How to Prepare for a Marathon

1. Get advice from the greats:

dear bart yasso, you answering my tweet made my tum go atwitter. i should be a poet.

When a man like Bart Yasso’s final pre-marathon words to you are “guaranteed PR,” it definitely help the excitement level INCREASE and the nervousness decrease.

Of course he’s not guaranteeing a PR because I’m the fastest person in the world and I fly around race courses rather than run. He can bet money I will PR because it is in fact, only my first marathon. Details, people, details…

2. Sign up for another race.

Sound silly the day BEFORE your marathon? A little bit. But when the National Marathon posts big discounts in celebration of 11/11/11, one must take advantage. Coincidentally, signing up for a half marathon (yes, I’m not that crazy, I avoided clicking “register” for the full, though I DID think about it and there’s a good chance that come Saturday afternoon I will regret it), helped take my mind off the 26.2 miles I need to run tomorrow.

…for all of three seconds. Again, details.

3. Shower your  niece with noisemakers picked up at last week’s ING NYC marathon and teach her how to parade around the house and run around the yard screaming encouraging running mantras. It helps. It really does.

4. Go for an easy run and enjoy it.

I ran a VERY easy two miles around my parents neighborhood this morning. It was brisk, but nice. And I focused 100% on enjoying myself. And the color of the awesome Virginia fall foliage:

hello elementary school. you're so pretty framed by fall colors.

I just enjoyed running. No need or no room for any other thoughts. Like running a marathon and wanting desperately hard not to disappoint myself  and my not-so-secret time goals.

5. Attend the expo. And go a little nuts.

I love expos. You may remember I attended the NYC marathon expo even though I wasn’t running it. So now my 8k running sista Squigs, my half marathon running friend who is trekking down from Maryland and myself are all off to the expo in search of even more noisemakers, fueling freebies and lots of fun running goodies that I will love and my wallet will hate.

Happy happy Friday kids!

Hopefully the next time you hear from me….I’ll hopefully…BE A MARATHONER. eeks!

If you’ve got any interest at all in seeing whether or not I survive, you can track me here: http://richmondmarathon.org/spectators/runner-tracking.htm

Bib #2565

And just as a heads up…this tracking system may come across as a bit antiquated if you are used to fancier runner apps…::cough cough:: ING NYC…

Go time!

Happy Thursday kids! And a happy one it is…in just a few hours (well, a few more than a few), I’ll be en route to Richmond for Marathon Weekend!

Holy crap, how is race weekend here already? It seems like I just ran my first half marathon Philly. And I just started stalking the lottery for the ING NYC Marathon. It was only yesterday that I religiously watched as they unveiled the lottery winners on the NYRR live stream, right? Of course, only to learn that I had NOT been chosen. But the marathon bug had bit. And it was only moments later that I signed up for the Suntrust Richmond Marathon…that seemed so very far away.

But it is upon us! Yesterday at work I 100% could NOT focus on anything other than marathon thoughts. If I wasn’t in meetings and needing to contribute words, I was hovering on the race web site willing some sort of update that would make my nerves disappear. Not sure what that update possibly could have been–oh, buses ARE allowed for the last 10k in this race? sign me up! oh, a marathon was recently redefined as a mere 21.5 miles? piece of cake! But alas, no changes. And that’s okay. If it wasn’t so very nerve wracking, sleep stealing, stomach churning and flat-out terrifying, everyone would run marathons…right?

I bet you’re well beyond sick of hearing me whine about how “race day is here” and “I’m so nervous.” I wish I could say I had something else to talk about, but like I said, I’ve got a one-track mind right now. Sorry kids, but just bear with me for a few more days.

Last night after leftovers of pumpkin mac n’ cheese (umm Christine, not sure if you saw my comment to you, but this dinner was a freakin HIT–amazing!), I deliberated for far too long on packing my marathon bag. And I’m still not sure I have everything, but I do have two pairs of sneaks, two pairs of shorts, compression socks, regular socks, two long sleeve tech tees and my marathonwiner shirt, courtesy of the JD. I’ve also got GU, sportsbeans, Gatorade chews and other fuel galore…which as I learned in my 21.5 miler, is really just a big waste of valuable luggage real estate. Oh, well. Better safe than sorry.

And the two most important pieces of all–my very nerdy white visor and my participant information packet, which will get me into the expo on Friday for packet pick up! Wootwoot!

