Goals for Rock 'n Roll Nashville Half Marathon

Goals for Rock ‘n Roll Nashville

The number one goal for me lately when it comes to running and racing is to stay injury-free! I would like to be able to comfortably run this race from beginning to end. Since Nashville is a brand new city to me, I want to enjoy the sights and listen to the great live music along the way! I’m not ready to run for a specific time goal. I’m just proud that I’ll be at the starting line after all the setbacks over the past 12 months!

Logistics

I’m very happy that Bret will also be joining me at the half marathon! He has been running very strong lately so I hope that he will have a great race. We are heading down to Nashville on Friday and will head to the Expo to collect our bibs (and maybe some swag). Hotels were a nightmare to find at a reasonable price due to the race and NFL Draft weekend, so we’ll be staying a little further away from the action and will Uber to the race start. I actually purchased VIP for both of us, so I’m hoping that that will make race morning much less hectic!

Race Strategy

Coach Laura has provided me with a very straightforward plan:

For this race, focus on covering the distance and enjoying the experience. Start out at a conservative effort for the first couple miles – it should feel controlled and comfortable. Settle into a steady effort for most of the race, taking walk breaks if needed. If you feel good in the final 1-2 miles, pick up the pace.

From my understanding, Nashville is very hilly! Fortunately, I’ve been training on a lot of hills in my neighborhood, so I hope that the excitement of the race and my previous conditioning will make things a little less miserable!

Fueling and Hydration

The weather has been getting SO much warmer lately, and while I’m the first one to b*tch and moan about running in the heat, I am just so grateful to be able to be out there to run, I can’t complain! It’s also a good thing because I may have to adjust to the warmer weather in Nashville!

I currently have put my Orange Mud Hydraquiver in “retirement”, so for the first time in years, I won’t be carrying my own hydration during a race. Instead, I will take advantage of all the water stops. I think this will help with my pacing as well. To fuel, I’ll be using Honey Stinger chews every few miles. Hopefully I don’t have any GI issues!

I can’t wait to share my experiences of Nashville with you! I’ll be posting on Instagram and Twitter all weekend! If you’re going to be at the race, let me know, I’d love to meet!