This is it!

In less than 11 hours I will be running my first marathon! It's all very surreal and I'm no where near as nervous as I thought I would be. I'm trying to get myself to go to sleep, but I'm not really tired even though I know tomorrow will be an early day. I am annoyed that even though the race doesn't start until 10 I have to get up early to catch a shuttle bus to the start line in Buffalo. Depending on what bus I get on I could have to wait at the start for up to 2 hours!! I am seriously contemplating bringing a book with me because if I stand around that long thinking about nothing but the race I'll be a huge bundle of nerves. The anticipation will probably kill me!

I am trying to keep my expectations low in order to avoid disappointment. The weather is not cooperating at all and it is supposed to rain all day tomorrow with strong winds. It is inevitable that I will be soaking wet while running, which I can deal with, but the wind is another story. The course runs along the Niagara River and wind coming off the water is always worse.

I ordered a couple different pace bands from www.pacetat.com What a neat idea! They're temporary tattoos. No more printing out pace bands and trying to fashion bracelets out of them. I was originally going to go with a 4:00 goal time, but I'm leaning more toward 4:15 now. Really though for my first marathon finishing upright and smiling should be the main focus. This will be an accomplishment no matter what, even if it takes me 6 hours to complete. I really hope that no matter what my time that I am proud. Sometimes I hate how hard I am on myself.

As excited as I am, I am also very sad. It has been great to read so many marathon race reports on here over the past month, but I am always jealous when I read about their family and friends cheering them on. I will be doing this solo tomorrow. There will be no one meeting me along the course to offer support and no one waiting at the finish line. My parents wished me good luck today when I left, but I don't think they get how big and important this is to me. They were concerned about whether or not I'd be able to drive 3 hours home after the race, but that was the extent of any race dialogue. I really wanted DH to be here, but he is thousands of miles away. I was really bummed last night when he didn't mention anything about the race when we were talking on the phone, but he called before I left today to wish me luck and tell me he'd be thinking of me. That cheered me up a lot. Maybe I can pretend he is waiting at the finish line like last year when I ran the half. Above all I am just going to have to rely on myself throughout the run, after all I am doing this for me. Time to end the pity party and call it a night. I really have to force myself to go to sleep. My alarm will be going off in six hours and I know I will be one sleepy girl!