So the marathon is 26 days away. Well, to be more precise…

And as if I couldn’t stop thinking/talking about for the last four months? Yeah, it’s almost entirely consuming now. (Fine by me).

I’ve gone back and forth for goals this entire training cycle. For my last NY Marathon experience, my goal was just to have a good time and finish under 5. Done. Could I have trained a little better? Yes, a lot better in fact. Could I have run harder? Yep. But I had an awesome time and was totally satisfied with my performance at the time.

Marathon Course Map... which, as of today, lives on the back of my front door.

This time? I think I’m ready for more of a goal. Knowing that I’m more type-B about these things, my goal is still very loose. Making this goal will not make or break my marathon experience. I know, to some that may defeat the purpose of having a goal, but I don’t really care. This is something that I think I’m capable of if my health and the conditions are prime on race day.

1. A Goal: 4:15. This would be about 9:44/mile. I think I could do it. Will I? Who knows. It’s my A goal, so if everything goes well, I think this could be within reach.
2. B Goal: sub-4:30. This would be an average of about 10:00/mile. I can do this and it will still be a PR.
3. Bottom-line Goal: Worst-case scenario, if the wheels fall off on race day, I want to keep things in perspective and have fun. The NYC Marathon is an incredible experience and I really want to enjoy it regardless of how I’m running on November 6.