How to read the real-time posts

On race day (October 2), most of the posts to this blog will be done via e-mail from a cell phone. The subject of each entry will show the number of miles completed. The text of each entry will have either:
a) The time of the most recently completed mile,
b) The total time so far, or
c) BOTH

To get an idea of how well I'm doing versus the "virtual pacer", use this Pace Chart. If I can run each mile in nine minutes and nine seconds, I'll finish in just under four hours.

For examples of posts made via cell phone e-mail, you can check out the posts below this one, which I made during a three-mile training run on Tuesday. I finished mile #1 in 9:23, mile #2 in 9:04, and mile #3 in 9:13, for a total of 27:40. It's tough to get the cell phone to write colons, so they probably won't be there on Sunday. Also, there's no way to send the e-mail without the Cingular advertisement at the bottom. Sorry. :)

Depending on my energy level during the race, I might make an audio post or two as well. At this point, it's hard to tell how I will be feeling. I may be super-energized and finish well below four hours. I might be a bit tired and finish many minutes above four hours. My primary goal is to enjoy myself out there, and to finish successfully, whatever the time may be.

Finally, feel free to comment by clicking where it says "0 comments" (or whatever number of comments there are) at the bottom of each post. While I won't be able to read them during the race, I'll definitely check them out afterwards to see who has been cheering me on. You can also use them to see who else is following along.

The race starts at 8 a.m. on Sunday, so look for posts as early as one mile into the race! Thanks for reading, and thanks for your cheers!