Ready or not...

I've not been able to sleep past 4:45a for the past couple days - yet I'm not tired (yet)...and I honestly can't believe I'm this nervous about Marine Corps. Do I feel prepared? No - though it's not for lack of training, rather my last two "long runs" didn't end well. So now I'm a head-case...can I do it? Yes, I know I'll finish...but it's that darn Bronze Belt I covet. I really, really want to earn a bronze. I'd be feeling pretty confident, too...if it weren't for those stinkin' last long runs (when I say a "bronze belt", I'm referring to our PACER Team "belt system" which rewards your efforts based on an age graded % compared to the world's elite; bronze is the sixth out of nine "belts").

Anyway, my brother-in-law, who will also be running the marathon (sub 3 hour goal, btw) recommended a three day "carbo-load"; 600g carbohydrates/day on Thursday (today), Friday & Saturday. The science behind it shows that athletes are better able to prevent hypoglycemia by increasing your body's energy stores (for endurance events greater than 2 hours). So, not having really paid any attention to carbohydrate levels in food, I figured, "no problem- I like carbs...". Well, it's now 11am and I've been eating CONSTANTLY all morning, and I'm only up to 170g consumed (after I finish this large Berry Bomb smoothie I'm currently drinking) - It's a darn good thing I work where I do - access to a lot of food and the nutritional data readily available to go with it. I'm trying to get as much as I can from other sources than just wheat - as I can't tolerate a whole lot of the stuff at once. Bottom line is, I'm sure I'll put on a few pounds, but I'm hoping it's not too much as I'll need all the oxygenation I can get without excess fat stores stealing it all!

Speaking of oxygenation, tt amazes me how much science can be involved in this whole endurance-sport thing. Hydration, proper fueling, training with enough mileage, interval training, monitoring heart rate levels, VO2max levels...Enough to make anyone's head spin.  I'm lucky this time around that I understand a whole lot more going into this marathon (not so much when I ran NYC 11 years ago) and hopefully this will help me get past the dreaded wall, and not crash & burn like I did last time.  But...we'll find out in a few days!

Ready or not, here I come...