April 19th can't come soon enough

March mileage: 181 miles. Almost a mileage high, but last Sept. I ran 182...I knew I should have skipped that 5 miler in Week 14!

I am sick of running. I get this way every training cycle, but I seriously have no motivation right now. It took alot to get out there for 12 on Saturday. Thank goodness, I only have short runs left. I am slightly nervous because I feel I am putting forth alot of effort to run my usual paces. Last cycle, I felt awesome at this point. Every time I would look down at my watch, I surprised myself with how fast I was going...not this time. I was seriously wondering if my garmin was working properly when I looked down and saw 9:15 today on a 4-miler. I felt like I was going much quicker! Of course, this makes me question my marathon. I know I need to trust the taper, and it's only taper madness, but the mind can be a hard thing to control.

My aunt, uncle, and cousin got me an awesome basket in honor of my running Boston. It has a Boston visor, coffee mug, pin, gatorade, powerade, coke, GU, protein bars, bandaids, biofreeze, etc. They are a running family, so they "get" it. My uncle has run Boston several times and is an amazing runner, so he has really been an inspiration and support throughout this journey! I have been feeling down about myself lately, so this helped me see the support that I do have.

I also ordered my Boston jacket. I was undecided about ordering one. It is bright teal and yellow and very flashy! I tend to be a modest person and really couldn't see myself wearing this jacket...especially to local races because I feel that I'm not "that" good to prance around in a jacket like that. After talking to my uncle, he convinced me to buy it. I know I earned it, so I splurged and spent the bucks on it. Once it comes, it will stay unworn until I finish the race. Then, I need to work up the courage to wear it. It looks like a good running jacket anyway.

Our trip is shaping up too. Aaron and my mother-in-law will be joining me for the big weekend. My parents can't come because my sister's bridal shower is the following weekend, so they have to get ready for that. We are driving to Boston immediately after work (my work) on Friday the 16th. I figure if we leave around 3:30/4:00, we should get there by 11 (hopefully). Saturday, we plan to hit the expo first thing in the morning and do the Ride the Ducks Tour at 1. Aaron wasn't sure what this was until he watched Undercover Boss, now he is ready to kill me, but I really enjoyed it in Philly. I would also like to hit Quincy Market and walk part of the Freedom Trail. Sunday, I am going to try to take it easy. We got Red Sox tickets, so I will be sitting for most of the day. I am not sure what else we will do, except have a nice Italian dinner possibly in the North End. Aaron's good friend lives in Boston, so hopefully we will meet up with him and he can give us some suggestions. We are leaving right after the race on Monday, so we won't get home until late. I already took Tuesday off to recover! I can't believe it is here already. In fact, 2 weeks from this moment, it will be over and we will be driving home. Wow!

Week 17 Schedule
Monday- 4 miles
Tuesday- 6 miles
Wednesday- 30 min tempo (4 miles)
Friday- 4 miles
Long Run of 8 miles.....Monday the 12th! I want to get on track for a Monday marathon.

Total: 26 miles...yay!