Mental Preparation

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you're aware that my wife Laurie and I are training for our first half marathon, the We Care Twin Cities Half Marathon taking place on Saturday, September 29.

A couple years ago I couldn't have imagined I would be preparing for a half marathon… or that I'd be running regularly. And even more so, I never could have imagined I would be enjoying running again… I haven't felt that way since high school, and even then I'm not sure I could have said I enjoyed it.

We are 57 days away from the half marathon… I'm a couple weeks behind where I should be in training due to my right achilles tendon becoming very swollen a few weeks ago. But luckily, two weeks off from running and gel heel wedges have completely healed my achilles problem :-) I'm feeling pretty good where I'm at right now, but wish I wouldn't have lost those couple of weeks.

Tomorrow I'm scheduled for an eight mile run… I can't remember when I've run eight miles, but probably not since the fall of 1983 sometime between August and October (my senior season in cross country at Monmouth High School… GO ZIPPERS!!!)

I've been in this weird "mental preparation" mood today… I keep thinking about the eight mile run tomorrow. But it's not been a bad, negative, or fearful way… More of a "getting prepared" way.

•What should I eat tonight that won't weigh me down in the morning
•How much sleep should I get
•When should I take my ibuprofen in the morning (usually takes 30-minutes to kick in)
•What time am I running
•Breakfast before? Or post run breakfast?
•Should I take a nutrition bar to make sure I'm replenishing
•How often should I drink from my water bottle to make sure it lasts 8 miles
•What's my desired pace
•Shirt or no shirt
•Are my favorite running shorts clean
•Can't forget a washcloth (my wife got me started on that one)
•Charge my phone to 100%
•Use IcyHot on my thigh right before starting
•Raisins… don't forget to eat raisins before running (my new little "gotta have it" food before I run)
•Map out mileage tonight in case iPhone GPS goes whacky again (it has a habit of adding in some some weird jagged patterns or extra loops)
•Usual running location or different one?
•Lots of stretching before; midway if I need to, also
•Shade running or full sun running? (half marathon will be almost all full sun, but Constitution Trail that Laurie and I run on is well shaded)
•Mile to mile plan … pace & time
•Form… not too upright, don't arch your back, lean forward a little, relax, watch arm swinging

Crazy, huh??? Before I went on long runs in high school I NEVER thought through anything… I just did it.
And quite honestly, I'm excited about it… a little nervous, since I haven't gone that far in almost 30 years, but… excited to know I'm doing it!!!

So, lunch is over… time to get back to work weeding and deadheading. And, I'm pretty sure I'll continue mentally preparing myself for my run tomorrow. :-)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone