tomorrow is race day

tomorrow is race day and i am more frightened of it than ever. is is not possible now for me to get more in shape, or be more prepared.

all i can do is rest my joints so i go into it healed up as best i can and check and recheck my gear, practice with it, practice my basic trig, practice measuring map distance.

i am getting up now at four to be used to it, because tomorrow at the venue they will be announcing what the first discipline will be at 0415. at 0430 will be the team meeting. at 0445 they will hand out the maps.

at 0500 the race will start and we will find out where we are going and exactly how scary it will be.

today i will do the last of the food preparation. i will pack the foods in bags and such and portion them out so i can give barb her food to carry.

the last of the gear will be assembled and packed for tomorrow so all i'll have to do when i wake up is dash out the door.

in a twelve hour race you burn a insane amount of calories, so what i have made to bring with us (and that does not include barb's stash of  gels and such) is:

logan bread, a famously dense and nutritious bread invented for backpacking, baked as mini muffins for convenient race eating
banana bread, baked as mini muffins
savory oatmeal cookies
blueberry muffins, baked small

i have also made a batch of soy sauce eggs, which will provide some midday protein and salt, and the sandwiches i'm making for lunch are roasted sweet potatoes and mushrooms with caramelized onions and pesto in a spinach wrap.

i am also bringing (barb does not know this) two king size snickers bars, because friends of mine who have raced these big adventure races tell me that at some point in the race you are so drained and sad that you NEED a candy bar. you need the sugars and you want a TREAT, dammit.

i also have some little tablets to drop into water bottles for a replenishment drink. because electrolytes.

my dinner for tonight is already made, and bedtime is EARLY.