Marathon Prep - One Day Before Race

This is how I feel just about now:

 
In 12 hours and 30  minutes I will be running the Vancouver Marathon. Yes. It's a done deal. I've got my bib ready. My clothes are laid out and ready to put on. My water and outfit are all on fleek! Yes, on fleek!

This is quite something for me. It's something I'm going to be proud of as it's a whole of 42.2km and I've been prepping for it since December of 2014.

Tonight I feel anxious, excited, nervous, and proud. The best way to get over this mix of powerful emotions is by seeking to get into a zen place so that I'll eventually get to rest and get some sleep. So I will soon go into the bedroom and try to get into a mode of quietude as I get ready to face the anguish of completing an amazing 42.2km run! 

And this is how the journey started. Last spring I moved back to BC after spending a year in Toronto and one of the first things I did upon moving back was competing in a triathlon. I loved it. It was thanks to that experience that I vouched to do the following:

1. Get into paddleboarding - I'd never done it before and now I'm about to compete in a race!
2. Get into wind surfing - I'd never done it and now it's my all-favorite pursuit!
3. Prep for a marathon - I'd never done it and tomorrow I'm actually doing it!!

I have some great people in my life who serve as big inspirations to me. My pal Camille has done marathons in every continent. She was definitely a point of inspiration! And one of the people that has the biggest impact on me, is a big proponent of workout pursuits and I pay close attention to what he says on anything that's outdoorsy. And while he's mostly interested in mountaineering and climbing, what he opines on the matter of running and exercise has weight.

But, in the end, it's what you do that matters. We all have access to great inspiration and great feedback from others. In the end, and especially if you're running a marathon, all that matters is:

- How much have you been running to get ready for this?
- How are you trending? 
- What's your mile per minute or km per minute?
- What's your ideal time to finish 42.2km in?

And my history of training and running can be found here! By the way, I LOVE Map my Run! LOVE IT!

 And while my stats say that I'm trending to finish the first marathon of my life in 4 hours and 35 minutes, I intend to go for 3 hours and 40 minutes. Is it an aggressive goal? Yes! Would I be true to myself if I didn't aim for something like this? NO! 

And you won't be able to answer any of the above-listed questions unless you've done the work, spilled the sweat, and made it a point to make training important.

And I did.

Training for the marathon was something I deeply respected since vouching to do it back in December of 2014. And now, a few hours away from the race, I'm confident in saying one thing:
that I will do and finish the race. I'm ready!

I've worked hard for this. Very hard!

I've done what I've done in every other pursuit in life. I've tracked my activity carefully daily. I know how I trend and how I can trend better. And I've prepared for it. Unapologetically and unequivocally.
All that's left now is a good night's sleep as tomorrow morning I start the journey of accomplishing one of the things on my bucket list.

So, here we go. It's almost go-time. Look forward to reporting after the fact....