MK -- on the non smoking ... and you're mind is just playin' with ya, you'll be fine for your race ...

You gals rock... all of you, with your goals and plans all set up...

There are no races coming this way till spring, so I'll just have to keep practicing till then... I am trying to bring my pace up a bit....

Good morning lady runners!! (hey, how come we dont have any MEN runners in here??---or mayhaps some of you with just your cartoon AVATARS are REALLY GUYS!!-- taking charge, i would be looking at you, cept you just posted your FABULOUS BEAUTIFUL 10K photo, and you are most DEFINITELY too gorgeous to be a man!!)

Anyway...i held true to my word...only ran 3.5 miles this am....YUCK....Oh, but HERES the bees knees...i just happend to check my training schedule for the first time in months, and it turns out i was suppsed to run 4 miles today!!!! Thats it!! MArathon is shot now........ didnt follow the plan I am sad i missed out on the chance to burn an extra 40 calories though!! COME ON!!! Thats an extra squirt of Icant believe its not butter, or maybe 2 cookie crumbs!!! DAMN.....

Other than that....my morning has been kinda..ok, i guess...... it was SO FOGGY here in Denver this am...it was BEAUTFUL. Like San Francisco, London, Pea Soup, cant even see the stop light until you are directly underneath it foggy.... very unusual for Colorado.
OH!! and the weather forcast for my marathon keeps getting better and better......now the forcasted high is 74 degrees!!!!! the ONLY thing that sux is that even though its going to get up to 74 (long after im done running) at the start and before the race its still gonna be like 40 degrees. In other words, cold enough that i NEED a light jacket....which i WONT need after an hour....... my BoyFriend has been enlisted to be stratigically placed at different mile markers around the course to be avilable for gear dumping, gear exchanging, gear carrying, and of course, moral support. Oh, and remember the trainer i have a crush on?? He said he wants to be ther for me at the finish!! The question is, who do i hobble to at the end for my first congratulatory kiss---ERR----Hug, i mean?? KIDDING

Where the **** is cakebatter?

MK - this is your first marathon, right? If I may offer just one small piece of advice: don't start out too fast! You will be completely stoked after the taper period and all of the waiting around at the start and it is SO easy to take off faster than planned or intended. IMO there are two halves to the marathon - the first 20 miles and the last 6.2! Pace yourself ... stay with your planned pacing and strategy. It is a very looooong way ....

Look around, enjoy the process, and remember that not matter how quickly or slowly you finish, it is still a PR!

Thanks MBN..believe me...i have a very specific strategy that i have practiced/used very successfully on all of my long runs, including 3 20 milers training for this..... the 9 minute mile im gong to run is VERY comfy, and im planning on running 9 minute miles until the last 5 miles....than i will run whatever pace i WANT/CAN/NEED to run to finish. Im also planning on trying to run with the 9 minute pace group, which puts me finishing at 3:57 something...the only problem with that is that i tend to have um...BATHROOM Needs early on in races i am anxious aout, so im afraid i will lose them rather quickly to the prta potty lines during the first half of the race...oh well....my strategy all along has not been necessarily for time, as this IS my first marathon...but rather to finish, and finish STRONG and have a good time.....how cool would it be though to break 4 hours on my first marathon? However, i KNOW BETTER than to go out too fast, on ANY distance over 10 miles.......

Mk - Thanks for that very sweet compliment!! I can't believe you only ran 3.5 miles instead of 4...you slacker!! Maybe you can run 26.7 instead of 26.2 to make up for that half mile you missed. And hopefully in your state of delirium, you'll run into the arms of the right man at the finish line!!

MBN - Am I correct in assuming you've run a marathon before? That's incredible!

And ya, where is Cake???

My runs this week have been on the short side, but pretty good overall. 3 miles yesterday, 3.5 today, hopefully fun on Friday and then 6 on Sunday. I'm trying to make all of my long run at least 6 miles from now on, so I'll prob keep the rest of the runs on the shorter side (3-4) at least for now, and then build to make them 4-5. It's so weird, even under crazy stress, when my eating habits go to **** and I drop all other exercise, I strictly keep up with my running. It's great, but at the same time, I feel like my nutrition is not keeping up and it's kind of showing in my running. I haven't eaten any crap (no fried anything, chips, cookies, etc) but I'm just eating TOO much! Too much fruit, too many granola bars, and I can't stop! Kick in the butt please?? I just don't feel as strong and powerful when I'm running because I know I have all that extra food sloshing around in my stomach. It's just upsetting because I know I'm stronger than that and I should be able to control myself, but that's not what it seems like lately. Ok, sob story over. Have a good day everyone!

Haha, I meant to say hopefully "4" on Friday, not "fun", though I guess I hope those 4 will be fun!

Hey everyone!! Just checking in... MK are you feeling nervous at all for your race?? I'm sure you'll do just fine!

I ran 5.5 miles today!! There is a trail right by my work and I finally just decided to make use of it. I completed it in 1hr05 which is exactly where I want to be for my 10k. This was a HUGE mental block for me... it's good to know I can do this and do it well!

