Little Miss Runner Pants

DATE: 2:52 PM
if you have a sunburn and sweat you will bubble up for maybe a week or more. happens to me all the time.

DATE: 8:45 PM
oh wait, to make a long comment even longer.... have a couple of your favorite sports drinks the day before. i guess its supposed to help with electrolytes or sodium or something like that.

DATE: 8:58 PM
Ok, brent posted twice, so i can too (even though he's like actually RUN a marathon, so actually KNOWS things :) )so my p.s. you need your good night sleep TWO nights before. If you are too freaked to sleep the night before, as long as you've had a solid sleep two nights before, you're good. (Like I know. but i read lots of things! and my coach said so. and he knows.)And yeah, hydrate the hell out of yourself the week before. We've been told to have one sports drink the DAY before, in addition to lots of water.And yes, DO NOT do/eat/wear anything different on race day. Unless you've been eating spaghetti for breakfast all along, I'd stick with what you usually do.You're gonna be awesome, oh I hope you ENJOY your day!! i'm on the edge of my seat, i'm going thru this taper madness with YOU!!!

DATE: 6:46 PM
Hey, for swimming just try to get your breathing coordinated with your stroke and keep your form (try to scrape your thumb against your thigh before you pull you hand from the water). Try to breath once per ever third or fourth stroke, but work your way up to that - breathe when you feel like you'd better or you will drown (hee - the panic goes away! Trust me!!!)If I can swim - anyone can swim!

DATE: 7:45 AM
You've been told right, eat healthy things, and no dieting 'til after the 'thon. Taper madness has begun, and you are going to feel lots of little aches and pains and worry like mad about them. It's normal, just follow the plan. Stretch the achilles? (I think that's what you said), and poke and prod anything that hurts. The hay is in the barn, now you have to put it to use. Find a good "things to bring to an out-of-town race" checklist and start gathering them. Don't forget the oddball stuff - Gu, BodyGlide, safety pins, hair ties, the stuff that will make you miserable if you forget. Carry this stuff in your carry-on incl. your shoes. Nothing will mess up your head faster than a lost bag with your race day stuff in it. Good luck!

DATE: 12:29 PM
I'm not sure what more experienced runners would say to this, but the day before i ran a marathon, i ate nothing but some hearty spaghetti with a nice thick meat sauce. The morning of, i had a plate of the same. I also made sure to drink lots of water, and basically rested in bed when i wasn't eating or drinking (water). my mom used to make spaghetti for breakfast when me and my sister had a big test - finals, SATs, etc...glad to hear the bubbles are gone

DATE: 8:10 PM
you're gonna rock. your 2 long runs are going to do wonders for you on The Day! remember to have fun and take in the whole experience. wow its going to be so cool. everybody's experience is different and unique, and i can't wait to hear abut yours!yeah screw dieting right now. try to limit candy and simple sugars during the week prior in particular. i'd say stick to whatever your carbo load meal has been for your 20+ mile training runs. eat the biggest carbo load meal 2 days before the race (i ordered the large portion of tomato marinara (ex. cheese) at noodles inc for my trusty carbo load meal). take in more carbs than protein (about 60% cals from carbs). then another medium/small carbo load meal(s) the day before. don't eat any more than you normally would though. don't try any new foods. don't try ANYTHING new at all in the week before hand. if someone says xzy food is an excellent thing to have right before the big race, screw it! nothing new. eat whatever breakfast you normally have before your 20's. remember, after your race you are supposed to take a COLD shower, not a warm one. i guess a warm shower can cause rigor mortis whatever that means. i think you swell up or something. anyway, i read that tip in a book that was written by a guy who has run 20+ marathons. (Marathoning for Mortals)scooter mentions the aches and pains. he's so right. i felt all sorts of weird muscle pains. mabye they were psychological. if you do notice that stuff, its normal. i did actually come down with an ear infection though (yeah i had to run my 'thon with an ear infection)....so no harm done in going to the doc. if you do sense some "injury" or cold might be the real thing. sorry for the long comment! :)

DATE: 6:08 AM
ok, so no dieting till after the M. i can deal with that. fruits veggies, wheat...that IS what i'm eating. hmm. perhaps my portion sizes are outta control. yes, i'm guessing thats what it is. phooey. as for the skin thing... i did have a sunburn, and after some serious exfoliating, the arm is now kinda peeling, so i'm thinking thats what it was...

