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It is week 12 of training for the Chesebro Half Marathon! Yay! It is the final countdown. I hope whoever is training for this race or any other race, is feeling ready! I’m never quite sure how ready I am until race day. There have been races that I thought I was more than ready and it was awful and others where I had a great race when I thought it was going to suck. Sometimes you just don’t know.

My advise is to think positive thoughts and hope for the best. Studies have shown that positive thoughts can improve race performance. I repeat to myself “You got this!” over and over, and it can actually help. As a matter of fact just this morning I was repeating my mantra, then glanced at my watch and my pace was 8:50 (I’m usually 9:30 to 10:30) and I didn’t feel like I had sped up at all. 

This week is all about final preparation for race day. 

• Hydrate. This should be everyday, but I especially make an extra effort to drink more water, less caffeine and avoid alcohol.
• Eat healthy. Again, I try to eat healthy daily but let’s be realistic, some days you gotta splurge (I mean, heck, that’s why we run, right?). Having said that, this is not the week to go on a junk food binge. Try to eat healthy proteins, veggies. The experts don’t push the carbo loading like they used to but a healthy portion of pasta works for me. I would avoid cream sauces because they are heavier and can upset the GI tract. I also avoid salad the night before…fiber is not your friend before a race.
• Get plenty of sleep. Your body/muscles repair while sleeping, and I don’t know about you but I need all the muscle I can get! The night before you probably won’t sleep well, but if you’ve had a restful week, it won’t matter as much.
• Check the race website for any last minute updates. I had a race change the start time, and I almost didn’t find out because I didn’t check my email or the website until the night before. Also, it’s good to review things like, where the water stops are, any special rules, Is there a bag check?, etc.
• When and how are you picking up your race bib? Most runners pick up their bib at the race Expo, but if you are driving from far away then you may need to pick it up race morning. Hopefully you have thought about this before now… either way this needs to be done before the start. 
• Plan transportation/parking. How are you getting to the race and then to the start? And from the finish back to your car? If the race provides shuttles be sure to get to them early. When I ran Zion Half they started without me because our shuttle was stuck in traffic. 
• Check your gear and supplies. Make sure your outfit is clean and ready. Do you need gloves, a hat, new socks (I don’t usually advise new things but if you always wear the same brand socks then you’re safe), Gu, a banana for the morning? 
• Upload new music. This isn’t necessarily a must but having some new songs on race day definitely gives me a boost. Unless of course you are running with a friend the entire time (which I rarely do) then you don’t want to be rude. 😉 For music suggestions click here or go to my home page for my Runlist at the top, or Spotify in the boarder.

For more on being prepared check out a previous post Race Morning: Be Prepared and Everything Will Run Smooth.

Last weeks training at a glance…

Monday

10 mile run. My last long run before race day. It was a little rough. Legs were tired and I walked some in the last 2 miles. I felt good the rest of the day though, and that’s important to me. I tried a new flavor Gu because it was all I had left. 

I must have got this free from a race because I prefer fruity flavors. This tasted like chocolate frosting, which is good if you like chocolate frosting, but I’m one of those rare people who scape the frosting off my cake because it’s too sweet. 

Tuesday

Rest day. I figured that was my best bet after my long run the previous day.

Wednesday

Work. I did a couple sets of arms and a 1 min plank with leg kicks. 

Thursday

4 mile run. Uneventful. At least I assume since I didn’t write down anything about it.

Friday

6 mile run. Again, nothing much to report about the run. 3 sets of arms that night.

Saturday

Rest day. If you can call it that. I spent the entire day (left the house at 8 am and got home at 11 pm) at my daughters dance competition. I love watching her and her dance team dance but sometimes the music is way too loud and the seating is horrible. We all froze too because it was windy and overcast all day. 

I hope this info has been helpful. Good luck! 

Is there something you would add? What flavor Gu do you prefer if any at all?

Thanks for reading!

Keep running!

                   Denise