Runner Insight

So the night before my full marathon I tried on my race day outfit: I was trying to decide which hat to wear. Should I wear the red “Runner’s Edge” one, or the gray Missoula Marathon running hat I just bought that day? When in doubt, I ask T. She is always a good sport, and I trust her fashion sense…and besides that, she has her eyesight. I live my life with the philosophy that it’s always good to have at least one person around who can actually see.

With a 6:30 a.m. start I wanted to be up by 4:30 as we had to drive about 20 miles to the start of the race, and after six or seven months of training for this thing, I wanted to be sure I was fully prepared and didn’t forget anything. I did manage to go to bed early, but with the heat, sleep was hard to come by. I did manage to get some sleep, but it was a fitful night.

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The Day Before My Marathon – The Marathon Expo

So my marathon day 2007 was drawing near. I had put in all the hard work and dedication required in my six to seven month long marathon training program in preparation for my first marathon.  I was very excited and a bit nervous about the big day the next day.

One thing I had been looking forward to was attending the Marathon Expo.  It really turned out to be a great experience.  Not only was it fun, but it helped me to put all of my marathon training program into perspective: I was part of something far bigger than just myself.  For the most part, I had been training alone. It didn’t really feel like I was a part of something so massive until I went to the Expo. Seeing all the people at the Marathon Expo really got me hyped up…I was one of them too, I was…a marathoner!  This Expo was for me! Kind of a cool and eye-opening revelation for me.

There were all sorts of vendor booths set up at Caras Park, a beautiful park right downtown by the river.  And let me tell you, it was hot out!  We had been having record- breaking heat for the past few weeks, and the forecast for race day was for more of the same.  But the Expo was set up under the bridge, so we were mostly in the shade. 

I stood in line to get my race packet where I would find all sorts of goodies, including my race number.  Race packets are great.  I love to see what little treats are in them.  There was a pair of running socks from the Runner’s Edge, our local running store that I love to pieces! (Hi!)  There were a handful of nutritional snacks and a blister kit, along with coupons for some free stuff from different merchants around town.

Once I had my race number, I was free to wander around the Expo.  As you might imagine, I was drawn to the running clothing  And I found a nice RED sleeveless Hind running shirt.  I also bought a Missoula Marathon tank top.  Then I hit pay dirt!  A Missoula Marathon running hat!!  This was great.  It did however leave me in a quandary about my running outfit. The Missoula Marathon hat was grey. I had planned on wearing my red Runner’s Edge hat. So of course, that evening I had to try on my race day outfit and the two different hats.  In the end I decided to go with the red hat as planned. 

After wandering around the Expo, the last stop we made before heading out was to buy some cool, delicious Flathead cherries.  They are the best!  Big dark red jewels of pure delight!  They hit the spot.  A refreshing treat on a very hot 90 degree day!

The Expo served to fuel my excitement and calm my nerves…I realized that I really wasn’t alone in this 6 month long trek ending with the final 26.2 mile portion of my journey.

And the next day it would all come together…or not.

How ’bout it? 

-Vision Runner

P.S. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but if you haven’t made your $1 donation yet, you’ll want to do so today. Because everyone who donates through today (Friday June 12) will be put into the drawing for the free pair of Runner’s Edge running socks! So get your donation in today!! Hurry, hurry! Just go to www.FirstGiving.com/VisionRunner or click on the Donate button on the green and purple FirstGiving widget in the sidebar.  You can get the details on  my 1,222.25 mile Run Over To Ellen’s (Ellen TV Show) fundraising project by clicking here: www.RunOverToEllens.com   Thanks!!

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The Inaugural Missoula Marathon race course had been confirmed to start in Frenchtown, a small town about 12 miles northwest of Missoula.  Once the course got into Missoula, they were not quite sure what route the marathon course would take.   This being the inaugural Missoula Marathon (2007), there were some logistical issues to be resolved. 

My big question though, was would there be enough volunteers at each of the turns through town?  I had been in previous races where I was assured that there would be someone at turns to direct me since I couldn’t see the signs, but there were quite a few times that I got off the course because the turns were not manned by volunteers the way they promised. 

So we talked to Anders from The Runner’s Edge, a local running store.  He was on the board for the marathon.  He was quite confident there would be no problem with the course having enough volunteers.  But he said he would get it cleared if I wanted to have a bike rider along with me. That made me feel better.  My friend Vickie, who had ridden her bike alongside me on all my long marathon training runs, was going to be out of town the weekend of the marathon, but I did have another friend who volunteered to ride her bike with me. 

I was feeling pretty good about the run into town; that would be the majority of the miles. But it was all the turns through town that the course would take that I was concerned about. That’s where I could get lost.

A few days before the race, the course map was printed, so we drove the whole course, from start to finish.  I was feeling pretty good about it, as part of the course was on the running path I used all the time.  So I ended up deciding that a bike rider would not be necessary, since the half marathon runners would be merging with the marathon runners as we got into town.  Even if there were not enough volunteers at the turns, I was confident there would be enough runners to follow, as the total number of racers was well over 1,000. 

I considered trying to find a running group or a partner to run with, but at this late date, I simply decided to play it by ear at the race and see what developed. There would be pace runners, so if nothing else, I could fall into a group there.

Things were taking shape, and my excitement was building….one of the biggest challenges of my life was just around the corner – how would I fare? Ultimately, whether the results were good, bad or indifferent – the game was on and I was anxious to get started.

 How ’bout it?

 -Vision Runner

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