Last minute freak outs!

Anyone else having last minute freak outs? I can't be the only one trying not to have a meltdown the night before my 6:30 am flight!

The worst part is, I'm not worried about the race AT ALL. Maybe I should be, since my longest training run was only 10 miles and I only did 2 back to back run days, but I'm really not. I know I can do both distances, I've done them each once before. I'm slightly concerned about recovery, but not nearly as much as I expected to be. 

No, my freak outs are about other things. Things like:

Will the weather hold up long enough for my flight to get out? And will I spend all weekend hanging out in the rain?

Will Mother Nature rear her ugly head in other ways? (I don't think PMS is helping the freak outs much)

Will I be able to get my bag through bag check with all 6 bottles of smartwater weighing it down, or will I be chugging one in line for security?

The list goes on and on, but I have to let it go and attempt to sleep. Hopefully by the time my 4:30 alarm goes off, I'll be in a better mental spot (hopefully I fall asleep sometime before my 4:30 alarm goes off!). 

For tonight, I leave with two questions. 

1. Anyone staying at Sports have extra heart stickers/tattoos? I didn't have time to go look for any and would love to be recognizable for other #pinkheartsphm chicas.

2. Any good suggestions for a good non-park place to explore alone on Monday? My besties that I'm traveling with will be at MK all day, but I'm staying back to catch and early evening flight. I'm looking for something new to explore or see while I wait for my trip on the ME. 

Also, if you see me in corral H for the half (not sure where that is for 10k), come say hi! Flat Minnie (10k) and flat Belle (1/2) don't do it justice, but this is what I'll be wearing!

Taper Time?

Ok, if I've learned nothing over the past year, it's that training is a must. Let me tell you, I am a HORRIBLE trainer when it comes to being prepared for these big races. I didn't train at ALL for the Army Ten Miler in October and I paid for it greatly but reinjuring myself and putting myself out of running commission for much longer than I probably should have. I let this injury overtake me mentally and didn't start training for GSC until the new year. Yeah, shoving 4 months of training into 7 weeks isn't really enjoyable either, but it's a much better option than not training at all!

I'm not going to lie, I'm thrilled that it's taper time. Some people hate taper, because they don't like to limit their running. Me though, I'm looking forward to getting my life back. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to get down there and rock the GSC like I know that I can and will, but I'm also glad that I will be able to rededicate the hours I've put into running into something else. I'm sure that my professors would appreciate me putting those hours into my text books, and future Erika would prefer that they be put into wedding plans. And I know that Kevin is undoubtly looking forward to having a conversation that doesn't revolve around how sore I am, how my runs yet, or what my running costumes look like this year. 

Oy, I am SORE. I took my 5M fairly easy yesterday, because I knew I needed to get in a strong 10 today. But yeah, I've never run 15 miles in one weekend before. And I've never done it while fighting off cold cooties- usually the second I get the sniffles my training disappears and I curl up into a ball of useless misery. Not this year though, not 2 weeks out from completing the biggest races of my life. Not two weeks before I prove to myself and everyone around me that I am a runner and an athlete. I mean, don't all runners and athletes look like this?

I don't feel like an athlete right now. I'm bundled up on the couch with my compression socks in front of a fire that my love has so graciously built for me. And I know that tomorrow I will probably feel even worse. But by Tuesday, I'll have that same itch that everyone else gets during taper and I'll be dying to lace up. Just hoping that my muscles agree with me!