Half Marathon Packing List – Air Travel

• 22 • 13.1 Training

Packing for my half marathon today.  It’s the Diva’s Half Marathon this Saturday, September 14th in DC’s Wine Country near Leesburg, VA.  I registered for it back in April, perhaps not really thinking, in April, that September would actually come.  It has.

I’m carrying on all of my race day gear, to calm my nerves and because if my bag got lost it’d be hard to replace everything, I only have 15 hours between landing and start time!  Yikes.

Here’s what I’m packing:

In my carry-on for running gear:

  • My favorite compression shorts
  • 3 pairs of running socks (in case they get wet before the start?)
  • 2 favorite running tops (so I can pick between black and purple at the last second)
  • sports bra
  • 2 sparkly soul running headbands (so I can pick between black and silver at the last second)
  • My running shoes (Brooks Pure Cadence 2s)
  • Gu packets (6 total, 1 for before, and then I should take 3-4 during, plus an extra just in case)
  • My SPI belt to hold Gu packets and my phone
  • sweatshirt to wear prior to race start (then hand to Greg)
  • My out to dinner, post race, last night of my twenties dress (it’s small… and I would hate not to have it!)
  • Nuun electrolyte tabs.  I like to have one with 16 oz of water about two hours before a race/long run, and then do Gu with water during.  I’m not planning to do energy drinks during since I’m not used to combining the sugars/calories of Gu with anything besides water.
  • A small thing of sunscreen
  • Sport sunglasses
  • Bodyglide
  • Garmin & Garmin charger (of course it will hold enough of a charge… but the charger is small enough to bring!)
  • An empty re-usable water bottle (but not my hydration belt, I’ll use water stops instead)
The weather forecast is amazing right now – partially cloudy with a high of 68 degrees predicted.  GORGEOUS running weather.  I know I’ll be warm once I get started, so I’m sticking to my sleeveless running tank and compression shorts strategy despite knowing that it might be in the fifties at the start line.  (I’ve run in those temperatures in this outfit before.)  I have Greg with me right up until I enter the corral, so I’ll wear a sweatshirt there and toss it to him just prior to the start.
 
Print-outs I’m bringing in a folder tucked into my carryon:
  • Race registration confirmation & bib number (I’m 498)
  • Race course map, schedule, and parking information
  • Flight confirmation and itinerary
  • Rental car confirmation
  • Hotel confirmation
In my checked baggage:
  • hand blender, two bananas, half a cup of oats, travel packet of chia seeds
  • large bottle of my favorite sunscreen
  • clothes, makeup, blah blah blah
My carry-on liquids bag.  Makeup getting lost?  No problem, check it.
Gu on the other hand?  That’s not leaving my side.
TSA carry-on requirements are that you use a quart sized plastic bag for any liquids, aerosols or gels, and you make sure none of the items is larger than 3.4 oz.  I found that I could easily fit all my Gu, a chapstick, a small thing of sunscreen, and some nuun drink tablets in my ziplock bag.  (The nuun drink tablets don’t need to be in there, but it was easier for me mentally to just have it all together since there was room.)
About the hand blender:
 
All right, I realize this is kind of insane.  But I love drinking banana, chia, oat smoothies for breakfast every morning, and I had one two hours before my last race and it settled fine and allowed me a PR with no cramping.  Yes, I could eat a bagel, or toast, or oatmeal and a banana and probably be fine.  But I could also pack my hand blender and a few ingredients in my checked bag, and grab some ice from the icemaker, and engage in my typical morning pre-race ritual.
Instead of focusing on my nerves and trying to choke down a bagel that tastes dry because my mouth is dry because I’m NERVOUS AS ANYTHING, I can feel smug about how awesome I am for actually packing a hand blender and making myself a pre-race smoothie.  This isn’t really that awesome or smug-worthy, but I’ll feel like it shows great signs of foresight and preparedness, and those are GOOD feelings to have the morning of a race.  So, call me crazy… that’s all right.  I’ll engage in my pre-race ritual breakfast and I know it’ll calm as well as nourish.
Race updates ahead:
I’ll be posting a lot in the next few days about the half marathon – tomorrow’s post is about my race day strategy & some things I’m nervous about, and then I’ll be posting from my phone and surface during the race weekend!  So check back, wish me luck, see how I’m doing… I’ll run better for it 🙂
My nervous face getting ready for my last race… which was just a 5k!  Eek.
Want to read more about half marathon running?  Check out all my posts about my favorite distance, the 13.1: http://www.iamrunningthis.com/run-13-1/
Other posts you may enjoy:

