COACH MARIE GAVE ME 8 MILES for tonight, which I did with two at home, then six more with the downtown group. She’d assigned an 8:30 pace, but I felt so good I did a 7:24 pace for the two-mile loop, then an 8:15 for the remaining six.

I feel really pumped for Saturday. Finishing under 40:00 for the 5-mile trail run seems a given. So how much faster can I run it? Is a 37:30 possible? Is even a 35:00 out of the question? Sure, the trail is full of steep climbs, rocks, and roots, but I had no problem with them last year. Of course, in 2010 I ran a 41:48, an 8:20 pace. Now I’m telling myself I might run a 7:30 pace or faster. On flat ground, no problem. On that trail? I’m setting myself up for disappointment, but I can’t help it. Is this what hubris feels like?