December Goals

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I feel like I just made my November goals. Seriously, this year is winding down fast! I don't have any regrets for the month of November though. I did as much as I could. 

Yet, I still haven't gotten to my foot exercises. At work I read an interesting blog post about another runner who has to have a boot on her foot! This scared me a bit because her foot pain started out a lot like mine. 

You remember right? 

My foot hasn't been hurting at all. But reading that article was a wake up call. I can't afford any injuries right now. I'm working my body hard so I need to baby it a bit more.

I'm trying! 

Other than that I stayed on track. Tonight I have a group weight training class that I've been wanting to try since I got this gym membership. 

Well, on track training wise. As you know I've been super lazy where my hair is concerned.

Anyway, here's a few things I'm thinking about for December:

1. READ THE BLOGS I'M SUBSCRIBED TO. Honestly, it's been over a month since I could really sit down and see what everyone has been up to. I'm so focused on work, training, family life etc. like everyone else, that some things are placed on the back burner. This is one of those things. So I'm going to make an effort to start re-connecting with all you lovely people.
2. Find some different running routes. I did 16 miles on Sunday and it hit me: my running route is getting super boring. I did Fartlek this week just to break it up. But I won't be able to on Thursday so it's boring running route again. Chema has scoped out some interesting places while riding his bike. So I'm thinking I might check it out on Saturday in preparation for my long run Sunday. I only have 6 miles to run anyway. So it's a good time to check it out. I want to be prepared for my 18 miles December 11th. Only 2 weeks away.
3. Get my license. I need independence people! I've been driving around a lot lately and I feel completely ready for that part of the test. Now I just need to start studying the DMV book. Everyone keeps telling me it's "common sense." Yes it is to an extent. But they ask a lot of technical stuff too. I took the practice exam online and, yea, if it was the real one I'd still be without my license. My goal is before Christmas, and definitely before the New Year. Wish me luck!
4. Get back on track with weight training. This week I've been catching up. However, it's been about 2-3 weeks since I've dedicated a whole workout session to weights. The proof is how sore my body feels right now after just 1 day.
5. Connect with my Spain (and US) friends and family. I suck at staying in touch. This month, especially with the Christmas holiday, I want to re-connect with people. Maybe I'll be ambitious and send out Christmas cards! Maybe, I said.

That's about it. I'm trying to think of something else that I want to focus on but there's nothing really. Of course I want to try and incorporate my foot exercises and Fartlek a lot more, in general.

I set these mini goals just to keep myself motivated. Honestly, I'm doing well. I didn't slack even a bit last week and even ran Thanksgiving morning. So I'm proud of myself. Hopefully next month will be another productive month.

What are your goals for December?

Weekly Check in

Hi all! As you can tell I truly enjoyed my holiday because I have been nowhere near blogger! I come back today because things are more or less back to normal. Plus, Chema is off riding his bike and isn't hogging the computer!

My Thanksgiving was great. I'm especially happy that all my vegan side dishes came out superb! So stay tuned for all the recipes coming up in the coming weeks. For now enjoy the pics:

These are my lovely vegan pumpkin pies. They were delicious! Look for this recipe on Thursday. It's super easy. I felt a tinge of guilt because my mom was slaving away making her peach cobbler and sweet potato pies and I was done in like 10 minutes!

These are awesome molasses biscuits that I got from the foodnetwork's Thanksgiving magazine issue. They are so cheap AND EASY to make that I could make them everyday. Actually, I made some more on the Sunday after Thanksgiving! Look for this recipe next week.

There was one more recipe but I failed to take a picture of it so I'll list the ingredients instead.

Spicy Mushrooms

Broil 2 halved plum tomatoes, 2 seeded jalapeños (both skin-side up) and 4 unpeeled garlic cloves until charred, 6 minutes. Peel the garlic and chop the veggies. Sauté 1/2 cup minced onion and 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms in olive oil with salt to taste, 8 minutes. Add the tomato mixture, 1/2 cup vegetable broth and some chopped parsley; cook 5 minutes. Stir in the juice of 1 lime.

