What do you say?

Morning!  I have Pilates and 7 miles.  I might be able to run outside if the "cold" front arrives tomorrow morning, as the temps will start getting to normal Summer levels by tonight.

I now know what it feels like to strike gold, because here I am looking at my work calendar and I have NO MEETINGS scheduled today.  

I swam 2600 yards before work.  Swim endurance feels good.  I didn't slow down too much later in the workout, and I didn't need any extra rest breaks.  I've got a run tonight...I've got runs scheduled the next seven days.  It's almost like I'm a runner or something.

Morning! Heading out for an easy hour with some strides in a bit.

4.

But a whole lot better than all the shit you guys in the midwest/northeast are getting.

The projected snow totals for my area never materialized yesterday. The sidewalks are bone dry.

Good morning!  I hope you all had a nice holiday!  I need to catch up on the dailies.

My trip home to visit my family was wonderful!  The trip back to Chicago was a 2 day nightmare with multiple canceled flights and trying to figure out the best way home.  I ended up paying for a new ticket on a different airline (which also meant renting a car and driving to a different airport) so I could fly into Midway instead of O'Hare because Midway didn't have the same amount of snow and wind; otherwise, I would have been stuck until tonight or even tomorrow.  Anyway, I finally made it home last night more than 24 hours after I should have arrived.

I'm hoping to get to the gym to run during lunch, but I'm also way behind at work now from missing yesterday, so we'll see how productive I can be this morning.

 

No, I eat in any meeting no matter the time of day. Assuming your oatmeal doesn't smell like fish...or come in a bag that crinkles every 5 seconds.

 

6 miles with 3 at MP after work.

 

As this is only my second marathon, would love to hear what others focus on eating/drinking the few days before.

I agree with Whiskers. I'd eat unabashedly whenever, wherever.

For the food prior to the marathon, my sports dietician/nutritionist suggested eating fewer carbs the few days before (so you'd eat fewer carbs and more healthy fats/proteins like Mon, Tues, Weds) and then on Thurs, Fri and Sat before a Sun race you'd load up on the carbs and have them be the main source of fuel. And then the 2 days prior I don't eat any whole grain or "healthy" carbs--I stick with oatmeal, white rice and bagels. And like no veggies or beans or heavy greasy fats the day and a half prior.

I've got 5 later. I seem to have strained a groin muscle after my run yesterday? Or maybe it's just super sore, somehow (it didn't hurt during my run, but I stretched out afterwards and maybe I was too aggressive? It didn't feel too aggressive....only me, lol ).

 

Eugene is highly recommended! I ran it this year, and even though I had a shitty race, it was a great event. They style themselves as "Track Town USA", so the community does get into it. Medium-sized race (1500 finishers), but more crowd support than you'd expect for that size race in that size town. Flat, and usually good weather. A bit of a downer is that one of the big attractions - finishing on the track at legendary Hayward Field - will not happen next year, since it will be under construction. Maybe the best part of the whole thing though: the largest assemblage of portapotties near the starting corrals you will ever see.

 

All that said - I think most of us agreed crowd support was not that big a factor. And it's a long trip to make. Does coach know about the monster FE at WI?? In the end, your coach is not running this marathon, you are. So you make the decision. And of course by this, I mean the forum makes the decision.

,DaveyP: I had to LOL at you guys ultimately being the ones to decide. And I haven't told him of the crazy FE, yet. I'll email him back and ask him. He is suggesting the Cellcom one potentially, but again lack of crowd support, in Green Bay (I'm not a Packers fan so that's not exciting to me). Eugene is a long way to travel--I'd have to fly. With WI I could drive. Either one I'm getting a hotel.

 

I had thought about running a spring marathon in Oregon but didn’t want to travel. I also get to sleep in my own bed for WI though which is nice lol

 

crowd support is great, but I still preferred Lakefront over Chicago even given the crowd support. To me, unless I actually know the people cheering it doesn’t really do much for me.

Shortii, that is a huge factor...I'd thought about sticking around here for the Lake Wobegon one but I'd still have to get a hotel, b/c it's a couple hours away. Why isn't TCM a flatter course, LOL.

 

 

I've only had one race that had crowd support - Boston - and while I enjoyed it, I was a lot more focused on other things for it to make any difference.

Ginny, that's amazing hearing you say that, especially about Boston. I had probably (wrongly?) assumed that the crowd support would be enough to pull you through even the worst of conditions, like you had last year.

ETA: I just realized I probably came off like I totally know what I'm talking about (race week nutrition)...I also want to add that I am by no means an expert. Listen to the others on here who've raced more than 1 marathon.