Prepping for Seattle/Tacoma

For the final leg of my Legacy GP tour,
I will be going to GP Seattle/Tacoma in November.

I've got my air tickets and preregistered for the VIP package (not sure if that's a good choice but I'm not really that interested in thinking about it now).
I have to settle my lodging and some visiting registration thingy which can only come after I have an address to put on it.

This all started early in the year when I decided to go to Kyoto for the first ever Legacy GP. I didn't intend to go for all 3 Legacy GPs of the year back then. I'm not sure if I broke up with my fiance before or after GP Kyoto but it was around then. With this opening in my life, I figured that I wanted to do something I liked before I ended up regretting never ever had been able to. For me, that would probably be to play Mtg at the competitive level. That said, I am not in any position where I could suddenly make Mtg into my lifestyle nor my lifeline. After Kyoto, I wanted to go for the Modern Masters GP in Chiba together with my friend but he couldn't make it so I thought that I would divert this intention into playing GP Lille and and also GP Seattle Tacoma, the other two Legacy GPs of the year.

I don't think this can continue for more than 1-2 years so this window is probably my first and last.
I have yet to day 2 in a GP so my first goal would be to do so in my strongest format.
(If I can't day 2 in my best format, I'm basically screwed anyway unless I'm just plain lucky.)

Unfortunately, things didn't go well for me at Kyoto nor at Lille. Lille was much worse as I ended up being disqualified midway, essentially busting my trip, and I was at risk of denying my own plans for Seattle Tacoma. To day 2, the most essential requirement would be to work out 2 byes which would lower the threshold of making day 2 from a tough 7-2 performance to a 5-2 performance (which is not an easy feat in itself). The 2 round byes would also filter out some very outlier decks that always plague the bottom tables that are essentially playable but not high tiered and that can easily knock out a deck prepared to face the big decks (unless I am playing a top tiered deck myself).

I missed my chances for getting byes for Kyoto and there weren't any for Lille locally as GP Singapore was just before that so no organizer in the right mind would divert precious income for some out of the way GPT. At some point, my biggest chances could only be found in the final dash.
I had to get my 2 byes at the GPT Seattle/Tacoma that are happening in October. There is a random shop holding a Standard GPT Seattle/Tacoma, a Legacy GPT and modern GPT organized by the shop I usually go to (and its affiliate) using connections.
If I manage to top 8 in one of them, I would probably be able to secure the 2 round byes since no one would need actually the byes so this is as good as it goes in terms of chances.

Thankfully, I scrapped out of my almost bannings which could have outright stopped me from playing in Oct/Nov, both of which were crucial in the scheme of things.

I've been playing the format regularly and have recently had good finishes (which all don't give much planeswalker points but I wouldn't have had enough anyway) so I think I'm in one of the better shapes I've been prior to a big event. There were many distractions with GP Singapore being Modern and being obligated to play the format. This time it's much cleaner.

I'm also adding exercise to my preparations in order to increase my physical capabilities to reduce the impact of fatigue/jetlag that I would have to face. I guess it's the same way as my playstyle; trying to add very minute advantages from every possible avenue.

I am trying to optimize my creature selection and my sideboarding now and I have 1 month and 1 week to complete that. Thankfully, Battle for Zendikar doesn't look like it would impact the format much with its big gap in cheap and efficient cards. I have a few that I like but I think I do not have to worry much about not being able to identify what would be good.

I would have to start more intensive preparations soon.
Too bad MTGO has some missing cards that I cannot test there and have to rely on real life testing to collect data on. (Good job Wotc for missing out Legacy legal cards)
I wonder if the Legacy DE schedule is favorable...