Well friends, this is it. Countdown to the marathon has reached its final days, and tomorrow morning J Word and I will head down to Madison to pick up The Platypus before making our way to Chicago. First on the agenda, the expo, which if I remember correctly was both very cool, and very intimidating. Then it will be off to check into our hotel, meet up with Mom and Dad, and a pre-race dinner at the same place we ate pre-race last year because, hey, why mess with what worked the first time!
I'm not sure what my primary emotion is at this point. The taper week nerves caught up on Wednesday, and have stuck around with a nausea inducing vengeance. The sore throat that popped up this week doesn't do much to soothe those anxieties. At the same time, I am excited, if not for the suffering and struggle, then at least for another chance to be out on the course with the other runners and race atmosphere.
I think I've said it before, but this race feels different than last year, and taking a taper week walk yesterday, I think I really pinpointed the reason as to why. Last year when I ran the marathon, it was kind of the culmination of 3 years of work I had put in. When I started training for my first half marathon in 2011, I'm not sure a marathon was even on my radar screen. However, having finished that race, and then ventured into the world of triathlon, the goals kept growing until, eventually, I reached a point where a marathon not only seemed possible, but I wanted to do it. Last year's race was a kind of crowning personal accomplishment.
Since Chicago last year, I haven't had a big desire to set a new, loftier goal. I've continued to love the run and love the race, but I've been content with where I've landed. I've found my adventures other places, with J Word, with my new teaching position, racing around the courses I know well and love, and equally enjoying the quiet couple of miles I can take around Silver Lake. I don't feel like I have anything to prove this year. Last year there was a little flicker of fear that, in running the race, I was trying to be something I wasn't. This year, regardless of how the race goes, I go with the confident assurance that this is already the person I am. I'm already a marathon finisher...now I just get to try and do it again.
Heady, overly reflective stuff for a Friday. Let's list instead!
1. I love my home state of Wisconsin! (Go Packers!) So when I saw this list of happiest states I thought, "Hey congrats Wisco, you're #10!" Then I kept reading and found Minnesota at #2 and thought, "Hey, I live in Minnesota...happily!"
2. This interactive map showing the average time every county goes to bed is pretty cool. Also, I wonder why anyone ever thought to create said map. That said, I admit I putzed on it for quite awhile, so well played internet! Well played!
3. This one is a shout out to my nutritionist and foodie best friend Oz! :) The 25 things that happen when you start eating right. Number #1...apparently you start dancing like Beyonce!
4. All right, real life confession...watching "Titantic" on cable television at odd hours of the day when I wasn't in class and supposed to be doing homework was a college guilty pleasure. So imagine my shock when I found out there was an alternate ending. And though it was shocking to find...it's not really all that shocking that it's AWFUL! But thank you for explicitly stating the theme for us in the (eventually cut) dialogue!
5. J Word and I are an internet dating success story (next Match.con commercial!) so I'm not really going to bash online dating here, but this assortment of commonly used pick up lines, is 100% accurate...just so you know! If you're going to take the internet relationship plunge, I'd say go for it...but you've been warned!
And a bonus motivator!
Happy Trails,
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