I thought i’d get this one last post up before I sit back and let the nerves get the best of me relax.

10 Important Things to Double Check the Night Before a Marathon:

#1. Alarm clock. Double check that your alarm clock is set properly (and for NYC Marathon runners that you remember to turn your clocks back tonight for Daylight Savings). This morning when it didn’t go off I couldn’t understand why. Did I sleep through it? I did have a few glasses of wine last night but I should have still heard it.

Don’t drink this the night before a marathon. Well don’t drink the whole bottle at least.

That’s when I realized I changed the settings to “weekday only” last weekend and never changed it. Last I checked they don’t call it Marathon Sunday for nothing. AHHHH! Glad I noticed today. I’ve changed my settings and it will now go off according to plan tomorrow. You should also have a second alarm set because you should always have a back up. Double check both alarms. Heck, triple check them!

#2. Race Day Fuel. Do you have enough. Are your fuel packets easy to open? I’ve struggled with tearing open my Shot Bloks and Sport Beans in the past. So I like to “pre-tear” them. Or, sometimes just put them in a regular zip-lock baggy. (My guess is that you can’t do this with Gu! Could get a little messy.

#3. Electronics. Are they all charged? Don’t forget the ear buds if you’re bringing your iPod. Phone? Garmin? Do you have the right playlist? Test them. I’ve charged my iPod the night before but left it playing on accident and the battery was dead by morning.

It’s gotta be the PERFECT playlist

#4. Game Plan. It might be a bit OCD but I like to write out on a piece of paper my game plan/schedule with time increments. Know when you want to wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed and leave the house. I’ve got to take the dog out and then drop him at a friends’ house also so I really have my minutes allotted precisely.

#5. Weather: Check it one last time. Make note of wind speeds, humidity and “real feel”. For instance, tomorrow it’s supposed to be windy and I know that 45 degrees at the start will feel much colder. I’m bringing more than just a throwaway sweatshirt. I’m wearing an old down coat which I’ll donate. comfort is key before setting out on a 26.2 mile run right?!

#6. Review the course again. Pay attention to the elevation. Know where those hills are so you can plan for slower miles then.

#7. Breakfast. Make sure you have what you’ll want to eat the morning of the marathon. I happen to love soft pretzels (Yup! I should get Super Pretzel to sponsor me). I like one with my coffee when I wake up and I’ll take another in the car to eat an hour prior to race start. I realized yesterday that I didn’t have any in the house. So I made a trip to the store and stocked up. Whew!

Sweat Out the Small Stuff’s Breakfast of Champions!

#8. Outfit. Double check that everything you’ll be wearing is clean and ready. Hopefully you’ve worn this stuff during training to make sure nothing rides up or bunches or chafes but either way do one last “fitting” before bed. I wear a SpiBelt when I run and tend to forget to adjust the tightness ahead of time and there I am during that first mile trying to adjust it so it sits right. Gonna use my own advice and get that squared away tonight.

#9. Access to your stuff. So this is a little thing that could really be a big thing. What do you plan on needing to access while running? Your fuel? Your music? Your chapstick? While I love my SpiBelt for running races, I HATE reaching behind me to find the little zipper. Sometimes I’ll spin the belt around but that could create a tangled mess if my ipod is clipped to it. One day I had the genius idea to attach a keyring to the zipper pull. Voila! Now when running I can easily find the keyring and opening and closing the belt goes a lot smoother. And as I mentioned in #3. I put all loose items in a ziplock so I can take that bag out and bring it in front of me to get what I need. Then i seal it up and it’s easier to shove one bag into the SpiBelt behind my back than if I had a bunch of loose items.

keyring….genius!

#10. Double check your spirit and your reason for running!!! You should be sure to act silly with your dog, spouse, kids or yourself to get some nerves out.

This is something fun and challenging that you’re about to tackle. Remind yourself why you are running. Every runner has a reason. I was part of this amazing campaign that Dicks Sporting Goods did earlier this year. You can view all the videos here. (Mine is titled “Lisa and Sally” from “week 2”. Oh and by the way, Lisa is running her 50th marathon tomorrow!!!!! Feel free to comment below with some big ole congratulatory messages for her. She inspired me to start running and continues to inspire me on a daily basis.

Tomorrow, i’ll also be wearing ribbons in support of Boston and for Melanoma Awareness and since tomorrow is the 3rd anniversary of the death of a beautiful angel who I didn’t know personally but who meant the world to a dear friend of mine, I will be wearing a little butterfly with her initials.

Meaningful Miles!

And the bonus item you should double check…..

Is that you have signed up for another race so that you won’t fall into a depression when your marathon is over! I signed up for the Trenton Half Marathon which is next weekend. I was lured by the swag…nicest shirt ever. (I paid to have my shirt and bib mailed to me to save me from having to drive down the day before to go to the expo—nifty!)

Enjoy your weekend everyone. And for all those running the NYC Marathon tomorrow or any other race have a great run!!!!

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