Another First

This marathon thing is big.  WAY big.  I went down to pick up my race packet yesterday, with Little One in tow, and the garage at the Convention Center was full.  And so was the next lot.  And the next.  We ended up parking about 5 blocks away - good thing I've been training!  It was a hike but it was a gorgeous day and we got to walk down by the river a bit and we even saw a Canada goose hanging out on, of all things, a patch of cement!

I am thoroughly enjoying this experience because, for me, it might just be once-in-a-lifetime (maybe not - if Mr. MOTH figures out a way for me to Run Disney I am ALL OVER IT).  I picked up my bib, my tech shirt, and my goody bag and then we decided to roam around the expo.  BIG mistake.

I had to pick up a few things.  First of all, the weather for Sunday is going to be sunny.  Not mostly sunny or even partly sunny but not-a-cloud-in-the-sky sunny.  I needed something to shade my eyes.  I'm not really a hat wearer so I went looking for shades - and there was more than one option, if you can imagine! ;)

I ended up with something similar to these (the exact ones I got were light pink and not anti-fog).  If someone ends up taking my photo on race day, you'll get to see them.  I bought pink for two reasons - they donated $1 to breast cancer research and Little One was with me.  Pink is the ONLY option when you're shopping with her. ;)

I also bought some bling for my shoes.  Now, this was totally non-essential and fanciful and all about me, me, ME!  I am a girly girl who can't even believe I'm about to try to run a half-marathon so I wanted to show my accomplishment in a very girlie way (more so than the car magnet I also bought that says 13.1).  I bought this.

 

Why, yes, it is pink.  Why do you ask?

 

It was a great experience.  I also got a Boston wristband (RunforBoston) just because.  Some of my favorite things that I DIDN'T buy:  A t-shirt for spectators that says, "Yinz run like Jagoffs 'N 'At" (only a Yinzer would get that one).  A t-shirt that says, "Twenty Six Point Freakin' Two!"  (I say "freakin'" a lot). And I also like the Great Race tees but I need to actually RUN the Great Race before I buy one of those - and I think I will!

 

So, tomorrow's the big day and I'm ready I guess.  Taper is tricky - you have to trust your training and since I have no idea if I should or not I'm just going with it.  Mr. MOTH will be waiting at the finish (alone, the kids are staying with Grandma) and that's a huge deal for me.  He's not exactly into the whole distance running thing but he seems pretty pumped about this and that means more than he probably knows.  He even signed up to get texts DURING the race of my times at certain mileages!  :) 

 

Wish me luck!