Final week is on track

All day I've been under a cloud of depression. People have been asking if I'm excited or worried and, to be honest, I have no feelings about the marathon at all.

I've just got home from a long tube journey without my usual run home from London Bridge to break up the monotony.  Marathon or not, running home is the way forward.  There's only so much stink, sweat and sullen faces you can take in rush hour. I finished off The Guardian from this morning, read both London free papers, and scouted around to see what other people were reading as I had left my Ipod to charge at home - girl opposite, The Kite Runner; bloke next to me, Alastair Campbell's Diaries; and a bloke standing up was engrossed in Heat.

The two freebies both had marathon tips in them.  They were talking about tapering and what the week should entail.  One said you should have a marathon plan and stick to it.  Now,  I've had a plan which has been steadily developing since January.  Although, sticking to it will be the difficult part.

Here it is:

Mile 1. Start off slowly and run a 10:30 mile.

Mile 2-5.  Run 10 minute miles.

Mile 6- 18.  Get into a rhythm that will enable a 9:30 pace but with 30 seconds of walking at each mile marker to take in water and PowerBar gels.

Mile 18- 26. Sprint finish.  Well, er, no, not really,  but no particular planned stops just run as far as I can with as few walking breaks as my withering, failing body will allow.

Mile 26 - 26.2(Finish).  One last push.

Now, Unlike the rest of the day, I'm getting a little psyched for Sunday.