It's official! Legit! Word! For Reals baby!

I am giddy!  Beyond giddy!  Excruciatingly happy!  So happy that I want to burst into song!

Doc says I can do the marathon.  Yes, those words came out of his mouth.  He told me to base my pace on pain.  If I hurt and am limping, walk it.  Ibuprofen and listen to my body.  Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! 

And then once the marathon is over.  Off of it!  Rest!  No running!

He was not amused when I asked what he thought about Lortab and the marathon.  Sheesh!  I was kidding!  Maybe.......I actually don't have enough to get me through, even though I have hoarded them like an addict any.

Anyhoo - no more speculation.  Straight from the authority.  I am running it. 

I have set aside my dream of qualifying for Boston this time.  That isn't going to happen, let's be realistic. 
I am setting aside my goal for sub 4.  Nope.  Not gonna happen. 
I am setting aside the hope for 4.5.  That would be pushing it.  Not gonna happen.
I now have a goal of finishing.  Of running the whole way (if possible) and finishing before they yank me off the course.  I just have to post sub 6.  I think nay, I KNOW, I can do that!

For this competitive girl - it's no longer about me and the other runners and how many roadkills I can garner. 
It's personal.  It's between me, my mind and my body.  I will win. Plain and simple.

And for my lucky friends, no one is going to be subjected to any kind of scene similar to the Hoff drunk on his living room floor stuffing his face with a cheeseburger.  Because if so, the scene would be more like this:
Me sobbing and wailing in my bed, jammies only, cramming in my piehole an alternating cycle of  skittles, pizza, spicy doritos, diet coke and Nyquil.

Instead I will be ceasing the brown bubbles as of Sunday.  Cycling and swimming to keep my cardio up and light running on the treadmill.

Look out St Jorge marathon......M-Cat's coming for ya!