When did Cleveland people begin referring to Cleveland exclusively as CLE? And how many of those folks actually use Cleveland Hopkins International Airport?
I've wondered that for a long time.
Anywho, it's almost time for marathon number three. May 19th. I have thirty-one miles to run before I find myself at the start line. Less than two weeks. No more double-digit training runs.
I am nervous as all get-out.
Training has gone well. Er, well, running has gone well. I haven't done any cross-training or real speed work since week three or four (oops?). BUT! I have felt so very good running--namely my 17-miler down in Georgia in week 8 and my second 20-miler around P-burg and Maumee a little more than two weeks ago. Joe has finally sold me on the slow-and-steady shorter recovery runs, and a week ago I PRed in 13.1. Dare I say that the Magic 8-Ball should tell me "Outlook good"?
No, I can't. I recently told you about my superstitious attitude. Although I firmly believe that Murphy's Law is a bunch of pessimist nonsense, there are things that could go wrong. Fortunately, I feel confident in myself; it's the weather that concerns me. We've had a couple of unusually warm days over the past week. On one of those days, my run went really well. On the other, I wasn't feeling it at all. That said, Mother Nature might be playing a big role in my performance on the 19th. As the time nears, I don't know that I will bother trying to prepare myself by looking at the weather forecast. I think I mentioned in my Glass City half recap that meteorologists are ass-clowns and cannot be trusted.
Beyond the weather, I'd be lying to say I'm not nervous about reaching my goals for this marathon. Before my first marathon last year, someone told me that I need to have a main goal and a back-up goal. I've really kicked it up a couple of notches insofar as my expectations for that main goal this time around. The nerves stem from that--how badly I want to achieve it, and thinking about the psychological battle that will begin if I realize mid-race that it's not going to happen. I should be able to persevere, but still, I want it. And since there is definitely a possibility that it won't happen, my stomach is already in knots.
I've got less than two weeks to get over it. Thirty-one miles. Then, it's marathon number three.
But you are not revealing said goal? Regardless, I know you have trained hard, so best of luck, and can't wait to hear how it goes.
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