Here I sit in the cozy upstairs bedroom of Barb and Frank Stanley's wonderful house in Ellensburg. Stacy (Hi Stac!), their daughter, is a good friend of mine from college. They were so great to put me up for the night! Cory and I left Seattle after work yesterday so he could drop me off here. My Mom and Stepdad, Ben, will pick me up here in a couple of hours.
Cory had to turn around and drive right back to Seattle last night to work today. He and Christa and my nephew will make the trip down to Oregon tomorrow morning. (Thanks Cor for bringing me over--I know it was an extra long day!)
It is a beautiful, sunny morning here. The ever-present Ellensburg gale is rustling only slightly this morning, gently swaying the trees outside the window. Mojito, the Stanleys' big grey and white kitty, has jumped up into my lap and is fighting for my affection. Ella, one of two dogs, is also nuzzling in for some love. Konia (dog #2), is still a little unsure of me, and is content to just keep to her own affairs.
Barb took me on a tour of Ellensburg last night to see how much things have changed in the short time since I've been gone.
Lots of new businesses I see--ever-changing.
An unbelievable number of housing developments.
A brand new Student Union and Rec Center on Campus.
Many businesses now closed downtown.
They closed down my favorite D&M Coffee spot (Though only for leasing reasons, the company is still alive and thriving!)
I CAN'T WAIT to get my cup of D&M this morning after my parents arrive. Nothing compares!
After spending some time catching up with Barb last night, I snuggled in with a book, and shortly fell asleep. This morning I woke up at about 6am, and spent the morning lying in bed with my book and just thinking about Saturdays race.
I feel really good. I feel well prepared and that I planned my time well. Today and tomorrow are crucial for resting. I'm glad we arrive in Sunriver today so I can check out the course and relax in the house and enjoy the beautiful weather and time with my family.
Last Saturday was my final 8 miler. I had a full day planned, so I got up and hit Alki early--8am. Felt physically and mentally strong. Spent part of the day at the Fremont Solstice, then went to a baby shower in the afternoon.
Sunday and Monday were both rest days. I did an easy 3.5 mile run Tuesday. Rested yesterday, and will do an easy 1-2 mile at some point today--probably consisting mostly of walking. No running tomorrow.
26.2 miles on Saturday.
I've been spending some time mentally rehearsing the race. Thinking about ways of getting myself through some rough spots--should they arise. Again, I feel really well prepared. The one thing I'm concerned a bit about is the weather. Forecast says 90 as the high that day. BUT, the race starts at 7:30, so I should be finishing around the time it will really start getting hot. And, I'll just have to slow down if the weather is hot....and that is okay! The important thing is to be smart, pace myself, and just finish!
Today slight carb loading begins, and will kick up tomorrow--along with increased fluid intake. 6-8oz. every hour--alternating between gatorade and water. Small meals about every 1.5 hours consisting mostly of carbs--avoiding high fat/ high protein/ high sodium foods. Essentially I'll be eating a lot of cereal and powerbars--foods that are easy to digest and will load up my glycogen stores!
I'll be thinking of all of you throughout the next couple of days. I most certainly could not have met this challenge without the incredible support I've received from everyone! Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart! I can't think of a single person that has not been supportive--all of you have allowed me to succeed!
Happy Trails!
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