This run was mentally tough on me, but I had 10 miles on my plate and I was determined to finish everything on it.
The pre-run talk was geared towards newbies who have never run a race before. Since the Long Beach Marathon/Half Marathon and the RnR LA Half Marathon are both coming up very soon, it was perfect timing to go over a few race tips.
- Go to the expo early. Whether it’s the day before or two days before, go early. Pick up your bib number and be sure to get 4 safety pins.
- Test your chip, if testing is available. Remember your race time starts when your chip crosses the mat. So, if the starting gun goes off and you’re still in your car, don’t sweat it.
- Don’t do anything new on race day! Nothing.
- Do all the stuff you need to do, the night before. This means, if you must have your bib perfectly straight, do it the night before so it doesn’t take you several hours on the morning of the race. Be sure to get your clothes, shoes, fuel, iPod, phone, etc. all ready.
- Just like long runs, fuel, hydrate and rest the night before.
- If it’s going to be cold, don’t race with all your fleeces. Go to a thrift store or grab some old sweatshirt you haven’t worn in 15 years and use it as a throw away. They collect all that tossed clothing and usually give away to shelters.
- Research the parking, especially if you’re someone who tends to run late. Show up early!! I personally like to show up a good solid hour, if not longer, before start time to relax. I don’t want to start stressing out about the race as I’m sitting in traffic that is 2 miles long with runners all trying to get parking. That’s just me though.
- Research bathrooms. Get in line early. Lines are usually long.
- For the race itself, start off slow and take it easy. Use the first couple of miles as a warm-up. There will be lots of energy from people, so don’t go all crazy, go out easy.
- Look for pacers, if offered.
- For your first race, don’t have time goal in mind. Just go out and have fun!
- Drink water at every water station, take sips, stay hydrated, use electrolyte replacement drinks.
- Try out fueling options: bloks, gu’s, boiled potatoes, dried fruit, candy, etc.
- If it’s hot, seek out shade. If no shade is available, be sure to wear light colored moisture wicking clothing, visor, and pour water over head and quadriceps to cool down.
- Have race bib visible in front of shirt. I’ve never understood why some people have their bibs pinned on the back of their shirt. Maybe they run across the finish line backwards. Anything is possible.
- Most importantly – RESPECT THE DISTANCE!!
…it’s difficult not to just relax and enjoy the run.
I couldn’t though. I never felt relaxed and my mind kept drifting into things I needed to do. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed. There was a moment early in the run where I was so ready to just stop and turn around, but I needed to do this 10 miler. I wanted to do this 10 miler.
I did my best to think positive thoughts and just kept putting one foot in front of the other, over and over again. The run might’ve been a little easier if I didn’t have things pressing on my mind. Last week, it was something physical preventing me from enjoying my run, and this week I made sure my right little pinky toe had no problems. I taped up that sucker up with a Band-Aid and had no problems at all! Physically, I felt great! Mentally, I felt blah!
My splits were, ehhh, okay…
Mile 1 – 12:35
Mile 2 – 11:32
Mile 3 – 11:27
Mile 4 – 11:49
Mile 5 – 11:56
Mile 6 – 12:06
Mile 7 – 12:02
Mile 8 – 11:46
Mile 9 – 11:59
Mile 10 – 11:51
Next week, we’ve got 10 miles to do as a group, but I’m hoping I can tack on another 2 or 3 miles to them. I’d like to do 13 so I can get a little better indication of how I might do in RnR LA but we’ll see. Anything can happen on race day. 🙂