The expo may be one of my favorite parts of any major race. My friend is driving in from Maryland to run the half (yay!) so we are meeting at the expo, then posting up for a night of relaxation and carbs with the fam. I’ll keep all of my attention focused on that fun stuff for the next few hours of work, and hopefully stop reading marathon recaps and other race related web pages until my eyes bug out…Oh and p.s. I SLEPT IN TODAY AND DIDNT RUN. Total rest day. Who whoulda thunk it?

Have a great day guys!

Hey runner friends–quick question…I’m signed up to do a bus tour of the marathon course Friday afternoon. Do you think it’s a good idea? Or would I be just as good being surprised come race day? My friend can’t make the tour so I’m not sure if I want to bother…

Any last-minute tips? Feel free to share

It’s in the Air

Manhattan is buzzing with all-things marathon this week. And it is awesome. Even for someone NOT running the ING NYC marathon. I can’t help but get completely caught up in the excitement–and get pumped for my friends running the boroughs on Sunday, and for my own marathon less than a week later.

In fact, that excitement carried me down to the Jacob Javits Center yesterday afternoon for a little expo action. Hey, it’s open to the public!

hiya, expo. next year, i hope to visit you as a nyc marathon runner. not spectator.

The expo provided me with a lunch of freebies–powerbar samples, Gatorade chews, Odwalla protein shakes–you name it, I tried it. But worry–I did not make a name for myself as a spectating freeloader. I tried those samples, and then I opened up the wallet and stocked up for my own marathon needs:

those little oatmeal raisin powerbar balls may be the best thing ive ever eaten. go try them.

words can't describe how happy i am about this purchase

I stocked up on lots of running fuel–both because it’s important to have while running, and because it was all delicious.

I also purchased some new Brooks running gloves after having lost mine during a random McDonald’s bathroom break last winter. These are amazing gloves for so many reasons. They are reflective, have mitten covers to shield the wind, and are super warm and comfy. A must have for winter running!

After the expo I decided I wanted to squeeze in a quick shakeout run after Wednesday night’s 12-miler. I have been reading that it’s important to do practice runs in your race day gear. Since the JD can’t make it to Richmond for Race Day (sad face), I definitely want to race in the shirt he had made for me, so yesterday I suited up in my marathonwiner/Richmondmarathon tee and went for an easy jog down Central Park West.

the crazy/terrified look on my face is due to the fact that the next time i rock this shirt will be marathon morning. eeks!

As it turns out, this shirt is good luck! Well, whether or not it’s good luck as far as crossing the finish line after 26.2 miles is yet to be told, but it I was wearing it during my first-ever, legitimate NYC celeb siting! While cruising down CPW in the 80′s yesterday I SAW ALEC BALDWIN! Holy bigtime siting. If there is a celeb to see in NY, I can’t imagine a better one than that! And perhaps the greatest part of the entire event was that I kept my cool–didn’t get all googly-eyed and trip and fall on my face. I’ll take that as a win!

After my star-studded run I was super late to my second-to-last shift at the restaurant. After a considerably uneventful night there I came home and stalked the internet for more marathon tips, tricks and other reads. It was then, that I stumbled upon one of many lovely little articles that talks the big 5 marathon courses (Boston, NY, Chicago, London and Berlin) and read this little gem:

The toughest: New York

The London, Berlin and Chicago marathon courses are all almost completely flat. Boston has its famous Wellesley Hills, but the course is a net downhill and it has hosted some pretty fast times. The toughest course among the Marathon Majors is New York’s. It features three significant hills and a lot of small ups and downs. And cruelly, the toughest part of the course is the end, where tired runners are slammed by the rolling slopes of Central Park.

This was a big confidence boost for me, because taper time has made me feel slow, undertrained and undermileaged (yes, I just made that word up). And even though I may have blacked out during it, I must remember that I DID in fact, run 18 miles through the “rolling slopes of Central Park.” And if those same slopes help dub that one of the trickiest marathon courses in the world, than I feel so happy and proud to have them under my belt. And I hope, hope, hope, that means I’m ready for Richmond on November 12th.

Today I will try everything in my power TO NOT RUN. And to fully take a rest day (even though I’ve still got runner’s guilt over two rest days in a row last Saturday and Sunday). I’ve got a trip to David’s Bridal (don’t get excited, it’s for a bridesmaid dress and not a wedding dress) and piles of laundry to hopefully distract me until MY LAST SHIFT AT THE RESTAURANT tonight. Then its a weekend full of running with friends (Katherine, let’s talk about tomorrow–and anyone else who wants to join) and watching friends run in the 2011 ING NYC Marathon on Sunday. Good luck out there runners!!!

Have an awesome weekend kids!

- And as always, I’m getting boring with my questions/requests. But any and all last-week-of-taper advice is more than welcome!