Eve of the Race

Clothes are laid out, iPod charged, number and timing chip waiting to be appropriately placed. Mom and Matt are here and while I would prefer to be in bed right now, I can't sleep so we're all watching the Olympics. I have no reason to be nervous, as I know I followed my training diligently and to the very best of my ability, but I still am...
In less than 12 hours I will have (God, willing) finished the race!

What (Not?) to Wear

Barring no major complictions, this time 3 days from now I will be finished with my race!

Since I have been training on the treadmill in a (relatively) temperature controlled environment, to say that I am nervous about the cold temps this weekend would be an understatement. The forecast for Birmingham this weekend/race day is in the 30s-40s which is a far cry from the temps in the gym. I understand from my reading that I should dress as if it's 20 degrees warmer than the actual air temp and I know I can always shed layers if I need them (any discarded clothing is donated to local shelters). I also know that I should abide by the "nothing new on race day" philosphy but I am just going to have to trust that my top layer is going to work for me since I really don't have a desire to pass out from heatstroke at the gym. (And to my credit...rationalizing...I have worn the top in my cross training and it's quite comfortable)

So here's my planned outfit for Sunday morning:

UnderArmour running tights as seen here but in a capri length (which really fit like full length on me anyway!)I tested these for the first time this past week and they are super comfortable!

UnderArmour 3" inseam running shorts in black/teal/white Mine are actually an older style (or possibly not even the Escape, though I do own this exact pair as well) which I prefer to the newer cutaway design

White short sleve "base layer"I had no idea that this was made from recycled bottles when I bought it. I wondered what "green tee" meant! Also super comfy and really wicks away sweat. Obviously anything "all cotton" when you're trying to stay warm and dry is a no-no, thought my Old Navy $1 tanks sure have served their purpose during training!

I couldn't find a pic of my top layer, which is a light pink Reebok "Play Dry" long sleeve top. It's got a zipper only at my chest and utilizes much of the same technology as above. It was a Christmas gift from Matt and is super comfy.

And now maybe the most important: shoes! I am well aware that these are not the most attractive shoes on the planet and that they are fairly pricey, but they are so incredibly comfy. I'm on my 4th pair of this style (Mizuno Wave Nirvana) and have never found shoes that have fit my feet so well. I actually went to a local track store after the holidays to get professionally fitted and have my gait analyzed and guess what shoes were recommended?

Also have some great socks (NOT cotton) that I was given for Christmas (can't remember the brand) that generally round out the ensemble, in addition to the cheap pink and black Armitron watch I picked up last night at Academy so that I can monitor my pace. (Incredibly important b/c I can run at an increasingly decent clip for about the first 4 miles, but I would be paying for it by mile 10 and I need to hold myself back if I would like to not spend a great deal of time walking and sucking wind). I have some light weight throw-away gloves that I received at the BE&K 5K last year and ended up not needing and a fleece headwrap that I wouldn't mind losing if I had to, though I know my ears will thank me if I can manage to keep it on!

Also, while being brutally honest, I would have LOVED to have found a great sports bra for the occasion but so many of the "good" ones are cut so far up under my armpits that it's painful just standing there, much less applying movement/friction. This will be something I will investigate further in the days/weeks post-race when I have more time (work begins to calm down, training backs off a bit). If anyone has any suggestions though, please feel free to pass them along!

Just registered!

Nothing like waiting until the 11th hour! I'm still here and I've been following my training plan diligently. This week has been more than a little whacked out as I've come down with some congestion and have been battling it and an insane work schedule.

This past week I did a 3 mile recovery on Sunday, 25 minutes on Monday (insane work schedule didn't have me leaving until almost 8pm so this was my compromise between 4 miles and nothing!) Tuesday: rest, Wednesday: supposed to be cross training but I was feeling like death and had a huge work event/presentation the next so I opted for passing out on the couch. I thought I was feeling better on Thursday and managed to squeeze in 3.5 miles before comedy club for a friend's birthday. Friday: rest. Today I was supposed to do 11.5 but I could barely climb the stairs in my house without being short of breath plus I am majorly congested. Soooo...tomorrow I will be making my very best attempt to get in my last long run before next Sunday's race. HOLY ****! Thankfully, this congestion doesn't seem to have moved into my chest (no cough) so I am going to go for it. I don't think this is going to jeopardize the run next weekend and I would feel WAY too anxious knowing that I hadn't run considerable distance in the 2 weeks leading up to the race.

I have no idea what I'm going to wear next weekend which is also making me nervous. ("Nothing new on race day") I bought some running tights last weekend which I need to test out. I expect it's going to be pretty chilly on race day and since I have been training indoors and TMI: sweating profusely through my running shorts and tank tops, I'm not really sure how to adjust for the outside weather. I know running in 40 degree weather in shorts and a tank top is not really an option as I am no speed demon and will be out there from anywhere to 2 1/2 to 3 hours. I am also still on the hunt for an el cheapo watch to wear so I can use something to help me stay on pace. Any suggestions on either are appreciated!