The Final Countdown

One week to go. National Half-Marathon. My chance at redemption.

I've trained well, and stayed injury-free. I had an outstanding tune-up race last Saturday, and now it's crunch time. I've got an 11-mile run scheduled for Sunday, and I'll be taking it easy next week, running (easy) only on Tuesday & Thursday to stay fresh. But by this time next Friday, I'll be in full race mode.

I don't know why I'm taking it so seriously; I mean, it's not like I'm going to finish any where near the top of even my age group. But I've got something to prove to myself.

I got hurt during my first-ever half marathon last year, and I struggled through it. My goal for this race was to just "not walk" at any portion of it, and cross the finish line running, not hobbling. If I don't injure myself, I know I can do it. But last week's race really got me thinking - I have the potential to break 2 hours, which was a 2010 goal (and it's only March).

I've analyzed the course, saw where the inclines are, adjusted for it, and made a plan. The key now is to stick to it. If I start out too fast, I'm gonna hit the wall at about mile 10. If I start out too slow, I'm gonna start pushing it mid-race, which just happens to be where the major hills are. But if I keep a consistent pace, I should be fine (but that's the hard part).

So in short, I'm a little tense today. I need to prove to myself that I can do this. If I finish anywhere between 2:01 and 2:07 I'll be pleased.

One more week.