The Final Countdown

November 26 – November 30 Total Mileage: 9.1 miles
Weight - 213.2  

In the past year I have run 835.26 miles. To put it in perspective, that is the distance from my office in Sacramento to Disneyland and back (or for my friend from north of the border, roughly the distance from Winnipeg to Calgary). I don’t even want to figure out how much time I have spent pounding the pavement.

And now it all comes down to this. 26.2 miles to the finish line.

26.2 miles from a year’s worth of work being over.

Humbling when you think about it. To think that I had not run in years, and have made it this far on sure will. Yes, in the grand scheme of things, I realize that simply running a marathon may not be a special thing. It is estimated that 551,811 people will complete a marathon in the US this year. That’s a whole lot of people. Not exactly an exclusive club.

However, this is not about doing something special. This is about me proving to myself that this can be done and that no matter how hard it gets, no matter how bad it hurts, no matter how easy it would be to quit, that I did not give up.

I have also learned a few thigs while on the road:

• Be Kind to your knees and ankles
• Hydrate - Hydrate - Hydrate
• Know yourself - Pain does not always mean stop (sometimes it is weakness leaving the body)
• Pandora likes to screw with you (seriously...Air Supply, on what planet do you think Air Supply has anything to do with what I listen to?)
• Enjoy the scenery
• Every journey begins with one simple step

I'm in a much different place mentally than I have been for my last two races.  I am almost in a zen like state.  No panic, no anxiety (we'll see if I can keep that going on Sunday), no stress.  I know that I am prepared.  Ready...I don't know if I'll ever be "ready" to run for 5+ hours.  In the rain no less.  We are having hellacious storms and it looks like Sunday is going to be a wet one.  Just another challenge to overcome.  Good news is that the rain is at least keeping temps in the 50's and 60's.  That and running in Vibrams will keep me from adding water weight like those that are in traditional running shoes that will suck up water from puddles.

I hit the expo today and grabbed my bib, chip, and all my free gear.  I'll be racing in the Clydesdale division (just could not hit my goal weight.  I've stalled at 213).  Just something to shoot for next year should I think that a full marathon is fun.  Lots of great booths and samples of energy drinks, gels, cliff bars and the like.  I scored a pair of injinji socks for 5 bucks (10 less than retail!). 

I picked up a brochure for the Sacramento Barefoot Runners Club - they were stoked to see me in Vibrams at the expo.  Mitch, who I can best describe as a guy in his 50's that looks like he stepped off the corner of Haight and Ashbury, told me "The masses will never get us barefoot guys.  The masses are afraid that everything they have been told by the shoe companies is wrong.  The masses are afraid of change."  Pretty deep for a guy manning a card table in a convention center.  After talking for a few minutes he gave me a "shug" (which for those not familiar is a handshake followed by a one armed hug).  I'm pretty sure I am now one of his people.

Loading up on pasta tonight (and very likely tomorrow)

See you in 26.2

The Final Countdown is on...