This was another foodnetwork recipe. These things were delicious! They are called "spicy mushrooms" for a reason. So don't get surprised when you try them. This was another quick vegan recipe. I made some more on Monday because I had another pack of mushrooms.

I did eat up a storm, like everyone else, but I still managed to get my workouts in. I didn't go to the gym at all last week because it was just too busy. But I got all my miles in, which made me happy. I did my 20 minutes Tuesday and Thursday and my 16 miles on Sunday.

This Week:

Monday

I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on the static bike, stretched really well, did some abs and weights (upper body only).

Tuesday

Today the plan is to do 20 minutes of interval training on the treadmill and then my 60 minute spinning class. (I'm nervous because I haven't done intervals in 2 months!)

Wednesday

I'll probably go to the group weight training class at the gym or do weights by myself.

Thursday

Another 20 minutes of interval training and a gym class. 

Friday

Weights, total body

Saturday

Rest

Sunday

10 miles

How is your week shaping up?

Week 27 Hair

A new product has been added to my routine:

My current focus is to make sure that I'm incorporating protein. I feel like my hair is always moisturized and it looks and feels healthy. However, I'm not sure if any of my products have protein.

My next monthly protein treatment is on December 11th. Between those times I will deep condition with a light protein. This means shaking off my laziness and sitting under the hooded dryer for 15-20 minutes.

This past Sunday I endured it for 17 minutes. I probably won't notice any real difference for about 4 weeks but my twists are definitely less frizzy today. I've heard a lot of people talk about the Root Stimulator Deep Conditioner and so I figured I would try it.

One particular youtuber (sunshower143) has used it since her HHCJ and she has beautiful hair. She discussed it when talking about her winter hair regimen for 2011.

Be sure to check her channel!

It's done well for her. Plus, my Bear Fruit Hair product has run out. I love that product. But the Root Stimulator I can get at Sally's for $12 in a big bottle. No shipping or handling required. I can always go back to it if I find I don't get the same results.

That's about all that's changed. I will sit under the hooded dryer each time I wash my hair to help the deep conditioner penetrate. In addition, I will give myself a protein treatment with my Aphogee each month. I think this will just be an added boost for my hair and give it more strength.

I've also started wearing my hair out once a week. I know it's better to do "protective styling" during the winter to protect the ends of my hair. But the weather here hasn't turned cold yet and I'm starting to miss seeing my hair out. Chema is missing my 'fro too! So usually on a Saturday I'll wear it out while I run my errands. 

Stay tuned for a pic next weekend!

Week 28 Hair

• Detangle with conditioner
• Wash hair
• Deep Condition + hooded dryer for 15-20 minutes
• Kimmaytube leave in
• Twists

Week 26 Hair

I have been super lax with my hair these past weeks. I have been following my regimen but I haven't done any styling or anything even remotely interesting to my hair. 

Here's the proof:

This is my Lazy Day Style #1. My hair has been like this, or in a bun, for the past few weeks. For Thanksgiving I might try another hairstyle involving curls. But my lovely sister is going to do it! I don't have the energy to even attempt to try why she wants to do. But if it finally gets done I will surely post pictures.

I haven't even gotten myself together to do my 6 month length check!

In fact, I've decided that I probably won't do another length check until next year. Mainly because I'm really pressed for time on Sundays. Especially now that my mom is on crutches for six weeks. She has a type of tendonitis and has to be in physical therapy for 4-6 weeks. 

So Chema and I have to be her chauffeur so to speak. Sundays are when my mom does her grocery shopping, when I do my long runs, and go through my hair washing process. By the end of that I'm exhausted! 

This weekend, for example, was Thanksgiving day shopping, I also had to run 15 miles and then do my hair...enough said.

However, I wanted to give you all this mini check-in to let you know I am still caring for my hair. I gave myself a protein treatment (Aphogee) on Sunday and the next one is on December 11th. So all is going well.

Things I'm Loving (November Edition)

Once again we come to the monthly odds and ends that I'm digging. So, enough of the writing already and let's get right to the pictures! 


(In no particular order whatsoever)

It's been a month, on Saturday, since we started the vegan challenge. It has flown by! Things like this soy cheese have definitely helped though. It tastes just like cheese. I probably won't use it to make mac&cheese this Thanksgiving (it is too expensive!). But it's a nice change when I'm craving something cheesy.

