday morning … as I was online trying to sign up. So now I’ve got to sign up at the expo. Their website says the marathon is 83% full which, if my calculations are correct, means there are still about 1,000 entries available.

Well, better get back to my brooding cynicism!

PRE RUN
Weight = 159

POST RUN
Water, multivitamin, zinc, Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk

Mixing in a Little Speed to An Easy Run

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. w/ 1 mi. EZ; 1 mi.@ 10K (6:45); 1 mi. EZ

ACHIEVED
3.01 mi. w/ 8:12/6:40/7:42

5:02 AM 66° 88% 9 mph light rain

Good run this morning. It was warm and I ran without my shirt for the first time in a long time. The middle mile - fastest - felt okay

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
water, multivitamin, zinc, oatmeal w/brown sugar & skim milk

Training Schedule: February 8 - 14

Sun - Rest
Mon - 3 mi. incl. 1 Easy; 1@10K pace (6:45); 1 Easy
Tue - 3 mi. Easy
Wed - 3 mi. Easy & 4x100@5K
Thu - Rest
Fri - 3 mi. Jog
Sat - 2 mi. Jog & 4x100@5K