Pre-race: 2011 Wine & Dine Half Marathon

12 followers! Not too shabby! It's now 6:41 A.M. on race day. My plan is to get to Epcot around 7:00 P.M., and Ashlie and I will hop on a bus to the start corrals as soon as they start running. After that, I'm going to laze around in the grass - not really stretching... but not really lazing either.

It's weird. After a year, I did not have the same sweep nightmares that I had last year. My only fear this year is not finishing because of some obstacle. I think it comes about because I have my first full marathon in four months, which I hope this will show some sort of endurance. I hope I can move my legs more than last year - because while I was in better shape for this race, I don't think I paced myself well. I was so hyped on adrenaline that I finished my first three miles in 21 minutes. (Yeah, I didn't think I could move that fast either... except to get out of a burning building.)

I know I have a loving support team (who will most likely be tanked by the time I get to the finish line), consisting of my boyfriend, Joe, and my little, Ashlie. My parents will be driving up to go to the Food & Wine Festival on Sunday with Joe and I.

I have run consistently this week to prepare. After a foot injury two weeks ago from heels (yeah) and recovering from a bad cold, I want to just finish this beast. I packed in an 8 mile run, 5 mile run, 10 mile run, and 3 mile "run/whatever" to make myself come to this. After I got on the road, I had plenty of time to sit and think. I thought about all the times in high school I didn't really want to run. I could run a mile... no big deal. But anything more than that... I just didn't want to.

I remember running in college, and that was a big fail. Until my friend, Amanda, signed up for her first half marathon and encouraged me to do it. I remember thinking: "This would be a great activity for Joe and I do to do together." (Unfortunately, his knees won't let him, but that doesn't stop him from being my number one fan!) And I signed up for my first 5K... and did it. It took me longer than I thought I would... A cold February day... and I ran by Kellum Hall and Smith Hall and realized I could push myself further.

Fast forward to a 10K, where I twisted my ankle on mile 5, and I still ran to the finish. My time was still good enough to submit for start time. That reminds me, I need to run another 10K before the year is out for start placement. Who was cheering me on and running alongside me for the last .25 miles? Joe.

After last year's half marathon, who was the one who force fed me a banana, a muffin, and whatever other food he could try to get me to eat? You guessed it. Joe.

And he never fails to surprise me and remind me why I'm with such a perfectly amazing guy... He planned a surprise party by faking me out. (Thanks Ashlie, Christen, and Brandon! I love the shout outs on the wall from my friends.) I told him that he better not have any other surprises in his sleeves. I've got nothing this weekend but all my effort to put into the race. Oh, and one trusty pair of shoes that I'm probably going to donate.

So after eating cake, smart popcorn, and various stuff I'm not supposed to eat and vegging on fries/fried pickles with Ashlie + late night Olive Garden... I'm ready for some healthy food (i.e. Sweet Tomatoes) at lunch.

The half looks to be more organized than last year. We are not going to be funneled on one lane, but rather Osceola Parkway will be closed entirely for the race. They claim that their water stations are approximately every 1.5 miles, but I think it will be closer to a mile. That's how they had them last year.

My upcoming races:
+ November 2011 5K with a beginning runner, who is a classmate of mine
+ January 2012 Disney World Marathon (my first!)
+ February 2012 Disney World Princess Half Marathon
~ September 2012 Disneyland Half Marathon (tentatively)

I have a few words of wisdom for anyone thinking about running their first race.

• Sign up for a race to get you motivated. I paid a pretty hefty fee for a Disney race, and that completely motivated me. You'll have a deadline for your goal. Commit yourself to a running plan. (Don't be like me who just decided to run 8 miles to see if I still could.)
• Get support from your friends and family. See if anyone will be waiting for you at the finish line. That is a big motivator for me. I WANT to see their smiling faces at the end.
• Build up to your race. If you've never run a 5K/10K and want to do a half marathon/full marathon, do that first.
  
• Talk to other runners, whether it's people who you know or commenting on blogs to find what tips they have.
• Running is 85% mental. You can do it. If you tell yourself that, you will succeed.
• I like running with music. It makes the time go by faster, and it helps me keep my pace. If you don't, that's cool too.
  

All that aside, I truly believe that everyone is in my life for a reason. Thank you all for your support, and I hope that the next time I post, I can include a nice picture of my medal. xx