Just a few more sleeps to go and it’ll be here.

Some numbers:

• SIXTEEN weeks of training (until Saturday 11/12, it’ll be 17 weeks at race day, I think 17 weeks is perfect, or 19!)
• SIX long runs (anything over 16 miles counts)
• FIVE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE miles total
• THIRTY SIX miles average per week
• NINETY ONE runs. SIX POINT FOUR miles average per run
• FIVE races during the training period. No PRs. 3 halfs, 1 5K, 1 Mile

More importantly:

• MILLION of memories on the roads with Patricia, Courtney, Juan, Blaise, Kettia, Tracey, Khris, Christine, Daphne and Kristin and all my gangs of OSOMness: Tuesday Speedwork Group, Stairs of Hell, NYRR Group Training, November Project, NY Flyers, Dashing Whippets, and Harlem Run. There would have been none of the stuff above without you all. Or it wouldn’t have been ANY fun.

I am very happy about all the training done, the miles above, the plans made and the times shared on the road… to me, the training is the reward. But then, the race has to happen, right?

Now, going into race week, I am struggling. With any sort of motivation. All my training partners didn’t have a good day in the NYC Marathon so I am 50% interested in racing Philly. Still considering not going. I am super not excited. Marathons are just so long, guys. Also, I haven’t raced one in two years. All of a sudden they seem longer. I have done over 10, 15? and I remember the years when I’d race 2 or 3 a year without even training or thinking about it. Now it seems like the craziest idea since I stopped!

Goals? Not sure. I am in better shape than when I did my 3:27 PR so maybe a PR is possible. That’s the only reason why I signed up, to be honest. My Halfs back then were in the 1:42s; my halfs now are in the 1:36 in a good day, 1:41 in a bad day. Other than that, I just hope it’s not super painful and I have fun. But it’s a marathon, so… anything could happen. So, don’t forget to guess my finish time, it’ll be crapshoot!

All I can do is show up and let it happen…