Last Days of Preparation

I am in the last days of getting ready for the run.  In fact, today we are officially 9 days away from leaving San Francisco and 15 days away from launch day! 

What I am I doing to get ready?  

Mostly saying thank you.  I feel like someone getting an award at the academy awards lately.   I cannot begin to thank all the people who have lent time and talent to contribute to this goal.  Thanking my wife Christine for putting up with all the hours I am spending training, spending time on the marketing for donations aspect and having the constant sound track of the run planning a never ending loop in the house.  Also, thanking her for all the work she is doing to get all of the logistics of transportation, food, drink, health and the like..  

Also, thanking a ton of other people...like Carolyn Hardy, John Garcia, AT Moore, Mark Nowling, John Glover, Zucu Bermann, Bobbi Jo Price, Judy Truong, Laura Jones, Ryan Edwards, Kristin Jiles, Dee and Bill Scanlon, Lauren Alexander, Dr. Dave and others....(I hear the music beginning to play....telling me to stop before the commercial cuts me off.)  If I missed anyone who has helped, it is unintentional and I will catch up sooner or later!  I appreciate you all!  I could not do this thing without all the help I have received.  Period.

Trying to button down last minute stuff:  The minute details of planning this thing are eating up time and energy.  Little things like oh crap! income tax day is on the 15th of April, when I am likely going to be in East Goatsweat, New Mexico.  How am I going to take care of that?  Gathering supplies.  Tightening down schedules with people who are meeting with me.  It is a lot of stuff. 

Keeping the training constant:  Lots of folks have asked me if I am going to take a break and "taper" like one would for a race.  The quick answer is...no taper for this little run.  I need to keep myself on the mile train as long as I can.  This week was as much of a break for me as it is going to get.  I only ran 98 miles from Sunday to Saturday...work kept me off the road for more miles.  

Getting my work stuff in order:  Tom, Emery and the gang at Granicus have been so generous (Thanks again guys...cool, I just slipped in another thank you!) to allow me to chase this little adventure.  I have been trying to set things up at work to keep the busses on schedule while I am out. 

Keeping the butterflies in my stomach from turning into elephants dancing like the Rock-ettes! My friend Carolyn Hardy asked me last night if this thing was like the feeling one gets before starting a race.  The easy answer is yes...but, it has a tad more energy behind it!  I am feeling the magnitude of this run everyday!                                                                 

Keeping my head on straight.  Keeping it cool.  Keeping it real.  Keeping the main objective (raising money for Freedom is Not Free and Soles4Souls) at the forefront.  Keeping my head from getting inflated from all of the positive comments people are tossing my way. 

 

Anyways, that about wraps up this update.  It is getting down to wire and I feel great!  Really!  Ready!

Oh, before I close,  I got a great question from John Teeples of Big Dog Running in Columbus, GA last week...thought I would share.

He asked "What is your daily run plan?" 

I originally was planning to run from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. everyday, thinking 9 hours should give me plenty of time to cover 50 miles (5-6 mph average...). 

I then thought maybe I would run a marathon in the morning (26.2 miles) and one in the afternoon. 

John suggested that he had great success on some long haul runs of doing 50 minutes and taking 10 minutes of rest every hour. 

So...my current plan is to experiment after day one.  I like John's idea...and will give it a try! 

Here a couple of pics of my run today!