Just one more run....

Today after work I am going to head out on the last run before Great Bay Half Marathon. I am going to do just an easy 2 mile run...hardly enough time to warm up but I certainly don't need to over do it. I am not really feeling too nervous for Sunday...should I? My plan is to just go out slow and take the entire race at my own pace. In fact I am not really going to even think of it as a race but just a group long run!

P.S.
For anyone who is a nike+ user, this run today will put me at the blue level!! Wooo Hoo!
Update: I did my 2 mile run, but my sportband does not seem to be working! It will not upload my run to the nike+ website!! Unbelievable!!

How many days left?

Yup, four more days till Great Bay Half Marathon! And guess what? I have a sore knee....I have not had a single problem with knees, feet or legs through my whole training and now I have one knee that is bothering me tonight. I am sure it is nothing, but it sure does make me nervous. I am only supposed to run three miles tomorrow but with my kids getting home early from school I am not sure I will get it in...but maybe that is a good thing! Maybe a day of rest is what it needs.
Please send healing vibes my way!!!!

One more week!!!!

I can't believe there is only one week left before The Great Bay Half Marathon! This time next week I will be limping around probably still wearing my finishers medal.
I went for a 12 mile run today and feel confident as long as I really keep my pace slow, I will not have any trouble finishing the race. This of course is the opposite of what I usually say...usually I want a fast pace. I am just shooting for finishing my first half marathon!
I do have to say that as pumped as I am, I think I am looking forward to when it is all over. The long runs on the weekend were really hard. Not just because they were long, but because they really took up a lot of time.
Speaking of time, there is still time to vote in my poll on the right hand side. Please help a fellow runner not look like a dork!! Hee, hee!

Your opinion is needed!!!!

Recently I participated in a race that gave out beautiful long sleeved technical shirts for the first 400 registered people. On the day of the race I did not wear the shirt but chose one of my favorite running outfits instead. When I got there and realized how many people were wearing their shirts, I was bummed that I did not wear mine. I have read on different running bulletin boards that a lot of people have different opinions on when to wear them and when not to. Some might even say that is almost a "rookie" thing to do. So I need the opinion from some fellow runners...please go to the right hand side and participate in my poll so I can try and figure this one out once and for all!
Thanks!!!

10 days to go......

I have been carefully watching the weather, as I do this time of year anyways, and as of right now, the extended forecast is calling for rain the entire weekend that I am supposed to be running my first half marathon! O.k. yes, I know the weather has plenty of time to change, but it still makes me nervous. I have done 5K races in the rain and survived but the thought of 13.1 miles in the rain just does not sit well with me at all. Keeping my fingers crossed!

13 More Days....Oh My

I cannot believe there are only 13 more days til The Great Bay Half Marathon!!! Right now I feel ready, but I am so nervous that my training is going to suffer this week because even though today is the first day of spring, it is going to snow! And there are two other days that snow or mix is predicted this week! This does not make me happy. Since I ended up with some extra weeks in my training, I had planned for a 12 mile run on Saturday or Sunday but if I don't get all my other runs in this week I am feeling like that might not be such a great plan. But then again, if I don't do one last long run, will I be able to finish 13 miles on race day?!
Oh, I set a new PR for myself....finished a 5K race in 31 minutes! I was really shooting for under 30 minutes but a killer hill at the end of the race squashed that plan....

I am a Runner

Why I run: I run because it makes me feel good. I feel like I can accomplish something when I set out on a run and complete what I set out to do. I do a lot of thinking and come up with good ideas while I am running.

Why I started running: I started running back in 2005. I had weight I needed to lose and was already working out at the gym on a regular basis but I felt I needed a goal for myself. I set a goal of completing a 5K which I did my fist one in May of 2006. I had a couple of people in my life who were runners too and I thought I could do it if they could. Since that first 5K I have completed many 5K races, a 10K race and I am training for my first half marathon in April.

My Dream Race: I would love to do a Disney Half Marathon or a Disney Princess Half Marathon! It just seems like it would be such a fun happy place to run a race!

My advice for anyone starting up running: Buy a Nike+ sportband! This device has been one of the best things I have bought when it comes to running. It measures distance, pace, and time and when I upload all the data into my computer I can see the progress that I have made as a runner. Oh, and buy the right shoes.

My Secret to Hills

One of the biggest challenge (or at least I think so) a runner will face while out on a run is hills. Where I live, they are impossible to avoid. So here is my trick that my sister taught me....
When faced with a hill in front of you, don't look at the top of the hill, focus on the road that is eye level with you. I like to find a crack in the road or something to focus on and I run to that landmark. After I reach that one, I find something new further along to focus on...something that is at eye level, not at the top of the hill. I keep doing this until I reach the top of the hill and most of the time, as long as I have done it right, it will make conquering even the toughest hills feel like nothing at all! Well, almost nothing.....