Friday, October 14, 2011

Less then 35 Hours


As any of my friends and family will tell you I am a planner. I typically have my weekends planned a month ahead. I like knowing what's coming.

I leave today for Toledo and then tomorrow I will head up to Detroit for my first full marathon, in case you are just tuning in. And I have EVERYTHING planned. I made a long list yesterday at work (it was a slow day and let's face it, I'm hardly thinking of anything else) of everything I will need. This list was then divided into smaller lists of  what I will need before, during and after the race, so that it can be appropriately packed. I placed my sweats, new pair of socks and sports sandals in my gear bag for after the race. My skirt, tank and sleeves, if the weather cooperates in my gym bag, along with my hydration belt preloaded with my GU of choice. I also placed in there my tights and a long sleeve tecT in case the weather doesn't cooperate. But while I was packing and running through things in my head, I realized that I had missed the two most important pieces. Articles that can not be purchased at the expo and used for the run. My shoes and my passport. Now, you may be thinking, "Shoes I get but passport?" Detroit is an international race and crosses into Canada twice, I think. The race officials have been very clear on the fact that you need proper paperwork in order to pick up your race packet. And proper paperwork means a passport. Can you imagine the horror I would feel if I got there and had no passport? I've been checking my purse every couple of hours making sure that some elf hasn't stolen it. 

I've also made a list of times. I know what time I need to check in and therefore I know what time I need to leave Toledo. I know when I want to be at the expo, how long it will take to walk there, and how long I will be there. I know where I will be eating dinner Saturday night, what I will order and how long it will take to walk from the expo to dinner and then to the hotel. What time I will be in bed and hopefully, asleep. I know how long it will take me to get ready in the morning, how long to walk to the start line and what time I need to be there. Therefore, I know what time I need to wake up, 5:00am if you're wondering.

These plans are all well and good........if I was going alone. I stick to my schedule like a well trained Pavlovian dog. If something interferes with it, I likely have already formed a contingency plan in advance and just need to make the necessary adjustments, like my tights and long sleeve T. But I am not going alone. My parents, bless them, are coming with me. I can't quiet remember how that conversation went but based on the tussle over the TRI, I assume I strongly suggested they be there. My reasons are 3 fold:
1. I just need someone at the finish. If I know someone is there and expecting me at a certain time the likely hood of me giving up decreases astronomically.
2. If anything happens they are my emergency contact and if they aren't there it's going to take them at least 2 hours to get there.
3. Based on my recent Akron run, driving after is not a good idea. My muscles just freeze up. This way my dad can drive and I can take a snooze in the heated seats.

I love my parents already and having them at my first marathon, standing 5 hours in what will probably be the cold and rain makes me not only love them more but appreciate how blessed my sister and I were. I will take the stress they may put on my well laid plans, hopefully with patience that will spring forth in my time of need, in order to have them witness a bucket list feat.

2 comments:

Meg said...

EXCUSE ME, WHERES YOUR RACE RECAP?!

CLE Runner said...

I just posted it!