I'm (really) nervous about my upcoming marathon

Yup. Taper madness!!!  As well as some excitement about the next phase coming up in your life........

You've done all of the training - trust in this, and enjoy it!!!

Get with the pace group for your goal time, most of the pacers are experienced and will be right on the number for much of the day, prepare yourself for that last 10K when it gets tough and have fun.

Just think of it as a 26 mile kick to the finish!

I'll start the predictions, 3:44:51!

Best of luck trishie, we know you can do it!

My dear, you know what you gotta do, trust in the training. Don't put so much pressure on yourself.  No fear of failure--you have plenty of time even after H gets a sibling!  Be awesome! Be great!

CAKE!

Don't chase the carrot, chase CAKE on the 2nd half ... the faster you go, cutting close to your lower goal time, the sooner you get to cutting and eating CAKE! Look to maximize your fun; revel in the exuberance of being so fully alive and moving and breathing and celebrating in motion. So that you may celebrate with CAKE.

And a good-luck {MELON PRESS}.

As everyone else is saying, just trust your training.  You've already done the hard part, now go out an enjoy yourself!

Mark

Psh - easy peasy... okay, well not entirely easy - this IS a marathon, after all - but you KNOW you can do this.  You've done the training, you've prepped with all the other races this year, now go out and have FUN!  

Ain't taper madness grand?   

Was wondering when you'd start to panic

Relax, trust your training, and have fun. You're going to be fine. Remember what I said about NOT getting sucked in with the people doing the half. When they pick it up heading back on MLK drive, that's when you need to run your race and not speed up.

And avoid the hashers giving out beer at the Manayunk Diner. We'll be meeting up with a couple of them after the race.

See you Saturday!!!!

I'm afraid of attempting my marathon goal, and I'm still a few months out.  Recently I ran a 10K, where I was trying to PR.  The weather was perfect, and the course had some hills, but they were manageable.  It was on me to execute.

I definitely know the feeling, but you just have to trust that you've put the work in and see what you can do.

Ah. You got this. Just go out there and run your best. After all, that is all you can do! Control the controllables and let the rest go.

It's going to be fun!

Ha. 1. I totally did the reverse of this a couple years ago -- I was running the half marathon and let myself to get "sucked in" with the 3:20 pace group for the full. There are some very fast people out there. Oof. Anyway, I second Brian's recommendation.

2. When I did the full in 2008 (the year of 25 degree chilliness when they had to call an audible start because the starting horn froze and you had to ice skate through the aid stations because of all the frozen gatorade) I actually DID get a dixie cup of beer at mile 20ish from a group of college students...but I wasn't having the best race that day, so it seemed like a good idea at the time. :-P 

3. You're going to do great. As some wise people on here once told me, on race day, you just drive the engine you've built. I think you've built a pretty good engine. Go see what it can do!!

Best of luck to you and have fun!!

You should be nervous.  And excited!!!

Stay confident (remember all the prep you've done) and run your race.  Repeating what I said in the prediction thread:  Kill it! 

is your goal based on a valid prediction from recent race performances?

have you executed the training program?

does your goal time consider course conditions/altitude, etc.?

if so, then get out there, trust your training and run your pace.  manage your hydration and nutrition, be determined and when things start to hurt, tell your body to shut up, stop complaining and keep on running. you will do this.  you will be overjoyed at your capability. 

A well run marathon is gonna' be painful.  Decide in advance how much you really want to hit that goal and how much discomfort you're willing to put up with to do it.  But your body is stronger than you think it is.  it's trained and ready.  it can do this.  you just need to make it do it.

have fun.

McMillan (and others) predict around a 3:38-3:42 marathon based on my 1:44:39 HM time from a couple of months ago (my goal is 3:45 - 3:49)

I followed Hal Higdon's Advanced I plan to a T (seriously, I never missed a workout)

Time does factor in the course/ weather/ etc.

Thanks for the good advice ^^ I will keep it in mind!!

And a big THANK YOU to everyone else who chimed in here. I can't wait for Sunday!!

Gawd, I hate the taper...

That said, I LOVE THE NERVES before a race.  Being scared, committed, worried, excited, nervous, sick, a total PIA to those around me for the taper week is part of why I do this (and I'm guessing for you, too?  At least given your season, I'd wager that you dig it at least a little…  Maaaaaybe a lot.)  

Embrace it!  

Wow, I can actually feel the adrenaline just thinking about you toeing the line.    

The desire to succeed coupled with fear is a pretty powerful motivator.  Together, they'll help you wring out every last drop of speed you've banked this season - and you know that you've made lots of deposits in that account...

GO GO GO GO GO GO!

Matt