To avoid total post-race devastation after months and months of training, it is recommended to have three race goals in mind. And here are mine:

No Problem Goal - To reach the finish line uninjured.
Barring some unforeseen disaster, I feel very confident that I can achieve this...which is the whole point of this "3 goals" thing. I feel healthy, well-rested and totally prepared for the distance. Not that I have any illusions that it will be easy, but I will get there.

Realistic Goal - 4:59:59
In other words, I want to break 5 hours. I completed my last (and only) marathon in 5:09. This was at the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon in Anchorage in 2004. Where will those 9 minutes come from? The flatter course in San Antonio and the stronger runner - me! Reaching this goal means averaging an 11:26 pace.

Pie in the Sky Goal - 4:45
This will be a stretch. I have been basing my Yasso 800's on this distance and those workouts felt great. But, maintaining a 10:52 pace over the distance sounds tough. We'll see if the thousands of other runners and the 60 or so bands can pull me through.

If you'd like to follow me and Paul online, then there will (supposedly) be live athlete tracking on the race's website. Just in case you need our bib numbers to follow us, I am 18271 and Paul is 2100. The race takes place on Sunday and begins at 7:30am (San Antonio is one hour ahead of Tucson time and one hour behind for friends on the east coast). Please send positive thoughts our way!