The Day Before the BIG Day

The marathon is now over but I am finally getting around to going back and journaling everything.

The day before the big run went nothing like I had planned. I honestly shouldn't be surprised.

Jeremy had the afternoon shift which I was thankful for because he was around to go to the marathon expo with me while I picked up my bib number and looked around at the exhibitors. I now wish I would have had him for the night routine instead.

The plan for my day was mainly to relax and hydrate and eat food. I also still hadn't decided whether or not I was going to spend the night at my parents' house. Jeremy wouldn't be home until around 10:30 so I wasn't sure what would be more beneficial to me. Either I could drive up to their house and hope to fall asleep around 11:30, but this option would allow me to sleep in a little longer. Or, I could stay at my house and just wake up half an hour earlier and drive up there in the morning. I am night person so typically I like my sleep on the back end. I finally decided that if I could get the kids to settle down at a reasonable hour I could hurry and do some last minute leg stretches, take a benedryl and go to sleep, hopefully by 9:30. Yes, the benedryl is necessary because I never go to sleep by 9:30. I always fall asleep after 11 or 11:30. So even if the kids cooperated perfectly and I was in bed by 9:30 I would have just tossed and turned. But it was not meant to be. It was midday when I remembered I was supposed to be hydrating. Luckily I had already been hydrating for a few days. Jeremy and I also went to the Olive Garden where I strategically ate half of my carbo loaded meal and wanted to save the other half for 6:00 that night. You are supposed to finish carbo loading 12 hours before the event so I thought this was perfect. Well because of other events I didn't even get home until 8:30 and by then I was already behind my schedule I didn't even feel like finishing it. That night I ended up at my sister Stacey's house for some reason (I can't remember why right now) and when I was ready to head out I couldn't find my keys. I searched and searched and finally realized Stacey's mother-in-law had taken them. When I got home it was a mad dash to get the kids into bed so I could finish my planned night routine. Well of course the kids decided they didn't want to go to bed and before I knew it, my window to take the benedryl had come and gone. I had planned on taking it between 8:30 and 9:00 so it would take effect and get out of my system in time to not bog me down at my 3:00 a.m. wake up call. Because I was so behind schedule I decided not to take it. By the time the kids fell asleep I was too tired to stretch. Jeremy came home and I was probably less than pleasant. I laid out all my gear and double and triple checked that I had everything I would need for the next morning. I decided to sleep in my running clothes (hey it would save me 5 minutes in the morning!). Off to bed I went hoping for a peaceful sleep...or any sleep at all.

My dad had a similar day. He was busy for various reasons. All I know is I talked to my mom around 8:00 that night and she was mad at him for making her wait for dinner. She wanted to be done eating around 6:00 and at 8:00 they were just getting to the pizza joint for some pasta. She was pretty ticked off.

Honestly, stuff like this makes me learn a lot about myself. I am not a calm person who handles change with ease. I am trying to work on that. Every time these situations happen I try to remind myself to calm down and that things will work out. Even though my day didn't go as I had planned I think I handled it ok. The marathon was going to come whether I was ready or not so I might as well do the best I could to prepare for it.