The Final Countdown

By Tara Zimmerman, producer

For me, this is among the most exciting parts of a race...the days leading up to it. There are daily check-ins with Diana, Lisa, Heidi and Lori on how we're all holding up; we've received our race bibs and Channel 7 shirts to wear; we're making plans for the pasta party the night before the race.

Tonight, I pick up my sister Tracy from the airport. She's flying in to cheer me on (and for a weekend of R&R!). She and my boyfriend are reviewing the race route, plotting where they'll be to cheer me on. This is the fun stuff.

The past few months have been a bit tougher, with skipping nights out with friends to train, long runs, chaffing, a sore sartorius muscle and the bout of food-poisoning that I thought would sideline me. Our coach Jimmy Lynch (seen above stretching me out), with Wharton Performance, has been great in answering all of our questions, no matter how small, like "What if we have to go to the bathroom during the race?" (thank goodness for port-a-potties) and "How do I prevent that chaffing? (it turns out Body Glide and Vaseline work wonders).

But after all the hard work and miles logged, now it's time to enjoy the ride. See you at the finish line!