Race Week!

The next two weekends will be a first for me. I am running two races - 8 days apart! I have never run two half marathons in a row, so I am excited to see how I do. It is like I have 2 weeks of tapering!  You know you have worked hard for several months and now you get to enjoy your hard work by taking it a littler easier!

My first race is this Saturday - Derby! The last time I ran this, I was in college and the course went through Iroquois Park still, so it has been a long while. I am excited to run this race with my friend who earned her nickname, Quinoa, in the Papa John's 10miler. She set the record on how many times you can say quinoa in a race, I think. It will be her first half marathon - longest run to date! I have been training with Quinoa since January. We have been meeting on the weekends for our long runs. She is ready to rock and run on Saturday!

Also, this Saturday will be my first race where I have been matched with my I Run 4 buddy. I Run 4 is a program that matches runners with others who cannot run. You get to dedicate your runs and races to them, but also build a friendship with them and their families.

My second race is the Backside Trail Half marathon. This is a trail run through Cherokee park. I have only run in one other trail half (Siltstone) and enjoyed it. Trail running is a different experience from road racing. Between watching the footing, sharper turns, and hills, it is a bit tougher in my opinion - more challenging. I enjoy taking on challenges to see how I handle them. Challenges just make you stronger!

There are lots of articles on taper week so just google to learn from the experts.

But here my top 5 things I keep in mind the weeks I taper:

• Hydration - all weeklong - think about your water intake and make sure you are drinking
• Nutrition - eat like you have during your training - eat some more carbs as the race draws near
• Rest - rest as much as you can - I typically do not sleep well the next before a race, but I know the previous nights' sleeps (and adrenal) will help me be well enough rested for the race
• Goals - re-examine my goals from when I started my training. I still like to have realistic goals for the race based on my training. I am a social runner, so I am not set out to medal, but just to better myself.  I have multiple goals too. Things can pop up unexpectedly during the race, and so having multiple goals can help you to keep running and going during the race.
• Positive Thinking - just good practice all the time - Visual yourself after you finished the race! You can see yourself finishing. You know you can do what you have set your mind to do and your body will follow.

Good luck to all the racers this weekend! Remember to take everything in - it is such an experience being with all those crazy runners for 13.1miles! Not everyone can do this, so consider yourself pretty blessed to be able to participate and enjoy the moment!