Day 4,527—6 Runs until the Run Rabbit Run 100!—

 

Start time: 4:29 a.m.

Weather: Low 70s wind .9  mi/h, Humidity 94%

        I like the juxtaposition in this picture. It shows the silliness of the tube man with the sign advertising, “WEIGHT LOSS INJECTIONS”! I get that some people might be happy to know they can go there to get weight loss injections, but is it something to celebrate? I thought the weight loss injections were supposed to be an extreme solution for individuals who have had ongoing issues with weight loss, as opposed to a fun, fad-like solution for individuals looking to lose between 10-20 pounds.  Can you imagine any other type of serious medical treatment being advertised with a tube man? “CANCER TREATMENT HERE!” or “HEART SURGERY NOW AVAILABLE!” It just seems like something you would see in some bad movie about the future.

        I am still wearing my elevation mask even though I was congested today, and I am still packing and getting ready for the race. It is always hard for me to start working on things that don’t immediately affect my day-to-day, especially when they’re physical things and not something like working on a paper, but I have done better this week than before. Every day I have had a specific goal to focus on. Last night I didn’t have as much time as I wanted because I was playing LEGOS with my kids, which was good but time-consuming. Before that, I was getting lost reading stories about the battle for the state map in Missouri, which seems clearly settled. Still, the way the NYT covered the story nationally reminds me how sensationalized their stories can be, even when the issues aren’t as dramatic as the tone might suggest. The St. Louis Post Dispatch covered the story with a tone that felt much closer to the reality of the situation, showing how distance doesn’t necessarily create a more objective lens; sometimes it just gives you a lens with less working knowledge of the context. But at least I started my drop bags, and I wrote my information on them! I only have two drop bags for this one, and they’re insisting that we bring a lot of stuff for different weather outcomes.

I want to pack less in general for this race. I am even considering not bringing my skillet or planning on cooking anything, but I don’t know. I like being able to cook food at my campsite. I usually cannot count on food in the area. Also, the manual suggests that most runners don’t change shoes for a 100! I find it incredibly odd to encourage runners not to bring at least one pair of shoes as a backup. I usually bring at least three pairs of shoes to every race and usually wear at least two different pairs. It is also stupid not to have a backup pair of shoes, but they’re not letting us have a lot available for drop bags because it is going to be like 600 people doing this race. I like my bib number! I am getting good vibes from 190.