Day Five In Arkansas. Expo Day Has Arrived!

 The Lead up to the Big Marathon has finally pushed our Runners into their "Discomfort Zone."  The Little Rock Legendary Marathon Expo has arrived at last. What ever shall we do? 

Well, for me, I simply follow folks around and take pictures.   How difficult or nerve wracking could that be?  It helps that my entire job for this little adventure is simply to sprint ahead of the contestants and capture their forced grin as they suffer past various choke points.  Compared to that,  the expo is actually a pleasant calm before the storm.  And bear in mind, ever since we enslaved the Zakoseks, they have been our chauffeurs for most of the vacation. ( or all of it... whatever!)   This means that I no longer have to worry about the TRUE issue that keeps me up at night:   Parking!

It does help somewhat that Cheryl and I have done this race before.   There is a certain confidence that doing something a second time brings.  But that was a couple years ago, and pandemic hysteria continues to linger in a choice few.   This was demonstrated by the "Mask Rule" that was issued on the door of the expo for everyone who entered the building.   We "masked up" only to discover that many of the folks inside the building had either taken them off or never wore them inside to begin with.  We followed suit.

This was the first day of the Expo.  Tomorrow, ( Day 2 of the expo)  will start off with the 5K that Pam is signed up for.  We will probably cheer her on and take lots of pictures before heading back to the Expo to make sure we did not miss anything. AND to drive the Marathoners Bonkers one last time before the actual event.  It's our way of payback for them driving us crazy for the last several months. 

I have to say, Pam seems far less anxious about her run than the other two.  It shows Character and maturity to not let a run get "inside your head."  Everyone has to run their own race!  And the way you handle the distance is telling.  

While at the Expo,  The Gang tried on clothes,  Sampled nuts and goodies, and planned racing strategies.  They have been rehearsing  their plans for a while; but now that the Expo is finally here,  things are getting serious.  

We took lots of pictures by the various signs and backdrops.   Best to get those shots now, before things get crazy tomorrow!   I was actually impressed with how many people were there so early in the morning. The expo is supposed to last until this evening.   And continue after the 5K tomorrow.  That means there will be a lot of competition for those backdrops later.  

We took several.  And them some more!  And then even MORE!  ( Because, blurry shots happen!  And it is always better to take too many pics rather than not enough.) Cheryl helped out the Zakoseks with their picture taking.   Having learned the lessons of the past,  they found that knowing the photographer helps in picture quality.  (Hey!  Maybe that is why they did not ask me!)

With Maps of the race courses and all of the goodies we could stuff in our carrying satchels, we headed out for lunch.   Waffle house worked out last time,  why not head there again!  

Today we were first in the door and got our same seat with no line to deal with.  The waitress was different, so Mike could not harass her with any more Marathon jokes. ( She did arrive later, but we were pretty much finished by then.)   Pam ordered the Peanut Butter Chip waffle this time!  We finally won over her heart and mind without forced mandates!   So all of us had waffles at the Waffle House!  We are finally coming together as a team!  

Bright and early race tomorrow.  We will be there for Pam, cheering her on and taking lots of pics.  After that, we plan on scoping out the race route ( as much as we can...) for the Big Marathon! Lucky for Pam, rain is only predicted for Sunday.   Marathon day!  Good Luck Marathoners!    I wouldn't want to "Rain on your Parade,"  ( Or Marathon... As it was.) But you may need to take a few laps in the pool to learn how to swim...Just in case.