Yes, I've done a full marathon (one). I am so very glad that I did it, just to prove to myself that I could, but I've decided that I much prefer half marathons. I think it is all the fun with less than half the work! I've done around 9 or 10 of those (will have to count the medals!) and I don't even know how many shorter races I've done by now (5K, 5 mile, 10K).

Our running season is just getting going down here and I'm focusing mostly on the halfs this year -- I've signed up for 4 so far, and will probably do a 5th one too. That's one a month, November thru March, and they are all local. It's nice to have an active running scene! And then there's the 10K that I always do, and probably 3 or 4 5K's. And that will probably do it!

SkinneyPants---WAHOOS on the 5.5!! you just "went for it?" Just like that???

Am i nervous for my marathon?!! Are you kidding?? The warm fuzzy happy excited feeling ive felt since i started training last spring has been FULLY replaced with feelings of doubt, sloth, nervousness, fear, anxiety.......take your pick!
This is what i am most scared/anxious about--- My running has just exponentially improved this summer....a greater rate of success in just a few months than i ever dreamed would be possible at ALL......speed endurance, strength, everything. My friends/family/co-workers/trainer have come to expect *great* things from me. Every race i have done this summer i have gotten so much faster, and placed so much higher, culminating in that first place female win at that 10K a couple weeks ago. i have NO DOUBT i will finish the marathon! WIll it be hard? Probably. WIll It hurt? I dont know--most likely-- and im not scared about that. I can handle PAIN. Im worried mostly about having a dissapointing finishing time now. Im worried about coming back into work monday morning, and telling my coworkers i ran a 4:45 marathon. the truth is, i DONT KNOW what to expect. Ive never done a marathon. i have no idea how my body will react to that last 10K. I have no idea how my bowels (sorry) are going to behave marathon morning. Frequent stops at the porta potty over the course of 26 miles ADDS UP. ALOT. QUICKLY. If i have to make 3-4 or more pit stops, that could add up to an extra 20 minutes or more to my finishing time.
I know everyone will be *proud* no matter how i do, but seriously, i want to train to qualify for Boston next. My trainer has the expectations that i should have tried to qualify for Boston from the beginning. for THIS marathon. What if i dont......perform?? Will i even, in actuality, be dissapointed with a 4:45 or 4:30 marathon in the end, when its all over with? I dont know. I hope i would still be proud. But what if i have a bad experience, that deters me from ever WANTING to run/train for another marathon? The scar from a bad marathon isnt as easy to dismiss as a bad 10K race (no offense sharon!!!!!)
Is this what "theyve" been refering to as TAPER MADNESS?

i wish i could run a "practice" marathon before my official marathon...

For the last 2 hours i have had a sore throat that is getting steadily worse!!!!!
(emoticon for PANICKING) (Emoticon for HYPERVENTILATING)

mk - tea with lemon and honey and zinc losenges to fend off your cold! no way are you getting sick before this race!

fatpants - congrats on 5.5!!! Just got the tights and am going to try them out this afternoon.

We got back last night from a long weekend in SF but I was able to keep up running and hiking while I was away so not too much damage done. Happy running all!

MBN - Wow! Good for you! I can't wait to get to the point where I'm so comfortable running halfs that I do them every month! This past 10K was my very first race and now I'm totally hooked. I'm doing a half in February (though that seems impossible right about now) and then who knows where I'll go from there!

SkinnyJeans/Tights/Pants (hehe) - Damn girl! You are a freakin rock star! You just showed that mental block who's boss. Keep it up!

Dancer - Great job keeping up the exercise while in SF. Those streets are hilly so those must have been some tough runs!

Mk - You are NOT getting sick. Just repeat that over and over and over. And I second Dancer's suggestions. And make sure to get an insane amount of sleep! It's so interesting to hear about the mental aspect of marathon running, because as we all know, so much of running is mental, but I can't even imagine how much that's magnified once you get to marathon level. There's no way that you'll be disappointed in yourself after all of this, no matter what time you get. This is your FIRST marathon ever! You have the rest of your life to improve, to qualify for Boston, to train for ultramarathons, to push your body more than you thought possible, so make sure you enjoy this experience and take it for what it is - an unbelievable accomplishment, learning experience, mental hurdle, and hopefully one of the best days of your life!

SOOOOOO true! I remember back to basketball conditioning in High School and I would fake shin splints because I was sure I couldnt do it. Now I talk to myself so much while I run. My first (and so far only) 5K I trained on the treadmill thinking it was the same and OMG it was horrid. Everyone passing me and me having to walk instead of run alot! It took alot of myself to make it through. I was crying while running for a few minutes. Seeing my husband cut back across the grass to be with me for a lil bit and then at the end when he came back for me and we finished together. I was so very proud of myself for not quiting and felt SO blessed to have the husband I have. That was 6 months ago and I know that the next time I do it , I CAN do it!