I abtsolutly cannot believe that in just three days, I will be come a marathoner. I have been so nervous and excited about this, and have been training for this event for so long. When I first started training, April 22 seemed to be so far away. Now, I'm just a matter of days doing this race. However, right now, I'm beginning to feel more excited about the race, but am now stressing over the final details of things to do here at home BEFORE race day morning. I'm sure that crashing out for a few hours this evening probably didn't help...but any extra sleep that I can get at this point will probably also help, as I'm not counting on getting lots of sleep the night before.
Alsofor those of you who may be interested in tracking me on race day, you can sign up to do so at this link. Once you're registered, you should be able to type in my name (Janet Slater) to track where I am at in the race on race day.
http://illinoismarathon.com/logistics/tracking/
In a nutshell, here is what I have been doing since my last run last Tuesday, which was the weekly fun run with the funning club.
1. Upping my hydration, and adding electrolytes. I've been shooting for about 1/2 of my body weight in terms of liquids (mostly water), and with adding electrolytes once or twice a day.
2. Adding in additional carbohydrates. You can pretty much say that I have been in the "carb loading" process for a few days now...helped out by having some pizza at my favorite pizza place in my hometown, which I went to over the Easter Weekend, along with trying some Brazilian food for the first time (which was quite delicious). Here at home, I've got a pesto noodle salad in a big pot in the fridge, which I'm planning on eating off of these next few days. I'm also having cereal in the morning (usual), I've also got some bagels and cream cheese on hand as well.
3. Getting things prepared for race day itself. I get to pick up my race "swag" and racing bibs on Friday! In addition, I have been making a list of what to wear on me to the start line, what to carry in my flip belt (CANNOT forget my fuel and hydration mix), and what to bring in the drawstring bag that I will have when I pick up my gear on Friday. This also involves making sure that my phone, ipod, and Garmin are fully charged on race day.
4. Trying to get a decent amout of sleep these next few nights. I'm going to be having a super early alarm (probably around 4:30 or so), as I will need time to eat, dress, stretch, and get out to the starting area in plenty of time to use the restroom/porta-potty, check my gear, do a few running strides to get my legs moving, a second stretch, then get into my corral.
5. Be prepared for the weather. At this point, it's suppose to be in the low/mid 40s with 15-25mph winds at the start, then warm up to around 50 by noon. We have about a 50% chance of rain at this point. I personally would like to see a bit of sunshine, and a bit warmer temperatures, but this beats constant cold rain, or thunderstorms, causing the raceto be cancelled.
6. Trust my training on race day. Walk through water stations as I planned, and don't focus so much on time. My main goal is to finish in one piece, uninjured.....sore and tired, sure. However, I don't want to be injured. I also do want to enjoy the race experience...read the signs, give kids high 5s, say hi to people I may know, or get a quick hug, etc. My thoughts of finishing in 5 hours are just bonus, as I never know what may happen in a race.
7. When the going gets tough....keep thinking about my buddy that I run for. I'm also thinking of making a list of all of my student's names that I work, and dedicate a mile to each of them. I will also have some power songs on my ipod at the ready, and keep focusing on crossing that finish line.
8. Have a plan on what to do when I finish the race. My brother will be watching me finish, and will give me a ride home, so that part is covered. My other thought is to rehydrate/refuel some, stretch, and get into dry clothes for the ride home. Then, from there, shower, and possibly refeul some more, and crash...although that may depend on what my body feels like doing after the shower. Of course, there will be a blog about the race itself with my medal in hand. :)
9. Have a celebration dinner at some point. Currently, I'm thinking of having either Chicago style deep dish pizza, or mexican food with a margarita or two.
10. Enjoy the fact that I will be in the top 1% for something...and that's for running in a marathon!
Let's Do This!
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