Ready or Not: here I am LA Marathon 2015!

I'm taking solace in that cloud over the Sun on Sunday.

NOTE: this post is going to be long so bare with me. I write for myself as I love to go back and review what I did last year and what I can learn. It is important for my progress. So this post will be long but I want to get it all out there! 

Above is the projected forecast for the LA Marathon this weekend and it is not good news. 

Not going to lie: I AM FREAKING OUT.
All of the work I have put into training for this, what I was calling my redemption race since the LAM last year was a bit of the crash and burn with running out of gatorade, water and cups. It is going to be even worse weather than last year. A heat wave in March? UGH! even worse-the temperature for that day will probably break the record of 85! 

However, after learning about dew point (gotta love learning via google!), I think this could be better than I was expecting. Short summary: dew point is the temperature at which water evaporates. The closer it is to 80, the worse it will be. The dew point is projected to be 41, meaning it will low humidity even though it will be hot as Hades. 

One great thing is that they just announced the start time will be moved up to 6:55 to allow for more of a wave start so every little bit helps. Those 5:30 disney race times aren't looking so bad now ;) 

However there have been a few things I have read that have calmed me down. 
This article: You Can't Run the same race twice. Truer words have not been spoken. I can't run the same race twice, I can just try and do my best. 
googling Boston Marathon 2012 race recaps (the year it was 90 degrees at the finish line) and this amazing recap and this one too. 
Reading my own race recap. I remembered a lot of details and it also reminded me how far I have come in the past year. 
Reading this bible verse online Psalms 26:2 Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind
^ I don't talk about my faith much (no particular reason, just does not come up all the time) but it is pretty strong.  I read this bible verse and immediately felt a calm come over me. It is true: God will only test us in ways he knows that we can handle. I have come very far in the past 6 months (PR in warm weather, sciatica craziness IN THE RAIN, sciatica crazy in the WIND, freezing 5ks in Jan and Feb, completely Dopey and Rebel) and I came out of it feeling stronger than ever. I will be okay. I will get through this even though it is not the race I have been planning in my head since the last hot race last year. KEEP CALM AND RUN A MARATHON :) 

So here is my plan and my goals for this race. I am ready to put all out there and see what I can do. 

MONDAY-THURSDAY:

• Sleep as much as I can (as close to 8 hours as possible)
  
• Eat well-no gluten, no alcohol, lots of fruits and veggies and healthy carbs
  
• Monitor my water intake-my goal is 8 glasses a day (2 before heading to work, 4 at work, 2 at home) but the more the better
  
• Reviewing the plan-start out slow, keep an easy heart rate, run my own race, zone into my music
  
• Review all of my prep-outfit, music, electronics, post race plan
  

FRIDAY:

• Leave work early and go to the Expo around 3- walk around, get my stuff, pick up my custom pace band, get KT taped and head out.
  
• I may grab dinner downtown (I have been craving nachos-so random) or just eat at home
  
• Get home and prep all my stuff
  
• May go grocery shopping depending on time and how I feel 
  
•  Get to bed around 9

SATURDAY:

• Get up around 5:30 and clean my house, do some homework, blog posting, maybe cooking 
  
• Have a small breakfast (banana and oj) before heading out on my 3 mile shakeout run at 6:55 (new start time for the marathon) and hoping to keep that at a slow 11:30-12 min mile pace. 
  
• Come back and eat real breakfast (yams, eggs, bacon and another banana with tea) 
  
• Finish cleaning and shower
  
• Go see CINDERELLA at 10:15 with popcorn and bring along a gatorade (gotta carb load!) 
  
• Walk around the mall, may grab lunch
  
• Grocery shop if I didn't do it on Friday (gotta buy some corned beef and cabbage!) 
  
• Head home to stretch, roll, review plan and relax
  
• hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! 
• Eat dinner around 5-6
  
• last minute prep, review of plan
• Head to bed around 8, hopefully asleep by 8:30
  

SUNDAY:

• Up at 4:10
  
• Get dressed, breakfast (oj, tea, hot cereal, maybe banana), stretch and roll, last minute check of everything, review plan
  
• Leave for train at 4:55- about a 10 min walk
  
• Train at 5:14
  
• Union Station at 5:35
  
• Bathroom break at Union, Head to the bus and hopefully get to dodger stadium by 615 (prep my pockets on bus and also eat banana) 
  
• Check bag, portapotty stop and to the open corrals hopefully around 6:45
• Start between 6:55-7:30 (the open corrals are a mess!) and hopefully be done by 12:30PM

WHAT IM BRINGING ON ME DURING THE RACE:

• 2 packs of shot bloks (1-2 margarita packs and 1 tropical punch)
  
• 2 mocha clif shots
  
• Combo sunscreen and lip balm 
  
• Leg spray 
  
• Powerade liquid
  
• Phone in a plastic Baggie
  

WHAT IM PACKING IN MY CHECKED BAG:

• Flip flops
  
• Change of clothes (mine will be soaked, depending on how I am feeling, I may need to change ASAP)
  
• Plastic bag
  
• Baby wipes
  
• Sunscreen
  
• Icy hot
  
• Tylenol
  
• A new hat (mine will be soaked)
  
• A draw string bag to put all of this in so I don't have to carry my checked bag
  
• In the car I will have another change of clothes, flats, compression socks and my roller 
  

Plan after race? Go and visit finishers festival, grab food and drinks with my cousin Mallory since it will be her birthday!!!  Then go home and stretch, roll, shower and nap and relax. I took off work mon and tues so I can take it easy. 

Onto my goals! 
GOALS:
I had to modify these with the weather alerts but here we go! My old A goal was 4:30 but I need to slow my pace at least 1 minute per mile. 
A: sub 5:01
I know I have a sub 5:00 marathon in me but more importantly, that would allow me to be in a corral for next year's marathon! As long as the clock is below 5:00:59, I can be in Corral E next year. 
B: sub 5:30
I can definitely accomplish this but how far under will depend on the weather. It will still be a significant PR. 
C: sub 5:45 (my PR from last year)
I am a stronger runner this year and the weather really threw me for a loop last year. Not to mention that this year I ran Dopey and learned a lot more about fueling and marathon training.  I know I can beat my current PR as long as nothing goes horribly wrong. 
D: finish up right and feeling good!
Things could be miserable and terrible out there depending on the weather. I may go into survival mode and just want to survive and finish. Finishing is one thing but finishing feeling good and upright is definitely a win!

So thanks for sticking with me through this crazy long post. It helps me to write it out and process it! 

Anyone else running the LA marathon on Sunday? what are your plans with the weather now?