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In just 3 short days, the Rock and Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon will be OVER. Madness! I have gone through 11 weeks of training for my first half marathon since November 2012…what an emotional experience!
I’m grateful to say that training has gone really well. While I had one week where my mileage was short, I did all of my speedwork, plenty of long runs, and my fueling routine is on lock! I’m really proud of myself and for the first time in ages, I’m injury-free. I guess what I’m saying is, I’m ready to race!
Saturday morning is the 5K, and 24 hours later is the half marathon. This is my first time running two races in the same weekend. It’s going to be insane, but in my excitement/nervousness, I know I have to stay in control, and keep my goals at the forefront. So here they are!
I signed up for this Rock and Roll 5K for a few reasons: 1.) It’s the first 5K they’ve done in Philly, 2.), It’s a course I’ve run many times, and 3.) I’ll get 2 medals as part of the Remix Challenge for running the 5K and half back to back!
My last 5K was an extraordinary (for me) 27 minutes finishing time, and there’s no way I’m going to touch that this time. This is purely going to be a run “for fun”. No racing, just taking it easy. My focus is all on the half.
So with that said, my goals were crafted by my running coach, Kristy. I’ve been doing most of my runs at an 11 to 11.5 minute pace, but have gradually introduced speedwork so that I know how to push my body to the limit. Here’s my strategy, as prescribed by Coach Kristy:
I’ve never done a specific racing strategy like this before, so I’m definitely nervous. But I have to trust my coach! Since I put myself in the 2:20 corral, I shouldn’t have to worry about starting out too fast.
Here are a couple of pictures of me 3 years ago at the 2011 Rock and Roll Philly Half Marathon, my very first half. This race is very sentimental for me; this was when I truly realized my love for running. It’s the only race I’ve had where tears of joy streaming down my face!
I hope that no matter what happens on Sunday, that I can say that I’m proud of what I accomplished. If I PR, great! If I don’t, that’s great too! Look how far I’ve come. I can’t wait to tell you how it goes!
Are you going to be at the Philly 5K or Half? Let me know, I’d love to meet up! Do you have a race that means a lot to you?
