Well my run on Saturday was a struggle to do 4 miles and at just under 5 miles I had to stop and I walked home for 3 miles. I chose to walk 3 miles and take much longer to get home then if I'd just run it. I had a few things working against me that day. 1. the temperature jumped 3* and it was the warmest day of the year so I was overheated wearing my tank top and I had not adjusted to running in that temp. I had hydrated before and during but I still think I was a bit dehydrated considering I was sweating a lot more then usual. 2. I was wearing brand new runners. I got them for my birthday and I figured they were the same shoes I already own so it would be a seamless transition. Apparently my feet like my very worn out sneakers better so I will be running my marathon in the shoes I trained in. 3. Taper week was playing tricks with my confidence. I kept thinking 'what the hell am I doing running a half marathon???? who told you you could do this??? I can't run a half marathon!!! that was my mantra the entire time. I was literally entertaining the thought 'what if I can't do this' and I was hoping I would get minorly hit by a car on my run so I would have an excuse not to go and embarrass myself with my Rain Man shuffle. I was just hoping a car would slowly back into me enough to slightly injure me but not cause me to have to go to the hospital. when I got home I had a long bath and I cried in the tub over my all of a sudden lost super powers of running.
The next day I had new resolve to try again for a distance longer then 4 miles. The goal was 8 miles but I figured since it was my taper week anything over 4 would be fine. I set out again in my old runners, my Hustle Jacket and my music and I ran in my favourite weather which is cool and rainy. I like that when it's rainy I have the streets to myself but yesterday the streets were especially empty due to the Canucks game. When I felt like quitting I just sang along to my music instead and there was nobody there to witness that insanity. Also, it helped that at mile 4 I ran past an idling car which was being Hotboxed just in time for the driver to open the window. That totally mellowed me out so I switched my ipod over to Snoop Dogg and I managed to do 7 miles and get home in time to watch the epic fail of the Canucks game. Drop it like it's hot, yo. I'm pretty happy with those 7 miles though, they rebuilt my confidence and now I can take the rest of the week really easy with maybe a 3 mile run on Tuesday or Wednesday and then rest until race day. I plan on hydrating this week more then I usually do and also eating some extra complex carbohydrates as well as my Whey Protein Smoothies to help in muscle repair. I have no idea if these things will make a difference come race day but I feel the need to have a ritual this week and take extra good care of my body which I plan on taxing the hell out of come Sunday.
I'll have a few more BMO Half Marathon posts this week as I prepare for the big day and then I'll be sure to post after the race and tell you all about it.
What does your week before the race look like??
driven on Friday with my husband to scope out all the hills
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