Half Marathon Training: The Final Countdown

Wow, I can't believe my last week of training is finally here. 11 weeks ago, this week seemed SO far away. But here I am, and I'm ready for 13.1.

Saturday marked my official last long run before race day. I ran 9 miles and it was my highest mileage yet. I had high hopes for this run. I accomplished 8 miles the weekend before, and felt great.

I got up early, ate my standard pre-run meal of a sandwich thin, peanut butter and bananas as well as water. I planned my route and was excited that is was finally sunny out here in Boston!

This city never gets old. One thing that I have realized running is just how small this city really is. I like to stop and take pictures on my runs of things that make me feel appreciated for where I live. And this is one of those pictures.

But back to running.

I felt great for the first 6 miles or so. It was around then I ate my shot blocks. I was more so craving some type of fluid and that helped.

Until mile 8.

Mile 8 started to hurt. I started to get a little light headed and couldn't stop thinking about water. I pushed through til 10, but it was hard, and my mileage times definitely reflected that.

I could tell my body was craving water. It was warmer than I anticipated and I was wishing for a bubbler to magically appear for me to take advantage of. Unfortunately, one didn't. So I pushed through, and finished strong (although a little slower than normal).

I still accomplished my two goals for the run:
1) Finish
2) Complete in 1.5 hours

I definitely learned from this last run. I feel more prepared than ever for race day. I know I need to be foam rolling and stretching as much as I can this week. I also need to create a good playlist. I have been running without music a lot lately. However, after Saturday's long run, I can tell I am focusing on the negatives in the run too much. So I want to run with some music to help push me through those challenging miles. At least I can easily turn it off if I feel like enjoying the moment!

I am also considering bringing water with me on the race day. My girlfriend who is also running on Sunday, suggested a Poland Spring bottle that way I can ditch it if I wanted to. Better to be safe than sorry, right?

Just a quick side note before shutting down for the night...I know I have been really slacking with blogging these last couple of weeks, but I didn't want this space to become something that I felt forced to do. As I mentioned in my last post, things have been super crazy lately with my personal life. Between starting a new job at my old company, training, and planning a wedding that's four months away, it's felt like a lot. But after a lot of thinking, this is something I want to do and I want to do a better job at it. So please, stay tuned for more to come :)