As the trees have started blossoming, the banners around the city have gone up, the signs on MassPike indicate that some exits will be closed on Marathon Monday, many skinny, running-shoe-clad out of towners have descended in, the City of Boston is dressing itself up for the Marathon.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been admittedly a bit jaded about the marathon.  Although I have successfully avoided injury, my running has felt less than par, I have felt very slow and the conditions have made it less than fun.  Thus, I have this internal reflex to lower my own and others’ expectations and tone it down, be too cool, saying to others and to myself, ‘I’ve done so many marathons in the past’, ‘It’s just 3-4 hours out of many, many, many’, ‘It’s just another training run, but there’s food and drink so its easier’.

And although in my history of athletics, it’s this type of approach that makes me perform well (and in this case, not go out too fast) I have found myself getting caught up in the wave and in spite of myself, and I am, yes, very excited for the marathon.

It could be perhaps because the taper week (or 2 or 3, however people approach it) is the golden ticket week where you are ‘allowed’ to run however much or little that you want.  Your work is done.  And though I’ve often felt tired and junky all winter, heavy legs, I am feeling energetic and spry, and optimistic that I can run a good marathon.

It could be because of the following weather forecast I heard yesterday: “Cool and cloudy, rain holding off till late afternoon for the marathon.”

It could be because so many people are being so wonderful, excited about the marathon, going to be out on the course, have been telling me or emailing me good luck, have come to tell me about their running.

All of these add up to the fact that the city stops for a day, and there is so much positive energy around and no room for cynicism.  Even people who have never run a mile in their lives, students who are out drinking beers, they can all understand and cheer on the people achieving something big.

But in reality, it has been a hard winter.  People much more ‘in the know’ than me, who have been running in boston for decades, have said that this winter has been the most difficult for training.

And there is for me, as for everyone, a personal story.  Over this period of time, we’ve been staying neck deep in our lives here in Boston, while physically and mentally preparing for a new life in Philadelphia.

A friend asked me whether this marathon was the last hurrah before getting pregnant.  Well, who knows about that.  But I did realize that, whether a conscious decision or not, running the marathon as a fundraiser for Cycle Kids has been a sort of last hurrah while we live in Boston, at least for now.  One never knows where the winds of life will carry you.

So, as I run east on Monday (I am choking up as I write this, but am not going to make this oversentimental), with no misconceptions that my story is unique, just one of 28,000 for whom this day is a special day, I do know that it will be a memorable day in my life.  As I look for my friends in Framingham, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline and Back Bay, and my wife all along the route, although my mind will likely be too empty of blood to really appreciate it at the moment, and a camera too annoying to carry to run a good race, I’ve no doubt that whatever happens on Monday, it shall be permanently etched in my own personal history.

So, for the inquiring minds, as I drink my last pre-marathon beer (yes, beer is allowed in my book both pre- and post-marathon.  probably not during), some of my answers to curious pre-marathon questions:

• What do you do the weekend/day before the marathon? Little different than normal. I’ve been out with friends, went out on a short run yesterday, today biked around to several places, walked home, hung out at cafes.  It sounds pretty mundane, and is.  I did just do the pre-race ritualistic aerodynamic shave.
• What do you eat before the marathon? Pretty much the same as normal.  Weirdly enough, I’ve found myself not at all as hungry this weekend as I normally am.  So I have had to force myself to eat calories.  I think it is a combination of nerves and the fact that I’ve run so much less this week than normal that my metabolism has slowed down.  I am not carb-loading, as to do that right, you have to cut down for several days before and then gorge.  I will eat a good pasta dinner tonight (if I were hungry! bah!) and bagels in the morning.  The main change I made was to not eat my normal fiber-protein heavy breakfast this morning and I won’t tomorrow morning.  Fiber + marathon = bad news.
• What do you eat during the marathon? Typically I do just water and gatorade.  As I definitely ran low on calories several long runs this winter, I have to make sure I eat a hefty breakfast so I have some fuel to run on.  I will likely drink every 2 miles or so, walking through the stops (I hate pouring liquid on myself), have 1 or 2 energy gels and if the craving hits and it is available, I might grab a cookie and/or banana along the way.  And, the important part!  I am going to caffeinate!  2-3 espressos in the morning, and I might give some to nurit to give to me along the way.  Why not, if it will help me out?  (there was a NY times article recently that pretty much said caffeine helps all athletic performance)
• What will I wear? Based on the weather forecast, I am going to wear shorts and a long sleeve capilene beneath my Cycle Kids singlet, likely a baseball cap and sunglasses.  I will vaseline every possible chafing spot, and wear my stopwatch, as because I am starting at least 30 minutes later than Wave 1, I want to be able to keep track, at least generally, how I’m running.  If I get too warm, I’ll take off the long sleeve and tie it around my waste.  I like that shirt too much to toss it.

And here we go, in writing.  My goal which, if I met, I would be *elated* is 3:15 OR a negative split (meaning the second half of the marathon is faster than the first half).  Of course I will be happy whatever happens, but why not put something on the table…

UPDATE: I just found out that an east wind, unfortunately means *from* the east, not to the east.  10mph headwinds forecasted.  I might change that 3:15 above to 3:20.  Come on, running gods… do us good…