Between physical therapy, work being super busy, a slapdash last minute move (short story: I can’t live with boys, cat problems, money problems, the end), testing out my legs with running again, and just generally worrying about the actual physical ability of my body to complete Sunday’s marathon, I almost forgot about all the other stuff that goes into race prep!
Almost.
I was putting off the exciting part – choosing what to wear, getting ready for the Expo, going over transportation and spectator areas with my parents, putting my playlist together, even painting my nails to coordinate with race theme colors – until I was sure I was going to show up to the starting line of the Marine Corps Marathon this year. It wasn’t until last night, when something came over me, that suddenly, I felt, deep down in my heart, I knew, come hell or high water, I am gonna do whatever it takes to cross that finish line and it’s going to take a tornado or a very large Marine physically strapping me into a stretcher or the sag wagon to stop me.
And that’s when I was like oh my shit I need to plan my race logistics!
Obviously I needed to start looking at weather forecasts, fueling plan, planning where the aid stations are just in case, looking up “when you need to be lined up” times. But with 26.2 miles on tap I’m gonna have to pack a little more heavily than for 13.1. Even for 10 I’ve learned I am happy to rely just on aid stations and can bust out a 5 1/2 minute PR. But while aid stations and water stations being available every 2-4 miles sounds like plenty for a marathon, when you’re coming off hip bursitis, what happens if my leg flares up half a mile past the last aid station and I’ve got 3 1/2 miles to go to the next one? Girl’s gotta have a backup plan.
And what if my phone dies and I have to be carted off in a stretcher?! Okay, so my dad is my emergency medical contact, but let’s be real, my dad’s coming back from Vegas the day before, it’ll be a miracle if he even makes it to the race that morning. But will I be able to send “pls send choco milk” desperate texts to at mile 12 when I’m like “omg I’m not even halfway done”?!
So, here’s the plan for the rest of the week to give myself the best prepared chance of not dying during Sunday’s Marine Corps Marathon.
Today:
-Hydrate hydrate hydrate
-Hydrate some more
-Eat a banana and some fish
Thursday:
-Prepare iPod shuffle for music so as not to use up phone battery
-Carb-load with pasta and veggie load
-Hydrate hydrate hydrate
-Call Pop Pop about coming up as spectator (if he’s in, get him parking) – this is my retired Marine Pop Pop. Fingers crossed he can make it.
-Talk to parents about coordinating with Pop Pop
-Buy Jolly Ranchers and BioFreeze
-Recumbent bike for 30 minutes
Friday:
-Hydrate hydrate hydrate
-Pack Flipbelt with 6 GU’s, Jolly Ranchers, extra tube of NUUN, and baggy of Advil, Xanax, and Klonopin (helps me focus on the mile I’m in instead of having a panic attack about the next 25 miles)
-Pack BioFreeze and headphones into Nathan handheld water bottle pouch
-Prep throwaway layers (buy hoodie at Goodwill?) and clean compression socks for post-race
-Carbo-load and veggie-load
Saturday:
-Expo – pick up bib, shirt, clear plastic checked bag, and ENJOY THE EXPO.
-Find out what will be available at aid stations – BioFreeze? What else? I’ve never stopped at an aid station before.
-Find out what’s available at water and food stations – Powerade?
-Talk to friends who are planning on coming down to spectate about where on the course I can expect to see them
-Charge Garmin, charge phone, charge iPod shuffle
-Hydrate hydrate hydrate
-Carbo-load and veggie load
-Lay out flat runner with packed bags (layers, compression socks, wallet with only credit card, ID, and SmarTrip card, and HoneyStinger waffle for start line, flip belt, handheld bottle)
-Make sure we have bagels, peanut butter, bananas in the house
-Be in bed by 8pm
Sunday (RACE DAY):
-Up at 3:30am to get dressed/brush teeth
-Say my prayers, man
-Eat my bagel with peanut butter and banana
-Hydrate hydrate hydrate
-Pee
-Leave by 4:15am to catch first metro train to Pentagon
-Join prayer service at start line
-Check my bag
-Line up
-Pray
-Minimize the use of my phone
-Eat HoneyStinger waffle 30 min before start
-Take a GU 15 min before start
-Pee early in Porta-Potty if I have to (don’t drop phone in)
-When the gun goes off, zone into myself, my body, thank and high-five the Marines, repeat Show ’em what you’re made of, repeat Philippians 4:13, and put one foot in front of the other
After?
I have 4 Shock Top beers waiting for me and a whole lot of ice, Advil, and no evening plans next week to spend as much time as needed watching Hocus Pocus on my couch never taking my MCM medal off.
Here we go. Excuse me, I have to go refill my water.
Writing, Reading, Running 
You’ve got a great plan of attack! You’ve just have to stay out of your head and keep your focus on that “one foot infront of the other” part 😉 You’ve got this! Semper Fi!
ahhhhh i can not WAIT to see you! gonna be amazing!!
i might cry when you jump in. i might tell you i can’t do it. just be prepared, when you jump in i might be so relieved i might be like courtney that’s it i can’t do it anymore. just remind me of this comment. remind me i said it during a 10 miler in august and of course i did it. remind me i said it during nike women’s and i finished. remind me i said it during frederick half and i finished. remind me i wrote you this comment and to stop being a whiny baby, god’s got this. ❤
on it!
this is brilliant – SO excited for Sunday!
Non-runners do not realize the non-training logistics that goes into race day sometimes. People constantly ask me why I haven’t run the Cooper River Bridge Run, and that’s why. I don’t feel like dealing with it. I wanna race a 5K, be done in 22 minutes, and eat like I ran a marathon.
I hope your pop pop can be at MCM for you. Volunteers and other spectators are great but there’s something about having someone there FOR YOU that always motivates me in a race, when I have it. Regardless of what happens, remember you have learned a lot on this journey and you will learn a lot on race day. I vowed never to do another marathon after mine, haven’t signed up for another, etc… but I don’t regret it at all. You learn a lot about yourself training for and participating in a marathon.
Sidenote: I tried one of those honey stinger waffles the other day. Just not for me. I don’t think any runner foods really are though. I’ve tried em all and the only one I remotely like is Hammer gel (chocolate flavor).
i actually liked the waffle! i like anything honey flavored, i find. i was surprised i liked it. i really hate the GU’s but alas, they are comportable and they work. but yeah, hating normal runner fuel is why i’m opting for jolly ranchers to pack if my stomach starts acting up. water with NUUN it is one thing but i’ve noticed sometimes i crave hard candies when i run!
This post totally cracked me up, and by the way, also made me more nervous. I need to go start checking my gear again….for the 100th time!
you have no reason to be nervous!! i’d be way less nervous about my gear if i trusted my body a little more – coming off of injury, i’m just trying to make sure i don’t break anything else, like my brain/spirit/dignity. :-p
I support this plan. I have all of my fingers and toes crossed for you. I went into MCM last year with no trust in my body, so I know the fear. Just know, that every mile that you get out of your legs and hip will be better than the last 😀
And if not, there are a shit ton of people around you to sugar fuel you to the finish. And then Rediwhip to the face. then shock top.
Boom you got this! You are hilarious Nevie!
YES. This is a good plan and I’m so thrilled to hear that you’ll be running on Sunday! NEVER take that medal off, lady! It is going to be so well earned!!