They all can't be "easy" runs.

16.25 miles. Hood route to legacy trail to the circus bridge and back. 7 am start. 2:26:02. 8:59 pace. First half 1:12:36 (8:56 pace). Second half 1:13:26 (9:02 pace) No bathroom stops. 83 deg., 57% hum., 66 d.p.

Boy #2 is in town this weekend for various USMC stuff. They are having physical training at Venice HS this morning. I was about 7 and 9 miles into the run, when I could hear instructors and about 700 recruits voices chanting in unison across the Intra coastal Waterway. I got a big smile knowing my guy was one of them. 

So that's the last long run before my race in 6 days. I really have no predictions about how I'll do. It's hard to estimate how running in 50 degree colder weather is going to change things.

Race Goals: I'd like to 1. Finish the race 2. Finish the race without a interwebs-life-ruining lower GI issue. 3. Not have this be my slowest marathon ever. 4. Under 4 hours. 5. I think that anything faster than that would be beyond what my last month has shown I can hold.  Years ago, I would have said "Take your last long run pace, back out a minute, that's your race pace." 8 minute miles seems out of reach. 

The point of this trip in the first place was having a long weekend with Spouse in a place we've never been, while eating an obscene amount of cheese curds. 

8 miles. Hood route to Legacy Trail, over the SWOM Bridge and back. Very smooth running today. 

8 days to race day. I'm starting to get nervous about the weather. 39 degrees at the race start is .... non-Floridian. 

4 on the trails plus (4) x 100m+ sprints and jog back on each of the laps. 7 am start. 75 deg., 59% hum., 59 d.p.

BTW, Race day weather predictions are 39 deg., 72% hum., 31 d.p.

Noon-ish on Venetian Waterway Park. 85 deg. 20 mph+ wind from SE. 

0.9 up, 2 @ 15:47, 1 easy, 2 @ 15:22, 0.9 down. 

Then I went out and bought new shoes, because I realized mine had 700 miles on them. And I bought some new shorts, because I realized mine had 7 years of perma-stink in them. I spent WAY too much money, because only smart guys buy running gear the week after Boston. 

1.65 mile North Bridge Loop, then 5 miles on the West Venetian Waterway Park. Then 1.65 mile North Bridge Loop. 1:30 pm start. 20+ mph winds. 85 degrees.

I wonder if "Beating Chelsea Clinton" will become the new "Beating Oprah Winfrey."  Seriously, 3:40:52 is pretty amazing for a 46 year old mother of 3. 

0.9 up, 5 miles on West Venetian Waterway Park. At 4 miles deep on the 5 mile run, I scratched my nose. Again. And started bleeding all over my face and shirt. I eventually found a TJ Maxx receipt on the ground that I used to apply direct pressure to the scratch. Then I ran for a while, holding the receipt to my nose. Then 3 cyclists went by and I asked them if they had a paper towel or a napkin. They did not, but they gave me a rag that smelled like oil. I thanked them, and ran back to my car.

Then I got home and was very busy with grandfather stuff. Then I became sick and spent the rest of the night on the toilet. I think tomorrow ends my consecutive days running streak at 86 days. The 93 day no beer streak lives on.