Nerves

I don't know if anyone else is watching the countdown on the right side of our blog, but if not, I'll draw your attention to it.

YIKES! I'm running a half marathon in less than 48 hours!!

It's strange. I didn't think I'd be nervous. Although the typical training schedule for a half marathon only requires running 10 miles prior to the race (which is 13.1 miles long), Chelise and I decided, for various reasons, to try to run the full distance prior to race day. Last Tuesday we did it (or at least got really close). So I shouldn't be nervous. I know I can do it. But...

Some people have told me that running a race is easier than training for it because of the adrenalin boost on race day. My experience has been the opposite. My nerves, along with the unfamiliar course, have always made a race harder for me. I'm guessing this race will be no different. So here I sit having last minute panic episodes. Do I carbo-load? Do I not carbo-load? What do I eat the night before? What do I eat the morning of? Should I just do what I've been doing, or should I try to do something to really improve my performance? Unfortunately, online searches just provide conflicting information, so I've come to the conclusion that I need to pretend that Saturday morning will just be another ordinary run, and eat/sleep/behave accordingly.

Really, my aspirations are not that high. I don't have any intention of competing, I have no goals for how fast I want to complete the race. I just want to run the whole thing...

Maybe I should at least set a goal that I won't fall on my face. :)