Final Marathon Preparations

I can't believe the time is almost here! In 36 hours I will be smack dab in the middle of running my first marathon. Holy crap.

Before I can get there though, I have a few last minute things to get ready. First, I spent some of tonight packing all of my gear. Sadly, the weather forecast has changed and its looking like a cooler race temps (50s) with morning showers! Yuck.

The race is over 5 hours away from Ann Arbor, so we're heading up to Traverse City for the long weekend tomorrow. I started with a packing list:

And quickly got to packing. My marathon gear went in first. I'm thinking of wearing the same outfit I've worn for my last two long runs-- the National Half t-shirt and black capris. However, I might swap out a longsleeve for the short sleeve if it's chilly in the morning.

Next I packed fuel. I'm planning on taking 4 GU gels out on the course with me and supplementing with water and gatorade throughout. I also packed a clif bar to eat on the way to the race.

One of my race superstitions this year has been a set of lucky underwear! I've worn this combo on all of my long runs, plus my races. The sports bra is from BFF Kyla's wedding thank you's for the bridesmaids.

After everything was packed, I stretched and worked on some mental psyching up. I have been staring at my medals from my races and thinking about how far I've come. Each race has been an awesome experience and taught me so much about myself. I'm so excited and nervous for this weekend. I know that whatever happens-- I will finish. There is no chance of failure.

Tomorrow we head up North and internet access will be spotty. If you want to follow my race prep or see the results, follow me on Twitter! Last, but definitely not least, thank you so much to all of my friends, family and blog friends who have been incredibly supportive over these last 5 months. I owe this race to all of you. Big shout-out too to my mom for always being proud and encouraging. Love you, mom.

Catch you on the flip side of 26.2!