Half Marathon Taper Check List

A bright and cheery good morning to each of you! I hope your week is going well so far. Mine week is going wonderfully as it’s only a four day work week  and I have a great weekend coming up!

Believe it or not, the National Half Marathon is this weekend which means my training has entered taper mode. Come Friday, Theodora, Ali, and I will all head down to Washington, DC via Bolt Bus, ready to rock this half marathon! I’m definitely excited for a taper week as I have trained hard these past few weeks, incorporating cross training and speed training into my training for the first time! Luckily, the results are starting to show as I’ve lost a few pounds and set a new PR in my last NYRR race, last month.

184294_670132991193_24200188_37793700_7601844_n I thought I would share some of my taper week tips and preparation check list with you all.

  1. Rest: Even though I had a pretty epic weekend, I’m making sure that Sunday through race day I enjoy at least 7 hours of sleep per night. It is important to give your muscles time to heal and recover this week.
  2. Hydrate: Water is a miracle drug in my book, giving me energy when I’m dragging and keeping me going through even the hardest of workouts. It’s essential that you’re hydrated on race day and this can’t happen from chugging water that day alone. Focus on increasing your water intake all week and possibly throw in a little extra sodium or salt pills the night before the race to help retain some of that water. Also, if you’ve hydrated with a Camel-Bak or water bottle during your training, make sure to bring that same item for race day. You don’t want to try anything new on race day. Crunch Yoga
  3. Stretch/Yoga: I find that stretching and yoga help me relax, work out toxins and buildup in my muscles, and prepare my legs for the big day. Make sure to include foam rolling and or the stick in your practice to work out any knots in your legs or tightness in your itband. Make sure not to take any tough yoga classes which may strain your muscles the week of the race. As always, listen to your body. Yesterday, I enjoyed an amazing hot vinyasa class with Lauren at Yoga to the People. Since it’s race week, I didn’t push myself as far into the stretches as I normally would have and found child’s pose more than once during the practice. IMG_0973 IMG_0879
  4. Laundry: This may seem silly but make sure all your favorite running gear, right down to your socks, are clean for race day. More than once, I’ve gone searching for clothes the night before only to realize they are deep in the dirty clothes pile.
  5. Go shopping early in the week: Head to your favorite running store early in the week to buy your necessary supplies such as Camel Bak cleaner, Shot Blocks, or Gu. You don’t want to wait until Thursday or Friday only to find that they are out of your favorite flavor. I don’t recommend waiting until the Expo either because you never know which vendors or brands will be on site that day.
  6. Organize your gear early: No later than Thursday night, put all your race day gear in a pile near an outlet. This allows you to charge your electronics (Garmin, iPod, etc) in the same area as your clothes pile so you don’t forget them in the wall when you leave for the race or trip. I have definitely done this at least once and want you all to learn from my mistakes! Make sure to also pack these chargers for the weekend. Yes, they take up extra space, but if you or any running buddies need them during the weekend they are well worth it! Also, make sure to make a packing list for not only race gear, but also the rest of the items you’ll need for the weekend or race day.
  7. 7. Make a playlist: If you run with music, you know how important having fun music is for a great run. The upbeat music keeps your running going, even when the going gets tough. Be sure to include a few inspirational favorites, a few surprises, and one song that can get your pace going even when your legs feel like lead. If you’re looking for a few new song suggestions I suggest checking out iTunes list of most popular downloads, or Jes’ playlists here and my latest playlist here.

    image8. Set a goal: Establish ahead of time what your intention is for the race. Do you want to PR? Do you want to take at least 20 pictures along the course with all your friends? Do you want to finish your first half? Regardless of the goal, having an intention will help keep you strong throughout the race. Some people find it helps to write this intention on their wrist or hand, so they can remember it during the race. My goal for the National Half Marathon is to finish under 2:15.

    9. HAVE FUN so you can smile afterwards!

    What are your race week suggestions? Is there anything I missed? Are you running the National Half Marathon? If so, what is your bib color?

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Why I Love Running with Friends

Today was not the 10 miles it was supposed to be. 

IMG_0597I was excited to run with Theodora, Melissa, and possibly Ali today while we caught up on all the week’s events. I enjoyed my favorite four mushroom thin crust pizza from Vezzo last night while relaxing. IMG_0593I cleaned out my Camelbak which hadn’t been used since the marathon. I even enjoyed 8 hours of sleep AND put my clothes out last night before bed.

This morning I tried to eat a banana, peanut butter sandwich but I couldn’t finish it for some reason. Regardless, I was excited and ready to chat my way through 10 miles with Theodora, as Melissa ended up postponing her run. It felt like marathon training season all over again!    IMG_0595Though we were both in great spirits and the weather was gorgeous, the run was rough for miles 3 through 8. As we were weaving through the outskirts of Chinatown, making our way towards the East River path, Theodora found one of the only ice patches left in the city. Her fall sent both of us flying while knocking a huge city trash can into the middle of the street. Instead of helping, the bystanders just snickered. For a split second, I thought I’d lost my running buddy. Thankful that neither of us were injured more than a scrape and a bruise, we continued running; vowing to finish the mileage together. But, the wind coming off the water today made it feel like we were moving in place. Our splits went from around a 9:45 to a 10:15 for these middle miles.

