Editor’s Note: This is the second part of a three-part series focusing on an independent dancer couple for Thon. This installment focuses on how the couple is preparing for the weekend.

Some people believe laughter is the best medicine.

Interfraternity Council/ Panhellenic Dance Marathon dancers 339 A and B, better known as Sarah Swaintek (junior-nutrition) and Katie McCormick (junior-human development and family studies) believe that a sense of humor -- and a good pair of sneakers -- will keep them going during Thon.

Swaintek and McCormik were one of the 44 independent couples chosen to dance in Thon, which begins at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the Bryce Jordan Center and ends 46 hours later.

The girls have being doing a lot this week to prepare for their big weekend.

McCormick said they are trying to get into a normal sleep pattern, trying to get caught up on schoolwork and took off this entire week of work so they can rest up.

"We're also not drinking caffeine," Swaintek said, holding up her cup of Green tea.

Swaintek added that her and McCormick have been going to the gym regularly and stretching a lot to get their muscles ready.

"We're taking it one day at a time," Swaintek said.

They agreed that finding sneakers that correctly support their feet is crucial, considering that this weekend they will be spending 46 hours on their feet.

The two dancers were instructed to go to Rapid Transit, 115. South Allen St., because "the owner danced in Thon once and is very helpful," Swaintek said.

Besides getting a discount on the shoes, McCormick said that the staff at the store was very "proactive" in helping her find the right sneakers.

"It was like going to the doctor's office," she said with a laugh.

The girls said they plan to use their three-year-friendship to their advantage during Thon.

"We've known each other for so long that we can tell when the other is happy or upset," Swaintek said. "We feed off each other's energy whenever we are together."

McCormick said she and Swaintek work as waitresses at Centre Hills Country Club, 153 Country Club Road, and help each other during long hours on the job.

"When we're at work we are used to having bad days and being able to vent to each other and support each other," she said.

Swaintek and McCormick also have the advantage of knowing what it is like on the floor of Thon.

Swaintek was a moraler last year, and she said that she spent a great deal of time observing the dancers and cheering them on.

"I picked up a lot of things from the moralers that I can use this year as a dancer," Swaintek said. "We constantly bounced tennis balls to stay alert, we kept busy and tried to play with the kids whenever we could."

Last year, McCormick also spent time of the floor because she was the Thon chairwoman for her sorority, Phi Sigma Rho. This opportunity helped her become close to the teenager from the Four Diamonds family her sorority was paired with, she said.

"It was great to see how enthusiastic [the sorority's Thon child] was," McCormick said. "It was amazing because she seemed stronger than most of the people participating in Thon. She came to the floor at odd hours to cheer on the dancers and seemed 10 times as excited as anyone else."

McCormick said she will use these memories as motivation as she dances and is also looking forward to seeing the family at Thon this year. She said seeing the Thon children is rewarding because you see what you are working for.

"What we're going through during Thon does not even compare to what the children have to go through," she said.

The duo is also curious about what Thon will be like at the BJC.

"It will be really different from Rec Hall, and I can't wait to see how they set up," Swaintek said. "It is kind of cool that we are the first Thon dancers to be dancing in the BJC."

Tonight the girls said they plan on eating a carb-heavy meal and packing everything they need for Thon. On Friday morning they plan on sleeping in, eating a large breakfast, relaxing and watching Grey's Anatomy.

As for now the pair is upbeat but a little nervous.

"I know there will be times [during Thon] when I will just hit the wall, but that I can get through it. It is mind over matter," Swaintek said.

McCormick said she is more than ready for Thon.

"You know there is going to be pain, but you can't think about it," she said. "You have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best."