Seattle Rock and Roll Half Marathon Expo

Went with my pal Lindsay to the expo this morning -- clearly we came at a good time, because it wasn't too crowded yet. We overheard someone saying that only 9000 of the packets were picked up yesterday, so they expected to get hit hard today. (It certainly didn't help that there was a Mariners game in the middle of the day on Thursday!)

We went in and got our packets first. Strangely, there was no line for "Corral 1". Snort. Lindsay's corral had a very thorough lady... who was explaining the contents in great great detail. Strange omission -- no "chip check" spot. Seem like everyone has those nowadays. Then we picked up our shirts -- green this year... bright bright green, and the shirts were the same for both the full and the half. Then goody bags, again the heavy plastic like last year.

We looked at the merchandise, and I bought this year's pint glass and medal pin... but neither of us needed any more gear. Then a little visit to Brooks' completely fantastic Cavalcade of Curiosities. I'd seen pictures, and read about it, but the actual "carnival" was even better than I expected. One of the best immersive brand experiences I have ever experienced. Loved the Jesus Lizard show, the carnival games, and the running gait analysis on the big bus. Beautiful! I think my favorite part, however, was the Running Fortune Tellers. I don't know how many different fortunes "Gigi" told, but mine was spot on:

Congratulations Runner. You are in Seattle WA., just hours before your grueling full or half Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. It's too late to admit that running a marathon may have been a bad idea. Embrace it and remember, when your legs shudder, your chest heaves and your bowels quiver, the Brooks Miles is just ahead. There you'll find refreshments, hearty support and a new lease on life. Only a dozen or so miles to go, but who's counting? Run Happy, Runner. Destiny awaits you!

We left the merch area and wandered the expo for a while. We glimpsed the adorable Meb Keflezighi signing autographs in the Sony booth, but didn't want to wait in the line. We also had a quick wander through Nutrilife's exhibit... which probably was a decent expression of the brand, but didn't feel very engaging. We decided against actually doing the "test" and just headed out.

Admired the Running Skirts again... but even though they had the purple plaid one I couldn't bring myself to try it on. I did, however, buy a fantastic new sports bra with a zip pocket in front -- perfect for holding my iPod, gels, etc. Other than that, there wasn't really anything I needed or wanted. Oh, I did get a blank sign for Wil to use. :)

I've laid out all my clothes, am charging my phone and my iPod, and feel pretty prepped for tomorrow. Sure, I haven't run much in the past several weeks... two short runs in England but other than that I haven't run since the Kirkland half back in May. Oh well... maybe I'll have fresh legs?

These past two weeks have been rough -- l am looking forward to having some quiet (but active) mental space in which to release some of this ... anger? Stress? Frustration? I worry a bit that I will have a difficult time keeping my own pace -- I'm not so good at that. But tomorrow's goal is just to finish and to have fun.