race goals

Friday Five – RnR Philly Goals

September 16, 2016 by Michelle 26 Comments

RnR Philly Race Weekend is here!

I’m on a plane to Philadelphia tomorrow morning to run the RnR Philly Half on Sunday. My husband J will be traveling with me, while my kiddos get a “guy’s weekend” with my brother. I’ve got a bunch of errands to run and packing to do, but I thought I take a moment to share some goals for this weekend.

Complete the distance, upright and happy — It’s been 2 years since I’ve toed the line for a half marathon, so above all else, this race is about returning to 13.1, enjoying the ride, and laying the ground work for more to come!

Start slow — Even in my recent long runs, the RC coaches have been urging me to start much slower. I know I’m going to be super psyched at the start of the race, but the goal will be to start slow for the first couple of miles and gradually pick up the pace.

Finish strong — My last long training run was 11 miles and I sputtered through the last couple of miles. For Sunday, I’d like feel strong in the final few miles and be able to push to the finish.

Pay attention to hydration — It looks like Sunday will be humid…seriously, where is fall?!? I’m still on the fence about whether I’ll run with my hydration belt or my handheld…or just rely on the water stops. But the goal here is to be smart and stay well-hydrated.

Enjoy all of the RnR goodness — From meet-ups with some #RocknBlog teammates, to bands along the course, to the VIP upgrade (hello indoor bathrooms!), to the great atmosphere that is a Rock ‘n’ Roll race! I’m going to soak it all in!

Who else is race-bound this weekend?

I’m linking up with Courtney, Mar, and Cynthia for the #FridayFive.

Filed Under: Friday Five, race goals, RnRPhilly

Friday Five – Race Time and an Anniversary

October 11, 2013 by Michelle 6 Comments

Coffee cup in hand and lots of thoughts swirling in my head….

1. This has been such an odd race week. I have been icing, stretching and doing everything else I can think of to baby my right knee and foot. There are moments things feel pretty good and other times I cannot believe how much everything hurts!

2. I’ve only run once – a 4 mile fartlek yesterday. Some discomfort but no serious pain – I’m calling it a small victory.

3. Originally the B.A.A. Half was going to be a goal race – I was hoping to go after a PR. Obviously, I’ve been rethinking that goal all week and trying to figure out what’s realistic. Still have no idea what time goal to aim for – looking forward to my call with Coach Bennett to see what he thinks.

4. I am so excited for my running buddy E – this will be her first half! She’s trained so hard for this and I just know she’s going to do great! I can’t wait to see her cross the finish line!

5. My hubs J gave me an amazing pep talk last night. His support always means so much to me. And, today is our 21st wedding anniversary!

Are you racing this weekend?

Filed Under: BAA, family support, Friday Five, race goals

Getting Ready for ZOOMA

September 21, 2012 by Michelle 10 Comments

I just finished my bi-weekly call with Coach Bennett and I’m feeling so positive and fired up I wish I could run now! We talked about my last few training runs this week and how to approach Saturday’s race. But beyond talking race strategy, the biggest gift Bennett gave me this morning was to help me reflect on this training cycle — to remind me of the challenges he put before me and how far I’ve come since we started. He says things in such a calm, matter-of-fact way that you can’t help but feel confident.

So I am ready to see what tomorrow brings. My goals?

Execute a smart race strategy – especially avoiding going out too fast
Run strong on the back half of the course
PR (I’ve got A and B goals on this one)
Finish the race without injury so I’m set up for the rest of my fall races

I’ll be heading down to the Cape this afternoon with my friend E once our kids get home from school. Looking forward to seeing the whole ZOOMA crew tonight at the “Mocktail Hour” sponsored by HINT water – should be a fun way to kick off the race festivities!

Who else is racing this weekend?

Filed Under: pre-race, race goals, running coach, ZOOMA Cape Cod