Make U Smile

It's Marathon Week!

In 115 hours, I hope to be done or pretty darn close to done with Marathon #7, and frankly, it's an ugly testament to the grip of taper that I even bothered to calculate that.  As I mentioned in earlier posts, this is the general idea behind the taper period:

Less running ---> more rest ----> more energy ----> happy race day  

It looks logical like that, and it is ultimately a healthy, important part of a training plan, but the formula makes for a goofy week leading up to race morning.  And even though I really, genuinely do feel more relaxed about this race than many others I have run, the week still involves a flurry of monotonous things like:

• weather-checking and re-checking, selecting the coolest forecast and embracing it as gospel
• Emergen-C-drinking
• race day outfit-configuring, reconfiguring and debating whether to tape one's name on one's shirt for easier cheering
• early bed-going

No, really, I do love about 98 percent of marathon training.  Just not this part, and it's no wonder: my list makes it sound really boring, with a generous pinch of antsy.  To frame it more positively: after 16 weeks of preparing, I am just so excited to finally get to the start line and take on the challenge of this great city's marathon - and then eat Chicago-style pizza and drink root beer afterward. 

Because Josh and I won't actually be in Chicago until Friday, the highlight so far of Marathon Week preparations has been one very serious component of my checklist: selecting a new nail polish for race day.  Stay with me, okay?  A lot of people have a pre-race good luck ritual, and mine happens to be nail polish: the more obnoxious, the better. This summer, the name of the game has been a polish that reminds me to loosen up and have fun - and for this race, I want to remember how pumped up I've been since late May to run this thing. 

At Target, I found the perfect polish:

Nice!!  In case you can't see from the camera flash, we're talking about lots and lots of silver glitter.  I tested it out last night, and it's perfect.  I grabbed the polish off the rack and dashed to the checkout line (ha, ha, I typed "finish line" by accident). I didn't look at the tag attached to the polish until I got home, when I think I did a double-take.

Oh, yes.  On Sunday, Oct. 9, yours truly is going to be toeing the line at the Chicago Marathon rocking "Make U Smile" from Justin Bieber's "One Less Lonely Girl" line of nail polish.  Per my extensive research, this line debuted at your local Walmart in January, expanded to a wider audience in February and marked one million bottles sold in March.  By being in such a rush, I missed out on such options as "Me + Blue" and "One Time Lime."

My biggest regret is missing "Step 2 the Beat of My Heart," which not only is perfect for running (get it, steps?) but also is glitter in the form of purple hearts.  Argh.

I won't deny that I enjoyed this development. But I do recognize that going back to Target to buy "Step 2 the Beat of My Heart" would be crossing the line.  I will not do it.