Another 13.1, in the books!  Michael and I completed the Rock n Roll half-marathon on Saturday!  It was my 4th half-marathon (I’ve run 1 full) and Michael’s second.  At the beginning of our training, I shared 5 Half Marathon Training Tips, and today I’m sharing a few tips to keep in mind the week of the half-marathon plus a race recap!

Week Before Half Marathon

I completed my last long run the Saturday before the race, exactly one week prior.  I actually didn’t run at all the week of the race, which isn’t really ideal, but I wanted to squeeze in a couple of SoulCycle classes so I took a spin class on both Monday and Tuesday.  While spin is obviously not the same as running, it kept my legs loose.

I went on a short walk on Wednesday and took Thursday and Friday completely off.

I tried to eat really clean all week, I drank lots of water, and I cut out all alcohol.  The day before the race, Friday, I stuck to my normal eating schedule and didn’t try anything new.  Definitely don’t eat something you’ve never tried the night before the race!  Having a stomach ache the night before or on race day isn’t worth it!

Race Day

The morning of race day, I woke up 1.5 hours prior to needing to leave the apartment.  I’m an avid coffee drinker, so I knew I wanted to have enough time to drink my coffee, have breakfast, and allow time for my food to digest.  I had my usual coffee with one scoop of collagen peptides plus a bagel and greek yogurt.

It was pretty chilly the morning of the race (around 35 degrees).  I wore a version of what I had worn for every cold weather run during training:  lululemon pants (I’m obsessed with these because they’re super high waisted, they don’t fall down, and I like the length), lululemon sports bra, lululemon tank, Nike long sleeve tech tee, Nike long sleeve pullover, puffer vest (similar),  and a North Face headband.  I ran in my Nike Free RN shoes and used this armband to hold my phone.  One of the best (and most random) accessories that I bought for my very first half-marathon is this fitness belt made especially for running.  It held my chapstick, keys, credit cards, and I have heavy duty plastic zip ties that I use to secure my racing bid (the sheet of paper with my number on it).

The key to race day is to trust your training and stick to your routine.  Don’t try out new shoes or new pants or anything else that might throw off your routine.  Stick to what you know.

Michael and I ran the entire 13.1 miles with no walking breaks, including up the giant hill at mile 6 on the course.  I didn’t drink any water on the course, but everyone is different.  Some folks need water/gatorade/gel packets every few miles.

The Rock n Roll race is always a ton of fun as the route crosses through a lot of different neighborhoods throughout the city.  It’s fun to have all of the neighbors outside on their front porches along the route cheering all of the runners on, and there’s always the house that’s handing out shots of Jack Daniels along the route (a few folks running around us actually took a shot!).  Crossing the finish line after a long race is such a great feeling especially after months of training!   If you’re contemplating signing up for your first half, I highly recommend doing it!

After the race we headed straight to brunch where we ate all the food!  Expect to be worn out for the rest of the day after a half-marathon.  We spent the majority of Saturday afternoon on the couch catching up on a few Netflix shows.  And on Sunday, we treated ourselves to much needed pedicures!

If you’re training for your first half and have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or shoot me an email at [email protected]!