13.1 playlist

I put a LOT of work into this playlist, starting from 3 months ago. My plan was to strategically place songs that I really liked into this playlist and not listen to it during any of my training — that was a separate playlist. So, when it came time for the half and I heard those songs, it would get me pumped up — and it worked!

First song was appropriately the song that I finished my 8K to, so I had to carry it forward to start off the half marathon with that song. I “hacked” my finish-song today because it played at mile 12, so I kept it on repeat for 3 rounds until I passed that finish line. My girl Hailee Steinfeld with “Love Myself” — yes!

Link to Spotify playlist

13.1

Where do I even begin!? So to follow up with my last post, the forecast showed that rain was coming in at 10am, so it was a “race the rain” type situation, but given that the race started at 6:30am, we were fine. The cold also decided to stand down and only give me a runny nose during the run — can’t complain about that. I think we were given THE BEST possible weather for a long run. There were times I wish I had a cap to block the sun, but it was a beautiful blue day, until the rain really did start to pour around 11am.

Due to pre-race jitters, I woke up at 4am and decided to calm my hungry stomach and eat 1/4 of a bagel, half a banana, and drink half a cup of coffee to take care of some “stuff” that I won’t mention — although runners know the deal. Calling a Lyft was a nightmare because rides were coming from the drop off spot and circling back but after cancelling 3 rides, I ended up with a ride with a 2x surge.

Props to Rock n Roll for always throwing such an organized race. Below is a snap of the corrals as the first few are released.

Hitting my stride did not take long at all — where it usually hits me at mile 3, today I found it within the first mile. It was the adrenaline rush for sure. You can see from the elevation map below that the first mile had a pretty nasty hill, then we continued having some ups and downs throughout.

The biggest one even had a “King/Queen of the Hill” challenge for the quickest time and even though I managed to jog up 80% of it, I had to capture this photo of everyone struggling up the hill. It was intense — I’ll have nightmares about it.

In the end, I did manage to run the entire race without walking, unless it was during water/Gatorade stroll, so I am beyond happy about that. I packed 2 bags of Honey Stingers and only ended up eating ~6/24 chews cuz I didn’t need it. When I signed up for the race, I chose a 2:20 finish, not really knowing what my training pace would end up at but going into today, I was aiming for 2:45 if my cold symptoms really hit me hard, or 2:30 if I was at full capacity….

Hit that goal by 36 seconds!!! Here I am getting cheered on by my husband, cousin (who finished at 2:04), and friends. You really couldn’t wipe that smile off my face around mile 11. I was in it!

It’s really amazing to see how much area you cover after a race is up! I was amazed by 8K last time but obviously 13.1 takes it to a whole ‘nother level. Congrats to all finishers! This was fun and rewarding, but I’m not quite ready to commit to another half marathon yet.

(Highly anticipated music post coming next)

Countdown: 37 hours

With 37 hours left until the race, I still have to head to the Expo to pick up my race gear and bib. A little carb loading is also part of tomorrow night’s plan and maybe a bagel for a night cap, then it’s a 5:30am wake up call.

This cold is still haunting me, especially going into a potentially wet run Sunday morning but after 3+ months of training, I’m not going to skip this race. No way.

According to Very Well Fit, “Keep in mind that, even if you just have mild cold symptoms like a runny nose, your performance will most likely be affected. Don’t expect to be at your peak racing form and don’t put pressure on yourself to have the race of your life. Listen to your body, make sure you stay well-hydrated during the race, and see what the day brings.”

So, let’s just finish the race (and dry off later).

Running Belt

I’ve used this belt 3 times now, so I’m getting used to the feeling of it around my waist. It feels pretty natural and since I have a bluetooth headset, I can just leave my phone in the belt throughout the run. Again, my only issue is the tightness of the belt while I’m trying to grab energy chews during the run. Tips? Thoughts? I may end up wearing a long sleeve with pockets since the forecast calls for low 60s and a chance of showers but if not, I’ll need to work with the belts ability to freely release the chews when I need them!

Now THAT’S a PR

I’m not trying to document every single run in my training, but with 6 days to go, I hit this amazing personal record!!! 10:14 pace around Green Lake, whereas my half marathon goal is under 11:00. I probably beat my previous Green Lake pace by 30 seconds! Feeling congested, but positive!!

Songs from today’s run:

• Dr. Dre | The Next Episode
• Post Malone | Same Bitches
• The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar | Pray For Me
• Ariana Grande | No Tears Left To Cry