I can’t believe it’s here! The Cow Town is on Sunday, 5 more days! Today is a 3 mile run. Short nice and easy. How tempting to just dash out there and run as fast as I can. BUT NOOO!!!! I have to take it easy. My plan is to run for 30 minutes. 30 minutes will give me a little over 3 miles but I want to pace 10 mins because that’s what our pace is going to be at the marathon.
I’m so excited, I’ve been wearing the shirt I’m wearing for the race for 2 days! I put it on thinking I was going to go for a run, but ended up not going. SO I wore it again yesterday. Yesterday, I decided I didn’t want to wear my running tights because the weather is going to be fairly warm on Sunday. So like any girl, would do, I went to Sports Authority and tried on 6 different bottoms with my shirt to coordinate my outfit. I almost bought a pair of capris, settled for them, but then I saw this cute little white and pink running skirt, which matched my shirt perfectly! And it was on sale!!! Sweet! I got it. I am currently wearing my race uniform for my run today. I want to feel it out. Aside from this training since October, which was hard, I want to look pretty for the race. It’s the girlie girl in me. We are taking pictures before and after the race.
At this point I know I will finish the race and finish strong. I’ve trained and I feel good about it. So the rest of the prep is here. Updating my play list, getting my snacks and racing fuel, my outfit is put together, and I’m set.
The scary part for me is the last 6.2 miles. I felt great after our 20 mile run. I didn’t feel “dead” and I didn’t “crash” afterwards. We have a great plan. Run the first 3 miles and then walk a minute. Run the next mile and walk a minute…and so on. I think the last 3 miles we’ll run the entire thing and pick up the pace. But we’ll see how we feel. You can’t predict the weather, the course (I’ve only ran 13.1 miles on that course).
I joined a plank challenge for the month of February. So aside from running I took on the challenge so I do a plank a day for the month of February. My first plank was only 1:50! Yesterday’s plank was 4:05! I feel great about that.
Then on February 9th (the same day as the Hot chocolate 15K), I started on the Burpee challenge. You do a burpee and add a burpee everyday. So the first day is one burpee, the second day 2 burpees, and so on. Today I completed 11 burpees (11th day). I am so excited because my form on these things is getting better. Even though the training plan and other running advisors say “do not try anything new” I did! I’m pretty fit so adding planks and burpees is not going to hurt. In fact the burpees get me warmed up before a run and planks are a good stretch.
On Sunday I will be part of an elite group of individuals that have completed a marathon. That is a reward in and of itself. I’ve been asked if I have a time goal. This is my first marathon so really my main goal is to finish and to finish it strong not crawling… to the end. However the compettive runner in me has a goal. I want to finish by 4 hours and 30 minutes. According to different marathon predictor calculators that seems realistic. What if I don’t make that time? What if it takes me longer? It won’t matter, I finished! Then I have a goal for the next marathon. So technically I will have had a PR in this one. It’s my first one and that is my Personal Record. I plan on wearing my finisher medal all day long. 🙂
Time to get out the door! Be back in 30 minutes. Run Happy!