One word...pacers!

I finally chose the marathon I want to run Feb. 19th and the winner is...the IMS Marathon in Goodyear, AZ!  It came down to one thing they had the other race didn't...PACERS.  Let me be clear, I have never used pacers before.  I try to do my own thing and it hasn't served me well in the past.  I make the classic mistake of going out too fast only to hit the wall at mile 20 in every marathon.  My goal is to beat 4:30 and with the help of a pacer I'm sure I can meet that goal.  The Lost Dutchman race is more scenic and a little more expensive, but they do not offer pacers (I even emailed the race director to be sure).  Since I have a running buddy doing the IMS with me, I won't have to go it alone.  Even though he is WAY faster than me, I like to ride down to the race with someone to get through the pre-race jitters and then have someone waiting for me at the finish to rehash our experiences.  It should be noted I'm not one of those people who can go to movies alone either ~ I hate being alone ~ I am a social creature and like the sense of community running provides.  At any rate, I am in week 9 of my training and all is going well.  My pace seems on track so I just need to play with hydration and nutrition as I mentioned in previous posts.  Wish me luck!