One week til the race

I got butterflies in my stomach when I looked at my blog today and saw that there was 7 days and change left before the Marathon. I've been tapering down my miles and giving my legs a rest. Aside from a small neck tweak I am 100% and ready to go. I'm thinking tomorrow morning I will do a 6 mile run and that will be my last run over 3 miles that I will do til next Sunday. I am planning a couple of small runs just to keep the legs fresh - and lots of stretching til then.

Yesterday I realized at the Orlando Magic NBA game that I need to be extra-careful this week with washing my hands, taking Vitamin C, and staying very healthy. A common cold or any sickness could ruin 10 months of training for me - so I will be walking on egg shells for sure until then. Especially since my parents got sick immediately after I left Tallahassee last week. I already dodged that bullet but I am sure there are probably more to come.

This will probably be my last blog until race day. I'm weighing in at 185 pounds and this will be my race weight. That is 31 pounds less than my 216 pound starting weight on March 1, 2008 when I did my first 1 mile run and got winded. The training has had many peaks and valleys. When the race ends I will need to begin a new focus for my blog. It is hard to tell what 2009 will hold, but I am sure that maintaining my fitness will continue to be part of who I am. It has already become entrenched in my lifestyle. The only thing I won't miss is the 3 hour runs on Saturdays. I've estimated that I have punched in over 850 miles since I started training and gone through 3 pairs of Brooks running shoes, so I think that after the race I will take at least 1 week off to just kick my legs up.