The last 18 hours have been a pre-marathon whirlwind with one of my favorite friends, Leslie!
This morning, we woke up at bright and early for a relaxing pre-marathon yoga class at Lululemon Union Square. The class was small due to it’s early time but this meant we each received plenty of 1:1 from Sarah, this morning’s instructor. The class was the most relaxing yoga class ever filled with lots of hip openers, bends, and block assists.
We had one thing on our mind after yoga- the expo! We wanted to beat the crowds and have plenty of time to explore the expo. This was my first ING NYC Marathon expo experience and I didn’t know what to expect regarding crowds and attendance.
The expo opened up five minutes after we arrived the line moved very quickly. The volunteers and NYRR did a wonderful job managing the crowds and moving people through the stations quickly.
Due to the size of the marathon, runners have to go through 3 different stations: registration card verification, bib pickup, and DTag scanning.
There was a bump along the way due to my driver’s license having a different last name than my marathon entry. Darn wedding! I DEFINITELY need to get my name change done IMMEDIATELY!
It’s official! Within a few minutes, we were checked in and ready to check out all the booths. My favorite part of expos is trying and tasting new products.
After a few minutes experiencing The Stick, Leslie convinced me that the stroke is a necessity for any distance. I love that it is easy to use and more portable than a foam roller. 
We practiced our balancing with the Power Balance team. 
WHAT IS POWER BALANCE?
Power Balance is Performance Technology designed to work with your body’s natural energy field. Founded by athletes, Power Balance is a favorite among elite athletes for whom balance, strength and flexibility are important.
•HOW DOES THE HOLOGRAM WORK?
Power Balance is based on the idea of optimizing the body’s natural energy flow, similar to concepts behind many Eastern philosophies. The hologram in Power Balance is designed to resonate with and respond to the natural energy field of the body.
We may, or may not have invested in a bracelet for tomorrow. 😉 Leslie has seen them at every expo and at this point in the game the marathon is 100% mental. One piece of jewelry, placebo or not, can’t do any harm. Have you ever tried this or something like this?
There were some water and fuel stops along our Expo course, just like tomorrow’s marathon!
The Odwalla Pumpkin Protein was absolutely delicious. While I don’t normally drink Odwalla it was exactly what we were craving. We forgot to eat breakfast this morning between the yoga and marathon excitement so these samples were definitely enjoyed!
The new oatmeal raisin Powerbar protein bites were delicious! Can I please have a bag of these tomorrow after the race? 🙂
We both enjoyed a cup of the new grape Gatorade product and some sparkling water. The strawberry kiwi reminded us of summer!
In between fuel stops, we stopped for some fun poses and pictures. Expos are so much fun when you experience them with a friend!
We also gained some inspiration through the posters, t-shirts, and signs!
What’s your inspiration? Tomorrow I’m going to focus on all the inspiration I’ve gained from readers comments, friends and family, other runners, and especially my mom and dad’s daily cards. They can’t be in NYC for the race but they mailed daily cards with different inspirational comments and thoughts. Most of all, I know that I’m running tomorrow’s marathon for myself and no one else. My goal, as many people have asked, is to finish and thoroughly enjoy myself and the experience!
After a few more purchases and pictures, we headed back towards Eataly to meet Bo and his mother, who is in town this weekend for a friend’s birthday. Paragon Sports was kind enough to provide free transportation back to their Union Square store which was right where we were heading.
Within minutes of leaving the expo, we finally had the fresh juice we’d been craving all morning, compliments of Equinox.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to enjoy lunch at Eataly with Bo and his mom due to the crowds and lack of table space. After a busy morning, we were hungry and ready to get some R&R!
We decided to walk back towards home and find a simple sandwich shop instead. We’re both hesitant to introduce any new foods or heavy meals before tomorrow’s marathon. Press was a perfect alternative!
After choosing your dough, they press it into a warm flat bread and fill it with your choice of fresh vegetables, proteins, and sauces.
I filled my whole wheat wrap to the brim with fresh, crunchy vegetables, barbeque chicken, and barbeque sauce!
We enjoyed this delicious lunch with our feet propped up back at home before diving through our marathon bags and finishing up some last minute chores like ironing my name on my Lululemon shirt.
Ironing letters on a shirt, especially a Lululemon shirt, is harder than it sounds. This process took FOUR attempts to get right!
Now that this bib is in my hand, I feel like the dream is finally coming true! 
I am in Green Wave 3 – Corral 60 – Number 153 – all that together means my bib is #60153 if you are planning on tracking me. If you want to track runners ahead of time, it costs $2.99 unfortunately, but you can track up to 3!
In addition, there is free tracking starting tomorrow at 7am at www.ingnycmarathon.org.
If you’re out cheering tomorrow and see a gal run by in this outfit, please say hello!
This is my first marathon so I have no idea what to expect of my body. But, I know that any happy screams or cheers along the way will be very WELCOME! 🙂 In addition, if you’re running tomorrow and hanging out on Staten Island feel free to say hi. We can stay warm together. 🙂
Here goes nothing….
