First of all, let me just say how pumped I am for this weekend. It’s only Tuesday, but I’ve officially reached the point in the week where I don’t want to actually do any real work and I’m just planning for the readathon. As of this writing, there are 242 (!!!!) readers signed up to participate and over 500 followers on Twitter. I’m overwhelmed by all this readathon love, and how many new readers are jumping on board this train.

A few housekeeping things:

• Due to popular demand, I’ll be announcing the dates of the next readathon as soon as this readathon ends. So you future planners will be able to mark your calendars nice and early!
• With that being said, I’m officially switching up the timing of this readathon to a bi-annual winter/summer schedule, instead of the fall/spring schedule that it had been on. This gives people who also take part in Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon some breathing room.

Okay, so onto the really important things. Part of my IS IT TIME YET excitement of readathon prep is all the other stuff that goes into the weekend. As I’ve said over and over again, this is supposed to be FUN, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint. So you have to be prepared.

First, food. You have to eat. It’s a whole weekend, and unless you have a houseboy (or a well-trained child or dog), you’re going to have to feed yourself. There are some super easy ways to do this without taking away too much time from reading. I am a proponent of anything in a slow cooker. I’m making this Boeuf Bourguignon recipe on Saturday, but I’m doing all the prep work on Friday night so it’ll be ready to just turn on Saturday morning.

Or make up a pot of chili or chicken noodle soup that can be sitting on the oven warming all day for people to eat as they please. (A loaf of crusty bread is crucial for all of these options).

Keep some healthy options for snacks along with the junk food you only eat during a readathon (Oreos are my ‘thon-only food). Hummus and veggies, obviously, but edamame is also great to snack on (buy it in easy-to-steam frozen packages). My snack options are going to include these, as well as chips and guac, cheese sticks, and fruit, and I’ll probably make something sweet as well.

It’s crucial to stock up so you can feed yourself well, but not spend too much extra time doing it. Unless you’ve got a really compelling audiobook and you need an excuse to stand over a stove for hours in order to listen to it. In which case, go nuts. (Audiobooks while grocery shopping are also a great way to replenish the snacks while still putting a book in your brain – and helpful to get you moving after sitting a while).

Second, where to sit. Just one tip: change it up. Do you have the perfect reading armchair? Even that’s gonna start hurting after a full day of sitting, so move to a couch or a bed (no napping! Actually, napping is fine) or the floor or outside (if you live in a warm climate right now). Or read standing up for a while.

The point is to keep your body from getting stiff and knotted up from being in one position for two days. Stretching, a little downward dog or toe touches are good for this too.

Third, what to do. Read! (Obviously). But read in different places. I like jumping in the car (audiobooks!) and going to a local coffee shop for a few hours. Or taking a walk (audiobooks!) in the afternoons. Or, if you’re lucky enough to have a friend who’s also readathon-ing, join them (or vice versa) for some quality reading time.

And don’t forget to take breaks to cheer on your fellow readers! Follow this blog for updates throughout the weekend (every six hours starting at 12:01am on Saturday morning). In the first update, I’ll repost the Google doc with everyone who’s participating so you can find them directly online. Check the hashtag #24in48 on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. too.