Less than 2 days...

So, I am going to be really honest- I am kind've freaking out here! I cannot believe how close the marathon is. I am scared, nervous and excited all at the same time. I am supposed to be running a little tonight, however, my husband had to go to the "instacare center" tonight and he was diagnosed with pneumonia. Honestly, me and the hubster have been sick for too long and we are both just sick of it! With all the time that I've had to take of due to pneumonia, I am hoping to finish still upright!

I do have to admit that I really need to focus on going out slowly. I get so caught up in my pace and wanting to be a "rock star" and after all these respiratory issues, there is no way I can maintain a fast pace. I am slowly trying to accept that.

Some advice that I was given for your first marathon is to try and break it up into segments. The first 10 miles, the half, 20 miles and then bringing it home for the last six. Some say that it's a good idea to dedicate those last six to people who you love and those you care about to keep you going. I really like this idea. I am going to write the names of these people on a piece of paper and I'm going to carry it with me. I have been thinking about the dedications and I know it might sound silly, but when you have like 4+ hours to think about anything and everything- this is a good way to spend my time :-) I know these people may never know that I dedicated a mile to them and it's not like I'm going to call them to tell them- that might be weird. Especially if they aren't runners :-) So, here are my dedications... it was really hard to just pick six! I guess I could pick 26, but I think I'll just pick 6.

1. My husband, Jon- my love and my biggest fan and the one who tells me I can do anything.
2. My mother, Carolyn- The one who told me to always have a dream
3. My father, Richard- The one who allowed me to run in the first place in HS
4. My sister, Shannon- The one who I owe so much to and who supports me through everything
5. My life long bff, Char- The one who trudged those first long miles with me in XC
6. All the young kids who have had to lose a parent to cancer. I will always hold a special place in my heart for them.

We need to eradicate cancer and make sure we are doing things in our lives to prevent our chances from getting any form of cancer. If it's meant to be- it's meant to be, but I believe that if we do our part to be healthy, it would make a world of difference and lessen the amount of heartache.

This is why I am running. To show my love for my dear, sweet mother and to also show my support for the fight of breast cancer. Running a marathon has been my life-long goal, but now it's more than that. I know I can do this, but it is going to take a lot of effort and I know I am ready. I just hope my body will agree with me.

On a totally unrelated and completely shallow note: I am still trying to figure out what my outfit is going to be. I will be wearing my running skirt, but the top is still debatable. I have this awesome shirt that says "breast cancer" on the front with a big fat X through it.... but I'm not sure if the fabric will agree with me. I don't want to wear too much pink either. Humph! Well, tomorrow is the day to figure that out :-)

Wish me luck! I will be doing a full race recap- promise. I'm usually bad at that... sorry.