The Last Long Run

(OR Less than One Week to Go)

(OR What Have I Gotten Myself Into?!)

I really can’t believe the race is just five sleeps away.  Five!  I started my training program 19 weeks ago.  November 3rd seemed like a lifetime away.  And now it’s nearly here.  I keep alternating between feeling nervous but prepared, and scared out of my mind.  Other than a few off weeks early on, I stuck to my training program – speed work and all.  If something goes terribly awry on Saturday, it won’t be for lack of physical preparation.  No, my biggest fear is self-doubt, but there’s no sense in dwelling on that now.

After my 16 mile run last weekend, my foot felt fine.  By Tuesday, I had no pain or discomfort.  Doesn’t that sound like the perfect time to take a fall and scrape up your hands and knees?  No?  Well, that’s what happened Wednesday morning.  We were downtown running with our Back on My Feet team, and we were just a couple of blocks from the end of the run.  It was still dark out, and there is temporary fencing at almost every corner along Pennsylvania.  I didn’t see the base of the fencing covered in leaves.  My toe hit the metal, and I was on the ground before I even knew I was falling.  Aside from some pretty good scabs (the likes of which I haven’t had since I fell off my bike when I was 9 or 10), I really wasn’t hurt.  Just my pride (seriously, is there anything worse than falling flat on your face?  At least I was at the back of the group).

On Thursday I had a good, fast tempo run, despite a sore knee.  My schedule originally called for a last “long” run of 8 miles.  That just didn’t seem long enough, so I planned for 12 on Sunday.  I decided I would run part of the race course, including the stretch of Meridian from Kessler to 46th.  For the most part, I will agree with the description that the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon is a flat course.  Comparatively speaking, it undoubtedly is.  But that’s not to say there aren’t some decent hills to tackle.  As we crossed Westfield on Sunday, and I looked up and saw what looked like a giant slide in front of me, I was glad I wasn’t seeing that view for the first time at mile 15 or so of the race.

When we started Sunday, it was pretty brisk even though we didn’t leave until 8:45 or so.  The cool temperatures made it easy to run quickly, and early on I settled into a 9 minute or faster pace.  Without much effort, I kept picking it up.  I was certain I would hit a wall, but let my legs go.  Soon, I was below 8:30, and I realized that I probably did not push myself hard enough during these last 19 weeks.  It’s too late now to do anything about that, so I can only focus on doing the best that I can.

Right now, my biggest concern is what to wear.  With the hurricane hitting the east coast, I know that a lot can change between now and Saturday.  I have 4 different outfits picked out, and I think it will ultimately be a morning-of call.

I need to sit down and work on my playlist.  (Do you have a favorite motivating race song? Leave me a comment with your suggestions!)  I haven’t been listening to music lately during training runs, but it’s a necessity when running by myself with only my thoughts for 4 (or less!) hours.  However, if something were to happen to my iPod, I feel confident that I would be able to get through it.  Now, if my Garmin died, that would be another story!  (I plan on taking a back up watch because I would NOT be able to run watch-less).

As I finish this, I feel surprisingly calm.  I keep picturing myself running the course, and crossing the finish line under my goal time.  I also sometimes envision what it would be like to cross the finish in 3:40 (the time I would need to qualify for Boston).  I know – it’s a long shot, but a girl can dream!