final countdown

We are in the final weeks of Marathon prep, friends!  The next three weeks are all about taper, taper, taper.  Which simply means running less and less.  After a really great LONG run this past weekend (which I'll share about below) I'll be resting a bit more and running a bit less so my body will heal up in time for April 16th.  I'm seriously SO EXCITED.

So about this last long run:  The Garrity bros. and I got a bit of a later start than we'd originally planned but made it to Hopkinton around 10:30am or so.  Brian and I started off on the mile long descent though H-ton and on into Ashland.  It was a perfect day for running:  cloudy and cool.  We paced just over 10min/miles and made it to Framingham where John was waiting for us in just over an hour.

There I said goodbye to one Garrity and hello to the other.  :)  After taking a Gu, John and I set off for the next 15miles together.  There were some pretty tough parts, to tell the truth.  Around mile 16, the course crosses over Rt 95 and there's not really anything super distinguishing about it...I just don't like that part of the course.  Both times I've run it, I haven't liked it.  One of the parts I do like is the Natick to Wellesley miles - 10-13.  Natick center is really nice and then there's a stretch of peaceful "country" road as you head into Wellesley.  It's along this part that there aren't many spectators and you begin to hear the screams of the Wellesley College girls.

The most dreaded part for me this time, based on last time, was the turn onto Rt 30 from Rt 16, at the Newton Fire Station.  It's a little past mile 17 and as soon as you turn the corner the first of the Newton Hills is awaiting you.  This is the hill I had the hardest time with last time and again this time.  It's long and steep.

The other two hills, including Heartbreak, I was able to gut out but that first one kills me.  Maybe it's mental and I need to come up with a strategy to get through it...  Yeah, that's what I'll have to do.

After the hills, as you head down towards Boston College, there is a long descent.  And let me tell you, it hurts.  It's most painful on the quads that have already taken a beating in the earlier parts of the race.  This is where John and I called it quits.  We ended up running 21.54miles (6.5 with Brian).  My time was 3:47:50, a 10:34min/mile pace.  While I know this may sound slow to some of you, my previous marathon splits were 12:12min/mile (Chicago) and 11:18min/mile (Kalamazoo).  So this 10:34 sounds pretty good to me.  It's just maintaining that pace over the last 5miles....

Anyway, the point of this entry is that in these final stages of preparation, I finally feel prepared.  I knew getting over this last long run would be the most important thing.  And I have and I'm proud of how I did.

Now begins the final countdown to Race Day:  21days.  (This also means you have 21 days left to donate to the Respite Center...why wait?  Do it now.)  :)

PS - good luck getting that song out of your head.  ;)