Into the Home Stretch

Well, here I am only 5 days out. Am I ready? I can definitively say, I DON'T KNOW. Being my first Marathon, I can only plead Ignorance. "Ready" can be defined in many ways I guess. In some ways I can proclaim that yes, I am ready, but in others, I just can't make a call. Thankfully, the only aspect that I can at this time define as "NOT READY" would be that I have not yet packed for the trip. Everything else is in some stage of completion.

This last weekend my fundraising efforts on behalf of the Diabetes Action Team surpassed the $1000 goal I had set for myself. I even have a few more people who have pledged but not yet donated. They will be appreciated but are no longer critical to meeting my goal. I send a big thank you out to all who donated to this cause as I know that required various levels of sacrifice. Special Thanks go to my two sisters who, along with my Parents, made some of my largest donations. I am truly humbled by all.

Mentally, I think I am ready, but that is subject to how I feel those last few miles... Of course it would help if my wife would stop sending me emails about how I have been doing it wrong all this time or reading articles that I might DIE on Saturday. I am excited about this challenge and I am already playing out in my head how I think it will progress and how I will respond to various challenges that may arise.

Physically, I am not perfect, but I am confident. My 15 day moving average weight puts me at 185.3 lbs. A weight that I haven't seen since my High School PROM! And I have seen several daily weigh-ins in the 183-184 range, which would give me a BMI of 24.9. Officially changing my category from "overweight" to "normal". A far cry from the "obese" 37.5 BMI I used to sport. I have not had a significant injury during my training and indeed my muscles and joints feel great. I am just getting over a cold that moved into my chest a week ago but I think I am all but over the worst of it. I could always be stronger or have better conditioning, but I am confident in the training I have put in.

The weather, I can't control. The forecast varies depending on which website you trust but all hint to a storm front coming in on Friday taking away the near ideal conditions we will have all week long. Instead of the upper 40's to low 50's morning temps we will enjoy each morning until Friday, the front will lower the Saturday temperatures into the low 40's or upper 30's. Brrrrr, but better than the 32 degrees that one forecast had it last week...

My mileage, although not awe inspiring, has been sufficient to meet most beginner marathon training plans. During my Marathon I will surpass 1000 miles for 2008 and 1200 miles since September 2007. I have run four runs of 18 miles and three runs of 20 miles. I have run no fewer than 15 miles a week since March and at least 30 miles a week since July.

In the pursuit of this endeavour, I truly believe I have redrawn my stars. I am healthier than I have been my entire adult life. I finally feel like I am setting an example of health for my children. Having been overweight for so much of my life it is almost difficult to not view the world from this perspective, but it is a different world. Although the changes have exhibited themselves most noticeably through my weight and health, I have also seen positive change in confidence, determination, perspective, optimism, and, perhaps not fairly, how others view me.

For a "free" sport, it has cost me plenty however. I have burned through $300 worth of shoes in the last year. Add on top of that roughly another $200 in shorts, shirts, socks, Gatorade, Gu, headlamp, and other various equipment. Add to that the several hundred dollars I've spent on race registrations, and you quickly see I have some real money tied up in this little hobby. But beyond the money, the cost of time has been felt by my whole family (not to mention my yard). I have mowed my lawn this summer only when it reached the embarrassing stage and even then my wife hired the neighbor boy to mow it once. My wife has had to work around my runs for countless activities and shopping trips. I want to thank my whole family, particularly my loving wife, for putting up with my training this summer as it hit its peak, dictating which weekend activities would and wouldn't get done.

Barring some unforeseen news, this will probably be my last post until after my run. So I will sign off wishing you all well and asking you to keep me in your prayers.