I’m pretty darn excited for this week. Back in January, I messaged Elliot and asked him how fast could he get me before the Austin half. 1. I know he is not responsible for giving my legs bounciness. 2. I’m well aware that racing is more than PBs (personal bests. NOT peanut butters :)). I had not planned on doing a race until April but I run with a few dudes who talked me into running the half. FOMO drove this decision. Thanks, guys!
After my injury last year, I was forced to participate in other forms of exercise. I had zero run structure until January. Really, my message to Elliot should read, “can I get my body ready to run a half I’ll be happy with in 1.5 months”. And here we are. In a week I’ll put on my Oiselle crop and run the streets of Austin with thousands of runners. Personally, I do not know how I am feeling or where my fitness is at*. But I do have a plan. I know Elliot does too, but he most likely won’t share it with me and I’ll get “run hard, have fun” directions. Don’t ask me what my pace plans are or if I’ll PR. My goal for every race is to leave everything out there. If that’s a PB, awesome. If it is climbing Enfield without feeling like I have emphysema, I’ll take it.
To be honest, what I am most excited about it to be surrounded with other runners. Some of my friends will be running their first full marathon. It has been rewarding to join them on their journey to getting ready for this weekend. The early mornings, surviving less than ideal weather. I am looking forward to seeing their hard work pay off. I know it will be an inspiring day as participants typically share their story and how they arrived to this point. To me, that is why I love running. We are all working towards a common goal- crossing the finish line. It looks different for everyone and that’s the beauty of it.
Toeing the line can be intimidating and overwhelming. I will leave you with a few thoughts and my go-to tips.
- If it’s your first half or full marathon, ENJOY it. You’ll never get it back.
- Don’t fight the hills. Make up time on the descents.
- The faster you run, the sooner the pain stops.
- Take in nutrition even when you don’t think you need it.
- If the race doesn’t go as planned, find something external that excites you. Mine is typically finding a little tyke to high five.
- Control the controllables. In Austin, it’s about the weather. I know friends are already checking the weather. You know who you are 😛
- When it feels hard, I ask myself these questions, “will you be satisfied with your performance when you are done” and “will your tank be on empty when you cross the finish line?”. These typically keep me going.
- A race is a time to show case your hard work. Be proud of your dedication. The countless hours you spent training, questioning your sanity. The nights you passed on going out with friends because of a long run. This is your day!
See ya at the finish line!
*Note: I wrote this yesterday. Elliot sent me a fitness graph last night. I do not really understand it other than there are builds and declines which align with your training. Duh! For all of you who enjoy looking at graphs and analyzing, here you go! For those of you who are like me, I leave it up to Elliot to figure it out and adjust my training plan accordingly!
