Allison's Big Toe

Hi there! Thanks for the question.  I’m really excited about my second half marathon.  Well, to answer regarding what I’m doing in the last days before the race, I’ve compiled a list below.  I’m sure it’s the usual stuff people do before a race, but you asked, so here goes :)

- I went for a run today and plan on doing one more, maybe Friday, before the race on Sunday.  Here’s the stats for my run today:

Week 16: Chi Running Pain Free Half Marathon Training Program: 35 min. Form Intervals

Distance: 3.25 mi. / Time: 35 min. 12 sec. / Average Pace: 10:46 min./mi.

Form intervals are a series of rotations through different “form focuses” either determined by the ChiRunning training program, or the runner her/himself.  Today’s intervals were 5 minutes long.  That means you run for five minutes being mindful of the first focus, then shift to the next for another five minutes.  To really get a sense of what focuses are and how they fit into a running program, you should get a copy of ChiRunning by Danny Dryer and use it like a manual to get the best form. Also, this is the beginner half marathon training program I used for the second time; I really like it and think it’s worth the money, even if you’ve read ChiRunning.

As I’m writing this post now and looking at the training program, I see that I was supposed to run these 35 min. Form Intervals at my projected race pace, which for me is somewhere around 10:30 min/mile.  I thought it said “starting pace”, so I ran today slower than usual.  That’s ok though; I didn’t want to push it too hard because of the horribly hot and humid weather we’ve been having here in SoCal.  If you’re local, I’m sure you’re suffering too! (I heard it was 113 degrees in LA yesterday, the hottest EVER recorded in that city. Ick) I checked the weather for race day Sunday. Supposed to be highs in the low 70s, with no chance of rain or excessive heat, so it looks perfect for running!

Some other things I’m doing this week are:

 - trying to get lots of sleep, at least 8 hours each night for this last week.

- getting my race clothes / gear ready and packed.  I need to go to the running store tomorrow to get some more Gu gels.  I tried eating the Gu chomps, and really disliked having to chew something while I was breathing hard.  They syrup-like texture of the Gu gels is a little cloying, but it’s easier just to get down. I’ll take one of those every 45 min, and a “Salt Stick” capsule every 30 min during the run.  That, along with water, should keep me hydrated, electrolyte and calorie replenished.

- determining my race day Chi Running form focuses.  I’ve decided that I’ll use the following six, rotating through one every 10 min: Relax lower legs and feet, relax glutes, lengthen neck and lean with forehead, rotate legs medially forward, circular arms/feet, and feel piviot point.   I used different ones for the first half marathon I did with shoes on, but these seem to be good ones for me in the FiveFingers. 

- drinking lots of water and eating moderately salty foods. The ChiRunning training plan recommends that on days three, two, and one before the race, runners try to eat only carbohydrates (little to no protein), like whole wheat pasta with plain red sauce, whole grains and veggies. This is the “carbo load” concept, which is definitely up for discussion at the moment as to if it actually helps fuel the body on race day.  There’s a lot of research out there that shows that all grain-based carbs are rough on the body and should be avoided for optimum performance.  That said, I still plan to have a piece of sprouted grain bread with almond butter before the race on Sunday morning because it’s what I’m used to.

- picking up the race packet on Saturday at Sports Authority in Camarillo.  Will be fun to see the design of the t-shirts. I read that marathon runners will have different colored numbers than the half marathon runners to be able to distinguish them easier.  I wonder what color the 5K runners will have?

- familiarizing myself with the course.  I do live relatively near the course, so I was thinking of driving it and making sure I know the turns. I wouldn’t want to follow all the marathoners and be in for more than I had prepared for!  I’ll probably do that on Saturday when I pick up my race packet.

That’s about all I can think of.  I’ll be at the race with a white long-sleeved race shirt with my blog logo (the pink foot) on the back, and wearing my green and gray Vibram FiveFingers, so hopefully I’ll be easy to spot.  I welcome anyone who’s been enjoying this blog to come up and say hi. It’s hard to know if anyone is actually following what I write, and I’d love to meet some new people! Look for me doing my ChiRunning body looseners before the run.  The pelvic circles, belly dancing style, should give me away. 

Good luck to everyone!  I’ll post after the race with a full review.