Yesterday, we picked up the shirts we ordered for all my awesome crew and pacers. This morning, Josh shot this photo of me with my coach, Cindy Stonesmith of Ultrarunner Training. Thanks Cindy, I wouldn’t toeing the line at Run Rabbit Run 100 in 3 days without you! If you can’t read the small print, it says “Do not let what you cannot do, interfere with what you can do.” This has been my motto all year.

So here we are, 3 days away from my first 100 miler race. This of course is where my husband chimes in and says “FIRST???” There are going to be more?” To which I will answer, no honey, of course not. This will be my only one…for this year.  I’m not saying I’m going to be one of those crazy people who starts doing 100 milers, or multiple 100 milers a year, but I previously have been heard saying I wasn’t interested in doing 100 miles in the first place. Be careful what you start, you never know where things will lead. Until I see how this one goes, I wont know what will come next. All I know is that I’ve had a lot of fun training for this one. And to my defense, I have a brain injury.

I did a post a while back about needing to spread out all my planning because it is hard for my brain to handle that much decision-making at once, and about making lists, and writing down steps to accomplish those lists, and then writing down how to accomplish those steps. It has been a process over the last several weeks or more, but I think I’m actually ready. I have drop bags packed. I have bags organized for my crew. I have food stacked up. I have crew instructions written out. I have pace charts printed. I’m sure I’m missing something, but my awesome crew and pacers will be there to figure it out. Hmmm…maybe I need to pack something to wear for the few days of non-running while we are up in Steamboat. That wasn’t on my list.

I had my last workout with my training group this morning, and then I’ll do a short “shake out” run once we get up to Steamboat tomorrow. Most of my crew is coming up Thursday, and the race starts at 8am on Friday morning.  I have no idea how “live” it will be, but hopefully it will at least be an option to check in on my progress. Josh will be running the last 26 miles with me, so he wont be able to send updates himself. You should be able to track from the Hallucination Sports website, and search bib #583 in the tortoise division by clicking here.  I’ll double-check this before the race starts so my mother doesn’t freak out that she can’t see where I am. Now that I have my bib number, I can label all my drop bags and check that off my list.

My fundraiser for the Brain Injury Alliance has been a huge success, and we reached my $5,000 goal. I am so thrilled with all the support and the extra motivation to finish these 103 miles. Thank you all for your help! If you still want to get in on the action, you can find the link here: Running Out of the Fog – 100 miles for the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado.

I could keep writing, but I’ve been on the computer for too long. It is time for me to give my brain a rest and not push things too hard. This will be my last post before the race, and I anticipate not being able to post for at least a few days after the race. So think happy thoughts for me, and cheer loudly from wherever you are following along. With the training wrapped up, the packing mostly done,  everything planned, and this last blog post written, now it is time for the really tough decision. Do I start the race in my newer aqua Pearl Izumi N3s, or the brand new pair…or the berry…or the second pair of berry N3s? I just don’t know.