We are now at Defcon 1

So we just got back from the expo and dinner with our friend and Wogging inspiration, the infamous Tricia.

The Expo was fun. There was only one problem. Either I asked for the wrong size shirt or they put the wrong size on my ticket. Regardless I have a shirt one size too small and the t-shirt Nazi would not let me get a larger shirt. I realize that having control of your little t-shirt empire is a big deal to you but really, just give me a shirt that fits. This has been the only disappointing thing so far.

So here we are at the Expo:

That's me, my wife Christina in the middle and Tricia. I don't know who that person in the back is. Oh wait, it's a fake person.

So after getting my number:

And fighting with the T-shirt Nazi we moved into the vendor area. It was pretty cool. Lots of free samples. We weren't so high on the chocolate Tiger Milk but we grazed at the Snicker's Powerbar Booth. Tricia bought a few supplies but Christina and I did not get separated from our money. That took place later at the hotel when I realized we hadn't brought any water or Gatorade. We did bring some oatmeal to warm up in the microwave in the morning. But guess what? No fridge and no microwave. I mean, we're at the Marriott on the Riverwalk. With water going for $3.50 a bottle you figure they could spring for a fridge and microwave. The irony here is we cook oatmeal back in Houston this morning but forget water. Oh well. I do have one more issue with the Marriott. I hope you all are enjoying the live update. The Internet here is $12 a day. Boo Marriott.

So the Expo was crazy crowded.

And it had real high energy and was lots of fun. The people were interesting. I saw a pregnant woman who had a runner's number. I also saw a woman in a walking boot who had a runner's number. That's very impressive. It will also be embarrassing if the booted lady beats me. Lastly there was the Geico Gecko.

It's strange. He look smaller on TV.

After, we went to a restaurant called The Cove. It is funky, organic and tasty. It is also a combo restaurant, laundromat and car wash with live music.

Alright Woggers. I need to go put my number on my shirt and get some sleep. I will get tomorrow's entry up sometime in the afternoon or early evening. It depends on how long we collapse nap after the race. Farewell Woggers. Goodnight.

UPDATES

We are here in Hotel Room which is right on start line! About to head over to the Alamodome for packet pickup and the Expo. Pics to come!

My Bags are Packed (almost), I'm Ready to Go

Hello Woggers!

So it's my last Thursday blog. I can't believe the time is here. I have already packed my gym bag with all my gear. I've got my ipod nano charged up and my 1/2 Marathon Playlist ready to go. If only I could have lost about 80 lbs more. Oh well.

I have lost some weight and feel like I am on the right path to living a healthier life and that, at the end of the day, is what this is all about.

So here is the plan for the rest of the week:

Saturday my lovely wife and I are going to head out for San Antonio around 10. Our hotel is close to the start line so we're excited about that. We will check in hopefully around 1 and call my good friend Tricia, the instigator inspiration behind this whole Wogging thing. Together we'll all head over to the Expo to pick up our numbers, goodie-bag and act like we are professional athletes. Which we basically are except we don't get paid. We're not in great shape and their won't be lots of drinking and gambling and firearms. Other than all that, we're just like professional athletes.

After the Expo we'll probably hang out with Tricia and play Angry Birds or something real exciting. An early dinner will be followed by an early night because we have to be up early on Sunday. But guess what? I will post a bonus blog on Saturday night about the Expo! In fact you better stay tuned, you never know when I might upload a pic from the roadie.

Sunday we are going to be up around 5 - 5:30. Boo! The gun fires at 7:30. Yay! However, I am going to predict that we will be in a corral so far from the start-line that we won't officially start until 7:45-8:00. And hopefully we will be done by 12. A small note on the start. They kind of put you in order of fast to slow so we'll be towards the back. Like a long ways from the start. Also, after you finish the race you have a long way to walk to get back to your family or wherever you are headed. In short you end up walking a few extra miles and that kind of sucks. Maybe I should get a Segway for the non-racecourse mileage.

After a nap and a pig roast at a friend of a friends I will try to post something about how it went.Additionally I will try to post a wrap up Monday Night.

Thanks for all the fun fellow Woggers. I hope you all have enjoyed this journey as  much as I have. And while the blog may winding down, the beginning of my new life as a Wogger (and may I dare say a runner some day) is just beginning.

See you Saturday Woggers!

It's The Final Countdown

I hope that after reading the headline everyone has that horrible song stuck in their head.

So it is Sunday evening at about a quarter until 5. One week from right now I hopefully will be writing about how cool my finisher's medal is. Probably I'll be writing about how much my legs hurt. And how upset my wife is that I talked her into doing this.

Actually I think she is going to have a great time and feel very rewarded when she is done. She has never been in a race before. What an exciting experience this will be for her.

So Friday night we made our final gear purchases. She got a long-sleeve technical shirt just in case it is cold (last year it was freezing) and I did end up getting a hand-held water bottle. We also got our GU (4 tri-berries and 2 mandarin oranges).

Today we took a Wog after church in full dress rehearsal. We wore the clothes we will Wog in on Race Day (well my lovely bride wore the new long-sleeve just to make sure it would be okay but she'll probably wear a short sleeve she had already worn), I carried the new water bottle and even though it was cloudy today here in Houston we wore our hats. (Well technically my wife wore a visor)

You may laugh a little bit but the last thing you want to do is be in the middle of a 13.1 mile Wog and realize that this shirt chafes or this water bottle is really a pain in the ass and not worth the weight it adds to only one side of your body. In fact this is what has kept me from buying a water bottle to carry. Now some of you may ask why not get one of those Amphipod belts with the water flasks that attach? Good question. For those that have no idea what I am talking about here is a pic:

Here is my reason for not getting this: I think I'm too fat and the bottle would gouge into me. The truth is, most of the stuff made for runners is not necessarily made for Woggers, if you know what I mean. Let's be honest, most running stores don't have a big and tall section. Maybe this will be the motivation I finally need. Maybe this is what will push me over the edge. The wish to not look silly wearing a water belt and hoping to fit in with the skinny people. Not for myself. Not for my family. not to get off the CPAP or avoid on-set of adult diabetes. No, I'll be motivated by the urge to buy gear.

It's hard to believe we are only six days away. On Thursday's blog I will fill you all in on the schedule for the weekend. The plan for the rest of this week is a nice brisk walk every night and contain our excitement for the Big Day.