It's almost here

I am so excited I wish today were the day of the marathon. But if I am a little patient about it, the weather will be so much better! I was really nervous early in the week and then I felt terrified for a couple hours on Wednesday morning, but since then I've been nothing but excited and looking forward to Sunday's walk. I've been eating well, storing up those complex carbs they talk about. I've been sleeping like I get paid for it. I am ready to go and actually feeling anxious to get started walking and swimming again and to see if I can't get a little bit of running in, too. I'm already looking forward to walking in the cold weather. Not that it is fun to do, it's just different.

Tonight I go to the expo at the Polk County Convention Center to pick up my packet. I'll blog tomorrow or tonight about how that goes. I have gotten so much encouragement this week! I've gotten cards and emails and Natasha brought me a pumpkin latte from Caribou Coffee - I can't wait to do the marathon next year with her!

Why not walk?

Someone asked why I don't walk the 5-mile race on Thanksgiving and that's a good question. I undoubtedly would do that except that there is no indication on the web site that walkers are welcome on the 5-mile course.

In fact, all of the almost 5,000 runners appear to have times at or below no more than 22 minutes. That makes me think that no one walks the 5-mile course. I can walk a mile in 15 minutes, sure. But 5X15=75 minutes. Even the slowest of the walkers, if they're fit, can walk 1 mile in 22 minutes. Shoot, the name of the game on Thanksgiving is getting out of the house and having fun, so why miss out on the fun & frivolity of the after-race activities? I can always walk 5 miles later that day or over the weekend!

What is really interesting to me is how disappointed I am that I can't run 5 miles ... yet? Where in the world did that attitude come from when I have said for years I would never run unless there were hungry and angry wild animals behind me. Or a relative with celery.

oh, heaven help me

I just realized that the 5k I wanted to run on Thanksgiving is actually a 5 MILE race. I think I'll be registering for the 1 mile walk. Well, I know I will be. There's no way I can RUN 5 MILES.

One more song

I have added one more song. It's a live concert version of a song called I'll Tell Me Ma. The pace is unrelenting and extremely fast and I love the band that does it. It's an Irish song that everyone has performed including Sinead O'Connor. Remember her? Anyway, I think this song may come in handy on Sunday.

I am feeling nervous. I can tell that I am, but it seems more internal than external, as in a queasy tummy and I'm a little agitated. I am just beginning to think that I have lost my senses and have made a terrible mistake, but over on the Prevention Magazine discussion boards, they are saying that this is really normal.

field tested

I have, over time, finally learned to like walking again with my iPod. Of course, I never used to have one, but when I got one I got hooked right away. Now I'm OK doing without. My "Walking" playlist has 163 songs in it. I have narrowed it down to some songs that help with either pace or attitude or getting into a zone.
I'll be walking to songs you may know, so here's the list:
Addicted-Saving Abel
Ava Maria-Harry Connick Jr.
Baby Got Back-Sir Mix-a-Lot
Brick House-The Commodores
Cantaloop-US3
C'mon and Ride It-Quad City DJs
Don't Cha-The Pussycat Dolls
Don't Stop the Music-Rihanna
Everything-Michael Buble
Fee fi fo fum-Ralph Covert
Good Texan-The Vaughan Brothers
In the Ayer-Flo rida
Keep Breathing-Ingrid Michaelson
Let's Stay Together-Al Green
Like the Weather-10,000 Maniacs
Low-Flo Rida
Me and Mrs. Jones-Billy Paul
Money Maker-Ludacris
Praying for Sunny Days-Hyper Static Union
Push It-Salt-n-Pepa
See You Again-Miley Cyrus
Son of a Preacher Man-Dusty Springfield
Super Freak-Rick James
Whatever You Like-T.I.
White Boots-The Vaughan Brothers
You Dropped a Bomb on Me-The Gap Band
You Found Me-FFH
25 Miles-Edwin Starr

There are so many other good songs, but this selection should help me get through any rough spots that may come up. NOT that there will be any rough spots, right?

My last walk

This morning I got going about 8:30 a.m. and walked 7 miles, which took a bit over 90 minutes. That's a normal time for me. It was cold outside (well, it was cold to me) and so it was a bit of an experiment. I dressed and then put on pants and a jacket, trying to decide how long I would stay in the jacket and the pants. Then I wanted to see how hard it was to take the pants off when I was warm. I took the jacket off within 3 miles and I stayed in the pants the entire time, but could have done without them. OK, so the point is only to illustrate that I have given myself something else entirely to worry about - the temperature, the wind, the shade and the sun...I wouldn't be happy if I didn't have something to obsess about. But 26.2 miles is going to take almost 8 hours and that's a lot of time to obsess about. ;)

Boy have I got news for you

You may think I'm crazy since the marathon is 10 days away, but I've decided to run a 5K on Thanksgiving morning. I have a training guide printed out and everything. The marathon comes first, though. I won't start this program for the 5K until after the marathon! I walked 3 miles last night and will walk 1. 5 miles tonight. I'll go swimming on Saturday and maybe a little light walking and then that's it - nothing but resting for October 19!

Tracking me on October 19

If you want to track my progress during the marathon on October 19, go to this web site and follow the really simple instructions.

http://tracking.theendresultco.com/2008/des_moines_marathon/index.php

Taper

I have been reading about preparing for the final weeks prior to a marathon and I found out that I'm normal! This will come as a surprise to some friends and family members, I'm sure. But the idea is that whatever you are feeling is OK and normal. Me? I've been manic for four days. Super good mood.

This period of weeks prior to the marathon is for tapering down from the training I've been doing and everything is new to me. The mood, the food, the sleeping. I would never have thought I would be affected beyond some excitement. Anyway, this is a neat adventure. I haven't ever set a physical/athletic goal for myself before and I have really enjoyed this so far.

Aubree did come over on Tuesday night, but she was really tired and subdued. She took a bath, we colored some hearts with crayons at the kitchen table and then she got into bed and made a box out of all my pillows - the laid them out in a square, that is - and she and her little stuffed animal got into the center of all the pillows. She propped herself up like the Queen of Sheba and watched television.