The Rowe Family Blog

I’m ready. Well, not really. I still have some music to rip and I want to ice my shins and eat some snacks before I go to sleep but other than that I am ready. I’ve trained, and I’ve trained well. I’ve eaten well this week loading in more carbs than normal while not neglecting veggies and protein. I slept great last night. Thanks to Mary and Cassie I got 10.5 hours of excellent sleep. Right now I’m tired so there’s a decent chance that I’ll get some good sleep tonight.

I will get out of bed at 4:30 to shower and brush my teeth. At 5:30 I will eat my race bagel. At 6:00 we will leave for Frontier Field. I will get my chip and then shiver waiting for the gun to fire at 7:30. At 7:30 I will be running my second marathon. I’ll run for 26.2 miles and it will take me somewhere between 4 and 4.5 hours. The weather will be nearly ideal for running so it’s possible that I could break 4 hours but I’m not betting on it. As long as I finish in 4:15 or better I will be satisfied.

I’m nervous but it’s nothing like my first marathon. I’m in better shape, I’m at my own home, I’m well prepared, and the weather isn’t supposed to be in the 80s with high humidity! I also have the benefit of knowing what a marathon feels like, though I fully expect it to feel differently tomorrow. Tomorrow will be easier but not easy. I may even be able to run it with no walking. No matter what it will be fun just like the first time.

John will be running his first full marathon. I’m wondering how he’s feeling right now. I know he’s going to do well and I’m looking forward to cheering him through the finish (that’s assuming that I finish ahead of him of course). Mark will be running the half and he’ll finally feel confident to run a full.