Pre-race jitters

Finished my final training run this morning - 8 miles with Melissa and Meghana, running laps in the park - and I'm a little nervous about my race next weekend. My body doesn't feel prepared. It's possible I'm just thinking about this too hard. I know I'll finish. Shoot, even if I have to walk it I'll finish. And I may just be having pre-race jitters since I haven't run a half in so long. I'm hoping to get an easy run in Tuesday, bootcamp on Monday and Wednesday, and I haven't decided about camp on Friday. Since the race is Saturday morning, perhaps not the best idea, although I've certainly done plenty of long runs the morning after a hard workout. I guess we'll have to see how the week goes.

Happy running!

The Plan

An update on the plan: my goal is to run a half marathon each month. I've committed to January and February: the Texas Half in Dallas on January 30, and the Cowtown Half on February 28 in Fort Worth. I think Dallas Rock'n'Roll will be my March race, on March 14. I just can't get over the entry fee. I'm feeling a little excited but mostly fearful of a year's worth of running. If I can do it, I think it will transform me, physically and mentally. But it's a really big commitment. I have some ideas on how to improve my running and times as the year goes on. For now, though, I am concentrating on getting through my first race as a run rather than a race.

Goodnight!

First five miler in a while

Ran the first five mile run I've done in a while this morning. It went well - I powered up a few hills and got my heartrate up, but most of it was at a steady pace. My new running buddy is still trying to pick up speed. She's doing great! And I think we will be faster once it cools off some. You know, in October.

I have to admit, I think I've enjoyed being a mentor. Up until now I've been the mentee (or at least I have allowed myself to remain in that role.) But it does make me a bit nervous. I hope I am giving good advice and not leading her astray or being too big-sisterly. Sometimes I fall into that trap all too easily.

I've noticed lately that some of my running clothes, especially the tops, are not coming clean anymore. The sweat smell seems to be trapped in the shirt. I wonder if this is a failure on my part to wash them appropriately - with no fabric softener - or if they just have a shelf life. It does seem to be the older ones, some of which I've had for at least two years. For the record, my favorite clothes are Mizunos, with New Balance a close second. The Mizuno gear seems to fit me really well, I like the cuts and the colors, and they tend to HAVE POCKETS. Note to fitness wear designers: include pockets in women's wear, too, not just men's. Both the New Balance and Mizuno shorts are so soft and comfy to wear, and they dry very quickly. If only the tops didn't snag so easily...

I'm getting to the point of no return for next year. I need to register for the first few halves to make sure I get in and I'm starting to wonder if I can do this. Will my feet hold up? Will I get tired of it or bored? I'm nervous.

Finally, I got some good advice last week. (Thanks Dee!) The greater the goal, the greater the preparation must be. No brainer, right? For some reason that tidbit caught my attention, and I think this is the inspiration I finally needed to get back to Weight Watchers. My weight isn't really out of control, but I'd like to have some of my clothes fit more comfortably. Like my sister says, "you work out all the time!" But I don't feel like I have the body to show for it. There are muscles under there! I want to let them out. So I'm going on Wednesday whether I can con anyone from work into going with me or not.

The Plan

I'm starting to work on my plan, trying to figure out what and where I'm going to run next year, and I'm already hitting snags. I was planning on running the Houston half marathon. It's already full. Which, honestly, I'm ok with, since I'm going to be in Houston the weekend before for a wedding and I don't want to drive down there two weekends in a row. So now I'm looking at the Austin 3M half marathon, which is later in January. Since it's late in January, I can justify running the Cowtown half, which is the last weekend in February. Nothing great about the Cowtown except that it's local. Last year I ran a Dallas race in March, which would be nice to do again, since it's the same course as the White Rock half. I didn't see it on the list yet. I know I want my July race to be El Scorcho, and I really want to try and get into the San Fransisco Nike Women's race. I'd also like to try and find one in New York, so I can get in a visit to Julie and Finn. So that's not a terrible start to the plan.

The other part of my training that I struggle with (constantly) is nutrition. I'm so confused about exactly what it is I'm supposed to be eating. I know I need to cut back on the carbs, but carbs are fuel for what I'm trying to accomplish. I could also cut back on the sugar. I've done relatively well with breakfast lately - I've been eating Rice Chex with rice milk or organic oatmeal. A big part of the problem with breakfast - well, with any meal - is that I'm so busy I don't have time to prepare lots of food. I know I eat at restaurants way too often, but it's convenient. I suppose my bank account would prefer that I restrain myself. And frankly, at the end of a long day or a hard workout, grilled chicken and steamed veggies - even if I can wait around long enough to prepare it - is not what I want. It's something I'm working through.