As you can see, we had enough fun to smile, continue chatting, and snap a few pictures.  IMG_0598 IMG_0599

Are we done yet? This wind is about to blow me over!

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Yay, we finally see buildings near Theodora’s; that must mean we’re close!  IMG_0601 (800x598) IMG_0602 (800x598)

I took a rest break at Theodora’s apartment which allowed for plenty of Bailey time!

 IMG_0604 (800x598) IMG_0609 (800x598) All too soon, it was time for me to head back into the cold ready to sprint home. Since Theodora had sprinted 1.5 miles to my house this morning we ended at her apartment when my Garmin only read 8.75 miles. Therefore, in order to have the “same” run, I needed to run home to finish my 10.5 miles.

I kissed her views and Bailey goodbye one last time before heading out into the wind.

IMG_0612 (640x480)IMG_0615 (800x598) IMG_0614 (800x598) The break did my body good as the last mile and half home were two of my fastest miles of the day, around a 9:13 pace. IMG_0613 (640x480)

One sweaty and windburn face later, I remembered why I love running with friends.

They keep you going when you want to stop, they make you laugh during the worst miles, the constant conversation makes even the toughest miles fly, their apartments are perfect bathroom breaks, they are there to help you up when you go flying on ice or over a trash can, and they get really upset when random Chinatown people snicker at you!

Now, if you don’t mind I have a long lovely bath to enjoy and a huge bowl of post run cereal and milk.

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NYRR Gridiron Classic 4 Miler: A New PR!

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This is the face of a girl who learned the benefits of speed training first hand today! I took a full minute off my pace per mile this year! Last year I ran this race with Dori and Meghann in 41:33 (10:23 pace).

This morning I ate the NYRR Gridiron Classic 4 miler for breakfast! I set a new PR along the way, keeping a 9:17 pace! This pace annoys me as my real pace was 9:15 but the course, or my distance, was actually 4.15 according to my Garmin. Oh well!

After 8 hours of sleep, Bo and I both woke up before the alarm clock, ready for our first NYRR race of 2011!

We quickly dressed and enjoyed our usual pre-race breakfast of toast, banana, and peanut butter. 

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I knew it was going to be a great day when I saw that the current temperature was 37, a tropical treat versus our temperatures the past few weeks.

I still dressed in layers for the race but they were far lighter than what I wore for last weekend’s Central Park run with Theodora and Emily.

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Today’s outfit included:

  • Lululemon Tank as a bra/base layer
  • Nike Cold Weather gear turtleneck (just like Under Armor)
  • ING NYC Marathon light wind jacket
  • Saucony fleece lined running tights
  • shoes & socks
  • Lululemon ear warmer

My outfit proved to be the perfect combination for today’s mild (did I just say that) race temperature. We headed out early as we needed to stop by Ali’s apartment before the race so we could all jog to the start together. Her great boyfriend Arthur even woke up early to take these very unattractive, half asleep pictures of us. Thanks Arthur!

Ali and I are both training for the National Half Marathon and therefore needed to make today’s race into a long run. We decided that 1.5 miles to the park+4 mile race+ a few miles in the park+1.5 miles back to her apartment would be a nice long run treat. It did just the trick and our plan worked wonderfully!

In fact, I think this 1.5 mile warmup jog was a great way to start the race as my body wasn’t cold. I guess I need to do this more often. I’m often guilty of not warming up or stretching before NYRR races.

The race wasn’t packed but the runners who were there were in a great mood. Not as many people were dressed up as last year but the energy was still high!IMG_0096 (800x598)

The race followed the typical 4 mile route the NYRR use for most of their 4 to 5 mile races. As soon as we crossed the starting line, which took longer than normal today, our adrenaline carried us up Cat Hill, down a flat and fast 2nd mile, up a tortuous hills of the upper and western end of the loop, and then a flat final 4th mile towards the finish.

The entire race I was focused on my music, keeping up with Bo, and steady breathing. I also took time to enjoy the park in all it’s white, snowy beauty.

IMG_0100 (800x598)I knew I was keeping a speedy pace but was elated that I could keep it up past the 3rd mile. The fourth mile was definitely tough on my legs and lungs but I pushed through. I knew I could handle 8 more minutes of hard work for a PR!

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I set a new 4 mile PR of 37:08 AND a new pace PR for NYRR of 9:17!

After the race I completed 1.5 lower loops in the park before Ali spotted me in my bright white! We ran together in the park though we made a few stops for picture taking, some downward dogs and deep stretching.

But, 11 miles later, we were foam rolling back at her apartment and ready to enjoy the rest of our day together!

I’m late for a Super Bowl party and therefore must quickly head out. But, if you want to congratulate Ali on her PR or read about the rest of our afternoon, head over to her blog! IMG_0102 (800x598)

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