This little Piggy went to Market...

...but tomorrow I'm running all the way "home."

If this photo was framed down just a bit you'da seen all
the portable toilets lined up for tomorrow's race....
...you're welcome.

I came down to Sydney, Australia on Thursday to do the marathon ('cause running across the Harbour Bridge and finishing at the Opera House plays very well in the movie in my mind) and the only training I've been doing in preparation is with my jaws. It's been non-stop eating since I got off the plane.

I've always felt that you only get to "count" an experience if you've had a meal...so I had four of them before checking into my hotel. And that, my friends, exemplifies the trouble for gluttons like me with arriving somewhere at 6 a.m. (it'll be a wonder if I can run at all tomorrow.)

Actually, HA! Maybe I should tell myself I'm only aiming for a waddle. (Mind take note.)

Anyway, today turned out to be more fun than I would have thought. I ran all over town visiting "markets" for that video segment that I've started putting up on the site. And Sydney is choken' with 'em. There was one in Kirribilli in front of my hotel (where incidentally tomorrow's starting line is...I've got it pretty easy in travel time). It was...fine, though a bit heavy on the "flea" end of markets. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Kirribilli Market has lots of used clothes, which I sometimes like,
and lots of food stalls, which I ALWAYS like.

But I think most visitors would like the one in the Rocks. That one is in one of Sydney's oldest sections right down under the Harbour Bridge and across from the Opera House. I picked that one to drop in on as I assume just about everyone who visits Sydney and has a weekend's worth of wandering to do will wander by to see what the Rocks Market has to offer.

If I can figure out how to get 'em home without breaking the bank or my back, you might see a little sumthin' sumthin' from the Rocks Market at Homescapes.

I hit a few other markets around town today, too...we'll see which ones make the cut when I get around to editing the piece together. Obviously I liked some of the markets more than others, but ya never know what'll peak someone's shopping-interests.

Paddy's Market has all the knock-offs you'd ever need...

...but I prefer artisan stuff, so I had a better time at Glebe Market.

And now I'm off to eat. I could call this meal my "carbo-load" I guess, but I've been carbo-loading more than I think is probably advisable (them potato "wedges" with sour cream and chili sauce are DEE-licious.) Tomorrow should be interesting, though...this is the first marathon I've picked to run where I'm actually excited about doing the running part. Usually I look forward to the IDEA of a marathon until the day before the event.

Then I start thinking, "Jeeezzzzz, I have to run 26 stinkin' miles tomorrow!?"