I ran my last 22-miler before Paris up on Leif today.  Finished in 3:09, cruising what felt pretty easily the whole way, in intermittent rain and hail and a whole lot of mud.  The hay isn't quite all in the barn yet, but it's stacking up nicely.

I would really, really like to go sub-3:30 in Paris, and I think if I have the right kind of day I can do it.  It's one of those milestones for recreational runners, and I've been looking for it for a while now.  I've run two 3:40s on less training than I've put in for this race, and on a tougher course than Paris.  But I'm also carrying five extra pounds I can't seem to lose, and I know they're slowing me down.  We will see what happens on race day.

I've always been told about the power of visualization in mental training, but I've never really been able to wrap my head around the concept.  I'm a creature of words, not pictures; I've gone many happy years without a TV, and in museums I spend more time reading the plaques beside the paintings than I do looking at the paintings.  So I decided to put my own spin on visualization by writing a detailed race report--three weeks before the race.

I hit every detail, from the weather to my pre-race breakfast to my shoes to the kindly soul (purely imaginary) who paced me from start to a 3:29:44 finish.  Weirdly, I found myself thinking about my imaginary pacer friend during this morning's run.  I think I will bring her to Paris with me.  She won't even require a ticket.