DATE: 6:40 AM
You are going to run the shit outta your marathon. Just relax...really just taper. You're only 4.2 miles shy of your final distance...adreneline will carry you through. Just watch! Now go rest up so you can kick some ass!

DATE: 6:49 AM
Kudos on your long run, and enjoy the taper - don't worry over it. Things will come together on race day. The hardest part is "trusting" it.As for swimming, congrats!!! The best advice for a newbie is: "Don't expect too much!"Swimming (correctly) is extremely difficult and takes a lot of time to become proficient at. It's counterintuitive when you can run a marathon, ride a century, or do whatever else because you're so fit, then to wonder why you can barely make it down and back 50 yards at a time. So - take your time, learn the basics, refine your stroke and balance, and just keep at it. The payoffs are *huge*.Good luck!

DATE: 6:51 AM
I'm right there with you. I don't have any great advice for anything. All I can say is what my coaches have been saying. Lay everything out the night before, in the order that you will put it on, that way you know it's there and you have to put it on to get out the door. Want me to bring extra clothes just in case I see you at the start line without your's? ;-)18 days! Wow! I'm getting excited now.

DATE: 7:10 AM
So I was right, I love it when I am right, you did the same sunburn thing I did, except I didn't have the freak out session ;-)As I am currently a Clydesdale, I am the last person you want advice from on eating, hey you going to finish that last piece of pizza?

DATE: 5:39 AM
Ok, I'll weigh in.(no pun intended) Don't worry about your weight or try to "diet" now. Eat healthy things, but don't try to just eat salads or go buck wild and do wild and crazy things such as skipping breakfasts. I feel like I gained a lot of weight around my marathon and am NOW just NOW thinking about a diet. I am so proud of your 22 mile run. I think your marathon will be so easy for you. I wish I had run a 20 and a 22 mile run!

DATE: 5:22 AM
I think everyone covered the diet part already. But, I will offer my thought process on food. I personally try to steer towards food I know is good for me. I also try to eat "at home" more often. Cooking myself seems to yield a better meal than eating out at least health wise.So, wheat bread, cheese, fruits, veggies, lean meats (chicken is my favorite), and drink lots of water. I don't drink powerade, gatorade, or accelerade unless I'm recovering from a workout. I don't drink soft drinks at all if I can help it and since I'm in the south I drink sweet tea pretty regularly.Freak out dreams....yeah they're normal. I don't even have any races coming up and I'm dreaming about running in blue jeans (?!?)

DATE: 8:14 PM
Cut the bad sugars (sweets, white breads, etc) out of your diet and you'll feel so much better when you run. I can tell when I've been porking out....So what's the cure for the skin disease? I get weird patchy things on my arms during the winter, and i'm NOT a sweaty obese person either!

DATE: 6:36 PM
These are good questions! Let the freaking out begin!1. See a PT immediately. What hurts? Does it hurt when you run? when you're not running? If it hurts when you run why do you feel like running more? (maybe it's just me, but when it hurts, i want to STOP running...)2. Your 22 mile run should have been slow, in my book, and I think everyone else's book, no? It's called a Long Slow Run for a reason! You're building endurance, not speed. So don't freak about it, feel good that you finished.3. Diet. Hmm. Healthy? Come on, you know this one! Fruit, veggies, good carbs, some protein. Limit sugar and junk food. At least for the next 18 days!4. Don't eat too much. But don't go on a diet either.5. I hate food journals. They just make me think constantly about food. But that's just me.6. (Ok, I skipped a number somewhere.)7. Swimming--Good for x-training. Not drowning is a really good start.8. I had crazy naked starting line dreams before my 5K. So yeah, i think pretty normal!I hope your exotic disease has disappeared! I get the chill thing too after a long run when it's hot. It must be some electrolyte imbalance thing. Are you eating on your long runs? Drinking enough? Oh what the hell do I know?!?! Nothing!!! I do know you're going to kick butt!!!

I had sweat bubbles after a sunburn twice in a row and was trying to figure out if it was a good thing or a bad thing..