Goals for the 1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut Half Marathon

Hey there! I hope you’re having a great day so far! This has shaped up to be a very busy, very exhausting week…but I’m still hanging in there!

For the first time, I’m linking up with The Fit Foodie Mama for Wild Workout Wednesday.  I’m looking forward to picking up some new workout ideas and getting inspired!  Be sure to check it out!

This is this last week of my training for the 1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut Half Marathon. Crazy! This is my last race of the season and it’s going to be VERY interesting to see how I do on my first half marathon since Rock and Roll Philly…

[bctt tweet=”The time has finally come! Check out my goals for the 1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut Half Marathon! #wildworkoutwednesday #run215 #cityfitgirls #sweatpink”]

Game Plan for the 1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut:

If you’ve been following my training the past few months, you know that I’ve been working with a running coach, Kristy from Run the Long Road Coaching. I can definitely say that working with her was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I’m going to be writing a post soon about the benefits of working with a running coach, so I’ll be able to tell you all the amazing benefits. I am just so pleased with the progress that I’ve made, and I think I’ll be in good shape for this race!

Racing Strategy:

So this is what I’m going to do for 1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut:

• Take things slowly at the start, going for a 2:20 finish (10:40 pace)
• Walk up any hills if needed and if I run up a hill, keep a 10:40 effort, not pace
• Slow down even further if the heat is a problem

This course has quite a few rolling hills and takes place primarily on a bike/running trail that is QUITE narrow, and from practicing a few miles along the course last Friday, sometimes the uphills do NOT go back down…so this race is no joke! With 800-1000 half marathoners and full marathoners, I’m a little bit worried about the crowding. I’ll be sure to give myself as much space as possible. No bobbing and weaving for this race…I’ll need every ounce of energy!

Fueling and Hydration:

I’m not sure how weather in your area has been lately, but the end of this week is forecast to be the first heatwave of the year in Philly…that’s 3 days in a row of 90 degrees or above. So the weather for the 1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut is going to be BRUTAL! The race starts at 7:30 am, so it will most likely already be pushing 80 degrees. Lucky me!

I will be fueling as I always do – Clif Shot Bloks around every 3 miles. I’ll carry my water, but I will most likely need to stop at every water station. This slows me down, but I’d rather be slow than passed out! This race is notorious for having hot weather, so I’m not exactly shocked, but hopefully I won’t suffer too much since I just had a very hot, hilly and humid race less than 2 weeks ago in Zooma Annapolis!

1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut Training Week 8:

Wednesday 6/3:  National Running Day and as promised, I ran over the Ben Franklin Bridge with the City Fit Girls!  It was fun!  I also had cardio kickboxing at lunch, and did my best to not jump around too much to protect my shins.

Thursday 6/4:  We had a softball game.  It was a VERY long game and had a lot of ups and downs but we lost, despite over 20 runs.  I had fun running the bases and never struck out, but I kept getting forced out before I could make it home.

Friday 6/5:  I went for my last long run before the race…8 miles!  I decided to try out Pennypack Park, since this is where the 1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut half marathon is taking place.  It took a little effort getting there, but what I saw of the course is awesome.  I’m still super nervous about it though!

Saturday 6/6:  Be Well Philly Boot Camp (recap).  I tried my best to take things easy but I did a LOT of squats, lunges, throwdowns, situps, ball slams, and more burpees than I care to count!

Sunday 6/7:  I slept in for a pretty long time to get as much rest as possible, but I did go for my 3-mile run followed by strides later in the evening.  It was a really nice run!

Monday 6/8:  Went for an easy 3 mile run in the evening while the air was humid but thankfully cooler than the mid-80’s!

Tuesday 6/9:  I found out that Boot Camp was canceled, so all I had was another game of softball. We ended the game with a tie, the same time we tied with last time, so that was a bit frustrating. But I’m proud I had better hits than I usually do, and I got an RBI! If only I could get a nice line drive!

Training Report Card

This past week, as you can see, has been extremely busy. I really haven’t had much rest in the past 10 days…which I prefer not to do. Today I have one last 3-mile training run, and then I will be resting up until the big race! I’m happy with the paces of my runs and even when I didn’t want to do it, I went out there. So I have to give my final week of training for 1/2 Sauer 1/2 Kraut an A!

I can’t believe this is it….I’m in the taper and will be on the trail this Saturday, it feels like such a long time coming!  Are you done racing for the season?  How do you handle racing in hot weather?

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