Healthy Chicks

80% pumped, 20% nerves

I can’t believe that there is now less than 24 hours until I cross the start line and embark on my first half marathon – the More / Fitness Magazine Women’s Half Marathon! It truly seems like yesterday that I wrote this post announcing my crazy feat, that is the 13.1 miles I would run in 2 1/2 months. Well now 74 days later and a whole lot of running in between, the day before the race has finally come! I won’t lie if I said I wasn’t just a teeny bit nervous, but I’m actually more excited than nervous. I’d say it’s about a 80-20 ratio. (80 being the excitement) Plus, it’s natural to get a little butterflies before a big day, whether it’s a hot date or a half marathon. Nerves are nerves, and they are inevitable my friend.

What I’ve realized these past few weeks is that everyone has their own running methods that work for them. As you train and become in tune with your body, you learn what works best for you. That is something I have enjoyed these past couple of months: learning my own body and what it needs to perform at its best.

I have some runner pals who can’t eat anything before a long run because it will upset their stomach, and I know others who need a huge meal a few hours before any run over 6 miles. Some people like running belts, watches and gu tablets; others run with nothing but an old T-shirt and sweats. Some like iPods, others enjoy the noise that comes from race fans. It’s all about what feels best for you. There is no right or wrong answer.

For me, I like a light meal before a long run: usually a Lemon Zest Luna Bar or plain oatmeal and a banana. I also need a little bit of coffee in my system before any workout, so I drink about half a cup of coffee with a splash of milk. It’s the perfect amount to get me feelin’ goooood. I also need some water, but not too much. It’s never good to go overboard on the H2O the morning of your run (think of all that liquid splashing around), however I am a firm believer in hydrating lots the day/night before.

I’ll be carrying a few gu tablets as well in case I get tired mid-race and need some quick fuel; these babies are awesome and I’ve trained with them on some of my longer runs!  Oh, and I am definitely an iPod girl. I don’t know how people run without music because music gets me through the race. However I definitely respect those who don’t need music – you people are inspiring! But anywho, I just put together an amazing mix this morning with 5 hours worth of music so I can skip songs and not have to worry about running out of good songs. I have “Daylight” by Matt & Kim to start my wrong, and the rest of the 85 songs on shuffle.

I’m not planning on trying anything new or crazy tomorrow morning either. It’s best to stick with what you know. As you can see, I keep it pretty simple. My sister, on the other hand, plans on running with her water belt, Garmin watch and huge iPod holder. Lots of gear on this girl! She’s one tough cookie, eh?

That’s how she trained, however, so as I said before it’s what works for her. I’m still debating if I should run with the water-bottle running belt my dad bought me. It’s purple and I like it and it may be nice to have some extra agua during the race, but I don’t know if it’ll feel heavy and get in the way? What are your thoughts?

Anyway, off I go to NYC. We’re heading down in about an hour to go to the Half Marathon expo in NYC, then out for an Italian feast and HALF MARATHON tomorrow baby! I am oh so excited. Wish me luck!

XoXo,