Are the Paddles Ready? Breathe. Breathe.

The time is near. Butterflies are fluttering. Nervousness is setting in .

What? The marathon on Sunday? Heck no! My Los Angeles Dodgers! They have their act together for a change! Last night's 2 out 2 run rally are the moves that winners make. An interesting stat provided by fellow Dodger fan Ms.V - this year the Dodgers have won 23 games in the last at bat. Go Dodgers!

Baseball is my favorite sport. I can watch baseball anytime. Anywhere. And not just the Majors. I've spent many a hour in minor league parks while on the road. One thing I miss about my middle son being in college is I don't get to watch high school ball games anymore. (Proud dad moment - here's a picture of him in action:)

I live for this time of year. World Series baby! All the better this year because the Dodgers may actually have chance! And no - I'm not an Angels fan. In fact, I'm not really an American League fan - but we'll save that for some other time.

Oh running? I took out my copy of The Competitive Runner's Handbook by Bob Glover and started revisiting the chapters on Marathon Countdown. I'm taking it pretty easy - scheduled rest day yesterday, emphasizing carbs without cutting the protein and fat, staying off my feet as much as possible (as my Twitter friends will attest to). But, it's always great to revisit the books - if for no other reason than to reduce anxiety. Some things left to do before Saturday:

() Figure out the parking situation: I can't tell you how many stories I read of people almost missing a start because of parking. Add to that that about 20,000 of my close friends will be running Long Beach - and parking can become a problem. I'm thinking about parking three of four miles away and taking the Metro Blue Line to the start.

() Figure out gear drop: This marathon starts and finishes in the same place. I just need to figure out what I'm going to put in my gear bag an make sure it's all there. My list so far: Dry clothes, dry shoes, dry socks, electrolyte tabs/powder, cell phone, wallet with cash, keys, towel, neosporin (for chafing). I'm sure I'll expand the list tonight.

() Visit the start/finish line: This will happen tomorrow when I go to the expo. I like to just take a look at the whole setup. That way, if I *do* end up short on time, I know where to drop my gear bag and then where to rush to to hit the start.

() Sleep: Sleep the night before any big event is always fitful. That means tonight's sleep needs to happen. No online poker until midnight!

Am I ready? Oh yeah - I'm ready!