Clobber Time!

So the marathon is in 2 days, and I've thankfully stopped blowing my nose every hour. Actually, I didn't have to drain the sinuses once today. No headache. No fatigue. I'm just about there.

Before the sickness, my goal was a sub 4:30 mary. Can't say as though I've changed my goal all that much. Using the Merv Scale and subsequent servey from 1997, revisited in 2003, my predicted Marathon time based on a 50 min 10k and 30 miles average running per week is 4:34 (using a factor of 5.5). Not sure if the folks in the survey took 2 weeks off prior to thier marathons, but hey, what the heck!

Looking forward to seeing my Mom run her half marathon, and Excel Man's wife Green Eyed Lady running her first half marathon with Team in Training. They'll be undoubtedly enjoying a cold one or two before I cross the line a couple hours later. The weather is supposed to be perfect - 50 or so at sunrise, highs in the 70's, clear and low humidity.

One of the cool things about this race route is that the last 6 miles are run along Tampa Bay, and from 21.5 miles out you can probalby see the finish line across the Bay. There's nothing soft about that road, however - it's all concrete, if I remember correctly. I had wanted to (planned on) getting some new running shoes 2 weeks ago, before I got sick. I've got 407 miles on these puppies now - I know, I know - but I'm not about to wear new, unbroken-in shoes to run 26 point 2.

So...it's time to take on the persona of my alter-ego - my personal super-hero - The Thing, put my head down and HTFU! I'm fighting the residual cold, the historical data, and my 250 lb belly to break into my sub 4:30 goal. The race plan - go out slow and steady with Mom; I think her plan is to run 11 min miles. I'm kinda hoping she can go 10:30's, but if it's 11's, so be it. Then pick up the pace after 6 miles when we go our seperate ways to 10's for a while. Somewhere in that mix, I'm going to have to run a few 9:30's. I'm planning to have to back it off at the end to 10 again.

The feel good plan is to drop it in gear and hang at 9:45 or so for as long as I can hold it. When it all goes to s$it, I'll be happy to finish under my 1st Marathon time of 4:55.