taper time - am i ready?

this is about when the pre-marathon jitter begin to set in, but i'm usually pretty excited about the taper. this time, the jitters are starting to set in, but i am not that excited about being in the taper. could this be a change in me? does it mean i'm now more confident in my running? not sure about that just yet...

i usually taper for 3 weeks, but this go round i was on a 12 week training schedule. i did two 18 mile runs and one 20 mile run, which is a bit different for me. i think i might like it better. in 10 days, we'll see how it much of a difference it makes in the run. this training has already gone better than my last. for one, i started out with no breathing issues thanks to my inhaler. second, it's MUCH cooler! and third, i started off on the right foot with an agressive schedule.

this morning, the question was asked, "what is your race plan?" now that i am pretty much done with training, what is my plan for race day and my goal finish time. scary question, but one i should start considering. my answer was this, to go out a bit slower, and slowly pick it up. yes, that's ideal, and doesn't always work, but in ALL of my training runs, that is exactly what i did. my first goal is to reciprocate that on race day. second, my goal pace is average 9:20 to 9:30. my goal finish time is 4:05 to 4:15. given the fitness condition i am in now, a 4:05 would be great, and a 1 minute PR. 4:15 would be great also as it is a step forward after a few years of digressing.

my answer was well received by my runner friend who made my schedule, and i value his opinion. so, there is my plan. now the question is, am i ready? yes, i think so!