It's less than a week to go before I toe up to the starting line, or rather toe up to near the back of the second wave of the more than 22,000 runners at this year's Boston Marathon.

After all the long miles through all sorts of winter weather, quad-burning hill work and hours of cross training, you'd think I'd feel relaxed and ready.

But the weeks of tapering before the marathon can be the hardest of the training program.

Those final weeks of reduced mileage put the spring back in a marathoner's step after it's been pounded out by hard training. But while muscles are filling with energy, the brain is filling with mostly nonsense.

All sorts of fears, some perfectly reasonable, others completely irrational, pop into your head and make you, as my family says — edgy.

"Edgy?" I say. "EDGY? Of course I'm edgy! What if that carton of ice cream falls out of the freezer and lands on my foot? What if I get salmonella from eating tainted ice cream with my strawberries? What if I'm suddenly allergic to strawberries and I break out in hives and have to go to the emergency room? Anything can happen!"

My family has learned to back away slowly at that point and leave me to my edgy self.

At least they've learned that I do no carpentry work or heavy lifting during marathon taper. The last time my husband asked me to hold a board so he could pound in a nail, I looked at him with dread.

"How about I just put my hand down here and have you whack it with the hammer, because I know that's what will happen," my marathon tapering brain thought.

Of course, some fears are reasonable. At this time of year, contracting some virus or infection at work is a real possibility.

While I'm usually sympathetic to my coworkers' illnesses, this week I ask them to please cough over someone else's desk.

I've considered taking more drastic measures but it's difficult to answer the phone through a surgical mask.

Teaching elementary school exponentially increases the germ factor. At lunch, I avoid the teachers who are wearing winter coats in the 70 degree weather. Whatever they are on antibiotics for, I don't want.

And when one of the first graders tugs on my sleeve and says weakly, "Mrs. Neubert, I don't feel good. I think I'm going to ¿," I jump back in horror, not knowing if the next thing out of his mouth will be words or something more toxic.

Some marathon taper fears seem to emerge from some dark memory. Unlikely as some of these are to repeat themselves, I know they are possible because they happened to me once.

I'm afraid I'll get up in the middle of the night, trip over the dog and stub my toe. Or I'll be carrying an armful of folded laundry, trip over a shoe in the hall and give myself a black eye on the doorknob. Or I'll get my foot hooked in the seat belt while getting out of the car and bruise my ribs falling against the tree next to my garage. (Yes, these all happened to me.)

Then there are the events that occur only in weird pre-marathon nightmares. A car runs over my toes as I'm waiting to cross Main Street in Saxonburg. Or we drive for 10 hours thinking we're headed to Boston and suddenly realize we're in St. Louis. Or I show up at the starting line with two left shoes. Etc., etc., etc.

I've only got a few more days to rest before Monday's marathon and a whole lot more worrying to do. I think I'd better lay down somewhere. All of this writing has made me a little edgy.

Friday and Wednesday, 12:15 p.m.: Lunchtime run, Cabot. Run 6 to 7 easy miles with me from St. Luke Church. 724-352-2777 or pneubert@stlukecabot.orgSaturday, 8 a.m.: Up-N-Running Group Run, Valencia. 724-898-2525 or www.runpa.comSaturday, 8 a.m.: Hot Harry's Group Run, North Park. Run from 7 to 20 miles. Leaves from Lt. Stone Field.Saturday, 9 a.m.: Race for the Moon and Stars 5K Run and Walk, McKeesport. Run through scenic Renzie Park benefits American Cancer Society. 412-885-2537Saturday, 9 a.m.: North Allegheny Health and Physical Education Pump House Run, North Allegheny Intermediate School. Run on NA High cross country course. Also 1-mile, half-mile and 50-yard tot trot. 412-630-5807 or DSchmidt@northallegheny.orgSaturday, 9 a.m.: Big Blue Quest 5K, North Park. Raises awareness of colon and rectal cancer. 412-359-3902 or ksainiak@wpahs.orgSaturday, 9 a.m.: Genesis Riverside Run, Heinz Field, Pittsburgh. 412-766-2693 or tricia@genesispgh.orgSaturday, 9 a.m.: Armstrong County YMCA Big Foot Half Marathon and 5K, Kittanning. 724-545-9622 or kknepshield@yahoo.comSunday, 7:30 a.m.: Penn Relays Distance Classic, Philadelphia. Choice of 20K or 5K. 215-898-5462 or www.active.comSunday, 10 a.m.: Burgh's Pizza and Wing Pub 10K Run 2- Mile Fun Walk, Cecil.April 23, 7 p.m.: Sunset Sprint 5K, Grove City. First race of Smiley Miles Triple Crown. 716-200-3449 or Bonaquistkm1@gcc.eduApril 30, 6 p.m.: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training Meeting, North Hills. Learn how you can run or bike a major event to help fight a major disease. 800-482-8326 or www.teamintraining.org/mailMay 3, 10 A.M.: Team in Training Info Meeting, Cranberry Township. 800-482-8326 or www.teamintraining.org/mailMay 3, 8 a.m.: Flying Pig 10K, Cincinnati. Also 5K at 10:15. Part of Flying Pig Marathon Weekend events. 513-721-7447May 3, 5 p.m.: Altoona Curve Home Run, Altoona. Choice of 5-mile run or 2-mile run-walk. 814-695-4467 or contactus@holidaysburgareaymca.orgMay 4, 6:30 a.m.: Flying Pig Marathon and Half Marathon, Cincinnati. Quality race in its 10th year. 513-721-7447May 10, 10 a.m.: Run for Sight 5K, Butler. Run through VA Medical Center campus benefits. Butler Blind Association's youth summer camp. 724-287-4059 or mgrenek@yahoo.comMay 11, 8:30 A.M.: Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K, Pittsburgh. Largest running-walking event in the area with competitive 5K run, 5K fun run-walk and 1-mile walk. www.komenpittsburgh.orgMay 18, 9 a.m.: MS Miles of Smiles 5-Mile Race and Walk, North Park. Also 1-mile accessible walk, benefits MS Society. 724-713-0934 or www.msmilesofsmiles.com

Martha's Run 10K, April 12: Shawn Adair-Cavanaugh, 1st Overall M, 33:35; Karey Nichols, 1st Overall W, 1st Overall W, 43:57; Christopher Bloch, 3rd 45-49 M, 43:49; Curt Grimm, 1st 55-59 M, 45:19; Cindy Grimm, 1st 55-59 W, 49:19; Bill Schmidt, 43:06; Robert DiBella, 44:50; John Fiore, 52:18; Hamanth Kapoor, 56:27; Margaret Kimpel, 1:21:54Send comments and suggestions to: 435 Cherry Valley Road, Saxonburg, Pa. 16056. Phone: 724-352-4395. E-mail: bigp16@connecttime.netPat Neubert is the running columnist for the Butler Eagle.