The Little Things
November 1, 2013

Well, here I am, all packed and ready to go for my fourth half marathon. I think I may feel the most unprepared I’ve ever felt going into a race, and that’s a little unsettling.

While training for my first and second half marathons, training consumed all my spare thinking time. I focused on nutrition, cross training, and executing running plans. This time I’ve sort of lunged through each week, trying to keep myself moving while going through the busiest fall I’ve had since I got my masters. I’ve given very little thought to this race, so my excitement level isn’t as high.

On top of that, it’s no secret that I get injured really quickly. I’ve realized that I need to do an entire post on this, but my high rates of injury are due to having POTS. While this is frustrating, at least I know that I have a valid reason for consistently struggling through injuries. As of today, I still have a bit of nagging tendinitis (although luckily it hasn’t bothered me on any runs), slight piriformis syndrome, and something going on with my right calf muscle. And of course my tight IT bands are always present. So, I’m walking into this race with a bit of fear, not knowing how all of these things will play out on race day.

I do know that I like this course (or at least I did last year), and I set a 22 minute PR on that course in 2012. The weather might be a little iffy, but we’ll see what it looks like later today. All of my training has taken place in hot and humid weather thanks to a warm fall, so racing in gloves and long sleeves will be totally different than the conditions in which I trained.

I have a lot of doubts because I know that I’m not in an ideal place to set a PR, and honestly, I’m a little worried that I won’t be able to finish (then again- I’ve gone into most of my races somewhat injured and have done ok). Whether I make it 4, 8, or 13 miles, I want to go in with excitement and enjoy the miles that I get.

So, that’s where I’m at. Excited, nervous, and a little bit in pain… Regardless, I’m thankful I have the chance to run.

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One response to “The Day Before Race Day”

  1. Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon Recap {2013} | Journey to Wellness says:
    November 3, 2013 at 1:59 am

    […] (U.S. Olympian) is the perfect quote to summarize my half marathon this past weekend. As you know, I wasn’t feeling great about this race, and was mostly worried about trying to finish. I knew I loved the course, and I set a huge PR on […]