Day 3, Week 14: Packing for a marathon? Here's some facetious packing tips.

This morning was my final treadmill workout of the training plan.  I had a bossy treadmill freeloader demanding rubs before I even got started on those six 400s this morning.

My legs felt a little weird during the run.  But that's tapering for me-my legs don't feel tired, but they are obviously going through high-mileage/intensity withdrawal.  They just felt a little more...compact than normal, especially after the workout.  And speaking of post-workout, it's obvious the sound of the treadmill stopping calls the animals to me.

Invasion of the sweat lickers.

My unfinished packing is also calling to me at this very moment. While I love a running adventure, I don't always love preparing for one.  Since I have made many, many, many packing mistakes during the years I've been running, I decided to share my packing tips if you're ever embarking a runcation or just heading out for a marathon because, you know....marathon.

Tip #1: Pajamas--who needs them?  I always forget pajamas.  I sleep in a t-shirt and shorts, and it's really fun when you forget just one part of that.  Or all of it.  And then I usually spend the night before the race on an epic hunt for a Walmart instead of resting in my hotel room.  I guess as long as I remember my marathon-day outfit and gear, it's all good.

Tip #2: Fill up that suitcase with all your important gear, struggle to shut it, and then realize you never packed any running shoes.  So tragic.  I often considered just buying running shoes once I got to my destination rather than open up my suitcase again and re-pack it all.

Tip #3: Realize you packed your toiletries as if you were driving to the race after you're in the security line at the airport.  TSA hates this.  FYI.

Tip #4: Always pack for every type of weather you could experience on race day, even if the weather has never been seen before in your hemisphere of the Earth.  This is the main reason I overpack.  For example, my goal race is in Dallas, Texas on Sunday.  That means I will pack for heat, cold, freezing rain, snow, monsoons, polar vortices, El Nino, La Nina, sunspots, and temperature inversions.  You just never know.

Tip #5: Don't pack the gels you have used on every long training run during the entire schedule and that you planned on using during the race-you can hope they have those same gels at the race expo.  Little Rock Marathon 2016.  I could have written a review of every single port-a-john on the course all due to the fact that I had to get a different brand and flavor of gels at the expo.  The only thing that made that race worth it was that ginormous medal they give you at the end.  (And props to the race directors, who are both female and completely understand that females will also be running their race.)

Tip #6: Don't bother to bring an ID with you.  You won't need it.  This happened at a Ragnar rather than a marathon (to which I obviously drove rather than flew), but I didn't realize I had forgotten to bring my ID with me until I tried to get a beer at the post-race party.  They don't let you purchase beer with just a school ID, in case you didn't know that already.

Tip #7: Deodorant.  Bring it.  Enough said.


The end of this post better get cracking because I have to do more packing:

• The cat stalks me on the treadmill until it stops, then hops on and demands rubs every. single. time.
• I just started wearing shorts that short to run because the older I get, the less I care about how I look and the more I care about comfort.
• You know what's even more fun than forgetting to pack stuff?  Forgetting your bib on the way to the race. 
• You know what the best way to explore a new city is?  Run a marathon through it.
• I always tell myself I won't overpack for the next out-of-town marathon; however, just like "I'll do my run after work," that's always a big fat lie.

Tomorrow's workout: Probably some low-impact HiiT to go easy on the legs but still get a workout.  No weights at all--can you believe it??