Karen writes: Wellington marathon this weekend
Flights to Wellington...check
Dog booked for kennel...check
Parking at airport...check
Paperwork printed, tickets, registration, accommodation etc...check
Running clothes packed...IN HAND LUGGAGE THIS YEAR...check
Shoes, yuck, they are dirty and haven't had much chance to dry out recently... double wrapped in plastic...check
Gels (mmm, new flavour salted caramel flavour sounds just fine, I'm sure they will be fine until I've used them a few times then I wont be able to stand the taste), pre-race breakfast things for the hotel room.
Whanau...check
Everything else...somewhere
I started packing a couple of days ago, what goes into the suitcases tends to have a habit of coming out again though when the younger members of the family can't find something they want in the clean washing pile. There comes a point when the sensible mother-in-charge-of packing looks at the luggage padlock with a considering eye.
Oh, and marathon training. I'ts 7 weeks since the Rotorua marathon and I never really stopped running. This time I focused on making my 'long' runs longer than I ever have before, peaking with two 34+kms in two weeks (usually I aim for one or two 27-30km), and a 21km the weekend just gone (usually 18-19km). The body has coped with it, did have two sports massages which HURT but apparently progress was made on the long neglected tight muscles and tendons and things. Will it all make a difference...who knows? What may make a difference is the developing cold kindly donated by snuffly, cuddly kids. The weather could be influential, according to one out of the three different forecasts I've been following it looks ok. And of course whether or not I make any previously un-tested pre-race food choices like last year when the very nice chili-squid was just too tempting...it did not work out well.
So roll on Sunday. The field isn't that large so there may not be a whole lot of people to talk to but I can usually find entertainment somehow, there should also be a few familiar faces to keep an eye out for. The route is flat and pretty going out along the waterfront at Wellington to a turnaround along the coast, a short retrace then back to the turnaround, then back to the start at the Westpac stadium where the whanau will hopefully be waiting having done their own race, the kids 'magic mile'. Should be good!
Dog booked for kennel...check
Parking at airport...check
Paperwork printed, tickets, registration, accommodation etc...check
Running clothes packed...IN HAND LUGGAGE THIS YEAR...check
Shoes, yuck, they are dirty and haven't had much chance to dry out recently... double wrapped in plastic...check
Gels (mmm, new flavour salted caramel flavour sounds just fine, I'm sure they will be fine until I've used them a few times then I wont be able to stand the taste), pre-race breakfast things for the hotel room.
Whanau...check
Everything else...somewhere
I started packing a couple of days ago, what goes into the suitcases tends to have a habit of coming out again though when the younger members of the family can't find something they want in the clean washing pile. There comes a point when the sensible mother-in-charge-of packing looks at the luggage padlock with a considering eye.
Oh, and marathon training. I'ts 7 weeks since the Rotorua marathon and I never really stopped running. This time I focused on making my 'long' runs longer than I ever have before, peaking with two 34+kms in two weeks (usually I aim for one or two 27-30km), and a 21km the weekend just gone (usually 18-19km). The body has coped with it, did have two sports massages which HURT but apparently progress was made on the long neglected tight muscles and tendons and things. Will it all make a difference...who knows? What may make a difference is the developing cold kindly donated by snuffly, cuddly kids. The weather could be influential, according to one out of the three different forecasts I've been following it looks ok. And of course whether or not I make any previously un-tested pre-race food choices like last year when the very nice chili-squid was just too tempting...it did not work out well.
So roll on Sunday. The field isn't that large so there may not be a whole lot of people to talk to but I can usually find entertainment somehow, there should also be a few familiar faces to keep an eye out for. The route is flat and pretty going out along the waterfront at Wellington to a turnaround along the coast, a short retrace then back to the turnaround, then back to the start at the Westpac stadium where the whanau will hopefully be waiting having done their own race, the kids 'magic mile'. Should be good!
Comments