Temperatures: Be ready for anything. It can be cold at 6am when you get on the school bus, warm by race start and hot by the finish. Shivering to keep warm wastes energy that is needed to finish the race. I brought an old mylar blanket to sit on that really was handy. I saw air matresses, folding chairs, tents and sleeping bags. On race day it was in the low 40's early. I wore my singlet and shorts under old sweats and nice warmups on top. I had arm warmers (old cut off soccer socks or dress socks), $1 jersey gloves from WalMart, and an old stocking cap just in case. By race time it was warm enough that I didn't need most of that, but I had it just in case. When I turned in my bag, i took off the Adidas warmups that I would put on after I finished. I wore the old sweats to the start. I took them off about 5 minutes before the race started. I was comfortable the whole day. Remember too hot or too cold equals suboptimal performance.
Church: I can't help but thank God for my health and the support of my family which allow me to run every day. FCA Endurance has a marathon Sunday service.
Movie: Watch Saint Ralph in your hotel on Sunday evening even if you've seen it before.
Breakfast: Don't be afraid to eat breakfast before catching the bus. Remember to use the restroom before getting on, because you will be on there about an hour.
School bus: One thing I didn't expect was for there to be people lined up before 6 am. They were the first to get on the buses and get first dibs at the village. We were there at 6 am sharp and caught the second bus. It was smooth.
Athlete's Village: There are plent of PortaJohn's. Drink up and top off the fluids. They have bagels, bananas, coffee and Gatorade. I ate a Hammer Bar and drank water and coffee. There are a lot of interesting people to talk to while waiting. Apparently they have free massage available. It might be something to do to pass the time and loosen you up.
Bag Check: Turn in your bag 45 to 60 min before your wave starts. It gets crazy apparently 15 to 30 min before the race.
Next: the Race
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