13 hours and counting

12 hours and 33 minutes, to be exact. Then the horn sounds and we're off. Been trying to get the laundry machine all afternoon, so I can run in clean clothes, but I appear to have picked the busiest laundry day EVER in the 14 years I have lived in this building! Are you kidding me?! If it's (yes, we only have one machine for our building, as there's "only" 13 units here) still being used an hour from now, I'll drive up the hill to the laundromat and do it there. Costs twice as much, but I need clean running gear. The pitfalls of renting, I suppose.
Got up at my usual early hour and went to Weight Watchers. Same weight as last week, which is fine with me, given the fact that I haven't been the best WW follower of late. Ironically enough, today's topic was "What is standing in the way of you reaching your goal"...I said me. After all, I'm the one making the excuses, I'm the one eating my way through my emotions and I'm the one allowing this all to happen. Not sure if anyone else at the meeting agreed with me (so much easier to blame someone else than to look in the mirror) but I don't care. We then discussed fat (icky) and that was that. Got many wishes of luck for tomorrow and headed out.
After meeting I drove to the closest Starbucks to get a coffee, and picked up a mochachino for Mom (she's never had one) and a slice of the lemon raspberry loaf. Okay, a slice went into me as well! Mom liked the coffee, but said she was too full to eat the loaf. I have no concept of what that means...could explain her 100 pounds vs. my 189!! We then jumped into her car and did some much needed running around. We went to Purdy's and picked up chocolates and brittle for her and Dad. We did try to buy her a new purse at The Bay, but apparently The Bay has made all the money they need to this year, as their new policy appears to be ignore everyone and they'll just go away. So we did! Off to M&M Meats, where we picked up a bunch of little meals, so that Mom could eat. She hates cooking for herself, so I'm trying to help her make it as easy as possible. After that, it was a quick stop at the bank and then Co-op for groceries. I love my Mom's list vs. my own...on mine: bagel, parm cheese, basil, olives, bananas, chocolate milk - all for the run tomorrow. On Mom's: cookies, baked goods, jelly beans, ice cream drumsticks, candy...oh, and a couple bananas, some cheese, yogurt and chicken. My, how times have changed!! Went for a quick visit at the hospital to see Dad, although he wasn't very talkative and Mom appeared to be in some kind of hurry, checking her watch every 5 minutes! I think I threw them both off kilter, being there in the afternoon. Left, helped Mom unpack her food and came home.
Had a lunch of baked fish, orzo pasta and spinach. Then had a wee nap on the couch while watching my favourite movie, Notting Hill. Now I'm just anxiously awaiting the laundry room, and planning what to pack for tomorrow. After much debate, I did decide to take the train down, just because while I can get there easy enough in the morning, I'm not sure how the road closures will affect me leaving. And the walk after the race to and from the train will do me good.
I am ready...let me re-emphasize that...I AM READY!!! There is nothing else for me to do, except eat my dinner, hydrate and get to sleep. The alarm will be going off at 4:30, so that I can get up, eat, get ready and head out, aiming to be at the park around 6am. Everyone else wants to meet at 6, so I guess that's the time to go. I just hate the standing around part, and since the weather dudes are calling for more snow (yes, you read that right...SNOW!!!) overnight, with temperatures below freezing, standing around will be a great idea!! When the Running Room gave up this race, and Strides took over and moved the date from July, I wrote them asking what exactly they were thinking...a marathon in May in Calgary...where we consistently get snow.in.May.in.Calgary...seriously people...what the freak were you thinking?! Oh, but that's right...the organizers think that having it during Stampede kept all the crowds away (when we usually have a few hundred thousand people suddenly arrive) and therefore there is low turnout and low spectators. So move it to May because we all know everyone loves to stand around in SNOW!!!! Oh, and it's also Lilac Festival (do you see the irony??) tomorrow, so any chance of spectators has just been lured away by beer and food. After all, almost everyone I told about the race said, and I quote: "it starts at WHAT time?!" No, I will not come out and cheer you on...sorry, I'll still be sleeping." Nice try, Strides. However, I will still go out and do my best. After all, I've been training since January just for this day, and I am ready.
Okay, off to make some supper and watch for the laundry room to open up.
Later,