Gearing Up!

Not quite the way I had hoped, but our Team is getting ready for a 20 miler tomorrow, which will start in Hopkinton, finishing at Heartbreak Hill. It will be a good crowd, as several charities join together for the event, and should be good weather to boot!

I will not be joining the runners, but will be with supporters and friends at the 15 mile support station. The ankle has not healed enough to warrant a 20 miler, and an MRI is scheduled on Monday to rule out stress fractures. Oh well. I've had a few days to adjust and can say I am getting my head around it. In the best case, I can work out an alternate training plan and still do well in the race, which is what I'll be hoping for! In the meantime, I'll work to get my husband and teammate ready and enjoy seeing my teammates meet this great challenge tomorrow morning.

For those of you out on a long run, here are a few things I like to think about:

1. Start off and run like you expect to run your marathon. Don't expend all your energy at the start. It can be exciting, but you are in for the long haul. Take a mile or two to warm up. Boston is especially difficult, as there is a good downhill early on in the race. Don't speed down it! You will hurt your quads and pay the price later. Keep your knees soft and lean back to save your quads.
2. Think about your hydration and nutrition. Drink like you plan to drink on race day, and don't overdo the hydration. And- stop drinking at least an hour and a half out from the start- the last thing you want is to spend minutes in line at a porta potty, or pull a muscle hopping off the road to get behind a tree.
3. In the first 10 miles, check sporadically to make sure you are maintaining a good pace. Sometimes you can get going too fast, but the Boston course has plenty of hills for you later, so it's good to think about staying relaxed and strong to the 15 mile mark.
4. Hills: The hills on the Boston course come into play after the 15 mile mark, starting with a steep downhill and ascent through what is known as "Hell's Alley", followed by the right hand turn onto the Newton Hills. Remember to relax on the downs, keeping your knees bent and arms and legs opening out behind you, and to ALSO relax on the ups! I like to pump my arms a bit in front of me going uphill and open them out behind on the downs. The hills can be long, but there are a few tricks you can play, mixing a number of brain activities at the same time, like a scanner.:

• Counting: I like to count in groups of 5 because it occupies my brain more than an even number. I count 5 steps twice, then go up to 10, then start again.
• Think positive thoughts: Your brain will only be able to think of one thing at a time, so don't bother filling it with things like 'I will never make it', but focus on saying positive things like 'good job', 'keep your form', 'relax','doing good', etc.
• Think about relaxing your legs when each one is not pushing- as each leg comes up, take a second to relax it. It helps!
• Don't look up. Take a nice peek at the hill before you approach, take some good breaths and pep talk yourself, then look away from the top and get to work. You can do it!
• Don't worry if you lose some time and turnover here. Hills are tough, and hills when fatigued are tougher. But you'll be surprised that your fatigue is temporary, and that you can regain your pacing, turnover and energy within seconds of completing the rise. Make sure to compliment yourself!

So my dialogue though it sounds crazy, can be like this: "one and two and three and four and five and two and two and three and etc etc.... relax, good job.... how is your form?.... and two and three and four and five and... doing good... etc etc". Sometimes I even sing a long song in between counting. I could be crazy, but it is a good formula for me.

5. Fatigue: There might be a point where you start feeling fatigue. Don't panic! Again, if you can work on solving the issue, your brain will work the best for you- it will be too busy instructing your body to focus on feeling desperate- for hunger or low energy, take some supplements, for sore feet, remove your sneaker and twist it, rubbing your foot while you are at it, for cramps, massage, stretch, or work out walk/run pacing. If there is a specific part of your body that is feeling tired, focus on recruiting other parts of your body or legs to take over- telling yourself that you are giving the tired part a rest. This can really help in the last few miles of a marathon! And focus on putting your brain where it needs to be for YOU. If you need to only think about the next few minutes, do that- don't think about how many miles are left. If you need to just focus on the next hill, do that, and make sure to tell yourself that no matter how hard the up feels, you'll get your speed back on the downs! If you need to think about the pizza that you'll have or the massage, go for it!

6. If it appears you are not meeting your time goals, keep a good perspective- don't descend into negativity. Everyone has off days when they don't run well. If you've been meeting your goals in your training runs, there is NO reason why you won't be able to run a good race. Use the experience to practice managing to run 'the best you can' on this particular day. That is all you can do, and the best favor you can do for yourself.

Happy running, everyone!