Final Race Prep

We're in the final days leading up to the race and I've learned there's quite a bit of preparation that goes into this stage of training.

1. Tapering Off- the closer to race day, the less you run. Prior to this experience, if you had asked me, I would have felt the opposite was true. I've learned that it's important to taper off the amount of running in the week leading up to the race so that your muscles can rest and you can be as strong as possible.

2. Wardrobe Selection- Make sure you know what you are going to wear on race day and the various logistics that go with that outfit. Never race with new clothing or accessories that you haven't trained with before. I've heard horror stories about chaffing and other discomfort that new clothing can cause.

Due to the expected rise in temperature, I purchased my first pair of calf-length running tights for the race. (Up until now, all of my pants have been long.) Today, on my lunch break, I ran 2 miles in them to ensure that they feel good and do not rub me. As an extra preventative measure on race day, I'll use Body Glide on my toes, thighs and sides. This nifty product protects your skin from friction.

One Week Countdown

So I've been very negligent in my blogging lately but it doesn't mean that I haven't been busy training. With a total of 158 miles behind me, I've continued to run at least twice a week (in between weekly snow storms) and am feeling pretty good.

The truth is that first and foremost I'm a mommy, so when I have the choice of sitting in the yard blowing bubbles with my adorable five-year-old or blogging about my past week of running...well you know who's going to win there.

Rather than full write-ups, here's a quick recap so you don't feel left out...

Time to Celebrate

This week I reached a significant milestone...

Since December I have run more than 100 miles! No, not all at one time but over the course of my training I have steadily built up mileage. From someone who had not run for nearly two years, that's pretty exciting!

It's wild to look back at how far I've come since Brad Kinkema of the YMCA challenged me to run the half-marathon. (If you're new to the blog, you can read about that here.)

I remember the first day I ran 2.5 miles and Sharon Kirby cheered me on telling me how good I was doing. She said "before long you'll be running six miles like there's nothing to it." I have to admit that in between gasps of air I thought that idea was rather far fetched - but she was right! 

Looking back, I started small and set attainable goals that I could easily reach each week. I ran one mile a day as often as possible to build up my endurance and then gradually lengthened my long runs. By increasing distance by just 0.5-1 mile each run, I've inched my way towards my goal of running a 13.1 mile half-marathon on March 22nd. I surrounded myself with supportive runners that had 'been there, done that" and remembered what it was like just starting out. As a result of that support...I LOVE running! 

While along the journey there will always be doubts but I have proved to myself that I can do it - and you can too! 

If you're interested in running at all this is the time to take action. There's less than one month to go before the Martinsville Half-Marathon, 5K & Relay. Do your best and even if that means walking part of the race- it's ok. Challenge yourself to believe and achieve...you'll be thankful that you did!

#KeepRunning #WeCanDoThis