Halfer on Saturday...

OK, I'm not exactly NERVOUS, but I'm troubled all of the sudden that I won't be able to complete the course. I did my 12 mile long run almost 2 weeks ago and then did a "taper"... last week under 40, this week under 30...

I've done my training on a treadmill out of necessity. I've been putting it up on all different inclines and averaging 7.2 miles per hour which I count as 7.0 miles per hour because I'm sure the years have slowed my old buddy down a bit. Sometimes I jack it up to 8.0mph for a sprint; sometimes I do jogs or lighter runs. I change the level, as I said, but for the past two weeks have tried NOT to have it be completely flat because I wanted it to mimic the regular pavement as much as it can.

I'm still tired after my 7 or 8 mile runs. I plan on running the halfer a little slower than I run normally, but I need to know that treadmill training can get me there.

Also, what do I do tomorrow????

It's INGRAINED in me that, on days save for Sunday, I roll out of bed, into my sneakers and spandex, and up on the treadmill. I'm torn between a cream cheese big bagel for dinner and sushi, though sushi has more protein... how early should I get there? Should I just chill out and let myself do as my heart wants to do which is... just go, wink at the hubby and tell him I'm going to go for a light 2+ hour jog, and hope for the best?

This whole thing for me has been about not quitting, and since I know I'm going to go there on Saturday and have no desire to "weasel" out of it like I would have when I was a teenager or in my early 20's, I already kind of feel like a winner. I just want to finish. I want to finish, I want Penn State to win (so my hubby can be in a good mood - and hey, game time doesn't interfere with post-race!), and I am so darned desperate to enjoy a big glass or two of wine on Saturday night! I just want it to be Saturday already! GRRR!

So my motivation is there -

can I do it!??!?!

Of course you can!  I did my first Half in San Francisco this past July and did not adequately train for the race the way I should have, however, still managed a decent finish at 2 h 20 min.  If you've already run 12 miles (the farthest I ran prior to my half was 11), then there's no way you're going to let one mile stop you from finishing on race day.  I ran it with my boyfriend, which made for a great support / buddy system.  We loaded up on carbs the night before with a big pasta dinner and some red wine.  Tried to get 7-8 hrs sleep, woke up early, and got to the second half start about half an hour before our wave was scheduled to leave (7:35 am).  We flew from So Cal to SF for the race and had only done a couple hill runs, so the (many) inclines were a bit of a struggle.  We also could have paced a little better (started out way too quickly at 9 min miles for the first 7 miles), but the race went beautifully overall.  It was one of the best experiences of my life and I'm sure you will feel so accomplished after your race as well.  There's really nothing to stress over.  At this point you know whether or not you can do it, and it sounds like you're in good shape!

Yes you can. :) Arrive early enough so there is plenty of time to register, change, etc. An hour before should work fine. I usually try to arrive 1h 30min earlier, but it's somewhat different for bike racing since I need to allocate time for warmup. The dinner before I would go for sushi, but then again I love sushi. lol

"just chill out and let myself do as my heart wants to do which is... just go, wink at the hubby and tell him I'm going to go for a light 2+ hour jog, and hope for the best" Sounds like a good plan to me.

Good luck!

UD

I've done ironman triathlons and I rarely did the full ironman in training. If you have done 2/3 of any distance, very seldom are you not able to finish that distance. In your case you surely will finish.

I'm sure you'll do great!  Make sure you post your "post-race" report in here when you complete it... I'm going to do a half in the spring.

Clint

I admire you so much for even attempting it , will all you been through , but im sure you will be fine all the best bethany shall be thinking of you h xxx

I keep thinking it says Heifer on Saturday, and then I wonder why you want to talk about cows.  Good luck with your race.

You will do awesome!  My coach always has me start out 30-45 seconds slower than race pace for the first three miles or so, then ease into race pace.  The last  three miles, I just run with everything I got.

Come back tomorrow and let us know how it goes!!

Good luck, Bethany!

Good luck, Bethany!  I know you are going to rock it!  Try to have fun - that is really what races are all about, you know?

Be sure to report back.  We are all pulling for you!

Hey Bethany, you are going to do fine, as you know, I just did my first half last weekend and I was a bit nervous too.  I had never ran more than 10 miles in the training, and it was all treadmill too, but once the race started, I got into my pace and it was all good.

The things I heard and followed that helped me was this:

- Start out slow, don't follow the pact who sprint from the start of the race.  Go at your pace, it is much more fun to pass people (and you will) who started out WAY to fast.

- Go at a comfortable speed and then run the last 3 miles.  I did this the best I could, but my knees were hurting a bit.

- Definetly eat complex carbs for dinner tonight, and add some sodium.  It will help you maintain hydration.  I did this and I really felt like I had the energy during the race.  Also, make sure you eat in the morning.  Clif Bar, Banana, Peanut Butter etc....and water!  But make sure your last bite was atleast an hour before the race or more if possible, you don't want to cramp up.  I like running on a empty stomach, but I had to eat something before I left the house.

- Don't change anything from your training.  No new shoes, new shirt, new shorts/socks etc.  Keep it as close to how you did your training as possible.

- If you get blisters, tape up your toes!  I did, and that helped me alot. 

- Have fun!  The running community is so supportive where I live, and I'm sure it is where you do too.  Enjoy the sites, the calm and beauty of it.  It was so peaceful running over bridges I drive everyday and getting a totally different view of my city.  I had a blast and wish I could do another 1 this weekend.

Good luck, you will do great!  I'm sure this is more, but this is some stuff that really helped me, and you sound way more prepared than I was!

I'm not sure if this is your first half...if it is, I say just go out there and have a good time.  I think as you add to your race resume you'll eventually be the expert givin' us all advice on how to run half and maybe even a full Marathon successfully. 

I plan on having a Conquer and Destroy attitude for mine...with the training and sacrifices that we make in our lives preparing for these events, I can't see going in with a different mind set other than "I'm going to kick this half in it's !(censored)"

Best of Luck Beth!! Get Some!!