Journey's Half Marathon Race Goals

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Leaving the starting line in May of 2011

I can't believe that my next half marathon is coming up THIS WEEKEND!!  This race has such a special place in my heart and I am so excited to be heading back up there.  It was this event back in 2011 when I started getting active.  I'd lost about 75 pounds by the time race day came around and while I'd been training to walk my first 5K and I really just hoped that I'd be able to finish the race.  Oh, how things have changed since that day!

Coming in to the finish,
May 2012

Last year when I ran the 5K I finished 7th in my age group and I was really looking forward to tackling the course again and seeing if I'd improved my 5K time.  Then, after the Oshkosh Half Marathon last month my brother-in-law, Alex, asked if I was going to run Eagle River?  I immediately responded no.  Then as Dan and I were driving home I started to think about it and had commented that I thought I was 5 minutes off my PR time and Dan reminded me that I was actually under 2 minutes off my PR time and then the decision was made... I wanted another crack at running 13.1 miles.

Not only is this half marathon course brand new to me but it is also a point to point.  I'm obviously hoping for a brand new PR since I was so close last month, however, I think this course is going to be a bit hillier than Oshkosh.  The other goals I have in mind:

After the race
May 2013

1. Start slow and maintain a good pace.  Negative splits, meaning the last half of the miles are faster than the first half, are always my goal but they've never happened.  Maybe this is the race!
2. Fuel regularly.  In Oshkosh I fueled every 3 miles and that seemed to work well so I am going to try that again.
3. Relax.  Drop my shoulders and breathe.  I tend to run with my shoulders all hunched up and then I hurt later so I'll spend some time every mile to evaluate my posture.
4. Stretch post-race.  My IT band has been super cranky lately so I know I need to stretch and foam roll.
5. Have fun.  All of the hard work is done so I just need to enjoy the scenery, my fellow runners and my time on the course.

If you'd like to show me some love perhaps you'd consider making a tax deductible donation to support my NEXT half marathon in July.  The money donated goes to support the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) and is 100% tax deductible.
http://www.active.com/donate/napaIL14/ILJMcElro1