I am so, so tired and bed is imminent, but I thought it was about time for a quick check in here.

I've got one last short run before the Columbia Gorge Half and I'm still feeling pretty excited about the race. I know that hills aren't my strongest thing and that this course has lots of them, but I'm definitely more prepared than I was before I moved to Seattle and pretty much HAD to start running hills if I wanted to actually get anywhere. Living on the top of the hill can have some disadvantages, but I know they're great training.

Today was a nice, easy 4.5, which I really enjoyed. I especially enjoyed finding, when I finished that my "easy" pace was only 5 seconds slower than my absolute dream half marathon pace for Sunday. So, that was nice. I feel confident that I will be able to do better than I did at the Princess, because I'm better trained, not going in injured, there won't be a sudden heat wave to adjust to, and I'm NOT going to forget to eat anything during the race! Sadly, I will not be running with my best friend, nor will there be a castle. Still, there will be an iPod, probably playing Wittertainment or my new favorite, Marathon Talk, and a Garmin that I'm finding I need to look at less & less. I still like analyzing the data when I'm finished, but I am loving the "no pressure" running of just waiting until it has done the requisite number of beeps to indicate the miles I've finished. I seem to run so much better when I can run by feel, rather than by Garmin. Doesn't mean I'm going to run without it, though! Then I couldn't overanalyze my pacing and splits. :-)

So, goals: my A goal would be to get under 2:15. My B goal is to be under 2:25 (my PB from Princess is 2:28). My C goal is to finish.

And, after that, it's on to a good rest and training for London! I met a woman for whom NYC will be her 7th marathon last night at the Sounders game. Needless to say, we both kind of forgot that there was a game on and spent the entire 90+half time+injury time talking about marathons. Awesome. It was fantastic and super helpful! However, we both realized that Boston, for which she'll be training next, is conveniently timed for making up training support teams, since Boston is the day after London. That would be nice, even though I'm still very much in awe of people who can run fast enough and training hard enough to earn BQs.

Right, falling asleep a bit now & must give in!

And now for some VERY big news....

I'm running the London Marathon!

I'd be completely lying if I didn't admit that I'm pants-wettingly scared about this fact AND so over the moon that I want to shout about it from the rooftops!

I keep reading blogs from previous Londons and getting chills about the whole experience. And then, a split second later, wondering how on earth I'll cope with the training, the wall, getting the nutrition strategy right (am I the only person who wonders about this obsessively?). I realize how well I already know the course and how much better I'm going to know it soon. And I realize how incredibly lucky I am to have the support of friends who are going to be cheering me on the whole way (in tiaras!).

So, I'm just getting started - I've ordered several books from the library and am going to have to sit down and make a plan. (A PLAN!!!!) And, then, of course, comes the hard part - sticking to it. I'm going to plan for four runs a week. That's more than I manage now and will be quite a challenge, given that I work from 7:30-5 and it's dark so early in Seattle. I think more runs that I'd like will be in my gym, once it's finished and opens, on a dreadmill. Ew. But, I'm also looking forward to the cross-training and definitely planning to do a yoga class each week.

I'm definitely not starting to train now. I've still got two weeks and a bit until the Columbia Gorge Half and am technically in the taper for that race. However, I am so, so grateful now that I'm signed up for that race and really got my training in gear over the past couple of months. The news about London came off of a really good training week and an 11 mile long run that was definitely hard, but not utterly exhausting. I can feel the improvement, even from a few weeks ago. My body feels strong and I love that feeling. I am in no way, shape, or form underestimating the challenge that running the marathon will be, but I feel like I've at least given myself a good shot at getting through this in one piece, because I've already built a solid base to train from.

And OMGOMGOMG, I'M RUNNING THE LONDON MARATHON!!!! EEEEEEEEEEE!