Rookie Mistakes

So, I have less than 12 hours before my first ever half marathon. I feel like the opening line of Dickens's Tale of Two Cities. You know the line that goes along something like it was the best of times, it was the worst of times, etc etc for five lines or so. It's one long sentence full of contradictions. If you've never read the book, you should read it. I've read the first half about a dozen times but never got around to finishing it . I can assure you that the first half is quite good.

And one other thing about this race, I keep on making these rookie mistakes. I do things that every running blog I've ever read keep on warning me against. First of all, I went to the running store and bought a whole bunch of things that I should not be buying for the first time before a race.

Exhibit A

For the first time ever, I will be trying out the GUs. I know that I should have tested it out on a long run to make sure that my stomach can handle it, but I opted to be cheap and didn't take any during training runs. Then I realized that i had nothing to carry the GUs with. I briefly considered stuffing them in my sports bra, but then i didn't think the massive chafing would be worth it. So I shelled out some more dollars for a sprint handheld, that I've never tried before. This way, I can take the GUs next to a porta potty as opposed to a water station just in case . . . I decided to also purchase a foam roller. I've heard so many good things, but not so much about it hurting like h**l. But now I can squat without my calf muscles being on fire.

This morning, I also picked up my race packet. My bfriend drove me forty minutes. Then I promptly remembered that I forgot my wallet right in front of the registration area. He was not happy. In a typical Rena fashion, I wanted to cry and turn back home. But he had sense and made me go in and try to register without an ID. It worked. They did not ask.

Yes, that is fertilizer next to the peanut butter. 

The shirt was too big, but slinky and nice. Peanut butter, I will use, probably exclusively once homework gets overwhelming and I can't be bothered to cook. And the fertilizer will be a gift to a lucky person. Probably to my bfriend's dad. Although he owns a farm, so I don't know how much use a tiny bottle of organic fertilizer will do for him.

I've also laid out my clothes for tomorrow and pinned my bib.

Yes. I am wearing the same outfit as in that 5K I ran a month ago. I hope it's lucky since I did better than my goal time then. Don't judge. I promise I washed it since then. I am not the person who believes laundry will wash the good luck off. 

So to  make it suckier for me, I am going to tell all of you my goals for the race. This way, I can't just decide to walk the whole thing. I am more accountable. Also, 80% chance thunder storm tomorrow. I hope everyone drops out and I can take first. :P Actually, being a Californian girl for a good chunk of my life, I've never run with water falling from anywhere other than my sweaty clothes. It will be an experience. 

Goals: 1. To finish under two hours. According to a vdot calculator, with the level of fitness I had at the time of the 5K, I can finish under two hours. I am highly mistrustful. My long run has never been at the half marathon pace. It's always been ran at the prescribed long run pace. and My last long run was three weeks ago, which seems like a long time. Also, I'm doing all the random stuff that I'm not supposed to do. Oh and apparently, the course is HILLY! Hills are my enemy. It's the Lois to my Stewie. (Family Guy reference). And race directors were mean and put a mother of all hills that's a mile long in the last two mile from the end. Clearly, they should have leveled the ground just for the race this year. 

2. To finish the half and run the whole time excluding possible GU potty break and water station mayhem. 

This way if I don't meet goal 1, highly doubtful at this point, I can at least meet goal 2. 

Wish me luck!!

What do you guys do before a stressful event?