72 Hours and Counting.

Holy crap, there's only 72 hours standing between me and the marathon. My mind has been racing all week. What should I eat, how much more do I need to run, what's the weather looking like, what should I wear... These are all questions that have been processing. I thought it might be helpful to try and answer some of these questions. I think I mentioned this in one of my earliest posts that I've been reading Jeff Galloway's Marathon: You can do it! and I'll be referencing that frequently in this post.

1) I need to keep positive. Jeff also strongly emphasizes this point. Being positive has been very helpful throughout my training. When my knee was acting up, the positive thoughts helped. Along with being positive is mentally preparing yourself for the race. Knowing that I will cross that finish line and that my legs will not fail me is a great motivator.

2) Avoid the dehydrating elements. This is straight out of Jeff's book. So things like alcohol, caffeine (opps already had my coffee this morning), and salt are things to look out for. Jeff goes on to suggest that salt "is probably the leading cause of dehydration for most marathoners. Becasue it's used so widely in most restaurants, you're likely to consume large amounts of salt without realizing it. Try to avoid restaurant food during the 24 hours before the marathon". Jeff also warns about the pasta parties the night before: "watch out for the sauce and teh garlic bread! (Just nibble on the pasta and digest the conversation)". Salt is going to be hard to cut out but, we'll be conscious of this when we cook or go out to eat.

3) Dress for the weather. On Sunday, they're predicting 40% chance of showers and the high will be in the upper 50s. I think this sounds like ideal weather. It would be nice to have some sunshine. I'm planning on wearing what I've worn durning my long runs (my favorite pair of spandex with a comfortable t-shirt). I would love to wear a goofy outfit that you sometimes see at marathons, but comfort and familiarity trumps being noticed.

4) Don't over due it. I've put in a lot of work to prepare for this day so my training schedule has been pretty light. I ran 3 miles at a very comfortable pace yesterday and I'll do the same today. I need to get my body focused on running 26.2 miles and not on how much I should run today.

It's almost here. I, or should I say we are really excited about this race. Some of our friends that are also running (Josh and Holly and little Lucy) are coming over the night before to eat some carbs and just enjoy each others company before the big day. I'm hoping to wash away some of the anxiety with friends. Till next time.