I keep saying it, but its hard to think that 17 weeks have gone by, and I just completed my last long (if you want to call it that) run before the marathon. I’ve got this tendinitis that flairs up in my Achilles on my left leg, I hope it doesn’t cause me any grief during the race. As the title of this post states, its all easy from here. I have a few 4 miles, a 3 and finally a 2 the day before Steamtown, so the hard work is over. Carbo-loading begins mid-week, as well as consuming buckets of water as they say. In the last steamtown email, I got referenced to a site that has a variation of the ‘night before christmas’ named ‘the night before steamtown’, thought i’d share it, since it seems appropriate:

originall posted at: http://www.seejayrun.us/Garage_Entries/GARAGE_10_8_05.htm

‘Twas the night before Steamtown as I lie in my bed
being kept wide awake by this feeling of dread.
At the end of a taper, which is never much fun.
I actually believe I forgot how to run.
As I stare at the ceiling, for what was now quite a while. I thought to myself, “Can I run 26 miles?”
So away from my bed I tried to quietly creep
But I bumped it, woke the wife, and she sighed
“Would you just go to sleep?”
Before the sigh turned into a shout
I went to the bathroom to “Work some things out.”
As my wife returned to her short autumn nap.
I turned on the light & sat down to…Brush my teeth.
The door then swung open, and I was in shock.
There was a guy standing there.
I said, “Hey man, don’t you knock?”
Then I felt something very wrong with my brain
For the man looking at me was Steve Prefontaine.
But it’s just not possible–it just could not be.
In his yellow & green singlet–it had to be Pre.
With his shaggy blonde hair & trademark moustache,
He grabbed my arm & we were gone in a flash.
He said, “You need to take a little trip back.”
And then we arrived at the Oregon Track.
Pre said, “C’mon, take a few laps, alright?
Just be glad Bill Bowerman couldn’t make it tonight.”
A few minutes ago I was trying to snooze,
Now here I am in an Oregon Singlet and waffle sole shoes. More rapid than Kenyans our 400’s flew; the great Prefontaine and Sochoka right beside him too.
I could hear the PA & the stadium shout
I heard the bell lap and thought,
“I could take this guy out.”
For out on the back stretch, I knew one more trick. I knew Prefontaine has no finishing kick.
When the gun went off, he went out full throttle and there was no magic potion left in his bottle.
As I rounded the turn and heard the crowd cheer.
I reached into my soul and found one more gear.
I pulled out in front of him and first crossed the line having run 5000 meters in 14:09.
With the place going nuts and everyone screaming,
14:09? Man, I must be dreaming.
Pre came up to me and said,
“What a great RACE! You stayed in your groove and kept your own pace. You stayed in my draft and then made your stand. Only in the end did you show your full hand.
Now, even though this race was 5K, take your strategy to Steamtown and use it that day.
Take it easy on that opening down hill. Even though the speed can be such a thrill. For if you go out like you’ve been set on fire, at 20, your legs will feel like they were wrapped in barbed wire.
So instead of turning your legs into mush, run a smart race–in the end, make your push.
At mile 24 when you ask, “Am I nuts!”
Remember,
“I run a race to see who has the most guts.”
Then cross the finish line with a smile on your face. For you gave all you had and ran a great race.
If you worry about time and have no fun, that’s a sin. Enjoy yourself out there, “To finish is to win.”
And I heard him exclaim
as I left this sacred place.
“A great Steamtown to all.
STAY IN YOUR OWN PACE!”

Some of this doesn’t fit me, but as I head into the hardest week (mentally), I need to stay smart … I expect to gain 2 pounds of water/carb weight this week, so I should expect that.

It was great today to start doing my reflections where I think back of all the training, injuries, hard-days, early mornings, etc that I dealt with during this whole training process, and I think about how it really made me a stronger person. It takes dedication and discipline to get up at 5am, be out running by 5:15am, then get back by 7 (10 milers) to be at work for 7:30am, then work all day .. you don’t realize it until you look back on it, and thats part of what will motivate me to get through this race. My kids are going to decorate the car for me, I think the quote will be “Steamtown 26.2 or BUST!” … I can’t wait to see their faces as I cross the finish line, it will mean a lot to me.

Regardless, I am breaking in my new race shoes, I have my new singlet ready for the race, i just have to pickup my throwaway shirt for the first 2 miles of the race … I have gels and everything else I need. All I need is for the day to finally come.

The weather is looking okay at this point, according to weather.com, the morning low is expected to be 47 degrees, and the daily high should be 62 degrees with a scattered shower. I know this will change 400 times before next week, but i’m hoping that it stays dry and not too cold ….