[insert haribo song here]

A few thoughts on the eve of my first international marathon (which, with some 40,000 runners, is also one of the largest marathons in the world, and therefore resulted in a cluster of an expo, during which I felt very, very short):

(Aside from feeling like the smallest person in Europe) I am strangely calm right now, mostly because there was so much drama involved in the planning of this trip (which if you're truly curious, I may one day explain, but until then, let's just say that it's a long, dumb story that features the silent treatment, changes in travel itineraries and an expired passport), that I haven't had a chance to freak out about running a marathon in a foreign country because I've been so busy freaking out over what the hell was going to happen with this trip in the first place.

Honestly, I'm probably more nervous about getting lost on the way to starting line than I am about the actual race itself.

Also, I have no idea how I will do tomorrow. With the exception of one run this past week (which I skipped because I was in a plane over the Atlantic), I've done everything my coach has told me to do. But I don't know if this will result in a PR -- my longest run this training cycle was only 18 miles, performed at a ridiculously slow, mildly hungover pace in the middle of a thunderstorm. However, my track workouts have been strong, and I've gotten faster, at least when it comes to short distances. But I am also dealing with injury and recovering from a cold. And let's not forget jet lag and 14+ hours spent traveling.

And I hope to god that eating chicken breast and a baked potato for dinner tonight was a smart pre-race choice.

That's right -- in Berlin, baked potatoes resemble swans. Or maybe swans resemble baked potatoes. Who knows.

Another crazy thing about this marathon: I think I put 4:30 down as my target finish time, and I'm in the last and slowest corral. I know 4:30 isn't fast, but it isn't horrible either, which makes me think this course is going to be insanely fast tomorrow. In other words, I'm slightly terrified 39,999 people will finish before me, possibly trampling me in the process.

Maybe I should freak out after all.

But no matter what happens tomorrow, at least I am here in this beautiful city (with its very tall people).