Tomorrow is the big day - MY FIRST HALF MARATHON

Oh my goodness! ! ! Holy cow!
Tomorrow is the BIG day. 
In less than 12 hours I'll be in line with about 35,000 of my closest friends (wink, wink) to run a half marathon. Well some of the crazies will be running the full. 
Not I said the duck. Not I. 



Fun fact: Marathons started in Greece around 490 B.C. (Does this mean the apostles, scribes and Pharisees ran marathons? I can't call it....)

Why is a marathon 26.2 miles? Inquiring minds want to know. And you know you're one of em.

Well, I just happen to have your answer. 

Ya see, in the first modern Olympic games (in Athens around 1896) the Greeks were itching for a medal. The big race was their last chance. They started on Marathon Bridge and ran to the Olympic Stadium, a distance of 24.85 miles. In 1908 the London folk changed the distance to 26 miles to cover the distance from Windsor Castle to White City stadium, with 385 yards added so the race would finish right smack dab in front of the royal fam's viewing box. Nice, right? Those tea drinkin Englishsters goin and changing things. Anyway, after 16 years of heated discussion, the 26.2 mile distance was a done deal just in time for the 1924 Olympics in Paris.

Aren't ya glad for my little history lesson? Don't you feel smarter?

Enough of that.

This week I've had a roller coaster of emotions. 
:-{ Ready to be d-o-n-e, as in stick a fork in me
:-o Oh how I want my Saturdays back (i.e. wanna sleep late again)
:-\ Nervous
{:o) Excited

But I've had soooo much support from all my pals. Thanks for that! And I know it's gonna be so awesome to accomplish this personal goal. And lemme add another I'm sorry here for ever makin fun of those 13.1 stickers or for sayin stuff like "who would wanna do that?"

There've been lotsa folks sayin "good luck" and "I'm so proud of you." Aww, I feel so loved. 
Somebody said "I'll be praying for you Saturday morning." Another somebody said "I'll be rooting for you." And another somebody actually came to my desk and prayed with/over me. Presh. 

One day this week a fellow runner (a coworker) came by to get ME to encourage HER to go for her run. I was like go do it girl, you'll never regret a workout. Look at me, bein a role model & stuff. What, what?

Yesterday I went down to the convention center all by myself and picked up -

I'm racer # 20825. Watch for me on tv. ;-) 

I parked in the world's tiniest parking space between a big SUV and one of those crossover car/SUV/station wagony cars. 
I made a cabbie smile and thanked him for pointing me in the right direction. He sounded like he mighta been from Haiti. I didn't have time to chit chat and ask.
I saw lots of muscular legs. Lol And all sizes and ages of peeps.
I had no trouble getting my stuff. It was very organized. 
I made the tshirt lady smile when I told her the reason I ordered a Large was because they said the women's shirts run small and I have big... um a big chest. ;-)
I made the young folk smile when they all held swag bags out to me because I did eenie meenie miney mo... I'll take his because he's cuter than you girls. It was young African American fella and boy did he grin! Smiles all around.

Tonight we stayed home and I made some linguine with marinara, garlic toast (who can eat pasta without bread?!), and Anthony grilled us some pork tenderloin (marinated in garlic & herbs no less) and I had a baked potato, too. They say to carb load pre-race. Sir yes sir! 



YUM








                                           

and more yum !



Last night Anthony said "you are so by the book" (about eating what the experts suggest) 
I asked him "do you not realize who you married?" 
His reply: "do you not realize who you married?"
We're so different. Lol But that's why we fit together just right!

So Ima try to chill tonight. Watch a little tv. Maybe hop on Pinterest. And get to bed early. To rise and shine around 4 am in the mornin is gonna stink, but I know it'll be worth it! I've never crossed a real finish line ya see. 

Country Music half Marathon here I come!