Doing nothing feels weird. After following a fairly rigid workout routine for most of the last six weeks and having been in training pretty much since early January when I started prepping for Around the Bay, not exercising seems an unusual thing to do. Still, I think it's best. There isn't anything to be gained by training at this stage and resting up will allow the nagging injuries to heal. I've stopped having my daily glass of wine (or two) and am trying to drink more water. I am going to bed early too...
I'm entertaining myself in other ways. I've been contemplating picking up a new mountain bike so I've been internet shopping and checking out bike stores. I miss riding, something I haven't really been able to do since I got serious about the marathon. I have a road bike, but it's now a little chilly for that most days and I don't really want to expose my sexy road machine to the unseemly elements. But trail riding is still great this time of year. I have a 16-year-old mountain bike but it's not really trail worthy anymore: no shocks, old geometry, v-brakes... and it's amazing what you can get for $500 these days... After the marathon, I'm planning to give the running a rest and hop back on the bike.
I've also kept up my reading. The most recent addition of Canadian Running magazine arrived today and it has a section on good places to run in Hamilton and a bit of info on the big races including the Road2Hope. Eric McGuinness, another Spec co-worker, keeps sending me links on injuries and he sent another one today. Maybe its his way of telling me what I'm doing is insane. At kilometre 37 on Sunday, I'll likely agree.
My brother-in-law Rob is also coming in for the race. He's an Air Canada pilot based in Calgary. He was a pretty serious marathon runner until a couple of years ago when he spent a year trying to qualify for Boston, only to get a cramp late in the race and fall short by less than a minute. He was so crushed he basically stopped running altogether. But I think he's got the bug again and it will be interesting to see whether being around a race inspires him. Though I'll likely be less than inspiring.
I'm also making post-race plans. I'm going to an Indian buffet place for my post-race meal with my wife and Rob - ironic that I'll have to walk to get my food. Then I'm going to come home and drink Magner's Apple Cider, watch football and fall asleep on the couch. Then I'm going to Lick's Hamburger around the corner for a steak sandwich, onion rings and milk shake. I'm taking Monday off and my wife has booked a massage for me in the afternoon. Essentially, I'm planning to be sore, hung over and outrageously flatulent the day after the race. I wonder if I can skip the marathon and go right into recovery mode?
I'm going to pick up my race kit tomorrow afternoon with Susan Clairmont, a Spec columnist who is doing the half-marathon. She was complaining today how she wasn't ready and hadn't trained enough and blah blah blah... Susan has run Around the Bay in 2 hrs 59 min and 3hrs 7 min, so I don't believe a word she says. I think she can break 2hrs for the half if she wants. Photog Barry Gray is also doing the half and trying to break his PB of 1 hr 53 min. Barry's also got two marathons under his belt, including a 3 hr 58 min effort I'm covetous of. I'll see if he wants to join the race kit recon team tomorrow as well.
People keep asking me if I'm ready. Because I've never done this before, it's hard to know if I've trained enough or properly. In the last few days before a race, I always feel this nagging doubt that I haven't done enough. But there's not much to be done about it now... the sun is coming up on Sunday and I'll be running 42.2km, right to the bitter (or triumphant, or likely both) end.
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