Why are these tortilla chips so good? Last week Chema and I went on a junk food binge. It's quite hard to find vegan junk food. But this hit the spot. The right combination of salt, sweet, and crunchy.

This is the best invention ever! I am a crockpot-recipe-making-machine! My favorite thing to make in it so far are beans. The options are limitless: pinto, black bean, black-eyed, kidney, lentils... I made some black-eyed peas with carrots and onions for lunch today.

Another edition to our vegan junk food collection. These things are delish!

For anyone who hates the taste of traditional licorice (like me!) and hates candy that is too sticky (like me!) these are perfect. Nice and soft and chewy and mango-goodness! Seriously, they are addictive.

Chema actually prefers this to soy milk. We've also tried almond milk but I don't like the taste of it with cereal. For smoothies or baked goods it's perfect though. Rice milk has a milder flavor than soy milk.

Oh yes, they taste just like real ice-cream. They are small enough where you are satisfied but don't feel guilty.

This is the best meat imitation I've eaten so far. It tastes just like taco meat.

Since dark chocolate is good for you I don't actually group this with "goodies." Although, I don't exactly binge on it either. (Chema is a different story though.)

This may seem random (I told you this list was in NO order!) but these are life-savers. I'd been walking around the house in uncomfortable flip-flops. With the colder weather I needed a substitute. I got these from Walmart. Cute aren't they?

I finally bought the bottle so I don't have to skip protein treatments. My goal is to give myself one every month. I'm also going to start sitting under the hooded dryer for 20 minutes each week when I do my deep conditioning.

These are an old love.

Again, hard to find vegan goodies, especially cookies! I'm picky with my sweets but I LOVE cookies. These are pretty decent.

So that's that. Honestly, I'm having a lot of fun with this vegan challenge. I'm also trying to buy more certified organic things. I think it's important. Maybe I'll dedicate a blog post in the future with my thoughts on that.

Next month I want try some new/weird fruits and vegetables. I'm fascinated with purple carrots!

What have you been loving this month?

Weekly Recipe: Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

This is another "borrowed" recipe. I just made a few swaps for taste and to make it completely vegan.

My next goal is to make a vegan pumpkin pie. I think I will use silken tofu to substitute the dairy. The challenge will be the crust. Any suggestions?

Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

2 small or 1 large very ripe banana

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

3/4 cup raisins

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

2 tsp. baking powder

2 Tbsp. water

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups oatmeal

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine baking powder and water (to substitute eggs) and mix until dissolved. Add bananas, applesauce, sugar, and vanilla. In large bowl, mix together oatmeal, flours, baking soda, spices and raisins. Add combined fruit mixture to dry ingredients until just blended. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 25 minutes or until light golden brown.

The recipe is pretty accurate with the cookie count (it makes 40). My bananas weren't "very ripe" so I added some sugar. The original recipe doesn't have any. Even with the sugar these are not sweet cookies. 

I like them though. They are perfect for breakfast with a little almond or cashew butter. They are very dense so they are great as a snack because you will definitely stay full. Enjoy!

Helloooooo Out There!!!!

Googleimages: (How cute is this??!!)

 
I've missed you all! I know I've only been MIA for 4 days but it seems like so much longer!

Somehow I feel that with these "shorter" days I have less time! Don't ask me how that works out but it's true!

Anyway, last week was pretty much recovery after the marathon. The goal was to not run, but still stay active. I lasted until Thursday. I ran on the treadmill for about 20 minutes. 

I also accomplished one of my November Goals of trying new classes. 

I went to spinning on Tuesday of last week. It kicked my butt.

However, I went again today and it REALLY kicked my butt! 

I couldn't quite figure out the whole resistance thing my first time. So this time I made sure that it was all off before starting. That way, when I had to "add more" or "take some off" I was doing it to my needs. My shirt was soaking with so much sweat that I was able to wring it! 

Gross, right?

The next class I went to was Pilates.

I love Pilates! 

I've been wanting to try it for so long because it is great for flexibility and strength. There is a lot of balancing and core work that is just great for runners. Well, Pilates is great for anyone really.

