Last year, in the couple of weeks leading up to our meetup at the Richmond Half Marathon, I was a little nervous because I wasn’t sure how well my training had prepared me for race day. Had I run enough long runs yet, or been consistent enough with my mid-week runs?
I even spent the weekend before the race with old friends from college at our annual homecoming, which for us was our thirty-year reunion. Several of them asked if I still ran as much as I had years earlier, when I was running full marathons.
“Well, I’m actually running a half this coming weekend,” I told them, which led to some big eyes and surprised stares.
“Really? Do you think you’re ready?” one asked.
“I’m not 100 percent sure,” I said, “but I’m going to be there on the starting line and we’ll see what happens!”
We still have about a week and a half to go before we meet up for our race together at the AthHalf — which you still can sign up for, by the way! — and it’s when we realize, no matter how faithfully we’ve stuck to our training or not, we are where we are.
Some of you have probably followed your plan perfectly; others… not quite so much! (And that’s okay.) The calendar leaves us just a week and a half before race day, so the training we’ve been able to do will have to get us where we need to go.
There are only a handful of things we can control between now and then, so here’s what I’m going to focus on:
Getting good sleep. Something I’d forgotten about but just looked up, which will be a nice bonus on race day: the time will change from daylight savings back to standard time over our race weekend, so we’ll get an extra hour of sleep before we run. Until then, let’s all focus on getting a good 6 or 7 (dare I dream of 8?) hours of sleep every night.
Eating balanced meals with plenty of lean protein and healthy carbs. Halloween is coming up next week, I know, and I will try — try — not to over-indulge. (It won’t be easy 😉). But I’ll also make sure I’m putting food into my body that makes me feel good, alert and energized, not things that make me feel sluggish and slow.
Get in a few light runs. Even just three to four miles is enough, a few days this week and next. This will help me keep my fitness level up and help my body stay in the habit of running, without doing anything that might push it too far or risk a late-inning injury.
Other than that, I’m feeling good. I feel mentally ready for 13.1 — my long runs have helped me push my comfort zone outward a bit, so those really long runs don’t feel so daunting. I’m really excited to be running with a whole new group of you this time, to get to know you all and have a great time at the race.
It’s still too early to get an accurate forecast for Athens weather on race day, but bear in mind this fall has seen some pretty unseasonably warm weather, so I’m planning on bringing running (and other) clothes I’d feel comfortable wearing in the spring and summer.
Next week, I’ll send out a note with our final preparations, including where we’ll meet up for a pre-race dinner the night before. This was a blast last year, and I hope you’ll join us!
How do you handle the final few days before a race? (Or before any big event you’re participating in?) I’d love to know any tips, thoughts or suggestions you have. We’ll be together in Athens before you know it!
Your friend,
— Terrell
Good luck in Athens... I hope the weather will be as nice as it was for the half in Richmond last year! It was great to be among so many of you last year - and hard to believe a year has passed so quickly! By now I would hope most folks have their pre-race routines fairly down. Focusing first on the objective - have a good time and good race! For the half marathon I eschew any alcohol a week or so prior to the race. It reduces inflammation and has improved the function of my diaphragm. I'll do a mini-version of carbo loading throughout the week. Finally, at least for me, and I don't mean to be crude here, evacuating my bowels pre-race is the #1 factor impacting my enjoyment of the race no matter the time. Empty bowel = easy race. Not so empty? Ugh! So, I do everything I can to hit the start line emptied out. Most of the time avoiding the long lines! There's a fun book, mostly about nutrition published by Runners World called: How to Make Yourself Poop by Meghan Kita Full of great running and other tips!
Terrell, Enjoy! As far as any tips - get a good night's sleep two nights before the race. Little sleep the night before will not affect you race. I do an 8 miler a week before the race and then a 5 miler 3 nights before the race. Usually travel 3 days before the race so i can relax, attend the expo, have a good carbo load dinner, lay out everything you are going to wear for the race the night before. Rise earl, have a bagel and a cup of coffee and have fun at the race.
Wish I could run with you - still recovering from surgery. Plan on a half next year.