It's Marathon Week!

Otherwise known as "operation: hydrate like it's your job"

But seriously, I can't believe that the time is actually HERE! My lack of posting hasn't represented a lack of training, or wanting to post but has simply resulted from lots of LIFE "stuff" (some good, some not-as-good) and some changes to the routine as a result of the above.

That being said, it's amazing to me that the emotional anticipation of race day is still so big for me. Not as much in the day-to-day obsession pre-marathon (or half marathon) #1 but really starting last week thinking "wow...I will be running 26.2 miles in less than 2 weeks" (cue nervous butterflies in the stomach at that point) In fact, as I was driving back from Tallahassee (FSU) this weekend I looked at my cousin Jimmy around 12:00 and said, "well at this time next week I should be done running...the marathon will be over" It actually made me a little sad, but also putting it that way made it feel very "do-able" at the same time. It's funny... going into #3 I know what I need to do to get myself across the finish and there is no doubt (barring serious on-course injury) that I can do THAT... but there is still the voice that wonders if I can beat my personal best, since my training has taken a bit of a different focus that has certainly made me stronger and has allowed me to bounce back after long runs as if they were almost nothing but has not necessarily made me faster and has me questioning how I should attempt to attack things on race day. I am not fast but I want to attempt to leave it all out there on the course without blowing up. Lots of things to think about before Sunday.

It's also been marathon/ultra-marathon central in my Google Reader the past couple weeks and I will say that reading race recaps (especially those new to a particular distance) NEVER gets old for me. It's so inspiring and refreshing and makes me truly believe that I can push through and make the race my own.

That ALSO being said, I have been a bit overly emotional (even for me) the past couple weeks and I'm going to totally blame it on the taper. Maybe being tired (and who knows what training does to hormone levels) but I can hardly read the new marathoner recaps without tearing up and holy hell, I went to Skull Session at FSU this weekend (it's where the marching band puts on sectional and full band performances 2 hours before kick off) and (Laura--you will appreciate this) I freaking teared up at the "Charlie Carter warm up music" I mean, I was this.close to moving to a full on sob. WTF people?!?! Thank God for dark glasses...seriously.

I'd like to wrap up some other thoughts prior to the marathon, so hopefully with a renewed sense of "free time" this week, I might actually get some other posts up.

Weekly schedule looks like this:
Monday: Run (3.5 miles)--no watch, but done with Matt so I was "working" but not dead at the end (hilly neighborhood route)
Tuesday: Massage (yay! I'm not trying to cram this in 2 days before the race as per the usual)
Wednesday: Run (Track Shack 3 miles)--easy run with friend MSN
Thursday: Rest/Yoga/Stretching
Friday: Run (2 miles)--hoping to get this in before work and take Bali along, just trying to shake my legs out and clear my mind
Saturday: REST!! Drive to Chattanooga.
Sunday: Seven Bridges Marathon...26.2 :)