This is it. Just a few final thoughts before I face the Beast Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. The training time for this event was incredibly short, not nearly enough days to truly prepare for it. There is no going back, but given the limited amount of time between when and I heard about / signed up for the race and now, I am satisfied with my preparations. I’ve run more miles than I ever wanted to. I’ve carried a 33 pound log around. I’ve done hundreds of burpees. I’ve done bear crawls up a hill backwards. That doesn’t even include all the P90X and Insanity Asylum workouts. One of my concerns in training was that I would overtrain and injure myself. I was able to avoid that, but now I’m a little paranoid that something else is going to happen (like tripping and spraining an ankle) that will prevent me from being at full strength. I evenhave a slight sore throat today, which is beginning to freak me out a little because there is no good reason that I should have one. I’m just hoping that it is gone tomorrow or at least by Saturday morning. That race will be tough enough without any ailments hampering my performance. As I said before, I like to do hard things and this is certainly not the exception. In fact, it may be the epitome of hard things. The anticipation of it has set in and I’m sure that when I wake up tomorrow (assuming that I can actually go to sleep) and fly to Vermont that it will consume my thoughts.

I’m starting to be rested again and my mental focus is slowly getting where it needs to be. I’ve heard it said that this race will be as much a test of mental fortitude as it is a physical challenge. I think/hope/pray that will bode well for me. When I set my mind on something I can be as stubborn as they come. Just ask my parents and my wife. At least at the moment, I am dead set on completing it as fast as I possibly can. I can begin to feel the competitive side of my kicking in.

I’m fully packed. The GPS is programmed. Boarding passes are printed. I fly into Burlington around noon and should arrive in Killington around 2:00 tomorrow. That will give me a little time to find my bearings before I register and pick up my race packet. There is a pre-race “party” tomorrow night, but I’m pretty sure I won’t be staying there very late. Saturday will be a killer day. I think I have my race strategy set, but I’m not going to share it just yet. That’s it. If I needed a final reminder…………………This is Sparta! Nothing more to say except that I’m going to come home with my shield or come home on it! Aroo!