This week is the somewhat predictable mix of nerves and doubt (plus excitement), a.k.a. the pre-race racing of the mind. I’m sure if you were able to record my internal dialogue it would be some manic jumble that would leave you awkwardly shaking your head and backing away slowly. At least there are some more reasonable thoughts in there too like “Did I do/think this last time?” So this is a record of my pre-race insanity to look back on next time and be like “Oh, yeah. You went off the deep end then too and you still had a fine race.” Future Sarah, here’s a glimpse into your brain 4 days before your target half marathon.
- You wish you had pushed those tempo runs faster, and are generally doubting everything about your training. You’re resisting the urge to comb through your training calendar to see if by some chance your target race pace is miscalculated and you had an errant run in there somewhere with a magically faster pace.
- You’re torn between actually racing and, well, just sleeping in.
- After months of training you’re convinced you have no appropriate race gear. Also after months of training like a color blind clown, you suddenly feel compelled to match your race day outfit.
- You’re still hungry to go faster (see #1), so this seems like a good thing. You’re not burnt out, exhausted, and there are no weird pains anywhere, so these are also good.
- You regret not doing more tune-up races. (Future Sarah: do more of these next time.)
- You’re obsessing about your pre-race attempt at nail art. What color made you run faster? (Asking for the future.)
- You can’t fathom running 13.1 miles fast. This is the most predictable pre-race doubt, but damn…those 6 miles this morning did feel kind of long.
- So far you’ve abstained from adult beverages this week and plan to do so until the race is over. After that…well, bottoms up.
- You’re stressed this week about non-running things, though you keep imagining the race as a release for both the good bout of training and all these other things. Work it out, girl!
- This time around you’re not yet dreaming about your post-race meal, but there’s still time to come up with this season’s ultimate food fantasy. Burger? Tacos? Who knows.
Let’s end on a positive note, shall we? Last night while you were cooking dinner you came up with the ultimate mantra: big dreams, small steps. No matter what happens on Saturday, you’ve taken a small step towards your goals.
XO,
Past Sarah
