Marathon Strategy Part 2: The Race

Here we are.... Marathon Eve.

I am bouncing off the walls. Maybe writing a blog entry will calm me down?

Strategies
Strategy 1: Get Inspired
This morning, I went to downtown Richmond to participate in Bart Yasso's pre-race Shake Out Run, which was pretty darn awesome and got me super pumped.

Bart is the CRO (Chief Running Officer) of Runner's World Magazine and basically has the best job on the face of the planet: he gets to travel all around the world meeting, inspiring, and running with people everywhere. Pretty darn awesome. Last night he came to the MTT Pasta Dinner and regaled us with some tales of his adventures. I bought his book and got it autographed because I'm geeky like that.

I'm sure he writes this in everyone's book, but this one is
MINE so I think it is fabulous.

Strategy 2: Just another long run.

Basically, I'm just trying to think of tomorrow as another long run with the Team... just with a lot more people running... and a lot of people watching... and 6.2 miles longer than I've ever run before.

This will be made easier by the fact that a group of us has vowed to start together and hang as long as we can. Of course there is the understanding that in the end it is every man for him or herself, but I'm really hoping we all have a great day and at least some of us make it through the entire marathon and cross that line together.

Additionally, I am wearing an outfit that has already been 20-miler tested and I am taking a small bag of pretzels and candy corn along as my fuel (things that we have been consuming at MTT SAGs all season).

Just another long run.

Strategy 3: Do not go out too fast.

This is the #1 thing that I have heard 57542592420 times from the veterans. I know how easy it is to go out too fast. Luckily in most of the races I have done, I've been able to reign myself in and take it easy the first few miles. Tomorrow, there will be about 8-10 of us all starting together and all making sure that we don't take off like bats out of hell. With that many Pace Police, I think we'll be ok.

Strategy 4: Have fun.

I want to cross the line with a smile on my face, no matter what the clock says. This has been one of the greatest journeys of my life and I want to savor ever minute... aches and pains and all.

Goals:

Those are my four strategies, so now I suppose I should tell you my goal(s).

Being my first marathon, I'm supposed to say that my goal is just to finish. So,

Goal A: Finish... ideally on my feet. 

One of  my biggest fears is that I will have nothing left in me at the very end and I will end up going tumbling across the finish line at the bottom of that hill. So, not only do I want to finish, I want to finish upright.

But me being me, I have a secondary goal.

Goal B: Sub 4:00:00

Yes, I know it's really putting it out there to state this in public, but I'm going to do it. If I don't get the sub 4 I won't be devastated, but if I do manage it, I will be over the moon. Based on my two twenty milers, I think it is within my reach as long as tomorrow goes smoothly.

Goal C: Beat Sarah Palin, who ran a 3:59:36

Because ya know, what runner doesn't  want to say they beat Sarah Palin?