"Remember to Run YOUR Race"

These were the final words to me by one of my coaches on Saturday at the end of our last group run. These are words of wisdom for this first-timer. I'm used to being at the back of the pack, last or near last, so there's no one out there setting or influencing the pace for me but me. Now, when you add in 14,000 or so runners to the "group", it will be easy to let someone else determine my pace. My plan is to put myself in the "corral" where I'm used to being and least likely influenced - the back.

We had a 6 mile run on Saturday - my last stroll across the Purple People Bridge as a non-marathoner. Stacey joined me for the run and we laughed, got rained on a little, took pictures, and got lost. See pictures on the right.

Every game has a game plan, and I guess a marathon is really no different. I've studied the course map. I know where the water stops will be, I know where it will be nothing but stretches of highway (hopefully filled w/ lots of spectators), I know what mile we'll be at when we'll go through Cinderella's castle (will have camera ready!), I know at what points I need to be at with what times if I want to meet my time goal (enter lofty thoughts here) and where I need to eat my energy bloks and goo. I know what I'll be carrying: 2 packs of Clif Bloks, 2 chocolate rage Goo packs, disposable camera, ipod, chapstick, trash bag (i.e. rain coat or emergency"porta potty"), motrin, a couple band aids, watch, and pace band. I'm going to do one of my runs this week w/ all this stuff on - I'm trying eliminate as many unknowns as I can. It's part of the game plan. If you are interested in tracking my time, click here

Now, I totally realize that you can put together the best game plan possible but there will always be the unexpected and unknowns. That's just life. Oh, I've always had an idea of about this or that in my life - how I wanted things to be - but sometimes things turn out differently. So, if my pace doesn't match the numbers on my pace band, well...I'll still be out there, doing my thing, getting it done...running my race.