the night before race day

Here we are.

I honestly can’t believe this day is here.

If you had asked me 10 weeks ago if I thought I would be actually running 3.1 miles on the last weekend of May, I probably would have collapsed with laughter, gotten up and laughed some more. My philosophy was always more of this:

And now we have reached this…

Craziness.

I wanted to get up early this morning and do a little run, maybe a mile or so, just to shake out my legs and my nerves. However, I stayed up way too late watching Star Wars II – Attack of the Clones (which is another post for another time) and ignored my alarm. It will be ok. I’ll do a little walk later today and I think I’ll be alright.

I think.

In the meantime, I’m getting prepared. I am packing a bag – bottles of water, Nuun (I just got some!), deodorant, baby wipes, safety pins, sunscreen, clean shirts and some granola bars and snacks. I downloaded the Bibs app so I can get my results right on my phone. Little man is going to be cheering us on with his friends and then one or both of us will help him out for the fun run following the 5K. I think I’m more excited for him than for myself.

Also exciting? I get to post my very first Flat Mama/Runner. I’m wearing red and blue for Memorial Day.

Tonight, we are going to load up on carbs at a local Italian restaurant and get to bed early. I want to make sure we are up and out so we can comfortably find a parking spot and the start line for our big day.

Oh, and I have some goals.

1. Run the entire race. I know I can do this. Especially when surrounded by people.

2. Finish in under 40 minutes. I am pretty confident in this goal as well. I think I will finish more quickly, actually, but I’m building in some cushion for first time jitters.

3. ENJOY! No matter what happens, this is my first race. I want to turn in a great performance, but I also want to soak up the experience, the energy and the overall emotion of the day. It’s easy to forget this sometimes, and I want to make sure I appreciate the morning in its entirety.

The next time I post will be the big race recap. I can’t wait!

Wish us luck!