My last post before the race! Why? Well, I am an emotional mess, and I want to spare you all from the complete meltdown that will be taking place over the next 4 days. You have been patient enough with my ramblings up to this point, and I think it is time I cut myself off from the emotional verbal diarrhea that is already itching to explode.
So first of all, I know you are heartbroken that you don't get to stand outside in the freezing cold for 6 hours to watch 4 seconds of me running by, am I right? It's ok, I understand you have better things to do with your Saturday morning.
But fear not! You can stalk me from the comfort of your own home!
For those of you that want to track my progress, you can sign up to get text messages that will alert you when I reach 7 points along the way. That way, you know I am still alive and kickin'. If you stop getting texts, you can know to send your condolences to my parents. (OK, that is not funny. Sorry. I won't die, don't worry, sheesh. Tough crowd.)
I may also see if this system can follow my progress to the Emergency Room (to alert you of my diagnoses of "temporary psychosis" and "completely broken lower extremities"), and then to the nearest bar (to track my drinking status of "one beer and she's down for the count").
So, here is the info on text message tracking (with my comments in purple):
"Beginning race morning (ass crack of dawn), the runner tracking system can be accessed on the marathon home page (<-- that's a link, so just click on it). Family and friends (that means you) can track runners (that's me, bib number 2833) as they cross mile marks 3.1, 6.2, 10,13.1, 18.6, 24 and the finish. The system will also provide an estimated finish time. Search for your favorite runners (again, that's me) once the race begins."
So, in a nutshell, for all of you that need the info presented in simple terms... you need to:
1) Wake up by 8am CST (9am for all my east-coast pals) on Saturday morning
2) Go to the marathon website
3) Sign up for runner tracking (IMPORTANT: my bib number is 2833)
4) Sit back with your feet up and a nice mimosa in hand
5) Make sure your phone isn't on silent, which will cause you to wonder why you haven't "heard" any updates, thus sending you into a complete panic thinking I didn't even survive the first 3 miles
You may ask, “Amy, what’s your plan? What’s your strategy for running 26.2 miles on 2 busted ankles and a jacked up neck, having not trained in 2 months? How are you possibly stupid enough to run this race in your current situation? Why are you a moron? Do you really think you are ready for this?”
Good questions. Thank you for your inquiries.
Let’s start with this: I openly acknowledge that 1) I should not be running this race, 2) I am a complete moron for attempting to run this race, and 3) there is a very, very good chance I will not finish this race.
So, now that we have THAT out of the way, let’s talk strategy.
I am going to put myself with the 5 hour 10 minute pace group. Eww. I will be using what is called the “Galloway Method”: running + walking. I will run/jog/travel for about 10 minutes, then walk for 2 minutes through each water station. Yea, this means I will be at a 12 minute pace- a long cry from my 9:30 pace I had set out to accomplish. Double eww.
My estimated start time is around 8:30am CST. So, to break it down a little (all times in CST):
Mile 5- 9:30am
Mile 10- 10:30am
Mile 15- 11:30am
Mile 20- 12:30pm
Mile 25- 1:30pm
Finish- 1:45pm
Now, to address your last question: Do you really think you are ready for this?
As my wise friend Lauren so eloquently stated, “Sometimes being ready means accepting that it might not happen like you planned.” And boy oh boy, is this completely opposite of what I had planned. I am ready to face the day with an open mind and (try to) not be upset with my performance. I am ready to do my best, but not push myself too far. I am ready to be proud, but also disappointed and upset. I am not as ready physically as I want to be (or should be), but I have to play the hand I have been dealt.
Last, but not least, I need to accept that none of this is my fault. Thank you, Carrie, for really shaking some sense into me: "It’s not your fault that you got injured, it’s not your fault that it won’t go EXACTLY as planned, and that does not change that you are still the most dedicated runner I know."
So, here it is, 56 hours (yea, that’s right, we are now counting down in HOURS) from the starting line. I want to thank all of you for not just your support over the past YEAR, but also your patience and guidance. I can’t believe that 1 year ago, things were so drastically different in my life. I am so grateful all that has happened over the past year, and regardless of what happens in this marathon, I am really proud of how far I have come. Though things didn’t really end up as I had hoped, I am still so happy to have found my passion for running. And no, this isn’t the end- not even close. There will be more races (more marathons, you bet your sweet ass!), and more of my nonsensical ramblings.
Well... I guess that’s all I have to say... so... here goes nothin’...
