How I get dressed for a race

I woke up on race day morning at 4:30am! I had set several alarms, just in case, but I didn't need any of them. I woke up on my own just before the first one sounded. Guess I was that anxious because I certainly wasn't that rested!

We didn't have to be in the lobby until 5:30am, but whenever I have a lot of things to coordinate, I like to leave enough time to move slowly and methodically so as not to leave anything behind. What could I possibly need to do besides get dressed? Well, shower for one (helps me wake up), and getting dressed itself required multiple steps.

I had to body glide (to prevent blisters and chafing); then, after the clothes went on, I had to affix my bib/number. To do this, I had to put on my Camelback (water belt) so I knew how much real estate I had to work with. I had to fold the bib to a smaller size, then figure out how to pin it on straight!

As for the Camelback itself, I had to make sure everything I needed was in there: goos, a mini-Clif bar, a pack of pretzels, cell phone, chap stick, my hotel room key, a $5 bill (hey, you never know) and, of course, water, to which I added an electrolyte mix. Filling the Camelback is tricky, so it took some coordination to get all 32 oz. in there without spilling.

After that, I had to check my gear bag to make sure it had pre- and post-race stuff, including sunglasses, PowerBars, my silver thermos (which I would fill with coffee -- it stays hot for 8 hours!) a clean shirt and sports bra (in case I got really cold after the race and needed to put something dry on), and Birkenstocks, among other items. And, of course, I had to make coffee and put in my contacts.


Yes, I'm a bit complicated and I like to be prepared, but that's my prerogative! The only thing I hadn't done by 5:30am was affix my race chip, and that's because I had so much trouble with it when I ran the San Francisco half-marathon in August that I figured I get someone on my team to help me (thanks, Carol!).

San Antonio, here I come!

It's T-minus 3 days and counting! And today is my last day in Colorado before heading to the great Republic of Texas. I have almost finished decorating my TNT shirt. It has a bit more bling than my singlet for the San Diego race and, of course, lots of puff paint! Now I just have to pack, and I really hope I don't forget anything. Fortunately, I still have my master list from the last race, so that should help.

I would encourage you to read Kelsie's most recent blog post: http://thenospinzone-kelsie.blogspot.com/2008/11/michael-5k-is-five-kilometers-not-5000.html. I'll be running with her this weekend in San Antonio and am so proud not only of her, but also of all of my teammates who will have completed their first half- or full marathon and raised a lot of money for a good cause by the end of this training season. It's a phenomenal achievement and one that anybody can accomplish.

Maybe you have a different goal or dream you'd like to achieve. Whatever it is, I really want to encourage you to go after it. Maybe it's been on your To Do list for a long time and maybe it's brand new. But none of us is getting any younger. So, taking a cue from Kelsie's post, ask yourself, What do I really want to achieve? What is my dream? Then I want you to do the following:

1. Write it down.
2. Add a "by when" -- set a date by which you'd like to realize this goal.
3. Email it to me! I'm curious to know what you're inspired to accomplish, and I'd like to help you get there.
   

And with that, I'm off to pack my bags. Happy "goaling" and I'll look for your emails following my race!