It's time to man-up.
I've registered for this Sunday's 29th Annual Stratton Faxon Fairfield Half-Marathon. I know I'm unprepared. I know I haven't run farther then 7 miles at any given time. I know I haven't run in any sort of race in the month of June. However, I also know I'm approaching the half way point of this training schedule and now is as good a time as any to see how far I've come.
The Fairfield Half is one of the most competitive races in the country. Many of the top runners in the world will be there along with close to 4000 other runners. I won't be anywhere near the front of the pack, but I also won't be bringing up the rear. I expect to finish this in around 2:15:00 - 2:25:00. Also, as I continue to get through the Summer training, I'll have that much more confidence that finishing the full marathon is possible.
So, there you have it. I'm gonna suck it up and throw myself into the fire with this one. I've set a goal of running a 5K, 10K, 15K and 20K in the next month. The 15K is gonna be the Boilermaker July 12 and I still need to find fun 5K and 10K races. This will be a morale booster or killer. I'll let you know which on Monday.
Stay away from the Sea Grape on the run. There is nothing but trouble that goes on there. Where is the big news?? The most important part about this longer run is getting your nutrition and hydration right for this distance. See those posts I made earlier about Gels, Electrolyte Pills, and Calorie Consumption. Don't just settle for the stuff at the aid stations. Remember what you felt like when you had the gel at the wrong time at your 10k. Now is the time to make errors and learn from them.
ReplyDeleteI can't stress enough how unimportant time is in these warm-up races. Think about how seeing the wrong mile time messed up one of your past races. Tomorrow is going to hurt and you want to make sure that you are ready for another week of training after the race. Start out slow, don't be too proud to walk, and finish strong.
ReplyDeleteTanya says to remember to slather your feet and fun buttons with lube.
ReplyDeletehahaha... I appreciate tanya's concern for the fun buttons more then I'm comfortable telling you... The "Breaking News" was the announcement of running in the half... im only looking to finish... the goal is to help myself mentally for the rest of the training... they havea gel station at 6 miles... im gonna take a couple extras for the last few miles... i have finally found a good starting pace - just hope it is right for this distance... feeling confident about the race... just not feeling good about the alarm clock going off at 5:30am... and I will definately be enjoying a victory Blue Moon at the Grape - for no other reason than to have an excuse to call you bright and early to tell you Im having a Blue Moon at the Grape... Who'd a thought after the last time I was at the Grape (New Year's '97 or '98 I think) I would be having my next drink there after a half marathon at 8:30 on a Sunday morning... I'm officially that old man I never thought I'd be. Thanks for the advice and support. I'll talk to you tomm.
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