VDOT

The Rochester Half-Marathon is in less than 1 week. I originally wasn't going to do it because Finger Lakes Triathlon is a week after the half and that is what I am focusing on. However, it's hard for me to pass up a race, especially since my boyfriend is also doing it. I haven't done a long run since before Musselman, which was in July. Yesterday I did 9 miles which was fine, and hopefully what I've done will be sufficient. I've been reading Daniels' Running Formula and according to my last 5K time of 22:02, my VDOT is 44. I don't totally understand the VDOT.. it's sort of a pseudo VO2Max (my eyes glaze over reading the physiology - brings me back to being a biology major) but it allows you to take the time you've run over a certain distance and use that to estimate how you will do at other race distances. According to my VDOT (ascertained by my 5K time) I should be able to run a marathon in 3:32:23, which is a pace of 8:06. I should be able to run a half-marathon in 1:42:17, which is a pace of 7:48. I think the half time is doable (I ran my 1st, hilly half-marathon in 1:48 last October on very minimal training), but I'm not so sure about the full marathon. And then I don't know whether or not I should try to run the half at race pace or if I should do it at marathon pace and use it as a training run. I probably SHOULD use it as a training run, but I've never had a lot of self control in races. I just don't want the half to mess up my legs for the week after when I still have a marathon training plan to follow AND an olympic distance race at which I would like to PR and be competitive (and kick Andy's ass). Really, I just like to worry! I also don't know if it's OK to run the half-marathon in my sports bra. I bought some new ones at Fleet Feet this weekend because mine are all old and super nasty, and the new ones are so pretty! I do all my runs in the summer in a sports bra, and I will race in them sometimes. I overheat easily and I'd like to race in just shorts and a sports bra, and I probably will, so if you are behind me or you see me, I apologize!