To DO's and To DON'Ts

like my training shirts (shameless plug – don’t worry there is another one coming) this list is back by popular demand. i have re-written some of my past thoughts, added some new ones, deleted others, and of course made my usual editorial comments. ENJOY or be very scared!
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ladies and gents.... with just 9 days to go, i, as a 12 year vet of this crazy game of marathoning, want to impart some wisdom (baaahaaahaaa) on what to do and but probably more important what NOT to do during these last few days before your 26.2 mile jaunt from Hopkinton to Boston.
they are in no particular order, so here goes....

ladies, if you haven't gotten a pedicure, go NOW and go DARK, do not wait another day. if you're thinking "it can wait 'till after" think again. trust me, you will not want anyone touching those tootsies the week after. not to mention, you don't want to see what’s going on under that polish nor does the person who has to go to work on them - there's no tip large enough to put another human through that.

unfortunately, most of us have 5 days of (unproductive) work this week. don’t iron your pants while they are on your body. i know i know you’ve been running and your quads are rock hard but seriously, risking 3rd degree burns is just stupid.

drink water - pretty obvious, right? but here's the deal, if you aren't in the habit of drinking a lot of H2O, pounding it sunday afternoon will shock your system - BAD news!

don't over carb early in the week, not only is it unnecessary, it'll just make you feel like crap.

continuing that same idea, don't do anything drastically different to your diet or supplement intake. like, um, taking iron pills or going vegan. with that said, you might want to stay away from the fried food, excess sugar and big macs.

cool the boozin' monday, tuesday, wednesday, friday & saturday. sunday night on the other hand, you may need a glass of wine to help you sleep. HA! you could drink the whole bottle, you're still not going to be able to sleep.

rub it down - get a massage or 2 or as many as you can fit in. it'll rock the muscles and help to relax you for sure. just one thought - if you're thinking you could really use a good hard one, i mean who couldn't, go before Wednesday or Thursday the latest, because if it's any good - you'll be feeling it the next day.

don't go food shopping in flip flops - you can't control someone else carriage - exhibit A – last year i almost ran over my sister's foot post pedicure - not cool.

this week rid your world of people who suck - i mean it. surround yourself with people who will pump you up, help calm you down, and who make you feel not just good but great, because you are.

if you haven't already, start a journal - not a blog - a personal journal for you and you alone. it'll allow you to look back and laugh at how freakin' nervous, excited, anxious, etc. you were. you can't get these feeling and emotions back but writing them down will allow you to visit them whenever you want.

go for a good, hard 10 mile woodland-crossroads run on thursday - KIDDING.... just wanted to see if you were paying attention.

listen to the JACKISM's - less is more - the hay's in the barn - the pennies are in the bank! if you do not run another step between now and the 19th, you're going to be fine. the objective is to "roll up to the starting line {insert jack hands here} feeling loose."

take a trip to the JFC if you can, there a lot of kids there you won't see at mile 25. if you need any inspiration at all you will certainly get it there.

gals (and some of you dudes) - don't wait until monday AM to shave. and you waxers - go soon but GO don’t skip it (yet another event that it awkwardly awful post-marathon). in either case, tight clothes, sweat, rubbing, UGH!

guys - i have reminded you in the past to pack your jock. some people may have found it obnoxious, but i'm not apologizing. pack your damn jock - hang it on the door knob - sleep in it, just make sure you have it. from what i'm told, that's not something you guys "pack an extra just in case." i assume guys wouldn't share that stuff, would they? GROSS!

do-do-do make it personal! every day stop and think about what you are doing and who you are doing it for. maybe it’s a family member or a friend or a co-worker or a friend of a co-worker. think about the days when you were able to postpone a run for better weather or more sleep. well those people can’t postpone what they are going through - chemo doesn’t stop just because it’s raining (thanks Les!).

Gel/GU/Hammer/Blocks/Beans & Gatorade - if you haven't trained with them, don't go grabbing for it at mile 17. it might help - but then again it might not and who knows how long the line at the fire station will be when IT wants out - fast and furiously.

stay close to the ground... your shoes... stay off the stiletto's. no question they are hot, especially since your legs are fabulous and heels make them look better AND it is finally skirt weather, but this will be the week you fall off of them.
“but laurie - the running sneakers “commuter look” with the short skirt is terrible”… okay fine – i’ll the amended this one BUT if you wake up late and your see the bus pulling away from the stop , do not make a run for it (this goes for flip flops too). let's face it, you’re going to be late. who are you kidding, if you had to run in the first place, you were already going to be late.

STOP looking at the freakin’ weather report! folks it’s new england it changes hourly. it doesn’t matter – the gun is still going off at 10/10:30 and you are going to run - PERIOD.

get yourself an ENTERING DFMC training shirt all the cool kids are doing it and they make great gifts for your donors and fans on the sidelines (find me at the table at the DFMC check-in) – plug, plug, plug.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ - get them! try to get as much good quality sleep as you can this week.

wash it twice - if you are going to wear new ANYTHING - socks, shorts, sports bra, shorts, whatever - wash it first, and twice if necessary.

buy racing flats at the expo on satuday and wear them for the first time on monday - kidding of course (seriously, what a-hole does that?!).

don't freak if out of the blue you have a joint or muscle pain, they're called phantom pains, it's in your head, you are fine.

for crying out loud, send out your damn fundraising letter (yup that one's for me yet again this year).

lube, lube, lube! on monday you're gonna need it EVERYWHERE - your sports bra, nipples, belly button, crotchal region, armpits, toes, thighs, you name it, just vas the crap out of yourself, and for goodness sake, don't be modest. but if you are, just yell out "no one look over here i'm lubing!" that'll definitely keep people from peeking.

hug as many people as you can, actually just hug fast people, they'll make you faster by osmosis.
and last but seriously not least, if you are not feeling "right" physically or mentally... reach out to jack (but remember you will be 1 out of over the 150 emails he receives daily). i've leaned on him for 12 years now. it doesn't matter how experienced you think you are, he can talk you off the ledge and he'll give you the necessary & magical information that will make MONDAY, APRIL 19th one of the best days of your life. i promise. we love ya jack!


9 days.... GULP....

taper
run
celebrate