So here are the how-tos of the ill prepared:
1. Celebrate three birthdays in the second half of April and eat as many cupcakes, regular cakes, spoonfuls of raw cake batter, and bowls of delicious ice cream as possible. Replace one out of three meals with one of the aforementioned options.
2. Don't go to bed before midnight on any night. That goes for the whole month. Except for that one night I tried to watch a movie with my husband and fell asleep during the opening scene.
3. Forget about drinking extra water for a couple of weeks. Drink a few sips at the water fountain after your gym runs, then call it good for the rest of the year.
4. Pack everything in your race bag except for underwear. Luckily all of my running clothes have underwears built in, but I guess I forgot that my jeans don't come with the built-ins.
5. Pull crazy stunts like tweaking your knee in your weekly volleyball match-up. I go into the game knowing that a good tweaking is likely because my signature move is throwing myself on the ground every time a ball nears me. Who needs bump and spike when you can have awkward face dives?
6. Tweak your knees even more at the nightly dance party.
And, yes, she definitely got her moves from me.
7. Almost crash the car on the way to the marathon because you are driving through possible tornadoes in Tennessee. Just this time last year, we were shocked as we drove by (on our way to the Country Music Half Marathon 2011) the freshly tornado-damaged areas of northern Alabama. So tonight when I heard the radio tornado warning for the exact area I was driving through in Tennessee, I was pretty nervous. It got rough out there, to the point where I couldn't see the road, but we made it. All for the love of running.
But note that I did not do anything as ridiculous as this Playmobil renegade redneck.
So even though I flaked preparation, I have a couple of things going for me:
1. I'm cycling through some colon blow. There will be no bathroom emergencies on race day.
2. My family will be cheering me on along the course! I carry my iPhone so they can ping it and find me during the race. Hopefully I see them a lot the second half of the race. The first half will be too crowded.
3. This is my first marathon running with my Garmin. Let's see if that little dude can help me out.
4. I'm having a lucky week. I won a Wrist Saver from Too Tall Fritz and some New Balance 890s from The Boring Runner. Please let this race fall under the Lucky Week category.
5. My motto for the race is: if you can't PR, just have fun. Let's see if weather.com can help me out with that. I've seen weather predictions from 79-85 degrees for the high. Currently 84 is predicted to be the high on Saturday.
Hilarious. Good luck! I am sure you will do awesome! Those cupcakes look pretty delicious. You have just been doing serious carbo loading:).
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what I was thinking--the carb loading part!
DeleteBest of luck to you! I found your blog through "The Boring Runner". I am also a momma of four (ages 6, 8 10, & 12) running a marathon this weekend in an attempt to BQ! Additionally, I have (unfortunately)followed some of your pre-race preparations, but instead of cupcakes, batter, and the like I have been using chocolate kisses and peanut butter cups as my nutrition of choice lately. Race strong! Stephanie
ReplyDeleteYou are my future, which I am looking forward to because it includes an in-house babysitter!! So glad you stopped by. Good luck in your race -- BQ, BQ, BQ! Which race are you running?
DeleteGo for it!
ReplyDeleteThanks!!
DeleteBest of luck to you! That sounded about like my prep for Nashville last year...I even threw in a "wear something brand new on race day" wild card in there!
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm doing that too! Hilarious! It's just a shirt so hopefully it doesn't suck too bad. Will you run Nashville again?
DeletePraying the temps stay low and for a PR! Can't wait to hear all about it!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteYou are going to ROCK it girl! Good things come in threes and the race is #3 in your week of awesomeness! The spiderman cupcakes sealed your fate of AWESOME! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if anyone would recognize what those were supposed to be. My son helped decorate them so you never know what you'll get in the end. But you know it will be cool!
DeleteYou take such beautiful pictures, and thanks a lot, because my mouth is watering now from those cupcake pictures.
ReplyDeleteYou are going to KILL it! BEST OF LUCK (not that you need it one bit!)
Thanks! That was my first attempt with homemade icing, and it was totally worth the sugar hangover for the next few days.
DeleteFueled by sugar - cant fail! Have a GREAT race!
ReplyDeleteYo Mamma- good luck, you're gonna kick some asphalt! Sounds like its gonna be warm, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!
ReplyDeleteGlad you posted this because I think it's what got me to the finish line. I read it before I raced, and when things started to look bad, I just kept repeating, "Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate." It's the little things that help when you are in a 19-mile heat stroke stupor.
DeleteI ran the Illinois Marathon. It was a bit windy but otherwise perfect weather. Overcast and 50 degrees. I ran most decidedly at BQ!!! And, you are correct, having a 12 year old is AWESOME. Sorry your race didn't turn out the way you wanted. Fortunately, in racing, there are always others -- choose in the midwest next time. It will most likely be cold! :)
ReplyDeleteMidwest is sounding really awesome for racing right now! Congrats on your BQ! That is a huge accomplishment. Is this your first one? I'm so amazed by you awesome runners! Is the Illinois Marathon in Champaign? My bro- and sis-in-law live there and were telling me about it--think it's the same one. I might have to give that one a shot before they move.
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