No post yesterday – sorry about that! I ended up spending the majority of the day just hanging out with Stephen and saying offline. The day included eggs and hash browns a la me, a long afternoon nap, some reading, watching Lord of the Rings, and a pasta dinner. The highlight: deli sandwich for lunch!
Our commissary makes the best deli sandwiches. They taste great, and the price is pretty darn unbeatable. ($1.65! That only encourages me to buy these all the time!) I’ve been so spoiled by Stephen’s light workload. It’s going to be rough when the holidays are over and he’s back to the grind.
On tap for today – running a practice half marathon. I have run a great many races in my day (35!). You might think that makes me feel like an expert, but it so does not! My last race was back in August and my next one (the big one!) isn’t until March. During my last training cycle, I ran a half marathon every month leading up to my full. That served as good practice and a good check-in to see how I was progressing. My current non-racing approach has me feeling like I’m flying blind. Every time I think about it. I get all squidgy in the stomach.
That’s not the only thing worrying me. Normally I approach my long runs with a casual attitude. I like to run them long and slow. If Geronimo is with me, those miles will be pretty slow (more so because I worry about him; he can run pretty fast), and when I drop him off back at home I often times dawdle and take my time getting back out there. It’s not a bad way to run, but again, it doesn’t give me much insight to whether or not I’m race ready.
So if you are keeping track, we have lack of races + slow/meandering long runs + racing nerves = a need to create race-like conditions. While I know it won’t be exactly like a real race, I plan to run this week’s long as close to race day conditions as I can. That means:
- No running with Geronimo
- No untimed breaks or stopping at home
- Predetermining where I’ll run (I usually just wing it as I go)
- Hydration and gu taken in “on the course”
- Attempting race pace instead of purposely running slow
I need the confidence boost that races usually provide. My hope is that this will give me some reassurance that I’m where I need to be in my training. Time to hit the pavement!*
You forgot “bribing self with something awesome upon finishing.” Or is that just me?
Ha! A total oversight. During mile 12 I found myself thinking, “I don’t even get a stinking t-shirt for this!!!” When I lived in the States, I could at least treat myself with a giant burrito after a long run. No burritos here. Womp womp.*
I hope your practice half went well!
If I could get a veggie deli sandwich for $1.65, I’d eat it three meals a day, 7 days a week! =D Good for you for doing a practice half marathon – what a great way to prepare yourself for the big day!!!
Haha! I know, right? That’s a pretty cheap vice to have!*