Pre-Marathon Race Day Nerves, Jitters and Butterflies

Oh, the joy! The bliss! Damn the taper! I want this marathon to be over already!

I am a bundle of nerves, edgy, jumpy and feeling like I want to crawl out of my skin. For some reason this particular taper before the Portland Marathon is even more difficult to deal with. You'd think that by the time you've done a couple of dozen of these that they would get easier. They don't seem to be for me.

With all that's been going on in my life, the Portland Marathon has crept up to me on little cat's feet. Or mountain lion's feet. I have a feeling I am about to get pounced on.

I have no idea how I will do. I am not as fast as I have been in the past, but of course the question is - am I fast enough?

I know I am strong. On any given day of the week, I could reel off fifty miles if I had to do something that outlandish. But fast? Hmmmnnnnn...

Well, children, we will certainly know in a few days.

Had a lovely meal with the marathon clinic last night, chicken with pasta. Had a fabulous bottle of wine with Patrick, an impudent little Barolo - actually make that two!

And once the wine was flowing I made bottle bets with Darren, Kevin, Claire, and Linda to add to my usual bet with Seymour, a marathon eve tradition going back five years and at least ten amarathons!

Was a strange mixture of socialiabilty - is there such a thing? - and my need to back myself into a corner.

On the road again, like a band of Gypsies we go down the Highway, it's I-5...