Prep work

3 days.  3 short, busy days.  I'm in full on questioning my resolve mode now - I keep pondering if it is too late to back out.  I am trying to psych myself up for this weekend's fun run.  I am laying out my strategy and getting things in order for an early start on Sunday and a lot of things are going through my head now:

• Should I keep doing the short runs during lunch or lay off to rest up for the run?  I tend to lay off a few days prior to the run so as not to strain anything but my lack of prep this year has me thinking I need to keep up the runs if not for anything but to keep the old joints limber.
• What's the weather going to be?  Normally, I don't start watching the weather until the week of the run.  Forecast is too unpredictable several days out.  This weekend is supposed to be clear and lukewarm (start out around 52 and it could get as high as 70 by the afternoon).  Those temps actually may cause some people problems with overheating.  
• What to wear?  See the weather report.  I could do I normally dress in layers.  If it is chilly, I will have gloves, longsleeve shirt, running pants, jacket/sweatshirt (all disposable).  Per the race policy, any clothing that is tossed aside along the course is collected and cleaned and given to the local homeless shelter.  I have an old sweatshirt I picked up at a garage sale last year for a buck that I won't mind tossing.  If you want to keep the clothes, you either carry it the whole run or have someone you can hand it off to along the route.  It is warm, I will go with less clothes (shorts, shirt, shoes).  
• What to eat?  I try to carb load before the race.  I have sworn off greasy fast foods, red meat, alcohol for a while so to lean out the system, but I haven't been as diligent this year.  The difference will be in the back half of the race - where I seem to lose steam.  
• Hydrate - drink water, plenty of water. 
• Course layout - Normally, I don't think twice about the course.  For my past 5 runs, the course has been unchanged.  Same route, same mileage points, same water stops, same porta potties.  This year the course has changed.  They rerouted the course from the start because a bridge was being taken down.  The entire first half is over a different route, through different neighborhoods.  Should be interesting to see the turn out.
• Where to watch - my parents want to come down to see me run.  I keep telling them it is not a big deal - they will get to watch me run by the point.  I am trying to figure out the logistics of the run for where the best spot would be.  We have settled on mile marker 6 - almost halfway through the course.  Given my anticipated pace and start time, I expect to run past that spot about an hour after the starting gun.  
• Logistics - where to park, how early to arrive, eat before the race, all of these thoughts are rambling through my head.
• Post race - I expect to be a wee bit sore after the race so I am debating getting a massage after the race.  Something to work out the kinks/sore muscles afterwards.  I put in for vacation on Monday so I don't have to crawl into the office.      

It is starting to get intersting.  


I am just waiting for the Monday Morning Headline (Houston):  

• 56 year old out of shape man collapses during the Marathon.  Barely made it past the two mile mark and had to be hauled off the course.  When contacted, his wife stated that "I told the old goat that he was too old for that crap"