I haven't felt much like writing in here lately, obviously. I "ran" against some advice yesterday and put in about 40 minutes here in Bellevue. Some say to run a little as close as the day before the race. I'm hoping that a moderate run close to my race pace three days before the event will be ok. I gauged the run by my breath. I felt I had to shake out my legs a bit. I didn't think that not running at all for the week before the marathon would be a good idea. I'm having a minor concern in my knee again. If I start off easy on Sunday I should be all right. I've been trying to figure my pace from the pace charts and calculators available on running web sites.

I'm having a much more leisurely weekend this year than last. I moved this weekend last year, then ran the Seattle Half and then had to contend with a big test the following Monday. It was harrowing and exhausting. I couldn't properly train for the race because I needed to study for the test and all the other tests in the course. I'm hoping this year will be different. I try to avoid the perfect storm weekends like that now. Sleep last night wasn't that fitfull. I had a crazy mix of work and the race combining to make a truly bizarre mix of dreams. There were monkeys, monsters, and wars. We were told to do a five days worth of properties in three. Presently I can't complete the schedule I have now. This leads to anxiety. The sheer length of the marathon is leading to it's own anxiety as I try to put it into perspective.

Maybe going to the expo today to pick up my bib, shirt and stuff will help me wrap my head around this. I might also run down to Fry's to see what they have for sales. I know this is not exactly the best day to do this, but at least it will get me out of the apartment.

I just checked the weather for Sunday, and this is what they have to say:

"Sunday is the annual running of the Seattle Marathon. It will be a cold and damp race. Temperatures should be in the middle to upper 30s at the starting line Sunday morning."

Lovely.