It is supposed to be a day of staying off of my feet as much as possible. First things first though. Early morning rise and shine to go for a shake-out run of about 2 or 3 miles that some of the Runner's World Challenge participants got together to do. I paid about $150 extra to enter this race as a Runner's World Challenge competitor. The extra money is worth it though, considering what I get - personalized coaching where a training schedule is e-mailed to me every week; access to the coaches to ask any questions (no matter how stupid); Runner's World Challenge technical T-shirt; a running book titled Going Long; personalized package pick-up; special race strategy sessions; meet and greet; special bus transportation to the race start; a heated tent to stay warm and relax before and après-race; free post-race party; and of course the Finisher's medal - all participants get that, not just the challenge runners.
What a gorgeous day. It's a shame that I am supposed to stay off my feet as much as possible, or at least that is the smart thing to do. I would love to be out and about. Well, I didn't exactly stay off my feet for most of the morning. After my shake-out run, we drove to Carmel so Mom would know how to get there tomorrow. It was easy to get there, and once we did, we stayed for awhile. We went to a cozy coffee shop and while Mom waited, I went to check out the local shops. This trip should be called the "Shop-til-I-drop" trip because that's what I'm doing. I bought a pair of rubber cowboy boots - very funky. You know...for the wet weather we get back home. I also bought some colourful sandals that will go nicely with the new dress I bought yesterday.
I haven't thought about retiring yet, but when I do I think I would like to spend some time in this part of the world. Carmel is very charming, or at least the small part I saw is. Nice boutiques with a country feeling, but expensive.
Hey, I forgot to mention how small the world is. At the shake-out run I saw a lady who looked an awful lot like Beryl, a lady who works in my office. I approached her, and sure enough, it was Beryl and a friend of hers. She is running in this marathon as well. I was flabbergasted. It's so funny how you run into people from your corner of the world when you're on holidays in another corner of the world. It's actually not as surprising as you'd think. When you're a serious athlete and enjoy doing destination races, it's not hard to understand why anybody would like to run in one of the most beautiful marathons in the world.
When we got back to the hotel, I had an ice bath to prepare my legs for the long day ahead. Ten agonizing minutes in the bath tub; actually, it wasn't agonizing just uncomfortably uncomfortable. It seems that perhaps my legs have gotten used to ice baths because I used to only be able to stand it for 50 seconds. Hopefully it will be worth the while. My legs were as red as a lobster when I got out of the tub, but there was a reward after the ice bath - a hot shower. I will have another ice bath tomorrow after the race or my legs will be too sore in the days ahead to sight see the way I want to and contribute to California's economy. Is she crazy? Ice baths? Well, maybe, but my legs will recover much quicker and inflammation will be kept under control.
The next item on the agenda is the pasta party. It wasn't too exciting, but I met some nice people. Now, it's time to go back to the hotel for much needed rest. Tomorrow is a long day. I'll have another medal to add to my collection. I'll post my results when I can.
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