Marathon Eve Eve

The day after tomorrow, I'm running a marathon.

I cannot believe I just typed that. A marathon! Me! In less than 48 hours!

Even thought this is marathon number 2, I by no means feel like a marathon veteran. My first marathon was a long, grueling challenge. I was under-trained,  under-motivated, and honestly only crossed the finish line because I didn't think I'd ever find my friends again if I didn't. It was a disaster, and I promised myself I'd never put myself through that sort of torture again. I'd stick to half marathons-- 13.1 miles of long-distance bliss-- and save full marathons for the truly crazy.

with ben, in 2008, post marathon. that's
most definitely a fake smile.

Yet here I am. About to set off for Kiawah Island, South Carolina, and about to give 26.2 a second chance.

About a zillion thoughts are rushing through my head right now:

Did I put in enough miles? What about that long run I missed? Was my training enough?

What pace should I strive for? Is 9:30 too ambitious? Those crazy race calculators say I can finish in 4:10:39. That seems nuts!

I really want to run in shorts and a dry-fit tee. Am I going to freeze? If I wear leggings, will I swelter? Is it bad a purchase a super-cheap sweatshirt at a thrift store with the sole purpose of chucking it a few miles into the race, when I start to heat up?

I hope it doesn't rain!

My current fueling plan is bagel + nutella + gatorade for breakfast, and a Balance bar to munch on during the race. I hope that's enough. I've had a lot of stomach issues during running lately, and I'm worried my stomach's going to flare up again.

Music? No music? Watch? No Watch?

I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M RUNNING A MARATHON!

I feel nervous, excited, anxious, hyper, hydrated, and, yes, a little bit scared. But no matter what, I'm determined to have fun, soak it all in, and remember why I love running so much in the first place. And cross the finish line. That too.