Am I Ready?

I keep wondering, am I nuts? Will I be ready to run the MDI Marathon? Have I been running enough? I know I can run a marathon. I did one in October of 2006. I ran under 4 hours. But, MDI is not a flat marathon like the Maine Marathon. It is a tough, hilly course. So, the question is really not can I run the marathon... It is how much suffering will there be? How fast will I be able to run? Will I be happy with my performance? Will Snowman kick my ass and finish way ahead of me? (Yes, this last one should not matter, but I can't help but think it.)

When I compare my 2006 training log with this year's, there is a marked difference. The summer of 2006 was comprised almost solely of running entries. Snowman was injured and we did hardly any hiking, 60 miles to be exact. This year's book is much more of a mixed bag of running and hiking entries. In 2006, my running mileage was therefore much higher than this year's running mileage. But I think the hiking can only help. Many of our hikes this summer have been long endurance hikes, with some trail running thrown into the mix. These hikes must count for something. In 2006 I did not do a ton of long runs. My longest were 16.75 and 20. This year I have an 18, 20 and 22 planned. Assuming I get them in, I think doing three solid long runs will help. However, the longest run I've done so far was 15 miles in mid-July. That was a while ago. But then again, this year I also feel like I have a much broader, stronger base of mid-range runs (10-12 miles, with two 9-mile trail races in the mix too) under my belt. On the flip side, 12 miles only gets me approx. 1:50 into the race. After that, there are miles to go before I can sleep.

As you can see, I am of two minds (or maybe more!). Hopefully tomorrow's run - a 19-miler with Snowman - will be a good step in the right direction for my training and make me feel a bit more prepared and confident. You'll just have to check back in tomorrow to see how it goes :-)