My Half Marathon approaches! (eek)

• 19 • 13.1 Training

It’s almost here!  My last long run is done, and I’m officially in taper mode for my half marathon on September 14th.  I can finally see the race day weather prediction on my 10 day forecast.  This is truly excellent, because I’ve been looking for a new hobby recently.  Now that I’m tapering down on my runs, I spend most of my time sitting on the couch eating chocolates while the kids play quietly together.  Repeatedly hitting refresh on the weather channel app will be a much needed respite from this monotony of relaxation.

I’m traveling for the half marathon, it’s a mini “race-cation” (whoever coined that term is so awesome, but I can’t give them credit because it took off and you now see it everywhere).  I’m running the Diva’s Half Marathon in wine country, Virginia (near Leesburg)… the day before I turn 30.  (Which is not as big a deal as running 13.1 for the first time, see my brilliant planning here?!)

Greg and I are flying from Boston to Dulles on Friday the 13th, and then I run the race Saturday morning and fly back Sunday morning.  We’ve never left the kids for a weekend without us!  I’m nervous, but very lucky to have my parents who were willing to come into town for my birthday on Sunday and to take care of the kids.  I’m still a little nervous that the boys will miss me, but I know they’re in good hands.

Let me tell you a little about my personality:

I like routines, being prepared and structure.  I do not like surprises, feeling unprepared, or spontaneity.

Guess what this means for my race-cation packing? 

I ordered a running bag almost a month ago, and have been printing and double checking reservations, directions, race information, parking information, etc.  I am looking into carry on restrictions so I can bring my Gu and body glide in my carry-on bag, not because I think they’ll lose my luggage, but because I know I’ll spend the flight trying to plan for where I’m going to go buy replacements for all my running gear when I land 13 hours before the race, despite knowing they’re not going to lose my luggage.

It’s funny to do something not because you think it’s the logical and best thing to do, but because you know it’s the best thing for YOU to do because some personality flaw means you won’t relax if you don’t do it that way.

And hey, they do sometimes lose luggage, and my personality of preparedness has saved me a lot of hassle in the past.  Guess who had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when we were stuck on the tarmac for two hours coming home from Atlanta once?  This girl.  Right here.  Even though it wasn’t a meal time flight.

I’ll be sure to leave my parents a totally unnecessary checklist about the kids’ bedtime routine before we leave for the weekend, too.  I mean, it’s not like they raised three kids.  They probably would forget that the kids sleep in pajamas, brush their teeth and have stories.  It’s a pretty out-there bedtime routine.  (Also, Will would happily remind them if they missed something.  They’ll know if they try to give him Andrew’s toothbrush.  Promise.)

As I finalize my packing list, I’ll post something here for other race-cationers to reference!  (Or laugh at… you know, because I’m probably bringing two pairs of running shoes even though I have no intention of wearing the second.)

Other posts you may enjoy:

Using Removable Chalkboards for Running Motivation

Run Somewhere Beautiful

First 12 mile run completed!

First 12 Mile Run Completed!

• 13 • 13.1 Training
Accidentally hit stop on my watch
and missed .4 miles of running : /

Got up at 5:30 and went for a 12 mile run Thursday morning.  My sister is visiting, so I slept an extra half hour even though I was running longer, and she took over breakfast with Will & Andrew when Greg left for work!

I’ve been doing a lot of running with no music, in part because I misplaced my ipod, and in part because as the mother of small children I usually crave silence.  Tuesday, I ran with music for the first time in over a month, for a change on my three mile run.  I loved it.  Having such a long break from music made it feel novel again, and my playlist energized me instead of irritating me.

For my 12 mile run, I listened to the Beatles for the first 90 minutes.  Past Master’s Volumes I and II, like I was 13 again.  I haven’t listened to them in a while, and they’re great for maintaining a long-run pace while staving off boredom.  I found myself zoning out and really enjoying the miles, not quite remembering which song would come next, but knowing it’d be a favorite.

Whether it was the Beatles, or the cool weather, or the confidence that is building with each long run I complete, I actually ran faster than my normal long run pace.  I didn’t look at my watch too much, I didn’t take more walking breaks than usual, and I averaged a 10:23 pace instead of 11 something.  Is it possible… that I’m IMPROVING?  Let’s not get crazy here.

