See Jane in under a month, are you ready??

Don't know about the "good juju"....but I loved pretty much everything the owner of See Jane says at the end. We are all doing this run for different reasons, but on June 5th, we get to come together, have fun, and cross the finish!

Hopefully you half marathoners are getting excited!!! Do you have a race day strategy? Do you know when and how much you plan on drinking during the race? Will you just drink water or use a water/sports drink combo? Do you know what you are fueling with during the race? What you are eating the night before? What you are eating the morning of? Will you carry water? Will you use a fuel belt? If yes, what's going to be in it? Which pair of socks you are wearing? Will you listen to music or not? How many minutes you will use for your run/walk rotation? Do you know what your race pace is and what pace to stay under? Do you know how to drink out of a cup while running? Have you bought your water proof makeup? : ) And, of course, do you know what you are wearing???

5Kers, do you have your plan? How fast will you go? Do you have a finishing time in mind, a goal? Do you have a game day strategy? Will you walk some, run all, do a combination of the two?

Now is the time to be working out all of that stuff, even the stuff that sounds silly. You don't want to try anything new on the big day. There are also certain running myths that you may choose to avoid....such as the carb loading the night before the race. Do your research, be informed. You may find it wiser to slightly increase "good carbs" during the 5 or so days before the race and avoid a large, heavy carb filled dinner the night before, which can leave you feeling sluggish race morning and in search of porta-potties along the course. Same goes for the morning of the race meal. This is not the time to eat something you've never eaten before, or eat more than you normally would. Running, running/walking, and walking 13.1 miles can cause intestinal discomfort by itself, don't test your stomachs on race day! Stick to what you know.

Other Random Nuggets to Consider :

Sports Drinks - if you aren't using them in training, it may not be wise to use them on race day. They can cause stomach issues for some. I would recommend if you haven't already, start using them in training and figure out what works for your stomach. I always grab both the sports drink and the water, drink the sports drink first, then the water. Later in the race I start grabbing 1 sports drink, 2 waters. One water gets dumped down my shirt, or on the head...which is why you need to make sure you are grabbing water, not sports drink. Also, as you see the aid stations approaching, if you are using any Gu, Gel, Sports Beans, Blocks, whatever fuel you plan on using....take it before you get to the aid station. Usually you have enough time if you are keeping your head up. You'll see the aid stations usually long before you get to them, that is the time to get your fuel in. You can then chase it with water at the aid station.
If you haven't thought at all about fuel/drinks yet...start today! You need to know what your plan is. On race day, you are going to have adrenaline, excitement, endorphins, nerves....all these are great and amazing and part of why I love to run and do races. Come mile 10, 11, 12..it can all become a bit draining, and you are going to want a boost! If you have waited that long before fueling, it's too late. You want to fuel and drink from the early miles of the race so that you don't crash at the end, you have a great, fun, amazing day and finish strong and on top of the world!

Aid Stations - Pay attention!! Volunteers will usually call out what they have. There is usually water at one table, sports drink at another table. As you approach, pick out a volunteer, make eye contact, nod if you like - you are letting that person know you are aiming at them, and want whats in their hand! They will then also aim at you, not the runner who swoops in and grabs your cup : )Drink spillage onto your volunteer as you grab your cup is ok! Don't feel bad. They volunteered their time to hand you that cup and get wet in the process. Say thank you!! Keep moving!! If you need to stop, slow down, walk, whatever, just keep moving until you are past the tables, pull off to the side, do your thing. If you come to a complete stop mid aid station, and I am behind you, I will plow you over-fair warning : )

Drinking Out of a Cup While on the Move - this is tricky! Early on in our running life, I would grab a cup, aim at my face and throw the contents at it. This would lead to gagging, swallowing air, and liquid up my nose. Air leads to stomach pains later in the run. Over time, I found the pinching method to be most effective at getting liquid where it is supposed to go and avoiding air intake. Pinch your cups shut, and drink out of one of the corners. Don't feel like you have to get every last drop, a few good swallows is enough to get you from aid station to aid station. Cup disposal - check quickly to the side before you throw your cup, especially if it isn't' empty!

Outfits, Socks, Shoes, Other Random Accessories - Ok, so of course we are girls and we want to look decent while we sweat. I usually get some piece of new running attire for every big race, this one will be no different. Gives me a boost, and I will take any boost I can get! Whatever you are wearing, wear it on at least one run pre race day. Pay attention to things that poke, rub, are too snug, ride up, don't stay in place, slip, ect...Starting from foundation garments up...make sure you are supported and comfortable. (sorry to any guys reading this) Really, ladies, if you haven't gotten a good sports bra, I beg you, please please please get one, two if need be! Make sure you are contained, and comfortable. You do not want to be worrying about whats moving and shaking more than it should and if anyone is noticing. I've been there, I know how that feels! To this day I am double, sometimes triple layered in spandex. My normal attire is 7inch compression shorts, another pair of 4 inch compression shorts over those that are built into, and covered up by my running skirt, sports bra, running singlet w/built in sports bra. If something doesn't feel right after a mile, it is really going to bug you and be a distraction after 5, let alone 13 miles. Make sure you are comfortable and feel good and confident about what you are wearing. We are girls, we worry about how we look under normal circumstances. Put us in a situation we are nervous about or maybe a little intimidated, and the power of a new, comfortable outfit that we feel good in can be immense!
Sports Basement has a wide range of sizes and a great selection of running apparel and sports bras. They have an "extended sizes" section as well. I should mention that Sports Basement is our favorite store for all outdoor activities. We get all our running gear there, including our fuel - Sports Beans, Shot Blocks, Gu, ect. Also our shoes, fuel belts, visors, running clothes, ect. They are also a AAA Show Your Card and Save store, so if you are a AAA member, you can save 10% off your purchase. If not a AAA member, you can usually find a 10% off flyer down at Sweet Affair Bakery. Plus they have a kids area for the kids to play and keep busy. Did I mention we love Sports Basement??!! Sports Authority at Sun Valley Mall has a huge selection of running clothes, a bit more trendy and spendy than Sports Basement, but not as wide a size selection.

Fuel Belts, Fanny Packs, and Anything Else Strapped to Your Body - again, run with it pre race day! We have tried a few different fuel belts, and all seem to annoy after 5 miles or so. I personally do not use one, but many runners do. It depends on how important whatever you want to carry with you is. It may be worth the annoyance to have the food and drink you want with you. One un-thought of benefit to wearing one I discovered was that the Jelly Bellys I had in my pack made a great rhythm to run to as they rattled around to the beat of my pace. If you plan on walking more than running, you will be out on the course a bit longer and therefore may want to have more stuff with you. You also wouldn't have as much annoyance from the pack bouncing around as you run.

These are just a few of the things you can do now to make sure you have a great race day!! Set yourselves up for success by thinking about and figuring out the small stuff now. You want to be able to enjoy your special day and soak it all in, so sort out this stuff now so you can be as prepared as possible. And, as always, these are one persons advise and thoughts. These 'nuggets' are just my observations and what has worked for me, but the point is, there are so many different ways to go about this. Plan ahead and figure out what works for you!!