Half Marathon Taper Check List

A bright and cheery good morning to each of you! I hope your week is going well so far. Mine week is going wonderfully as it’s only a four day work week  and I have a great weekend coming up!

Believe it or not, the National Half Marathon is this weekend which means my training has entered taper mode. Come Friday, Theodora, Ali, and I will all head down to Washington, DC via Bolt Bus, ready to rock this half marathon! I’m definitely excited for a taper week as I have trained hard these past few weeks, incorporating cross training and speed training into my training for the first time! Luckily, the results are starting to show as I’ve lost a few pounds and set a new PR in my last NYRR race, last month.

184294_670132991193_24200188_37793700_7601844_n I thought I would share some of my taper week tips and preparation check list with you all.

  1. Rest: Even though I had a pretty epic weekend, I’m making sure that Sunday through race day I enjoy at least 7 hours of sleep per night. It is important to give your muscles time to heal and recover this week.
  2. Hydrate: Water is a miracle drug in my book, giving me energy when I’m dragging and keeping me going through even the hardest of workouts. It’s essential that you’re hydrated on race day and this can’t happen from chugging water that day alone. Focus on increasing your water intake all week and possibly throw in a little extra sodium or salt pills the night before the race to help retain some of that water. Also, if you’ve hydrated with a Camel-Bak or water bottle during your training, make sure to bring that same item for race day. You don’t want to try anything new on race day. Crunch Yoga
  3. Stretch/Yoga: I find that stretching and yoga help me relax, work out toxins and buildup in my muscles, and prepare my legs for the big day. Make sure to include foam rolling and or the stick in your practice to work out any knots in your legs or tightness in your itband. Make sure not to take any tough yoga classes which may strain your muscles the week of the race. As always, listen to your body. Yesterday, I enjoyed an amazing hot vinyasa class with Lauren at Yoga to the People. Since it’s race week, I didn’t push myself as far into the stretches as I normally would have and found child’s pose more than once during the practice. IMG_0973 IMG_0879
  4. Laundry: This may seem silly but make sure all your favorite running gear, right down to your socks, are clean for race day. More than once, I’ve gone searching for clothes the night before only to realize they are deep in the dirty clothes pile.
  5. Go shopping early in the week: Head to your favorite running store early in the week to buy your necessary supplies such as Camel Bak cleaner, Shot Blocks, or Gu. You don’t want to wait until Thursday or Friday only to find that they are out of your favorite flavor. I don’t recommend waiting until the Expo either because you never know which vendors or brands will be on site that day.
  6. Organize your gear early: No later than Thursday night, put all your race day gear in a pile near an outlet. This allows you to charge your electronics (Garmin, iPod, etc) in the same area as your clothes pile so you don’t forget them in the wall when you leave for the race or trip. I have definitely done this at least once and want you all to learn from my mistakes! Make sure to also pack these chargers for the weekend. Yes, they take up extra space, but if you or any running buddies need them during the weekend they are well worth it! Also, make sure to make a packing list for not only race gear, but also the rest of the items you’ll need for the weekend or race day.
  7. 7. Make a playlist: If you run with music, you know how important having fun music is for a great run. The upbeat music keeps your running going, even when the going gets tough. Be sure to include a few inspirational favorites, a few surprises, and one song that can get your pace going even when your legs feel like lead. If you’re looking for a few new song suggestions I suggest checking out iTunes list of most popular downloads, or Jes’ playlists here and my latest playlist here.

    image8. Set a goal: Establish ahead of time what your intention is for the race. Do you want to PR? Do you want to take at least 20 pictures along the course with all your friends? Do you want to finish your first half? Regardless of the goal, having an intention will help keep you strong throughout the race. Some people find it helps to write this intention on their wrist or hand, so they can remember it during the race. My goal for the National Half Marathon is to finish under 2:15.

    9. HAVE FUN so you can smile afterwards!

    What are your race week suggestions? Is there anything I missed? Are you running the National Half Marathon? If so, what is your bib color?

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Rocking the Solo Long Run

While running with Theodora is always fun, sometimes it’s great to get out and enjoy the fresh air alone. It allows for day dreaming, random running paths that are chosen at a moment’s desire, and singing along to a great playlist.

Even though I enjoyed my normal pre-run breakfast at 9am, I didn’t make it out the door until past 10!

IMG_0831 (800x598) (640x478) The next hour was spent cleaning, debating what to wear, and organizing the house.

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Since the weather was sunny but still a tad cool (41 degrees) when I started I opted for the following outfit:

  • Champion Sports Bra
  • ING Marathon Aasics long sleeve technical t-shirt
  • ING Marathon windbreaker
  • Lululemon crop pants
  • Lululemon headband

It was the perfect outfit until around mile 8 when the sunshine was out and the temperature had reached almost 50 degrees!

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I left the house with one goal in mind: stay as close as possible to my half marathon goal pace for the entire run.

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It was absolutely gorgeous out as you can tell from some of today’s pictures! I was definitely all smiles for the first five miles of the run!

IMG_0840 (800x598) (640x478)Seeing the view above reminded me of the last mile of the marathon!          IMG_0847 (800x598) (640x478)

By the time I reached the resevoir my legs were screaming at me. IMG_0849 (640x480) (640x480)

I didn’t realize my upper hamstring/glutes were so tight.  I suppose that is what a return to spinning will do! I took a 5 minute break for fuel, water, and a few downward dogs.

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I left the park around mile 8.5, ready for a quick run DOWN Murray Hill and midtown. But, before I could escape the park area I had to capture a few more pictures of the crazy things one sees when visiting the park.   IMG_0860 (598x800) (478x640) IMG_0859 (800x598) (640x478)

The daffodils have broken ground which means Spring has arrived! Between my allergies, the number of people in the park today, the green grass, and birds it is clear that Spring has arrived in New York City!

Since my last mile was my fastest of the day, the run home felt like nothing! But, I did spend the last few minutes dreaming of a massage, a much needed yoga class, and cleaning my Camel Bak. Oh yes, you read that right, I haven’t cleaned my Camel Bak with anything stronger than water since I bought it back in July.

10.18 miles done in 1:43! If I can keep this pace in the half, I’ll be able to reach my goal!

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But, after stretching, that was the first thing on my to-do list! I bought this cleaning kit from Amazon and was very pleased with it! The dark gunk quickly dissolved and my CamelBak is now fresh and clean!

After the cleaning session, my stomach was growling. I finally enjoyed one of Caitlin’s amazing grilled banana sandwiches!

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After a quick shower I’m heading to the grocery store to buy the ingredients for tomorrow’s brunch! I have a lot to do this afternoon so I better get moving in fast gear!

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