Tomorrow is the half-marathon!

The day before a big race is always busy, exciting, fun, and nerve-wracking. There are a lot of details to attend to, and there's always the big unknowns:  how will I feel in the morning? Will the weather cooperate? What if the porta-pottie line is too long?

The race almost doubled the amount of runners this year, the majority at the last minute. That means they're scrambling to have enough t-shirts and medals, plus longer lines at packet pick-up. I give Mike Sheldon and his crew a lot of credit for handling everything with patience and friendliness. Our group is ready:  we'll arrive early, wear fuel belts to carry water/Gatorade just in case the waterstops are jammed, and support each other along the course.

Tonight we celebrated the end of our half-marathon training with a pre-race dinner at the Hotel Northampton. Great food, lots of stories and laughter, and wonderful rembrances of the past 3 months.

We missed the rest of our group who are driving in tomorrow morning, and those who weren't able to make the race this year for various reasons. The training is a group effort, and the race tomorrow is a celebration both of individual women who pushed past their fears and doubts to reach their goals, plus the group supporting each other every step of the way.

I'm excited to see them in the morning, race numbers pinned on their shirts, wearing team hats with green and purple streamers, nervously anticipating the start of their 13.1 mile journey. I'll be thrilled to see them as they cross the finish line, first-timers side-by-side with experienced race veterans.

Someone said she was sad to see the group ending, but it never really 'ends'. The next training session starts April 15th, the marathon group is working toward their goal race in May, friendships will continue, and we'll wave as we pass a car in town with the familiar "Runner Girl" or "13.1" sticker on the rear bumper.

Runners, on your mark!