T-Minus 1 Day and Counting. . .

As I write this, it’s about 20 hours until the start of the 2009 Chicago Marathon and the culmination of another long training season for Team Wuori. I’m sitting in our hotel room at the Renaissance, looking east toward Chicago as the skyline pokes through the early-morning haze and watching planes make their way toward the airport.

We’re on the east/west O’Hare flight pattern and the planes literally pass right over our hotel room, gear already down, about 60-90 seconds from landing. Soundproof glass and the fact that I’m a plane junkie make this a pleasant location.

My emotions are all over the board but in general I’m feeling good about the race and how our training went this summer. There seemed to be a few more aches and pains than in previous years and I missed two longer runs due to injury and illness. However, I think I’m in better overall shape that I’ve been in our three previous marathons.

Even experienced marathoners have pre-race doubts and I’m no exception. I’m a little concerned about my left knee and left ankle, which have been bothering me off and on this summer. I’m also a little perplexed by what to wear. With morning temps in the low 30s, staying warm in the early miles may be a challenge. While I know I’ll warm up once things get going, it’s the 45-60 minutes of pre-race waiting that may take its toll.

One other thought that I keep returning to is to enjoy the experience. I tend to get so worked up in worrying about the weather, my aches and pains and my time goals that I sometimes forget that this is supposed to be fun. Running with 40,000 runners, each with their own individual story, in a sea of a million spectators, should be an inspirational and exciting experience. I just need to remember to stay in the moment and enjoy it. Just a little bit.