Archive for April, 2010
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Pre-race excitement and happenings
It is an absolutely gorgeous day in St. Louis today. It is in the mid 70s and it’s bright and sunny.
Mark was a good husband and went to the Go! St. Louis marathon Expo with me in the St. Louis University Chaifetz Arena this morning.
This is one of my favorite parts of the St. Louis marathon weekend – all the free swag, samples, and running-related gear. An aerial view of the madness:
Thanks, random dude, for the photo bomb (actually it’s just my crappy photog skillz).
Apparently, the half marathon here is a big deal – I’ve ran in it twice, but it is one of the largest half marathon events in the United States. There will be over 12,000 participants in the half and a measly 3,000 in the full. I’m # 182 – and apparently there is a way to stream my progress live since that is what my dad is planning on doing. Cool, huh?
I know Mark probably wasn’t that thrilled about it all, but I think even he can sense all the excitement in the small space.
I picked up a fuel belt and a bunch of race related fliers and also a little charm that says “26.2” on it. I had fun, but since it was such a nice day Mark and I decided to take Ada to the park – specifically, Castlewood State Park.
I think Ada liked it.
I have already laid out my clothes and gear for tomorrow. I am pretty much ready to go – all I have to do is wake up on time and hopefully I won’t overheat tomorrow! It’s going to be a little warmer than what I am used to training in.
I will be back for a race report tomorrow!
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T minus 6 days
We are almost to the end of my marathon countdown. In one week, at this very moment, I will be about 18 miles into my marathon. I have doubts in my mind about it going well, but I think that is just race anxiety talking.
I got my Saucony Progrid Guide 2 shoes on Wednesday, so I’ve been busy breaking them in. They are so much cushier than my old Reeboks. I don’t normally wear Reeboks. I had recently bought Saucony Progrids after getting fit for them last fall, when I lost them. I had worn them the day I got married on a morning run. And in the craziness that ensued in the couple of days before I left for my honeymoon, I never saw them again and have no idea where they are. They had my RoadID on them with my information so you would think someone would return extremely muddy size 5.5 runners shoes. I was really, really disappointed that I didn’t have running shoes for my honeymoon (not to mention losing basically brand new shoes) — one of my favorite things is to run next to the beach, and I just don’t feel like myself if I’m not working out. So, when we were on our layover in Atlanta, literally running from one end of the airport to the other, I saw a Reebok store, looked at Mark, and Mark said, “Really?” I saw shoes that looked ok, asked if they had them in size 6, and laid my debit card on the counter. And those are the shoes I trained for my first marathon in.
The Sauconys are much more comfortable, so I do regret not getting them a little earlier, but I am getting miserly in my increasing age and wanted to get the most bang for my buck out of the Reeboks.
The weather for next Sunday is supposed to be great:
Let’s just hope it stays that way.
Happy Easter! I need to find some Easter candy…
About Me
My name is Michelle and I like to write about running, food, and fitness in general. Check out my About Michelle section for more!
