About 3 hours ago I carefully peeled my Hal Higdon training schedule off the shelf where it has hung for the past 5 weeks.
Tomorrow is the big day and I have to admit that I am a bit nervous. It seems like I always get a bit jittery before I race and because I had such a disaster the last time out, I think I am approaching this race with a bit more trepidation than ususal. And yet,I know that I can do this. My training has gone really well, my knee feels pretty good and I am so ready emotionally.
One of the things I have been doing is a lot of visualization during my longer training runs, and I've found that it really does help. So much of this sport is in your head. Before setting off for distance I close my eyes and see myself running healthy and strong. I am in control - I am pacing myself perfectly for the miles ahead and my breath comes easily. I also visualize the finish - my first look at the finish ahead in the distance and I "feel" an energy surge that carries me across swiftly and easily with energy to spare.
This is how I see my race tomorrow. And I have the added plus of running with two other wonderful women. We all run at a different paces and probably won't run "together" the entire race - but it just feels good knowing they are there. So many hours are spent alone out on the road - it's funny that when push comes to shove, the support of others is so critically important.
A lot of us are running races tomorrow, all over the country. Good luck to everyone! I can't wait to hear how it goes.
