Taper just a little

Wasn't that a great marathon yesterday. Too bad "our" guys didn't finish higher. Both Hall and Goucher were in it to the very end. I remember watching the Boston Marathon when I was younger and not being very interested in it. Nowadays I wouldn't miss it for the world. One of the great things about running is that it doesn't cost a darn thing. How often can you go to a major venue and not pay a dollar and be able to come close to the superstars. One of these days I will get up to Boston to watch a race or maybe when I'm 105 , I'll  be able to qualify for it with my 100 hour marathon.  
I supposed to be tapering this week, but since I only run 3 days a week(maybe 4) it doesn't feel much like a taper. By the time of my race I will run 3 times; albeit less mileage.

This race seems to have a little more excitement with it than last months half marry. -

• Last months was a training run with no goal
• I signed up for it many months ago with anticipation ever since
• This is a long, hard race - not long, easy 
• 25,000 runners with 100,000 spectators and a few superstars(other -5,000 w/ 6 spectators, yeah just 6)
• First time traveling to a race(Knoxville to Nashville 4 hours)
• Meeting one of my blogger buddies - Shosh
• I'm really nervous - no kidding. First time for any of my races.

Yes I'm meeting Shosh for the first time. Now if I can just get her to update her blog. She is deep into Tri training right now and refuses to come out of the water.
I set a goal for 2:15.(10:19 pace)[no chuckling from the sub 2 hr people] It's reaching a little for me. I haven't been able to run that pace in any of my training runs(best 10:50) and even in my 15K race last Nov. My pace versus my goal is 25 seconds slower. I've been able to keep my pace "up" to the 8 mile mark, but for anything past 8 miles is a big question mark. This last month I 've been running my tempo's harder(9:55-10:00 pace) , but I'm spent afterwards. *My mind aimless wanders at pace vs projected pace vs vomiting pace vs pass out pace*   Nervous are we?????
Enough of that crap, I'm driving myself crazy!
Oh yeah, I did buy one of those pacetats dumalahickies.

Of course it is "sdrawkcab"

No turning back on this one - it's like the "voo-doo, evil eye" if you take back your goal time after buying one of those.

For those of you that still want in for the giveaway. There is still time. I'll be drawing names this Sunday(26th). You'll win one of 2 , yes 2! shiny, new, cool gadgets, state of the art, top-o-the-line, mp3 player. All you have to do is post a comment and send me $1000. I do realize that most have Ipods and winning a 2 GB Zen is like winning a Ford Pinto when you already have a Mercedes, but maybe your kids or a friend may just need a Pinto since they their 1978 Moped smashed into a tree and killed the tree and the poor little robins that were nesting in it. You see a brand new Pinto is looking real nice right about now.

More nervous talk to come later.

Pacing

I left a voicemail on Mother Nature's answering machine today and told her unless it warms up that we weren't friends anymore. She called back and left a message that said, "bite me!"
I really can't complain much because I'm not having the extreme cold like you peeps in the North. It's really starting to suck and sadly we won't see warm weather until March at the earliest. Spring where are you??
I know that everyone has a different philosophy on running and training. I loosely use Mcmillan's running paces to calculate my paces for the day. Along with a mixture of various plans that I have read. The most important aspect that I "try" to do is listen to my body. Easier said than done! I have a hard time doing that due to my competetiveness and my "hard-headed no pain-no gain." My thinking stems from playing football and basketball in high school and college. There was days that I didn't want to do anything, but when practise time came you just had to "suck it up." Hard to lose that mentality. For example: Long run days. They are designed to be slow and steady while working on form and keeping a lower HR. Most of us screw those up! I refuse to run 12 min miles - don't care what plan I'm following. (stubborn aren't I?) Here's my plan that I try to follow from week to week.
The pace ranges are calculated from my recent 5K, 5 mile, and 10 mile races.
Estimated VO2 max: 32 {my VO2 max at age 19: 69!}
Easy Run: 11:15 - 11:45 pace Ain't gonna do it!
Long Run: 11:15 - 12:15 pace [>8 miles] Upset if over 11min pace
Tempo : 9:48 - 10:15 pace Okay with that...
Speed(800m): 4:15 - 4:26 pace Okay with that..
Goal: 1 easy, 1 long>8 miles, 1 speed or tempo,1 medium length of 5-8 miles per week. Anything more than that is an easy run.
I 'm already slow as a snail, so anytime I see >11 min pace I hate it!
I found a neat little website for running paces. It's called runningforfitness and it has various running calculators. There is a calc where you can input your weight and recent race time and it will estimate a pace that you can run if you lose lbs. cool huh? Nice for people trying to lose weight. I figure if I cut off both arms, both legs, and chop off my head that I'll surely be able to run a 3 min/ mile.

Weigh-in is tomorrow. I hate scales! Fingers crossed..