Almost Famous

As nervous as I am for tomorrow, I was almost as nervous for this article to come out. I've done interviews before, but never a free-flowing, running interview. I wasn't sure what I'd said, if I was coherent or if I said anything offensive. Not to mention, what picture was used. So when I woke up yesterday, I took a deep breath and clicked on the Burlington Free Press and...not too bad.

It's a great picture of Jen and I, with Joe peering over out shoulders. Jen actually has compartment syndrome as well, so it's doubly appropriate to share here. The article is great too; informative, interesting and full of wisdom from people like Jack Pilla and Bob Sullivan. In fact, it's a lot like the group of pacers I have the pleasure of running with tomorrow. Together, we have run hundreds of marathons and ultramarathons, hold course records, are below national standards for our age groups and represent the beauty of running: we hold day jobs, but are superheroes on the weekends.

I'm excited/nervous/proud to be part of the pacing team tomorrow. Huge thanks to Skirack and Mizuno for making it possible.

Running in Style

If you really want to read about style, then Wore Out is the blog to read. But for those curious about who to look for on Sunday morning, here are some pictures of the men's and women's pace uniforms.

See you at the Expo.
~S

What to do on a Tornado Thursday

Vermont is currently under a tornado watch (which, upon Googling watch versus warning for the 30th time, is the better of the two). Once you've secured an interior space with no windows, what's a tapering, anxious runner to do with a couple days to go?

• Watch Spirit of the Marathon (on iTunes, Netflix and Hulu) with your legs up, sipping on some water.
• Start laying out your clothes. Have you worn the shirt on a long run? What socks will you wear?
• Think about Sunday morning. When will you leave your house/hotel? Where will you park? Where are the porto-potties and when is my "final pee?"
• Write a thank you note or two to the people who got you here. No wo/man is an island, especially when training for a marathon.
• Review the course map. VCM will be clearly marked, but it never hurts to know where you're going.
• Read The Run Down, your guide to all things VCM, from how to drink on the move to parking to your eBag of coupons.

What not to do?

• Run longer/harder than you are scheduled to. Yes, I know you feel out of shape or like you need just one more good run. Just don't.
• Eat anything new.
• Give friends/family visiting a walking tour of Burlington.
• Check weather.com 25 times in a day. Nothing we can do about it but prepare.

Eat and sleep well tonight and tomorrow night. See you at the Expo, Friday 4 to 8 and Saturday 9 to 7.