I always get super nervous the week of races. Usually for 5K’s, I don’t get so nervous anymore. But this one is a bit longer than 5K (actually a completely random distance of 11.03 miles, makes sense right?), and it guarantees me an entry into the Marine Corp Marathon in October.
I decided after my last half-marathon that I wanted to run the next half in 2:10 or less. After my 9 mile run with a 9:45 min/mile pace, that’s completely doable. For this race, I’m hoping to finish in 1:55 or less (I’m giving myself a 5 minute cushion, because I’ve heard the course was hard). It’s only 2 more miles than what I ran last weekend (and I ran 9 in 1:28), and it’s only 2 miles short of a half-marathon.
I’m really trying to start setting reachable goals for each race, instead of just going out there and running and not having any expectations. Now that I’ve been running more, I can start setting these goals and working my butt off to reach them.
I’m really excited for this race because I get to meet Christy and Rebecca. I get to visit DC after I’m done running and explore! I’ve never been there before so it’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m even more excited because I’ll get to register for the MCM right once I get to a computer and get to avoid getting shut out of it.
Now all I need to do is pack and set my race playlist :)
Anyone else racing this weekend? What goals do you set when racing?
