My workouts continue to taper before the race.  I tried to push myself on Monday, but as always, the first mile is a warm up for my legs and they never seem to want to go all out in the beginning.  I picked up the pace at the end and finished with a sub-10 pace, which isn't terrible.  I'm aiming for a 10:00 pace for the first half...I know I can't keep that up for 26 miles.  I'm shooting for 11:00 pace for the whole thing.  We will see.

I continued my Tuesday ritual - gym circuit - and am happy with my results.  I'm doing more of every exercise in each 30 second bout than the previous week.  I'm up to 13 pushups in 30 seconds.  I had a tempo run on Wednesday on the treadmill.  I ran two 10 minute runs at 8 mph or 7:30 pace.  Lots of sweat, but definitely gives me some ideas for summer workouts.

I had to dive again this week, so I considered 3+ hours of cleaning windows and the bottom of the hippo pool as enough to cover the prescribed workout.  And to round out the week, a nice, relaxing 6 mile jaunt past a pond with a six(?) foot alligator in it.

I'm happy he didn't come out of the water...and amazed that I noticed him only on my second lap.  :)

I'm feeling excited and anxious for the race.  I've prepared well, but it's been a long 4+ months of training and a lot has happened in my life.  I can't wait for London!

I was dog/house-sitting again at the end of last week.  Kristin's newest addition is the little squeaker to the left, Fiona.  She is precious!

After last week's big 20 miler, this week was a piece of cake.  I have now entered what is known as "the taper" in the running world - or at least, the training-for-a-marathon world.  Not the zoo kind of tapir (of which I have a tattoo), but taper as in less than before.  The distance that I will now run each week will be less than the week before in order to give my body time to recover before the marathon.

I had a 50 minute run to start the week and I'm not sure why, but I did run slower than normal.  Eh, what can you do?  Not every run is the same.  I biked for 30 minutes on Tuesday and sprinted on the treadmill on Wednesday - 7:30 per mile for 20 minutes.  That's the fastest I've run for the longest period of time in years.  It took some mental fortitude to push through it, but I did.  I had to go in on my day off to help clean the hippo pool (scuba time!) and I got up early to get a 10 mile run in before the heat got too hot.  ;o)  All in all, a good week, but I'm ready for the race to be here already!

I continued my training in the cold, wet North.  We had two days of 50 degree weather, so most of the snow melted and the roads were clear by the time the cold came back.  I moved some firewood into the cellar for my Dad for cross training on Tuesday.  I even ran on Christmas morning and the morning after (the day of my flight back to Florida).  I headed into work on Friday and it was my turn to clean the hippo pool - via SCUBA.  I am on the Dive Team at work and we help the Edge of Africa keepers clean the hippo pool.  Maneuvering in the water is definitely a workout.  Once out of the water and running the next day, the warmer weather was appreciated - I did not have to wear so much gear.