I ran a seven mile marathon pace run yesterday morning. MPace is around 8:45 to make a time of 3:49:00. That would give me 1:59 to spare to make a Boston Qualifying (BQ) time to run Boston in 2008.
It was my last “hard” training run before the marathon, which is now nine days away (shiver). It’s all easy running at reduced mileage from now until race day.
The run went very well. I did a mile easy, two miles at MPace, a mile easy and another two at MPace followed by…yes…a mile easy. I found it a bit difficult to run slower during the rest mile inbetween the hard ones, which I took as a good sign. The pace felt natural and comfortably challenging, if that makes sense. I even deliberately did it in heavier shoes so I’ll feel like Tinkerbell come the 25th.
I still have no clue if I can hold that pace for 26+ miles, but I’m going to try. Now I just have to pray for a windless, rainless and heatless race day.
And if it doesn’t work out, I get another chance to try in late May in Burlington, Vermont.
Races Like a Girl 
Hi RLAG,
I would like to wish you a very good marathon and I hope that you will meet your BQ time. That would really be awesome.
Hi Julie, I came across your blog some time ago. Best of luck in your quest for a BQ! I hope to read a triumphant race report pretty soon here!