So... the marathon is rapidly approaching. As in 62 hours until I toe the start line. Am I excited? YES! Am I nervous? YES! Am I ready to just get the darned thing over with? Absolutely YES! So let's talk goals for the Illinois Marathon. Love this quote. My training cycle this spring has gone really well. I've PR'd in the 5km, 4-mile, and half-marathon, all while training for this marathon. I've completed several long runs - two 18's, a 19, two 20's, and a 21. Along with a handful of 15-17 milers. And I have felt strong! (Unlike a lot of my training runs for last year's Flying Pig .) I think the secret to my great long runs has been the fact that I've had running buddies. I've also gotten the hang of mid-run fueling, which has helped a lot. At the finish of the Columbus Half-Marathon last fall. So, based on my training cycle and recent PR's, I've decided to go for a 3:15 , which is a 7:27 average pace. Wowza, see...