The (Final) Pre-Empire State Building Run Up Post

I wasn't going to write about tomorrow's Empire State Building Run Up again until after the fact, but I'm really *that* excited. I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight...

You have no idea how many times today I thought about tomorrow morning's event - the Empire State Building Run Up! Did you know that only 4000 people have ever done the ESBRU? Only 4000! That's a really elite group! And tomorrow, that number will increase by a few hundred and I will be one of the few who can say they actually had a chance to participate in and complete this amazing event!

Not only did I think about the event all day, but on the bus ride from Queens to Brooklyn tonight, I looked out the window at her. And she knew I was watching her. And she saw me smiling. And she knew I was thinking "Yes. Finally. Tomorrow. I'm coming for you!!!"

As if I wasn't succeeding at working myself up into a frenzy, I had plenty of other help -

1. They're already talking about it on Gothamist. (That's right, I'm crazy in shape! And thank you for the link, Amanda!)
2. Roger Clarke (from NY1) covered Stair Week a few days ago. (Roger, I am going to be looking for you tomorrow! I want to be interviewed on NY1!)
3. And I grabbed this from the official Empire State Building website:

The Empire State Building Annual Run-Up
Every February, the Empire State Building and the New York Road Runners host one of the most extreme races in the world. Approximately 350 competitors from 25 states and 17 countries race up 86 flights of stairs - 1,576 steps total - to the outdoor observation deck of the world's most famous office building.
If you are interested in participating in the 2011 Empire State Building Run-Up, please check the New York Road Runners website at www.nyrr.org for application information.
Please note that this is an invitational race, with selections based on athletic ability and background.

On top of that, I already received dozens of well wishes today! One of my favorites was from Emily - she wrote:

"You look *amazing* in the donation photo. Like a skinny person I would normally curse for being so genetically gifted! But I only have cheers for you. :)"

Haha! I love that! I do look pretty great in that photo but you all know I didn't always look like that, which makes the comment - and my achievement - so much more rewarding. I worked a lot to become the inspiring athlete you see before you today! (I won't say I worked hard, because I really don't think I worked hard. I just worked consistently.)

Then this comment on Facebook made me stop and think too, because sometimes I forget how much my personal milestones inspire you:

"SOOOO excited for you! You're not only doing this for yourself and those with Multiple Myeloma, you're also doing it for heavy girls everywhere! We are watching you be super amazing and look soooo great from just eating right and working hard. WE LOVE YOU!!!!"

So tomorrow, I'm doing this for me - for the experience of a lifetime!, and for the MMRF - who can use the funds I helped raise to assist those suffering with multiple myeloma, but I'm also doing it for all of you - I'm so proud to be an inspiration for you and love that I can share this experience with you! You have no idea how great it is to know the world - literally - helped support me financially and is cheering for me! Thank you again for making this possible!

Before I go, here's a handful of locations that listed shout-outs for me on Facebook. If you want your state or country represented, include it in the comments:

• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Brooklyn
• Italy
• Hoboken
• Canada
• Wisconsin

But for now, I must shower and prepare for the morning before retiring to bed. Because in just about 9 hours, I'll be walking into that beautiful and famous building on 34th and 5th - and an hour or so later, I will emerge with memories, photos and a medal, all tokens of what I know will be one of the most exciting days of my life. Words cannot describe my enthusiasm for this event!

Till then, beautiful... (Yes, I took all of these photos)

(Note: if you want to follow along with my updates on Twitter tomorrow, add me. Otherwise, you can just enjoy the blog after the fact.)