Geezer's Eve

It is Geezer's Eve and it is not nerves so much that I am feeling as apprehension. Am I fit enough? I keep asking myself that over and over. The fact is I do not know the answer to the question. My taper has been extreme due to a small injury I suffered in training. Was it too much? Experience has taught me that when an endurance event goes bad, ten times out of nine, there was something done wrong during the taper. OK, I just talked myself back into being nervous again. 

I slept in. Then I got up and drank coffee from a new mug given me by Sheila Mitchell for Teacher Appreciation Week. Sheila is sweet like that. My wife brought me breakfast in bed. She is sweet like that. 

I did some school work and have some more of that to do. Then I will begin to get things together. I will pull out my shorts, shirts, and everything I plan to take on the run. I also need to pack up an overnight bag to take to the place where I will spend the first night. I need to pack another bag to put in my wife's truck for night four. I have already delivered my overnight bag for nights two and three.

After I pack, I need to do a little shopping. I need more sunscreen, more Five Hour Energies, and more something (I hope I remember). Next, I plan to do some stretching, some cutting a quarter of an inch off of shoe laces, some pacing the floor, maybe some napping. Some napping would be nice.

Really there is nothing to be done about fitness now. The hay is in the barn, so to speak. Or it is not. My confidence gauge is on empty, but I learned years ago that confidence is overrated. I made that statement once when speaking to a civic club, and the room erupted in laughter. But it is no joke. Audacity is what an endurance athlete needs. I have that, maybe too much of it. No ultra athlete taps out easily. I will open the door in the morning, God willing, and leave. I have that audacity. What will happen five hours later? two days later? four days later? Somewhere along the way, I will begin to question myself, to ask myself why I am doing this? It's predictable. I also know that whatever I suffer along the way will not compare to the satisfaction of finishing. I think there is a sermon in there somewhere. You preach it. 

And after you finish the preaching, pray. Yes, put me on the list. You know my concerns. I have published them here more than once. Pray for the weather, my health, my safety, and ultimately my success. I would tell you about the status of the fundraising. You can see online how much has been raised there. The DFM has a record of the checks I have already mailed in. I will be carrying a few checks with me. I want that to be a surprise to the good folks at the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi.

Thank you, Jesus. Watch over me on this journey and give me success. May the fundraising continue. May the awareness be a real. May people take steps to improve their health. It's really not that hard. Amen.