Same Time, Same Channel

Wow Carolyn, nice miles!! Great pace! I think you will rock this marathon!!!

In my opinion, it will feel TOO easy from mile 4 through 16 or so. I plan to do a little Garmin Gazing up to mile 16 or 17 just to make sure I'm not faster than I can maintain. I know this is counter to Sasha's method. You don't have access to my race report from the one marathon in 2007 when I unwittingly did a Sasha-style race, but I have re-read it about 5 times this month, just to make sure I am making the right choice. Right choice *for me*. I digress. You are in great shape and with your taper you should have a wonderful experience and a fast finish time for a first marathon. But I hope above all you enjoy yourself, because all this work should produce the happiest of memories.

I'm still wondering if I have the guts to put it all out on the line and go out in a Sasha-style race. Maybe by 18-miler at slightly slower than MP this Saturday will give me some confidence.

Best wishes to you and Bonnie for your marathon this Sunday, Snoqualmie.

I second the 'too' easy for the correct pace. Although, we do need to remember that Ogden is pretty much a downhill course ... so it changes things a little. I am sure a BQ is easily within your range. You just need to decide whether simply qualifying is enough (e.g., taking it easy and running well within your capabilities, risking not running as fast as you might be able) or do you want to just go for it and see how fast you can run it for as long as you can -- possibly (hopefully not, but possibly) setting yourself up for some painful miles at the end but just laying it out there.

You might want to play with Sasha's course tool and see what it suggests for plan A (based on canyonlands 1/2) and plan B (caution to the wind - fast past until you can't) ... and then you can make up your mind that day having both choices in mind. Or, you could go, plan C -- run as you feel and see how it plays out.

Whatever your plan - it will feel easier on race day than it does in training (at least until mile 22 or so).

Barbie needed her beauty sleep this morning. It takes a lot of work to maintain that particular look!

Good run today. You going to do so well at Ogden!

Or a lot of surgery.

Here is my two cents (mind you, I have only run two full marathons, but many halfs): What you run on a training run always feel hard and you are easily able to pull out much faster times in a race for some odd reason. My last half had an avg pace of 7:19, no way in heck I can do that for 13 miles on my own. But it did not feel particularly hard during a race.

I think you have this one in the bag. You have trained smart and you will do well. As far as the darn Garmin goes, I despise the things on normal runs but love them during a race. I look at one thing and one thing only---average pace. I know what my average pace needs to be and i try to start with it way below and then not let it creep up too high. I did run the second half of the St George marathon without a garmin (my husband was wearing it) and LOVED it, but at that point I was just running for fun.

RAMBLE RAMBLE RAMBLE. I am no expert, anyway. Sorry. You will do great!