Looks like our weekend plans have changed again. We’re still going away to celebrate Adam’s BIRTHDAY (!!!!) but I will have time to get my long run in at home on Saturday morning which is very nice.
I can’t believe this weekend is my last long run before the half!
Today I received an email with all the details about packet pickup and race day info. WOW, it’s really almost here!
I would tell you about how nervous I am, but I think you already know… it’s the excited kind of nervous though (mostly)! : )
I pulled up the course map online today to see if it would give me any wisdom. The one thing I noticed is that The Bridge (my enemy) comes during mile 4. This makes me pretty happy because my legs won’t be too tired then.
I usually cross The Bridge at mile 1.5 on my way to the beach and that’s never really too bad. Last week when I crossed it at mile 9.5 on the way home I almost died. Hitting The Bridge only once at mile 4 is very manageable I think!
I am planning to walk to the starting line from my condo as a warmup, which means I’ll eventually have to cross the bridge a second time on my walk home… or maybe Adam will volunteer to carry me. That seems unlikely though! ; )
Can you believe November is almost here?
What is your #1 AND #2 tip for someone running her first half (I am asking for a friend…)
This is another sign you’re gonna kick butt!
Advice…hm. Don’t try anything new on race day you haven’t tried on a long run. That includes clothes and fuel. Remember to have fun. And that the race is the end of training, but the effort of training is more important than the race itself; you can’t control it 100%, so just focus on enjoying it!
Author
Thank you! I really hope I kick butt — fingers are crossed!
“The effort of training is more important than the race itself” that is an awesome quote! I want to pin it to my running inspiration board on Pinterest! 🙂
First advice… start slow and enjoy the pace and the view. If you’re like me, I get competitive and antsy at the start of a race. I always pick someone in the crowd and think, “I’m going to keep up with him (or her)!” But I have to remember that I am my best competitor… Second is the same you’ll hear multiple times – don’t change your clothes, your routine, or anything. I did that once for a half marathon… new shoes… big mistake… I hope you have a blast!!
Author
Hi Natalie! Thank you for the really great advice! I definitely want to use a pacer to help take some of the thinking out of the equation and to ensure I don’t go out too fast. At most of the shorter distance races I’ve done I’ve been really bad about that, so I hope the pacer will help! 🙂