I was able to get back  running in week 10 (2 weeks before the marathon).  I\'m sure that the achilles tendonitis was caused by my shoes.  Since going back to the 2120s the tendonitis is slowly getting better.

I completed 80 miles in week 10 and 2.5 hours of PC mostly at 110+ rpm.  I completed what I needed to do to get confidence I would be fit enough to toe the line on November 3rd. 

I completed a 20 mile run at mostly 6:20 pace on Thursday, and completed a 4 mile VP session Saturday on the track in racing flats. My achilles held up and I was feeling like I had a shot.

I eased back my PC duration to 2.5 total hours but kept my RPM up in the 110RPM range  for short 30 min sessions. I was supposed to be tapering.

The difference between doing a VP in 11oz training shoes vs. 6.5oz flats was significant.  Doing 72/81 laps in trainers was very difficult  and I only made it 3 miles on pace but in flats it was so much easier and fluid.  Its been a long time since I\'ve done speedwork in trainers and had forgotten what it used to be like.

Then things started to get crazy Week 11 (the week of the marathon).  Work sent me on an emergency trip to a customer site in Minneapolis on Sunday night.  Things at work snowballed and I was up late Saturday-Tuesday on conference calls with the west coast and China and only managed to get 3-4  hours sleep at night. 

My legs were sore during  my  runs.  This was not how I was supposed to be feeling the week of the race.  I was supposed to be tapered, and rested.  I was missing my PC sessions while on my trip.  I was stressed out of my mind and sleep deprived.

When I returned on Tuesday I ran a 4 mile MP run with a total of 11 miles.  My legs felt hammered and I had to jump in a car and start driving to NY that night.

I really would have liked to get on my PC and spin for a couple hours and relax into a familiar rhythm.

Wednesday-Friday I spent trying to relax and de-stress in NY before the race.  I competed my normal pre race 5x400m reps on Wednesday but I still had soreness in my legs. My legs started to feel better as the days went on into Friday, I was forgetting about work and relaxing.  Things were looking up for the race. 

I would be toeing the line but the outcome was still unknown.