Handling Pre-Race Jitters & Team Blisters In The Sun
By admin
In just a few hours I’ll be hitting the road with Dan and Amanda to run my 3rd official half marathon in Myrtle Beach, SC. It also happens to be the very first half marathon that I ran last year.
Like all runs, I am already anxious and excited. I keep wondering if I set my goal too high? Did I train smart? Did I train hard enough? Too hard? Am I hydrated and properly fueled?
But no matter how much my mind tries to make me doubt myself, my legs are ready. They know what to do, and they know that when Sunday morning rolls around that they can handle the distance.
As for the time, that we’ll just have to wait and see.
Handling Pre-Race Jitters
Do you get nervous before a race?
For me, it doesn’t matter if it’s a 5K or a half marathon, I do. Even though I know my body can handle the distances, I don’t want to just make it to the finishline, I want a solid race.
I care. No matter if I’m running 50 yards or 5000, I care.
So how do I handle race day jitters?
- Start my morning as routine as possible. Toast with peanut butter and banana… always. I always wake up an hour before we have to leave to allow my stomach time to wake up and such. Routine feels good when I’m nervous. It helps to keep me calm yet focused.
- Preparation. I make sure to set everything out the night before that I need. That way I’m not freaking out that I can’t find my sock or that my GPS isn’t charged. It’s all waiting for me in a pile on the floor.
- Just breath. When I get anxious my heart beats faster and my breathing increases as if I’m running in place. When I feel the pre-race anxiety building up (normally about 30 minutes before start), I take deep breaths and focus on each one. This gets me back to a healthy baseline to keep me calm and collected.
- Picture it. I’ve learned that some of the best athletes in the world take time to picture their performance before an event. I do the same. Picturing my feet stride effortlessly over the pavement, each breath feeling easy, and at the end the strong sprint through the finish. Sounds corny but it works.
- Goal setting. I’ve set some pretty big goals for this race. I’ve shared them with just a handful of people and I’m ready to chase after them (no pun intended). I’ll let you know the outcome!
Team Blisters In The Sun
Let’s change it up just a bit real fast. Last year I ran a 6 man relay race that covered 70 miles. It was called the Palmetto 70 and our team… “Taylor’s Swifts” had a blast.
Don’t know why, but I love this picture… team support!
So much so that we’ve decided to forgo the 70 and jump to the Palmetto 200, this go around it will be a 12 (wo)man team…
Team Blisters In The Sun
I’m so excited as we have a great team forming! My friends Jeanette, Ashton, Amanda, Felicia, and Cheyanne are joining in as well some some special blogging friends (blends) Amanda (RunToTheFinish.com), Larisa (ZerotoTwentySixPointTwo.blogspot.com), Lindsay (CotterCrunch.com), and Lynda.
Due to some schedule issues we have 2 spots open up! Just leave a message if you’re interested in joining our crazy team for the race of a lifetime. Oh and did I mention this year the race is the weekend before my 30th birthday? Way to celebrate!
There Is No “I” In Race
I recently sat down with race director Kirk Sadler to talk about the Palmetto 200 (and 70) and what to expect. If you’re thinking about doing a relay race (this one or any other one) check it out!
I promise soon, I’ll start doing my hair differently for videos.