I did an out and back run, because I was afraid I’d lose motivation on a loop and complete ten or eleven instead of the full 12.  Just before my turning point at mile 6, I crossed a second town line, which felt pretty cool.  I went into a gas station to ask if I could refill my water bottle, and couldn’t resist asking what town I was in.  I knew.  It just felt really cool to ask and hear out loud that I was two towns over.

At mile 8, I ran out of energy.  Literally.  I was so hungry that when my husband texted me to ask how my run was going, I texted him back such a pathetic message about how hungry I was and how I didn’t have cash that he located my iphone using his phone and drove out to give me Gu and half a banana on his way to work.  (I use the phrase “on his way” loosely, because it was NOT on his way.)

It was a damsel in distress, knight in shining armor kind of moment.  I lifted my gaze from the sidewalk to see the sun glinting off his silver car, him leaning against it, a Gu in one hand, water bottle in the other.  Ahh, it was amazing.  And you know the best part?  I never once thought to ask him for a ride home.

Greg snapped this photo – you can see me coming in the distance, just a purple speck 🙂

Lesson learned on this run: I should eat something before I leave, or carry extra Gu.  Two Gus is not enough to make up for a 1,083 Calories burned deficit first thing in the morning… I needed at least two with me in addition to the one I took before I left.  Good to know now, not on race day.

I hit the stop button instead of the lap button at
a stop light and missed .4 miles of running 🙁

Training for my first half marathon: When did this become normal?!

• 10 • 13.1 Training
If you told me last August that I’d be training for a half marathon right now, I would have laughed in your face.  I was still struggling to run twenty minutes without stopping.  If you told me I’d be writing a blog about how much I love running, I would have laughed so hard I fell over.  (Which then would have been an excuse not to run.)
Andrew, last August on a family stroller run.
I was struggling to run twenty minutes without stopping.
When I signed up for the Diva’s Half Marathon back in April, the thought of running a half marathon seemed like a crazy dream, something I wasn’t sure was even possible.  At the time, I was training for my first 10k but had never run more than 5 miles without stopping.  
I sat down and talked to Greg about it.  We slept on it.  We talked more, in hushed tones.  Was this doable in 16 weeks?  Did I have the willpower… did I WANT to do this?  I signed up. We told NO ONE until after I’d successfully completed my 10k… it seemed so crazy, so insane that I would think I could do this, that it was a huge secret.
Now there’s no doubt in my mind that I will complete this half marathon.  Now, after running 10 miles twice, and 9 miles twice before that, I’m starting to realize that I’ll be ready four and a half weeks from now.  I can do this.  I will do this.  
It no longer even sounds weird to talk to other runners about how I’m training for a half.  
When did this become normal?  Yet, somehow, it did.  By adding a mile to my longest run every other week, I have gradually shifted the idea of 13.1 into normalcy.  Each long run does more than build my legs, it builds my mind.  
Out for an “easy” four miles with Mom.
A year ago I wouldn’t have believed I could call four miles easy!
The scary thing is that I now understand how someone could start running marathons.  I don’t see one in my future!  But now that I’ve experienced the shift between dreaming of running 3 miles without stopping, to believing that in a month I’ll run 13.1, well, I can see how bigger and bigger things become possible.  Whatever your current running dream is, if you work gradually towards it, you’ll see it shift to reality.  Then comes the scary question.  What’s next?
Other posts you may enjoy:

Second 10 Mile Run Done!

My Half Marathon Training Plan(s)

• 2 • 13.1 Training, My Running
Part of this blog has been sharing my progress towards my first half marathon in September, so I thought I’d offer some thoughts on picking a training plan for a race, and share my training plan for my half marathon.
Thoughts on Choosing a Training Plan for Any Race Distance:

