Logistics

It's time to start thinking about marathon logistics.

1. Pace. Now is the time to seriously think about the pace I am going to go. Should I trot along at 11 minutes or should I try to do a 10:30 pace? Should I start out and go fast and then just slow it down after the first 9 miles? I am not quite sure. It's very hard to run 11 minutes in the beginning of a race because that is very slow. However, after 15 miles, 11 minutes will probably seem very fast!

2. Fanny pack - or for lack of a better word - my running belt. This belt looks kind of like a fanny pack. But it's not. It's much smaller and it is a lot skinnier. I use it to hold my gels, my ipod, and my car key if I am running at a place that is not near my house. Today, I tested it out to make sure it could hold my 7 gels, and my ipod. It did hold it. Of course, I felt a little bulky with all the gels stuffed in it. The good news, is that I will be using a gel every 40 minutes. So that means the belt be emptied as the hours tick by.

3. Sunscreen. When am I ever outside for 5+ hours? Pretty much never. Even when I am on vacation at the beach, I am never exposed to the sun for hours and hours. I am usually hiding under a beach umbrella or I head back to the house to give myself a break. However, during the marathon I will have no choice. I will be slathering myself with sunscreen beforehand. However, I am sure I am going to need to reapply it one or two times throughout the day. Not quite sure what to do about this one. I will be looking for samples that I can easily stuff into my running belt. (Yet another thing to put in the belt!) Rest assured, I will be praying for an overcast day with no sun.

4. Water. There are water stops every 2 miles along the course. So, the big question is, do I carry my water bottle, or just wing it and drink at the water stops? I think I know my answer. I like my water. I will be carrying my bottle. It's a pain, but I have trained with it - so I am used to it.

5. My outfit. I want to look cute. After all - it is my first marathon! I want something cute to wear. I have not found the perfect outfit yet and it's kind of hard to plan since I have no clue what the weather will be yet. So - I will have to tackle this one on another day.