It is funny that of all days, Tonia (HERE) published a post today about confidence. I have not been sleeping very well the last two nights. Up, tossing and turning because I am LACKING confidence about National Half Marathon that is *this* Saturday.
I am not exactly sure where this lack of confidence is coming from. I mean, like some of you really awesome runners out there, I skipped the half marathon race and went straight to the marathon. My husband even said last night as I laid in bed restless (and thinking that he should be awake too, right?): "It is only 13 miles, I mean you can do that in your sleep?" What does he know? He hasn't even raced a 5k. UGH - his confidence in me did not help!
It is true that when you are in marathon training, you place "only" in front of a lot of long runs where others are shocked. "I only have 17 this Saturday!" and my friend was like, "WHAT? Are you crazy?" Yeah, pretty much, you have to be crazy to run a marathon.
So why is 13.1 miles forcing my confidence to go out the window? I think it started with my goal. I would LOVE if my average pace was 8:30. I have had some nice long runs where this was around my average pace. I am talking about like 4 long runs. It is true that during all of these long runs, TriGuru was kicking my butt; but still, he showed me that I can run faster. (I have been hanging around running 9min miles comfortably since the marathon).
On the last couple of long runs, where I wanted to try and maintain this pace, I felt defeated around mile 2. I remember thinking and saying out loud, "I am SOOOO over this run!" And I still had 10 more miles to go. UGH! So, why the change of attitude?
The last two nights, I have been awake, going over my "flight plan" as Bob likes to call it. He sent me an email Sunday night that said, "You have a chance for a really good time, but it needs "a flight plan and you need to fly the plan"! As a helicopter pilot he said that they always charted their flight and then subsequent side plans in case of something happening. And their job was to fly the plan they charted!
The sleepless nights have allowed my brain to think all the negative thoughts..."What if my ITB starts to hurt, like it did on my last long run?" "What if I start too fast and have no energy to finish?" "What if I am too cold, too hot?" "What if I fall down and skin my knees and have to be carried off the course?" Yeah, my thoughts got pretty dramatic at the end, I'll spare you the worst ones!
So I NEED to figure out my plan. Are you racing National? If so, what's your plan and how are you going to ensure you will fly the plan?
Oh, did you enter my giveaway to win a new running skirt? Go HERE!
7 comments:
STOP THE INSANITY!!! Really, you're going to be GREAT! If the fankle had not failed me, my goal would be exactly the same - an 8:30 goal sounds totally sane given your super speedy self. My flight plan would have included a 2 mile warm up 8:45s, a 10 mile run 8:25's, and a 1.1 mile RACE to the finish at fastest pace possible with chest aching, lungs burning, eyes blurring as I passed all the other runners...
Jen you know that I am with G on this. You are so there and so ready! Your runs have been awesome and you have to remember it is going to be race day, you are going to have that racing adrenaline going for you! You need to visualize the race, starting it, running it and finishing it. You are going to do awesome and I know that you are going to reach you goal. I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOU!!!
You are going to do a great job! You've trained, cross trained and strength trained. You are going to CRUSH this race!!!
You will do awesome!! Have a plan but remember to expect the unexpected. Then just go and kick booty!
I have enough confidence in you to make up for any that you are lacking. You're gonn KILL!
What G said. My two most successful half marathons were where I went out running the pace I knew I should be able to hold for 13.1. In both cases, it worked. What's the worst that can happen? You get too tired to keep that pace? So what, you do what you can the rest of the way in. You get too hot? Take off a layer. You get too cold? Run faster, you'll warm up.
If you can run an 8:30 long run, you can race an 8:30 race. (The discussion about not pushing yourself so hard on long runs can wait till after the race LOL).
You are going to do great.
I just want to say: if you don't do anything stupid the race is all yours...
So what are the stupid things people do?
Go out too fast.
Use all their energy worrying about the race.
Try new products for the first time.
Good luck we are routing for you
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