Olympics here I come?
Well…the first post might as well be at the top of the mountain because I’m sure I’ll be struggling to climb back up MANY times. I’m on the train home from running in the National Marathon in Washington D.C. and just finished watching Rudy and crying like a little baby. This movie gets me every time, even more than the Notebook. Thankfully, the tears prevented anyone from sitting next to me so I had room to stretch out my sore little legs. So, while my mind is full of cheesy inspiration, without further ado, here’s the National Marathon Recap..
Before the Race
Since the race was on a Saturday, I decided to get in on Thursday night to allow myself to get a little familiar in the city, as well as ensure two good nights of sleep in a hotel before the marathon. This was a VERY good idea as a short jog in the neighborhood on Friday showed me I needed to dress much warmer than I planned. While it is always ideal to run in your race outfit before the marathon, I don’t consider myself an elite athlete, so I figured I’d chance it. This is my third marathon, so I was completely comfortable adding some extra layers I hadn’t previously run in. PLUS, mom was in town and she couldn’t wait to go “shopping” at the marathon expo.
We got a very cute and warm long-sleeve shirt that said, “I know, I know I said I’d never do this again” and I topped it off with a target sweatshirt I intended to discard about halfway through the race.
Pre-race Friday meals included the following:
- Breakfast: a delicious carb-filled continental breakfast, which included oatmeal, toast, fruit loops and some egg whites for protein. I absolutely love Embassy Suites’ breakfast – you don’t know me yet but you can probably see it doesn’t take much to make this girl happy!
- Lunch: A giant salad from the Cheesecake Factory with grilled chicken and lots of vegetables. I wanted predictable food the day before the race, and I had no doubt Cheescake Factory could deliver. Oh, I also consumed an entire loaf of the delicious whole-grain bread. As you read about my life more, you’ll see I’m in a constant struggle not to “eat the whole thing” but I decided to discard this concern in advance of the marathon – hey, I needed the carbs.
- Dinner: Same thing but with a little more bread. Like I said, predictable meals are mucho important before a big race, so if it’s an out-of-town race, I suggest looking for a reliable ‘ol chain restaurant.
- Misc. – I’m a snacker. I had a few Thomas Bagel Thins throughout the day to keep the carb-thing going. I don’t normally snack on those but I didn’t want to eat anything too crazy the day before the race. I also drank a TON of water and stopped drinking coffee after my morning cup.
Side note – I know most bloggers take pictures of their food…I wasn’t prepared this time. I’ll do my best to do it as much as I can, but again, gotta get the s** together. Also- these pictures might be extremely random, as my meals generally are…
After dinner, I put on Cool Runnings (race day ritual – love the underdog), jumped in bed and fell right to sleep by 10. I will share with you all the guts and glory of my race day triumphs (and pitfalls) tomorrow, but until then, here is a little video from my favorite movie to get you pumped.
Tell Me! What is your pre-race motivational movie/ritual?
Congrats on the race and finally starting this blog… cant wait to read more! 🙂
Love the blog! You officially have a new blog-stalker 🙂
Hurray for Jamie! I hope to run some races with you so that I can create my own “pre-race ritual”
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