It a nice low-impact workout (meaning no jumping around) so that even those that have injuries can do it. In fact, a woman who was having knee surgery was in class last week.

That was it. I did nothing else for the week except on Sunday for my long run. Those 6.5 miles felt really good. I ran it in about 51 minutes. 

This week I'd like to try a group weight training class.

My goal for next week is to try a new class everyday, single, day.

I'm trying not to be too hard on my legs this week because I have an important run on Sunday: 14 miles.

Another one of my goals for November is to start adding on miles. I don't want to do too much too soon. But I want to start preparing myself. With my foot injury, and the move, I feel like I'm a little behind on my marathon training. I'm probably not, but I feel like it.

The last bit of news is that I signed up for a holiday race on December 10th. It's a 5K. I wanted to run another race to stay on that high before the BIG ONE next year. Then again, something far enough away so that I can recuperate.

 So that's it. Short and sweet just to say hey and to let you guys know that I'm doing fine and feel fine. I'm injury free and still on that marathon training mission.

How is your week shaping up?

Weekly Recipe: Vegan Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

This is an adapted recipe. I actually got it from my gym. They were handing out recipe cards at the front desk this week. Or rather, they were in piles on the desk and I picked one up while I was waiting for my spinning class to start.

It was pretty much vegan anyway. But I also made it healthier by not adding any oils or butters and adding some whole wheat flour.

Vegan Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder (plus 2 tsp. as the egg substitute)

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

2 Tbsp. water

1/3 cup soy milk

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 Tbsp. molasses

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

15 oz can pumpkin

1/2 cup raisins

Muffin cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place muffin cups in a muffin pan. (This eliminates the need to add oil). Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger into a bowl. In another large bowl, mix the extra 2 tsp baking powder with the 2 Tbsp water until dissolved. Then add the soy milk, applesauce, molasses, vanilla, sugar, and pumpkin to the same bowl. Stir in the dry ingredients, all at once, just until moistened. Fold in raisins. Spoon into muffin pan cups, filling almost to the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove and cool muffins. Then gobble them up!

The recipe also suggested adding pecans or walnuts to it but I don't like nuts in baked goods much. It also stated that it makes about 24 muffins but I only managed to get 16 out of my mix. With the whole wheat flour these muffins are pretty dense. So if you feel like you want to thin out the batter, just add more applesauce.

Also, if you tend to like sweeter muffins than I would add a full cup of sugar. In my opinion they have just the right amount of sweetness to them with the canned pumpkin. They are delicious. I eat them for breakfast! These muffins are definitely a guilt-less treat.

Half-Marathon Recap

The race is over! I finished uninjured and happy! Even though I went in knowing I wasn't trying to acheive a PR...my mind wasn't completely convinced. So afterwards, at home, looking at the race results, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment. It was just a tinge.

However, I ran the race in 1 HOUR AND 39 MINUTES. I RANKED 10TH IN MY CATEGORY. For some reason there were no total ranking results.

THIS WAS A CHALLENGING COURSE.

 It was super hilly. I mean, it was nothing but hills! I mean I have to incorporate some type of hill work into my training now! It's interesting, but it wasn't my legs that were burning. It was my lungs! I'm so happy I'll be starting Fartlek again.

My pace was 7.33, which I'm completely content with. At 6.1 miles I was at 46 minutes and at 10 miles I was at 1 hour and 18 minutes. I put effort into this race. My first marathon was completely flat. I held back because I just wanted to finish. I didn't hold much back this time around. It felt good though. I'm already thinking about a shorter race to run in December.

The only annoying part was that there was no one waiting for me at the finish line! I really gave it my all at the finish and sprinted. I expected my family to be there...but they were confused and were standing at a different finish line. To their credit it was a confusing event. 

There was a 10K, the half marathon, full marathon, marathon relay, and a kid's race. All running at the same time. I was confused a bit while running because they kept yelling out instructions and I was trying to focus.

Oh well, it couldn't be perfect, could it?

Race Preparation

It was so cold and dark! I got up at 430 am. I expected my phone to automatically update Daylight Savings, but it didn't. No, I don't have a smartphone. Why? Well, planned obsolescence. But I digress.

