LAST Week of Training

It's finally here.  I'm thinking about hydration (drinking until my pee is clear all week), what I'm eating (more complex carbs, less protein and fats than I'm used to), what I will wear (haven't picked it out quite yet but one thing is sure I will wear my compression socks!  Love them!), what I will listen to (added some killer tunes on my shuffle), how I will relax, stretch and be READY.

Last week I ran easy, ran speed, cycled, ran easy again and did 8 miles easy@9:30.  It felt really good.  I think I am ready.  The only thing that concerns me is my left hamstring is still tight and sore.  I also haven't run my full 20.  I finished 20 on an elliptical (8 miles after doing 12 running) but I'm concerned that it wasn't enough.  My body hasn't done 20 in two years.  So I'm a little worried about that.  Still I am very optimistic about the upcoming race.  I am not injured, I have made it through most of the training and have overcome my fatigue.  I hope to finish in under 3:45.  That means I need to be consistently at an average 8:35 pace or better.  The fact that I ran a half marathon at an 8:32 pace in July was encouraging but I will need to do better than that because it is twice as long.  I don't know if I have it in me, but I am going to try.  It will be the best I've ever run in my life...the run of a lifetime!  I'm so excited!  The hills are calling me....