Ok everyone....here's your chance to offer your best 'first race' tips. I want to know all, the good, the bad, the ugly! Think about your very first 'big' race - especially a half marathon, but any distance applies here - and complete the following sentence:'If I knew then what I know NOW.........'
Don't hold back now...you won't scare me!
Feel free to share the bad as well as the good! Even if it wasn't your first race, I am sure you've all learned something 'the hard way' down the road...please share!
Got my bib number yesterday: 4624
How's that for a nice even, lucky number! :-)
7 comments:
Enjoy the run. It's a "race" by definition I suppose, but make sure you feel good while doing it. I ran my first half just a month ago, and didn't know I had a chest cold brewing. It was a horrible experience, but now know that unpredictable things can happen. I may run another just to have a good half marathon experience. Oh, and don't eat burritos, or anything that can "give you the runs" the night before! :)
Good luck to you, I'm sure it'll ge great!
Top 10 running advice from *nicole* :) (you dont have to take it either-- i wont be offended)
First and foremost: HAVE FUN!
Secondly: Leave it all on the course. Don't fret over passed mile's. If your upset with your time, move on and do better the next mile.
Thirdly: Believe in yourself. NEVER give up. Once you give up, your screwed.
Fourthly: The last mile is gonna suck. Bottom line. No matter how good you train, you'll mentaly be done at mile 12, atleast i was. You'll finish though, the crowd will take you to the end. Plus you'll have Shosh and she will be a big help. (xoxo)
Fifthly: (is that a word?) walk through the water stops. stop take a deep breath and enjoy some water. if your taking gu, make sure you take water right after. i stopped at EVERY water and gatorade stops and was GLAD i did. just dont drink so much, that you'll have to pee.
sixly: make sure you use the bathroom plenty of times before the race starts. SERIOUSLY. i dont care who is yelling at you to get in the corral, stay in line for the potty. you will be sorry around mile 5.
seventhly: dont go out too fast. again, you will pay later. start off slower and speed up. (i wish i could do this--i fail at it. badly)
eighthly: have your playlist all set so your not figiting with the mp3 player. no fun.
ninethly: wear good socks and always remember to relax your shoulders. your neck and back will be all tense and sore the next day if you dont relax. at each mile marker say CYN relax per nicole.
tenthly: i'm so proud of you and how far you have come. your SERIOUSLY inspiring and i can not wait to hear how you do. i will be stalking your bib sunday and rooting for you when your done. HAVE FUN!!!
Good luck hugs from MI
XOXO
--Nicole--
p.s. go crazy and buy yourself a lil somthin at the expo. i'll email you a pic of what i got :)
Absolutely have fun!! Smile when you see photographers. Start slow, don't get caught up in the adrenaline of the race. Run your own race, your own pace. Did I mention have fun! :D Can't wait to hear about it!
I echo everything Nicole said- so true, especially walking through water stops and the potty thing. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate- starting now! Stay away from caffeine or you'll really have to pee during the race, and don't eat raisin bran the morning of the race. Oh, and enjoy the course, even if there's not much scenery, look around, watch people, talk to Shosh, and before you know it you'll be almost done. And yes, definitely true about relaxing your shoulders and don't start too fast. My mantra was "nice and steady", and keeping an even pace through most of the race definitely helped.
And finally, if you're like me and you like to put on a burst of speed when you're close to the finish, make sure that the finish really is as close as you think, or you'll burn out and get really frustrated, and go crazy when you have to slow down so you don't pass out- or maybe that's just me, LOL.
I'm so excited for your first big race. You will do awesome!! Good luck and have fun! = )
body glide - everywhere.
smile.
enjoy your ability to move your body 13.1 miles!
Gloat to everyone you know.
smile.
wear waterproof sunscreen, wear a hat and don't put the sunscreen on your forehead.
smile.
gloat.
have fun! Can't wait to hear about the great run!
This comes from what I think was heat stroke in my first and only half:
Hydrate. Look up Jack Daniels' book on running. He has a formula for figuring out how much to drink. I never want to stop, and never want to drink.
You must. Good luck!
Everyone's given really good advice.
Mine?
Have fun (ditto)
Smile at the photographers...all of them, whether they are official race photographers or not. I always smile when I think about how some random person must have a picture of me smiling :-)
Talk to everyone and make jokes.
Run your own race. Don't go out too fast.
Have some more fun.
Have an enormous mimosa afterward!
Post a Comment