Is this a bad time for a "blah" run?

Today was the last "long run" of the taper. Eight miles. Only eight miles. Just a few weeks ago I was churning out eight miles on my midweek "short" runs.

And I was feeling pretty "blah" through all of it today. I didn't feel very enthusiastic. It was like I was just out doing a job.

Part of my problem was that I decided to try out new shoes -- Saucony Trigon 5 Guide. The verdict is that I will NOT be wearing these in the marathon. They felt as if they lacked cushioning and also triggered a blister on the top of my foot. I don't know if re-lacing them will help, but in the meantime, I've got a fresh pair of the tried-and-true Trigon 4 Guide I'll be putting in play instead. There's no way I'm experimenting with something as fundamental as shoes at this stage.

Just as with nearly every Saturday morning long run, my last stop before home was at Sonic Jog-In. The guy that takes my order loves asking how far I went. He was duly impressed when I told him about next week's race distance!

I really have no idea what the weather will be like next weekend. Just three days ago, I was in long pants and long sleeves and braced against cold winds. Today I was back in shorts and a singlet and I was wearing my hat not for warmth, but to keep the sun and sweat out of my face.

7 days, 17 hours, 30 minutes until gun time....