My tenth marathon is now ten days away! This afternoon I headed out for a nice 4 miler down the bike path. Apparently I was not the only one in need of some fresh air and sunshine. I saw at least six snakes, a big old toad and a tiny turtle. The past few days of cool, rainy weather seemed a cruel hint of what is to come. It's hard to believe that winter could be just around the corner.
But first I have to make sure that marathon #10 goes down in the books. To be honest, I don't really have any huge expectations for the day. There are a few things I am really looking forward to: the awesome excitement at the start of this marathon, the great entertainment during the first half of the course, the Ohio National Guard band on High Street, the super friendly faces (especially my 3 peeps) all along the course, and definitely the downhill to the FINISH LINE! I am trying not to think about the things I am not looking forward to: being super cold at the start, the constant mental battle of what lies ahead, the lonely feeling of the second half when more than half the crowd turns to finish the half marathon, my legs turning to mush, my feet feeling like they were run over by a truck, the lump in my stomach and throat for last 5K, the sound of the pace group coming up behind me, not being able to pee for four hours!
You would think by now I know the drill, but the element of the unknown can be overwhelming. I know that I will get to the start with the plan to just let the day unfold. I don't know what else I could possibly do. I will take with me my mental arsenal of positive thoughts and inspiring images of family and friends. I will think of Jerry and how amazing it is that he can run a 100 mile race. I will think of Abby and how she plows and pukes her way through middle school cross country. I will remember Gina and the thousands of miles she has put into swimming and how good it makes her feel. I will think of my mom and my dad for reasons too numerous to count. My sister and her victory over breast cancer. My sister-in-law who was supposed to be running with me but was injured. My friend Veronica who kicked Boston in the butt this year as her mom was fighting in a hospital for every breath. My friends JP and Maria who will be running the half marathon and hopefully loving every minute of it. And many many more faces will pop into my head throughout the day and I will cherish the thought of each one. Who knows, with any luck I just might make some new friends along the way.
