The day before the Half Marathon....

Well tomorrow is the first major step in my Ironman year. I am running a half marathon for the first time in my life.

It's been a heck of a week at work with little time to think or feel or do anything than just deal with work. The details I leave here for memories are Tax Season, IRS, and Late legislation. I've done likely 100 hours of work in the past 7 days with my mental breaking point being challenged over and over again. But I'd just breathe and keep going. I suppose this is a good mental training point for my half marathon on Sunday.

I took the notion of taper and let it be ok that I did little this week...6 mile run Sunday, 30 mins elliptical and strength on Tuesday, and 3 mile treadmill run with strength on Wed. As I type it out it seems reasonable, but man my weekly focus and excitement of the new workouts I'd do were not there...guess that is the point of tapering.

I thought about the race often and instead of my usual nervousness about it I let myself feel excited about it and confident that I can do it. I've let myself off the hook of some goal time, or doing it faster than others in my training group. I'm simply there to have said....it's possible...and you can have fun too. Also to be ready for challenges that are faced....the unexpected things that always occur from forgetting a piece of equipment or weather or your mind.

So my general plan is to start at a 12 minute pace and keep to that for the first half of the race. Try and keep running the whole time. If I need to slow down, then go ahead and slow down but in a manner that would still be called running. I'll be wearing my fuel belt, of which I drink my Accelerade punch flavor mixed with Robinsons Orange Cordial (a British treat I carry in my life), of which I will take a drink from this every 1 mile. Drink water from the aid stations when I need it, and to take 1 GU at the 1 hour mark and 2 hour mark.

To combat my mindset or the inevitable "you can't do this mindset" I am looking to focus on what will be around me. Take a look at the houses I pass and wonder about the person there. Enjoy the beauty of nature...from the trees and the greenness of the grass...and the lake. Smile at the people next to me and make comments that encourage them on like "you look great 423" or "what a lovely morning".

This is my plan....with my ability to adjust and deal with the unexpected.

So for the rest of the day I'm focusing on just being calm, ignoring work, planning what I'll wear, taking the dog to the beach and enjoying the barks he makes at the waves.

Simple things for a simple calm mind.