Anyway,

• I woke up
• Checked my ipod
• Checked Chema's ipod touch
• Turned on the computer
• Woke up my mother and asked her
• Turned on the TV...

I just wanted to make sure it was 330 am. It was. So I manually put the time back on my phone and stayed in bed (wide awake) until 4 am. At that time I got up and ate breakfast, put in my contacts, got dressed, then warmed up and stretched.

Chema, my younger brother, and older sister, came to see me run. My mom couldn't come unfortunately because of her injury. 

So in this first picture you can see how dark it is at 6am.

This is the start and finish line for the half and full marathon.

Here's where we could check our race results. However, when I crossed the finish line I was more concerned with finding my support team.

There I am! I was so excited. Even though this was a smaller race the energy was great.

Now you can really see how cold it is! I had on 2 layers and another one in the car for the finish! I was too incredibly happy that I had those gloves.

Cheesing with my sister.

And here I am cheesing with the teenager.

This is me right before the start. At this point there were only 10 minutes before the race!

More people getting ready for the race.

Not a huge showing but it was decent.

Not sure why the bird was there but he was scaring the little kids.

The spectators! Actuallly, there weren't very many people supporting the runners. They pretty much stayed at the start and finish lines. But I was more focused on those hills anyway!

Five minutes before the race!

Almost three minutes before the race!

There I go! If my face is any indication (the little of it you can see) I was in paradise!

They had those cool little foil wrappers at the end that I've always wanted to drape around me. I felt so professional! However, they don't keep you warm...at all. The food offered was bananas, bagels, pizza, and beer. Since I'm vegan I gave the pizza to my brother and gobbled a banana and 1/4 of a bagel.

A few hours later I had another snack then lentils with potatoes for lunch.

Thoughts

I had such a great time. I really do recommend races. It is so uplifting. It's a big accomplishment. Like I said, I'm already planning my next race.

The only negatives were that no one was at the finish line to snap a photo. Also I had a wardrobe mishap. My cool new running pants chafed. They have zippers at the ankles and they cut me on my right ankle. 

Luckily, I didn't even notice until we were driving back home. I guess I was on too much of a high. So yea, I either need to wear longer socks or get some different pants.

Something silly: I mentioned before how I felt a tinge of disappointment for not running faster. So, to make me feel better Chema "googled" the women who finished ahead of me. For some reason it made me feel better knowing these women are professional runners. All of them had run the race more than once and were on running teams. I patted myself on the back for a job well done.

Other than that, I have no complaints. My second half marathon is over and I can't wait to run another. 

I will definitely focus on running a PR! (After my marathon of course)

Race Day Vitals

So these are my race day vitals. Let's take you through them:

1. My new running pants. This is the only item I haven't tried out. But I'm not too nervous because I've run in leggings before and had no problem.
2. The long-sleeve shirt I'm wearing is made out of moisture wicking fabric. It's also supposed to regulate the body's temperature. I wore this for my last marathon and it worked fine.
3. Two things I always, always, bring on a run are my Nike running hat and my wristband. I hate running with the sun in my eyes. Plus I think that running in sunglasses would be too awkward. It's so convenient to run with my wristband because it fits my keys and my lip balm. I can't run without my lip balm. I mean, I can, but I'd be miserable. So that will be coming with me on race day.
4. That sports bra I bought at Target. Although it says it's from Champion (along with the running pants). MY FAVORITE SPORTS BRA EVER! It goes on smooth and feels like I'm wearing my own skin. I have to get a couple more.
5. Those socks are just some cheap ones I bought. I have about 3 pairs. They are nothing special but I like them and they are comfortable.
6. The sweatband is also a necessity. I like to wipe my face and mouth while running and it's easier than pulling on my shirt.
7. My watch is a normal watch. It doesn't have GPS technology, no pacing stuff, nada. It just tells me the time and how long I've been running. Honestly, that's all I need at this point.
8. Since it will be cold I have the gloves this time. I won't make the same mistake twice!
9. The Cliff Bar is breakfast along with an apple. I found this flavor at a bike store and I had to have it. It's pumpkin! How yummy does that sound? Plus, I don't like to eat much before a run. I read something interesting the other day on how to measure the calories you should eat before a race. Apparently, you multiply your weight by how many hours you wake up before the race. So I will get up 3 hours before and I weigh 120 lbs. (3 X 120 = 360 calories).
10. Finally my contacts. So much more comfortable than wearing glasses.