Pick one that matches your goals: The 5k training plan designed to get current runners a PR is a lot different than the 5k training plan for someone who hasn’t run before and whose goal is to complete the race without walking.  I remember reading an article about training for a 5k that said the best way to train for a 5k was to train for a 10k.  Umm, not helpful advice for a brand new runner just trying to reach 3 miles, thanks.
Pick one you can stick to: Find one that’s practical for you as a runner.  How many miles does the plan expect you to be running in your first week?  How many days a week is it asking you to run?  Does it work in cross training, and if so, do you have time to do it?  Are you just squeaking in the plan before race day, or do you have a couple weeks to spare in case you need an extra recovery week, or a repeat week? 
Choose an appropriate plan based on your experience: A lot of training plans include a note about what your experience should be prior to using that plan.  Some are walk/run plans for new runners, others expect you to have been running 15 miles a week, others just ask that you’re comfortable running 6 miles.  A fun goal might be to look into training plans for an event you’d like to do in a year, and find out what you need to do now to get ready to start that training plan.  (Did I just say that it’d be fun to train for a training plan?  Yeah.  I did.  Yikes.)
www.cafepress.com/iamrunningthis


How I decided to Train for My Half: I created my own training plan, because I couldn’t find one for beginners that worked with how often I thought I was going to be able to run, since I’m balancing being a stay at home mom with my running.
My Original Plan:

My half marathon is in September, and I started training for it back in April.  At the time I started, I was over 4 months away and had been running 10 miles regularly for almost two months.  Before that, I’d been running anywhere from 0-10  miles a week because of a rough fall (bronchitis) and tough holiday season (sinus infection).
I looked up some half marathon training plans back in April, but many of them were geared towards more experienced runners than I.  I wasn’t starting from scratch, but I didn’t have a ton of time for training or a lofty time goal.  I just wanted to finish.  I had never run more than four miles without stopping at that point, and the thought of just completing a half marathon seemed crazy.  Exciting, but crazy.
Since I knew my goal (run 13.1 miles, not worrying about pace) and I knew how much time I had (about 17 weeks) I made my own training plan.   I figured it was realistic that I could run three times a week, two shorter runs of 3 miles each (hopefully one an interval run, and maybe one a stroller run with the boys) and then a long run.  For my long runs I would add a mile every other week, building in a recovery week with a shorter (or no) long run every six weeks.
Looking at some training plans and talking to Greg, I discovered that it’s recommended to taper down your long runs in the couple weeks leading up to your half marathon so that your legs can recover and you don’t get injured.  So I built in a couple weeks of shorter long runs prior to the event.
My Revised Plan: 
I added a fourth day of running: I discovered that somewhere along my path towards the half marathon, it no longer became appealing to only run three days a week.  I actually want, and would prefer, to run four or five.  This was completely unexpected, but I think it’s because my shorter runs became so much easier and more fun the longer my long runs became.  Once I started hitting long runs of 9 or 10 miles, I added in a fourth day of running to my week, and my three mile runs occasionally became four.  I was getting edgy on the days I didn’t run, and I enjoyed having an extra day of putting a few more miles in.  The transition from running 10 to 15 miles a week was harder than the transition from running 15 miles a week to 20.  (Note that it’s recommended you don’t increase your mileage more than ten percent per week, building up gradually is a good idea to avoid injury.)
My recovery weeks scheduled themselves: I also noticed that I had to move around a couple recovery weeks in order to accommodate myself.  There was a rough week when I had low motivation to run and was considering quitting my half marathon training (not seriously considering, but I was really regretting the whole thing).  I called off my long run, and took it easy for a week, logging 8.5 miles when I should have hit 15.  It made a huge difference mentally just to feel like it was ok to take a break from training when I needed it, and gave me the mental and physical boost I needed to have an awesome running week the week after, hitting 17.5 miles and having them be good ones.
I upped my weekly mileage for the second half of the program: I see a lot of training plans for half marathons where people are running 20-25 miles a week minimum and doing cross training to boot.  I try to remind myself that my goal was just to complete a half marathon for the first time, not to set a PR (though it will be, because it’s my first one!).  That said, I am turning some of my three mile runs into five mile runs to better prepare for a fun race.  I’m still not doing the strength training or cross training most plans would recommend, but I will finish this!
I’ve found that by being a little flexible, and focusing on upping my mileage rather than improving my pace, I’ve been able to successfully lengthen my long runs and work towards my goal of running those 13.1 miles.
My longest long run to date was 10 miles, and it went great.  I have six weeks left, and only one more 10 mile run between me and a recovery week of low pressure short runs.

I plan to run 12 miles as my longest long run before the half marathon.  If I can run 12 miles prior to race day, and have five double-digit-mile runs under my belt, I am thinking I can run 13.1 on race day and finish.  I’ll let you know how it goes J