first 1/2 marathon is Saturday, advice, thoughts whatever.....

MrsSstrug

ahhhhhhh.......i am a bit nervous. 

but playlist is done! (suggestions welcome though).

shoes ready, socks ready, water bottle set, just need to pick up the packet Friday and get this sucker DONE.  

MarchMom06

Good luck! I'm doing my first 15K on Sunday, & I'm also a little nervous. It will be awesome, & just think of how good you'll feel when it's all done. :-)

shorty20

Are you doing the RnR USA in DC?  There's probably at least 10 of us on here doing it, so you'll be in good company

As for this being your first, really, just enjoy the experience.  It's a PR no matter what time you finish in.  Soak in the crowd, talk to fellow runners and just have fun. 

Try not to go out too fast, 13 miles is no joke, so you don't want to get too excited in the beginning and then falter at the end, just trust your training and stick to your pace.  Stick with whatever you trained with, meaning everything from your outfit to energy products, to when you drink water or Gatorade.  Don't use anything new during the race, you don't know what effect it may have on you, and it may not be a good effect!

Good luck and let us know how you do!

mehgank

I ran my first HM a few weeks ago, and here's what I remember doing that worked for me:

-Fuel up the night before. I had two helpings of spaghetti and garlic bread, and about 4 or 5 glasses of water.

-Be prepared for all kinds of weather. Even though it was cloudy and kinda chilly the day of my race, I still had on sunscreen just in case the sun decided to come out. I also did a lot of preventive Body Glide-ing the morning of the race, too.

-Use the aid stations. I forced myself not to skip the water/powerade stations, which I think really helped me not hit the wall.

-Have fun! Even though it's 13.1 miles, believe it or not, it does go by in a flash. Enjoy every minute of it.

MrsSstrug

yes RNR 1/2 in DC...good to know there will be some nesties around! all good advice. thanks!

Mrs.Handy

*waves hi*

I'll be out there with you!

It said online if you're local to try to pick up your packet on Thursday to avoid crowds. Unfortunately I'm teleworking on Thursday, so I'm going to pick it up on Friday during my lunch break.

Good luck!!

dmarie979

shorty20:

Try not to go out too fast, 13 miles is no joke, so you don't want to get too excited in the beginning and then falter at the end, just trust your training and stick to your pace.  Stick with whatever you trained with, meaning everything from your outfit to energy products, to when you drink water or Gatorade.  Don't use anything new during the race, you don't know what effect it may have on you, and it may not be a good effect!

All of this. It is REALLY easy to get excited and go out waaaay too fast. I reallly watched my pace for the first 3-4 miles to make sure that I stayed on track. 13 miles is no joke so you don't want to feel like you are dying at the end.

Also, during the race, make sure that you look around and really soak it in. It is an awesome experience!

shauni27

All great advice!  Mostly have fun and be aware of your surroundings, it is so fun and important to absorb everything around you to complete your experience! 

And go pee as much as possible before the race starts!  I was peeing AS they sang the national anthem at my first half! 

MrsSstrug

thanks for the don't start too fast advice. my goal is to finish, but finish strong! i have been doing a run 3 min walk 1 min training and it has been really useful. going to stick with that and stick to my "slow and steady" mantra.

WinnieD

I agree with the pacing yourself advice. My first few races I did not pace myself and although my time was still good, it probably could have been even better.