Anxious. Excited. Ready. Scared.

Here I sit at DIA, waiting to board my flight to Florida.

Once there, I plan to hang with my mom and get ready for Saturday, a 50 mile race (I prefer to call it a run since I won't be going fast) through the "Croom" in the Withlacoochee State Forest.

So, how do I feel?

Anxious.
Am I ready? I am not sure. I think so. But how do you really know? You can prepare as much as you want to and... well, let's not think about that.

Excited.
I know it sounds weird, but I am actually really excited for various reasons.
~ It will be the furthest I have ever run and, at this point, plan to run.
~ To see what my body will do. How it will respond to the distance. How I will feel.
~ Running in a new place, on new trails, with some beautiful new scenery. I will say, the best part of this whole IM training adventure so far has been putting myself in new situations and running some of the most gorgeous places.
~ My mom. I can't wait to have her on this journey with me. She will be my support person and I will need her more than ever. I am excited for her to see a part of my world that not many of my friends or family get to see first hand. This will kinda be like her dry run for September.

Ready.
~ Logistically--I have packed just about everything I think I could need and plan to have it all at the race course (thanks, mom!).
~ Nutritionally--I have tested (at shorter distances) my nutrition plan and I can't wait to implement it. I plan to have my potatoes boiled, my Cliff bars cut up, my salt packets ready (all things I have learned in training).
~ Mentally--I think I am there. I know what I have to do and I am ready to do it.
~ Physically--I had one injury that was a bit of setback, but it seems to be gone. This week I made sure to get adjusted and a massage, just so there was nothing physically holding me back.I I have stuck to my training and my nutrition. I feel fresh, and full of energy.

Scared.
How can I not be? It's 50 MILES! And I, I have a severe fear of failure. Not that not completing the entire 50 miles would be a failure, but I guess it is a fear of falling short of what I set out to do. But (here is where the mentally ready part of the equation comes into play), I choose to use that fear to my advantage. I think my fear will help fuel me and make me not want to give up.

So, that's where I am. 36 hours out from my big run.
Anxious. Excited. Ready. Scared.