On the way to the race I plan to wear my race shirt and a vest to keep warm. I'm also bringing a sweater and my running jacket for after the race. Just to wear during the activities after the race.

All of my warm up and stretches I plan to do there. I might run around the block  and do some preliminary stretches depending on how I am for time.

Other than that I'm ready! The only annoying thing is that all the non-runners in my household, which is everyone else, keep telling me to run for the win! In their minds it will be "easy" for me to win a prize. Oh, non-runners and their crazy notions! I mean, I plan to try my best and that's it. I'm nervous, excited and hopeful.

Wish me lots of luck! I'm running in 11 (+1) hours!!!

Race Pack Goodies

The race expo wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped. I guess I was expecting more free stuff...yes, I definitely expected cooler free stuff. But just in case you're curious here's a peek:

 This is where I picked up my bib number. It was the first day of the expo so there weren't a lot of people. Thankfully!

There I am with my goodie bag. The best gift (besides the race shirt) I was given.

 Here's the free stuff: a granola bar, chapstick, a mini tube of lotion, and toothpaste. I'm still confused about the toothpaste.

 There I am sporting the race shirt! I like it a lot actually. The material is pretty good quality and the fit is excellent. I probably won't wear it on race day though.

A close up of the bag. It's nothing special but I think I'll start using it when I go to the gym.

No, these super cool running shorts were not included in the race pack! I bought these for $11 at the expo! I've been wanting some spandex shorts to run in for awhile. These can also double as undies. They are so comfortable!

 I should've bought two pairs!

One of the vendors at the expo. I'm excited because it's a completely organic supermarket! So Chema and I have another option when looking for our vegan fare.

My bib number! It was shocking because these numbers are my dad (28) and older sister's (27) birthdays! Their birthdays are in February, which is when I run the marathon. It's shocking because I initially got motivated to run the marathon for my dad. He passed away suddenly a couple of years ago and was a real exercise nut. My sister has nothing to do with my running...at all...but I still think it's a cool connection.

The first half marathon I ran was not high-tech in the least so this "new" technology impressed me. Instead of the chip on the shoe it's placed on the back of the bib number.

The stuff in the front is the non-exciting free stuff I mentioned earlier. The stuff in the back I purchased as part of my November goals. I want to try some alternative ways to hydrate and energize myself while running. Instead of drinking tons of water or eating solid foods as they wreak havoc on my stomach. I purchased this stuff for a total of $3! Anywhere else it is so expensive. As in more than $3 for just one pack.

Does anyone know where I can by this stuff at reasonable prices?

That's it. That's my race pack.

Mentally, I'm ready for the half marathon. I want to do some stretching tonight and tomorrow to loosen up my muscles a bit. This week was super busy with work that I only had time to go to the gym Wednesday and Thursday.

Something crazy that happened: Last night in body combat my mom injured herself! We were doing back kicks and she suddenly stopped and limped out of class. She couldn't finish it. She was in so much pain she had to go to the emergency room this morning. She now has one of those leg braces that doesn't allow you to move at all and crutches. They think she tore a muscle. She won't know more until Tuesday when she has an appointment with the orthopedic doctor. It sucks. So we didn't go to the gym today and next week I'll be going solo. The only positive thing is that I can try new classes, also part of my November goals. I just hope my mom gets better soon!

Back to my mental state...

I'm only nervous about 2 things:

1. Daylight Savings -- Of course we have to push back the clocks an hour the day I have to run the half marathon! It's at 2am so I hope I don't forget. Either way, it's better to be early than late.
2. Traffic -- The NC State campus area is always busy anyway so I hope it's not too bad on race day. I plan to leave the house at 530am and the race doesn't start until 7am. Plus, it only takes about 20 minutes to get there. I should be OK.

So that's it. I will check in again tomorrow to post any other final thoughts. As well as to show you what I plan on wearing on race day. Wish me luck!