After a good night's rest, I went down and ate breakfast. My plate was comprised of two waffles, eggs, hash browns, and bacon. It probably was not the healthiest options, but I did not see the other foods until after I had already made my plate.
Afterwards, all the athletes loaded up in the buses and headed over to Balboa Park for the course preview. I was very excited to see the course in person because I have spent hours watching all the previous races. I was looking forward to seeing the notorious hill in person in particular. All the athletes ran in one large group alongside the pro New Balance runners.
The mob of runners quickly broke up because people ran at their own paces.
During the jog, I spent a lot of time visualizing my race plan and preparing for the tough race ahead. The course is going to be a change from what I am used to, but I feel like I am ready to tackle it. You change surfaces very frequently (grass, muddy sections, mulch, gravel, asphalt, and rubber), and it seems you are always on some form of hill.
After a few hours on the course, we loaded back up and went back to the hotel for the lunch.
To be honest, I don't remember what we ate for lunch, I just know it was good. After lunch I spent my time stretching, rolling out, and relaxing on the beach. My main focus during the downtime before dinner was to get prepared for the race ahead. I was trying to avoid wearing out my body in any way.
I had chicken and mashed potatoes with some spinach ravioli for my pre-race dinner. Once all the athletes finished, there was a program where all the New Balance pros were introduced, and we were able to learn some interesting facts about them. I hit the hay as early as I could, so I could wake up feeling nice and refreshed.
