Nervous. Officially nervous.

Earlier this week, I posted my plan for the week. It's Thursday evening, and to recap, I've run exactly 4.10 miles and I have the 1/2 marathon in 36 hours. I guess I took tapering to a new level. I tried to make it all work as planned, but no.

Monday - 13 hour day at work, although I did get my run in at lunch
Tuesday - 11 hours at the office and had planned to run when I got home. Instead, did the week's grocery shopping. Somehow going up and down the aisles of Target didn't count.
Wednesday - 345AM wake-up call so I could do my three segment, three time zone same day turn to PHX to bring my mom here. Thanks to some drama with an A320 going mechanical in DEN, that plan nearly got blasted. However, man does it pay to be Global Services with Mother United, or based on the latest rumours, should I say Unitental. They pulled it out of the proverbial flames, got me to PHX, and we got back to ORD early! So no run.
Thursday - 430AM wake-up so I could get into the office for a global conference call. Day ended 12 hours later and an unpleasant commute home. The winds here a living up the "Windy City" moniker tonight and there's just no way I'm going to try and fight the winds and get in a decent run.

So I will run first thing in the morning. Couple of miles to loosen my legs. And then we'll head down to Champaign. As of Monday, I was feeling primed. And now, I am as nervous as can be about my first 1/2 marathon. I've got to get a good night's sleep tonight. That should help to put me at ease. I need to get rid of this nervous thing. Because this is it. 36 hours and counting...

The week ahead...

First of all, Happy ANZAC Day to my mates in Australia and New Zealand. I'll go on record here saying how much I miss Australia. What an amazing country and I've seen just a sliver of it. Some of the best people are to be found there! Great place.

I digress. This week, oh this week. Here's what's on tap:
Monday - work and a four miler
Tuesday - a day in the office and a four miler
Wednesday - same-day turn to PHX to pick up my Mom and bring her up here. All legs successfully upgraded, thank you, Mother United!
Thursday - a day in the office and a mere two mile run
Friday - leave for Champaign for the festivities associated with the Illinois Marathon
Saturday - the day that's been a long, long time coming. My first 1/2 Marathon. We leave the start line at 7:30AM. Click here to see a video of the course. The host is very Midwestern. So on race morning, I welcome any and all prayers, sacrifices (animal or otherwise, lighting of whatever on my behalf that morning. I'm not too proud to beg!

Seriously, make with the prayers. That being said, I'm really excited. I feel ready for this. I feel like I've prepared as best I can. And here's the ridiculous part...it's six days before the 1/2, a distance I've yet to complete, and I'm giving serious, serious thought to a marathon. So serious that I've picked out the one I'll do - the Indianapolis Marathon. In October. Of this year. Am I crazy?

Rolled

I did the following to my left ankle today during a four-mile run at lunch:
Left Ankle, Rolled

I've rolled aforementioned ankle on other runs but this one was a little different. It was instantly tender. I did myself no favors as I continued to run on it. I was 1.25 miles into my run and I was bent on completing it. It didn't hurt that bad and I actually found myself running a little faster (three of the four miles were sub-10 minute miles - color me happy!). Then I got home and it turned dull pain. It's not swelling but it hurts. So it's wrapped, elevated and iced. So I'm working the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) plan as best I can.

I need to run six miles tomorrow and I need to be ready for this 1/2 in seven days, people. If I can't run in the morning, I fear that I will find myself wallowing in self-pity and another kind of roll. This kind:

That wallowing will only lead to another roll in my gut. And I need that like I need a hole in my head. So here's to snapping back first thing in the morning.

Nine

For those who are new to the Den, I'm training for my first 1/2 marathon during the Illinois Marathon. As of today, said 1/2 marathon is in 13 days. I've been training religiously for this thing, thanks to CARA. Yesterday was our longest run yet as a group - nine miles.

In a word, it was awesome (OK, three words but you get what I'm saying). We started at 7:30AM with temps in the low 40s, which was pretty ideal. A couple of our regulars weren't there, so my group leader and I went out a little faster than our normal pace. I'd run last week with a faster group and had managed to keep up but didn't want to stress it on the longer run. We wound up running a faster pace anyway. We headed south on the Prairie Path and it was gorgeous! Spring was evident everywhere and that may have charged the run as well.

The pace was great - sub 10 minute miles for seven of the nine miles and conversational pace the whole time. I didn't feel tired and never got that "By all that's holy, when is this ending?" feeling that sometimes creeps up. What I was able to envision was finishing the 1/2 without shame. As we ran the last mile, I started getting really excited about the race on May 1. It's going to be, dare I say it, fun.

Fun. I never thought I would have equated running with fun, but here I am saying it's fun. It's challenging. It's good for the mind and soul. It makes me happy. It really is a good time. And can I just tell you how much I love my shoes:
Well done, Brooks, well done!

So, I'm having fun with this running thing. Logic and several of my friends say I've got a marathon in me. I'm going to see how I do at the 1/2 before I make that decision. Although the Honolulu Marathon in December or Bermuda Marathon in January has a certain appeal...