Hi Y’all,
Again, apologies…surprisingly, a little long-winded.
This is the weekend many of us have been training for! Can you believe it’s here…you have done ALL of the hard work to be able to put that bib on and be READY at the start line on Sunday! Most importantly, the majority of you came to the PARR Party on Saturday! And what a night it was! It was so fun seeing and enjoying everyone, whilst not running. Pam really blew us away…she’s definitely secured her job for next year! If you weren’t able to make it, be sure to plan on it next year! And if you didn’t fill out a survey, I’ve attached here one more time for you. Even if you think we’re perfect, we still want to know that too 🙂 Click here. to download our survey.
And in case you missed the Facebook post about Grazia – they are offering free pasta until the race on Sunday. Just show your entry confirmation and you’re good to go! We went for lunch today…DELISH. So go take advantage of that and support another local business that we want to keep around!
So I went back and read my pre-race email from last year…and I was TEMPTED, with so many new members, to just re-use the whole thing 😉 But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I am using part of it…and like I could NOT add a few thoughts?!?
• Focus on sleep these next two nights…David Blake shared this little gem with me on a run one morning. The sleep you get two nights before is more important than the night before a run. You can power through with a jittery night of little sleep the night before, IF you’ve had a good night the previous night. But will be harder if you’re going on two nights of no sleep. So, if you think you’ll be nervous and not sleep Saturday night…do everything you can to get that good night’s sleep on Friday.
• Wear your PARR shirt on SUNDAY…whether you’re running or not! Makes it easy for runners and families to spot you! And Pam got PARR balloons too – she handed them out at the party Saturday and has more if families would like them for cheering. It will be pretty neat to see how we take over Houston this weekend!
• Enjoy ALL the people along the way…it’s amazing how many people come out to cheer everyone on
• Give high fives to the little kids who are out there just waiting for you to do so
• Smile at the people yelling your name, rather than trying to figure out how they knew you 🙂
• Cheer on your PARR people that are passing you or that you are passing…you’re both TOTALLY KICKING ASPHALT
• If you’re doing the half…give a little nanny-nanny boo-boo as you split off, you are on your way home 😉
• If you’re doing the full…as the half marathon folks split off, remember that feeling…and pull up your boot straps, because you have a long way to go!
• Run through the Holy Water in the Med Center, if that’s your thing (they are usually to the left)
• Thank all the police officers and volunteers that make it all possible and keep you safe
• Read all the signs…try to remember them so you can share them later
• Kiss your family when you see them
• Cry if you need to
• AND MAYBE look for George H.W. Bush around mile 18-20 …if he’s there, shake his hand. How often do you get the chance to shake a former president’s hand!?! {I didn’t the first year – I felt bad because I was all sweaty and gross…regretted it so badly. Was so thankful he was out there the next year and he shook my gross sweaty hand.}
• SOAK UP the last ¼ mile…raise your arms up, cheer, scream, cry whatever…YOU DID IT. (And it makes for great finish photos! Don’t be messing with your watch…those photos are less great!)
• Lastly, BE SURE TO TAKE THE TIME TO TAKE IT ALL IN. Have fun. Enjoy every minute of it…it’s what you’ve worked so very hard for. This is really important if it’s your first half or full marathon…nothing will ever compare! You will forever chase that high!
As for race morning, give yourself plenty of time to navigate a cluster of traffic and parking and get into George R Brown. PARR will congregate across from the Bag Check about 6:00-6:15 for an epic picture. I’ve attached a pic from our very first PARR year (2012)…hardly recognizable and definitely not noticeable! So come be part of it…and get one last hug and word of encouragement. You never know what will make the difference in your day! Look for the mass of orange.
Then we’ll start the pilgrimage to the corals. It’s always super crowded walking out there…and they changed everything again, so we’ll probably walk out by 6:35 or so. It’s going to be cool in the morning, so plan to have some throw-away clothing on…they donate everything that is thrown off the first stretch of the run. Layer up, and be sure you have your NUMBER ON THE BOTTOM LAYER. You don’t want to be moving it in the race…ain’t nobody got time for that.
Lastly, another quick thank you. Thank you to Ric for allowing me to do this again this year – it is definitely my passion. The running, the connecting great people AND writing ridiculously long emails that hopefully, at least, make you smirk once in a while. This group is something special. As I’ve mentioned before, PARR is what it is because each of you and who you’ve brought with you to join us! And thank you to each of you for being so kind and patient as we’ve continued to grow. We are looking forward to what’s next and we’ll keep you posted on all that good stuff.
Let me know if you have any questions or if i possibly left any words out of this email. Although I think i said them all.
Best of luck to everyone running on Sunday…may the weather-force be with you and it’s YOUR BEST RUNNING DAY EVER!
Aimee