I never watched the show but the title sounded like something I tell myself all the time:

JUST ONE HANDICAP AT A TIME

This really helps to keep me in check.It's a very useful mantra on the month before a marathon. We are peaking, we feel strong and fast, the weather eases up so we feel even better; we feel GREAT and the taper is approaching... this is when most of us mess up.I like to repeat LESS IS MOREBut what is less and what is more? I tell myself THIS IS THE TIME TO BE CONSERVATIVEBut how do I know I am being conservative enough?

Well... enter the new and reformed:

JUST ONE HANDICAP AT A TIME

If it's hot, back off on the pace.
If you're going long, back off on the pace.
If you're doing hills, back off on everything else.
If you're doing speedwork, don't wear the wrong gear.
and so on...

Stats are pretty scary; 6 weeks to 10 days before race day is HOT DANGER CRAZY RED JALAPENO BURNING ZONE.I should know!!!Make sure you don't do too much to hurt yourself and make sure you don't peak too early...  Tape a sign on the door if you have to, deal?PS: Please don't hold me accountable if I do!
 
Remember when I told you about the Five Boro Challenge? Post is here, small recap here:

Every year the Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge brings together five ING New York City Marathon runners, each one representing a New York City borough.
Their goal: be the fastest finisher out of the five and become champion of the Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge! 
This is your chance to take your 2011 Marathon experience to a higher level and show your pride for your borough.
The Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge team will be treated as VIPs and will be featured on the NBC4 New York live television broadcast on race day.
The runner who finishes with the fastest time will become the Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge Champion, and will win a Tiffany & Co. trophy and citywide bragging rights.Must commit to running the first 13.1 miles of the marathon with the Challenge Team (after that, you’re free to run alone or stay with the group). Must be available at select times during marathon week to participate in a pre-marathon media event.

This is HUGE. We have our own start and we basically run on our own through the Verrazano. Last year I saw the 5 challengers in the papers, on tv, everywhere... so I am sure everyone in NYC is going to be sick of seeing my face ;-) 

Photo Shoot and Pretaping with NBC, in a very secret location (Central Park, yeah!) is next week. If there is one person in NYC that doesn't know me yet, I am coming for them!;-) SO exciting!!!!!!
 
The following is from a speech by Teddy Roosevelt.. A friend sent it to me, she says she reads this quite often when she is down/out about running. 
 
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. 

Some of you will forget this in two minutes but I know a few of you were waiting for something exactly like this. Have a rocking weekend!!!