Aghh, restless

Running
Rest day and getting restless, in fact I have sat down to blog because I have been pacing the house. I took a drive along the half marathon course this morning at about 930. It was a perfect morning for a run (no don't worry, I didn't) unfortunately it won't be so perfect on Sunday, but so be it, I have run in far nastier weather than what is being predicted.

Back to the course, not as hilly as I feared it would be, more gently undulating with some lovely downhill stretches to help make up some speed. Also Fitzroy Street was no where near as bad as I thought, I am familiar with this street but obviously had not looked at it from the point of view of a runner before. To put it in perspective I reckon the haul up Swanston Street during the Run for the Kids was more of a challenge.

So now I have had a good look and I have been able to build up a bit of a race strategy. Early on the road is a bit curvy so I'll stick to the inside/middle of the road for the first 6 Km or so. The critical 16Km mark (5Km to go) is around Lunar Park and then Vic Barracks is about 1Km (maybe slightly less) to go, it is about this point that I start trying to talk myself out of throwing up. Yep, you heard right, after over 10 fun runs now I still have not found a way of managing the over whelming anxiety that strikes me in the closing Km. I come over all panicky and the dry heaves start. Sorry, gross I know, if anyone knows any tricks to over come this I'd love to know, getting a bit tired of crossing the finish line the doubling over.

And don't stress about my hydration strategy (or lack there of) on race morning, it is tried and true. As most of my runs are done in the afternoons, after I have been drinking water all day, even if I go to the loo before hand about a Km in I always need to pee again. I have experimented with running though it but I end up with a stitch. However on morning long runs I only have some toast and jam and nothing to drink, subsequently I am not troubled, even though I do drink during the run. I certainly plan on drinking during the half, I'll do that same as last time, take 20 seconds to slow down around the half way aid station and have a proper drink of sport drink. Fortunately they are using Endura which I have been drinking since the start of the year.

Here is a pic I took on the course today at about the 15Km mark, I got some funny looks standing there on the nature strip taking the photo.