3 posts in one day? Who am I?

The one thing that I love about my Garmin - who am I kidding? There isn't just one thing that I love, I love so many, but the one thing that I am digging right now is the reports feature that it gives me through the web. I am stressing about next Sunday and what my pace will be and where I want to finish versus what I think I might finish at. My goal was from the very beginning to finish in 1:45. However, I lost some of my speed when I was out for 4 weeks with my knee issue and since being back I have been so nervous to re-injure myself that I don't feel that I have been pushing myself as much as I was. My last run pre injury I ran 7 miles at a 7:30 m/mile pace...I have not done that since. I have resigned to the fact that I probably will be finishing closer to what my time was for the Unplugged marathon (1:57) than the 1:45 I was hoping for.

After looking at the reports and seeing what my training time has been and talking with Alan, I am really hoping 1:45 is still do able. My training runs outside have been at around an 8:15-8:30 pace. These have been with Sirius, whom, I love dearly and he does push me sometimes, but, he also has the knack to know just when I am getting into my pace rhythm he needs to stop and poop or smell a tree to pee on or whatever. My runs on a treadmill have been consistently at an 8 m/mile or less. I have been putting the incline up for the majority of my runs but sometimes I forget. I am really hoping that my run goes well and I get into the "race" mentality instead of I am running with a lot of people around me. Which is definitely what I do a lot of the time. I think I get so nervous to go too fast too soon and never really show my speed until I can see the finish line and then it's too little too late.

Here's the plan:
1. get psyched up - this is the big deal! This is what you've been training for. Everything else has been in preparation for this moment!
2. realize it's a race and treat it as such - no guts no glory.
3. realize that if I give too much too fast then I can reign it in. Nothing is final. Not trying, not giving my all, is failing!
4. try to do the first few miles at a high 8 to low 9 m/mile. (8:40 is what I am aiming for) (34:40min)
5. next few miles do a mid level 8 (8:20) (33:20min)
6. next few miles do low 8 (8:00) (32 min)
7. last mile run at a 7:30
8. last 1/2 mile lay down the hammer and give it all that I have for the last .6 miles and finish strong. I will be finishing the marathon and there will be a ton of crowd support, bands etc. I should definitely find the motivation to really finish strong.

Goal for this race:
1. finish under 1:50 - haven't completely ruled out 1:45 but trying to be realistic...
2. finish strong - sweat dripping, gasping, legs and arms pumping. I want to finish strong but be done!
3. be tired - if I am not dying, I didn't give it all I had.
I read a quote in a Dean Karnazes book that a marathoner said if he wasn't on the ground after finishing a marathon to hit him with a 2x4 and knock him on the ground because he clearly didn't give it all that he had. That is the way I want to feel. Totally and utterly drained because I gave it all that I had and left nothing in the reserve tank.

If I don't reach my goals this one, there is always the one in July to reach them. Nothing is final, not trying is fatal...