Resting My Tired Toes & Finalizing My Chicago Goals!

I planned on having an off day yesterday the second I woke up and my feet were ACHING! (Or, as my dad would say, my "puppies were barking.") I spent all day yesterday with my shoes kicked off under my desk at work. I think 13+ weeks of marathon training have finally caught up to me! I got home after work and just had a relaxing afternoon on the couch watching everything that's backed up on my Tivo (namely, Gossip Girl and Greek). Then the bf called and we met up for cheeseburgers! Yum! There's a REALLY awesome place in my neighborhood- they have a HUGE menu, and I do like the chicken pita, but nothing beats the mushroom cheeseburger. It's THAT good.

Also yesterday, I finally sat down and read the confirmation booklet for Chicago. It's finally happening! Yay! All I have left to do is make the most of my remaining training runs and finalize my travel plans. (Oh how I hope the El does not have slow zones on race day...) Which brings us to the thoughts consuming me today... my race goals.

I swear I have a job and I'm sure I have better things to do (well... maybe not), but I can't help but think about what I want to accomplish on October 11th. (And, like zamgirl5, I am also planning for the "what comes next" races!) After a long day of thinking, I've come up with my ABC goals for the Chicago Marathon, based mainly on my half marathon time range (1:59-2:07) and the results of my 20 mile run while sick (3:30).

A- 4:15. This would be breaking my current PR by well over an hour. If everything is perfect and all the variables are in place, this is certainly doable, depending on when I run out of gas during the race!

B- 4:40. Based on my 20 mile training run time (3:30), and then adding on an additional 10K while tired, I came up with this number. Again, certainly doable if the conditions are right.

C- 4:59:59. Getting under that 5:00 mark is a huge psychological benefit for me, much like getting under 2:00 was in the half marathon. Even if I die at the end, I will crawl across the finish line under 5 hours!

I'm looking forward to my 8 mile run after work today... the sun finally came out, and I'm just DYING to ditch my cube and head off for the day. Enjoy your Wednesday!