in my head: running

At any given time there are about a dozen things that I'm obsessing about. Right now it's running, specifically the half marathon I am signed up for on Sunday. In the wee hours of the morning, me and 17,000 tulle and glitter encrusted ladies (and a few dudes) will gather to torture ourselves by running thirteen-ish miles around a theme park. I'm excited because Disney races are always quite a lot of fun, and I love being part of the incredibly warm and inspiring running community. And I'll be accompanied by a friend who is running her very first half, always fun. But I'm also freaking out, just a little, because I didn't really have time to train. At all. Oops.

But I know that 50% of racing is mental, so I'm trying to at least get my head together and hope my legs will follow suit.

eating

Spaghetti pie for dinner tomorrow night -- you a little jelly?

via Smitten Kitten

Spaghetti, cheese, eggs, black pepper. Simple, perfect. I stumbled upon this recipe this week and realized it would be a lovely pre-race meal. (If you think running is hell on earth, this also seems like a good sort of recipe to whip up for dinner on a chilly Sunday night.)

reading

I get weirdly emotional right before a race, and I like to lay in bed and cry and read about running and racing, succeeding and failing. Here are some of my favorites:

Born to Run was a bit of a phenomenon and really made people think differently about distance running // John Bingham is a hero for the back of the pack runners who are only racing with themselves -- The Courage to Start could inspire a love for running among even the couchiest of potatoes // somehow I was unaware of its existence until this week, but I just ordered Haruki Murakami's memoir about marathon training -- a treat for myself next week when I'm recovering

wearing

Never enough cute athleisure wear:

this Kate Spade bow-adorned running jacket is fabulous, though too precious to sweat in // Raw Threads makes all of the performance wear your inner princess could need // floral leggings when you want to look just a little fancy -- maybe yoga or your local neighborhood 5K // this cozy sweatshirt looks dreamy for throwing on after a tough workout // a gym bag you won't be embarrassed to carry

stocking

I love running because it's a relatively low-maintenance sport, but there are a few items I've come to rely on for races:

Swedish fish for a quick burst of energy mid-run // a sturdy (and cheery) pair of earbuds // melatonin to fight pre-race jitters // banana chips stashed in my gear bag (because the post-race banana are never ripe enough) // Sparkly Soul headbands look great (and mostly stay in place) // a truly amazing gel for taking care of post-run ouches // your favorite pair of aviators look cool and keep the sun out of your eyes // a flat water bottle to sip from until the first water stop on very hot days (they're so cheap, I just toss in the trash when I get tired of carrying it).