Race… Goals???
My race is coming up this Sunday!!! Final preparations are underway! Let’s look at an excerpt from this email I got from the race organizers: Hello Runner, Sweat, Swat, n’ Swear 50K, 25K, 10M is two weeks away! We hope you have been practicing your “sentence enhancers”! Also, biting flies are real and typically bug spray doesn’t repel them. Some runners believe tying a dryer sheet to their hat or pack helps. Another option is cat nip mist. (Seriously – you can find it in the pet aisle at Walmart). Spray the mist on your hat, clothes, etc to repel them. Ahem! Well as it happens, I did get a chance to practice my “sentence enhancers” on my extremely hot and difficult long run last week. I also got on Amazon immediately and ordered this: The latest email we got said this: The water stations are approximately 5 miles apart and approximately 10 miles between staffed aid stations, so plan your nutrition accordingly. All participants are expected to carry a handheld, waist pack, or hydration pack/vest. It will be HOT (prediction: “real feel” 98 degrees) and access to hydration is vital for success (and your health). Well… a “real feel” of 98 is better than 106, which was the “real feel” at the end of my run last week. I’m prepared for the weather. So what are my goals for the race? Perhaps “goal” is the wrong word. Hopes and wishes would probably be more accurate. Last year I ran the Dunes 50K and finished in 7:30, so of course I would like to do better than that. There are no sand dunes in this race; but on the other hand it will be hotter. Who knows? I think a PR is possible, but as I’ve learned the hard way, nothing is guaranteed. At the end of the day, I want to finish this race and have a great experience. Not every moment will be great, obviously, but I want to look back on it and say it was an amazing adventure. Oh, and one more thing- I want to finish this race with both ankles intact. Obviously. Do you have any adventures coming up this summer? How do you feel about biting flies? – Ha, trick question. Although maybe they’ll make me run faster!