My First Marathon: The Day Before

As seems to be my custom on Saturdays when I don’t have to be at a group run or a race, I got a late start for Detroit on 17 October. In retrospect, it probably would have helped if I had packed the night before, but I didn’t.

I normally pack well, even if I do overpack. That being said, I usually give myself enough time to pack well. I didn’t on this trip, and I would be reminded again before the race that I pack better when I don’t rush it.

I still hit the road fairly early, maybe around 0830 hours EDT. I was rather hungry when I left, but I denied myself until I got to Marshall. Why?

I have a fondness for Hardee’s that dates back to my youth. When I moved north, one of the great sacrifices I made was the loss of readily-available Hardee’s sausage biscuits. I also happen to like tater tots, and Hardee’s has both, so I had a nice breakfast treat on my way to Detroit. At the gasoline station next door, I was also able to pick up a bottle of hand sanitizer.

Upcoming entries will tell you that it didn’t do me a whole lot of good, but I didn’t know that at the time.

My trek continued. As I neared the Sandstone rest area, I nearly extinguished the life of a squirrel. To be fair, it wasn’t really my fault. When I’m driving on I-94 at speeds appropriate for freeway travel, I expect the little critters of nature to not play in traffic.

Stimpy said they don’t know that they’re ugly; apparently, they don’t know that they’re stupid, either.

I nudged my car about a foot to the left of where it would otherwise have gone, and that was enough; as I checked my rear view mirror, the stupid little critter frolicked off the pavement and into the grass. I continued to the rest area, stopped for a couple of minutes, and then hit the road again. I should have photographed that rest area while I was there, but I didn’t. I didn’t make the same mistake at the Chelsea rest area, though.

The rest of the drive went without incident, and I parked Victoria in the Greektown Hotel Casino parking deck. The Health and Fitness Expo was getting ready to open, and I wanted to wander over, but I first decided to ask at the hotel front desk when I should expect to be able to check into my room. I figured I’d be able to check in sometime that afternoon; much to my surprise, though, Melissa told me that I could check in right away.

That was the first of several gold-star moments from the Greektown Hotel front desk staff.

I checked in, got my key, went back to my car to get my stuff, and then made my way to room 1526. It was a nicely appointed room; my only disappointment was the shower-only option in the bathroom. I had been planning a post-race ice bath, but that wouldn’t be an option.

I was only partially disappointed. While ice baths are good for the muscles, they’re none too pleasant at the outset.

After getting things put where I wanted them to be for the next couple of days, I took a moment to peek out the window.

I then made my way to the expo. I had lots of fun there. “Fun” means several things. For starters, I picked up my race packet, including the race shirt and bib number. I met a few of the fantastic Hansons-Brooks Distance Project runners, including Brian Sell and Melissa White. Brian was literally working; he rang up my purchase of a nifty Brooks Podium half-zip and a throw-away pair of gloves for the next morning. Melissa and I had a great, humorous exchange:

Darrell: How fast does one have to be to make the team?

Melissa: Men have got to run it in 2:18.

Darrell: You mean the half marathon, right?

Darrell and Melissa: *laughter*

Okay, so I’m not likely to make the Hansons-Brooks team any time soon. Nonetheless, I had fun. After picking up a couple more pieces of attire on the cheap, I made my way back to my room. I had planned to get a quick bite to eat, but then I got a phone call from my friend Gary, who made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I headed right back out, Gary picked me up, and we made our way to the Detroit Opera House, where Gary gave me what he claimed was the “25-cent tour”; in actuality, it was more like the 25-dollar tour. Gary knew exactly what would tickle my fancy, and skipped over the less-interesting stuff so he could show me things like the sound board, lighting controls, and other fancy stuff.

Dear Gary,

Thanks for an amazing tour! I couldn’t have imagined anything as awesome as the tour you gave me! You’re the best!

Sincerely,

Darrell

After the tour, I met up with Gayle and Mike. I managed to find them without even a phone call. The three of us went out to Cyprus Taverna for dinner. Gayle had been craving a Greek salad. Dinner was tasty, and I definitely enjoyed the company. Even nicer, Gayle treated me to dinner.

Dear Gayle,

That was really nice of you; thanks!

Sincerely,

Darrell

After dinner and a brief stint in the casino to get Mike set up for the evening, Gayle and I retired to our respective rooms. I set about getting my attire laid out for the next day, and then realized that I had failed to pack the boxer brief I wanted to wear under my tights. As a result, I had to settle for a different one.

Note to self: Pack for out-of-town races the night before, no matter how tired you are.

I also took the time to make a room service order for the next morning. Avaney at the front desk helped me confirm the order, given that it wasn’t on the traditional breakfast pre-order menu. I like to eat a turkey sandwich on the morning of a race, and room service seemed like a good idea, as I wouldn’t have to go chasing breakfast before chasing the really fast people the next day. When I went to bed, Alabama were leading South Carolina 13-6, I was looking forward to the marathon, and I was relishing a great day-before-the-race.