6 Days 'Till Disney!

I can't believe race day is so close now.... just 6 days until the Disneyland Half. This was my very first half marathon back in 2007 and I've run it every year since then. Historically, this has been a good course for me to PR on. I know it can be very crowded in the first few miles - this is especially true if you are starting in Corral D or later. But in my experience here, as long as you're in C or higher, you've got an awesome shot at PRing on this very flat and fun course!  For the first time, I was placed in Corral A which means we'll be crossing the Start very close to 5:30am - and done by 7:15; well before the sun is out in full force. Our weather has been heating up these last few days but if I believe the weather reports, we are looking at 80F tops on Sunday and maybe even seeing a little cloud cover. YES!!! Now if I can get the stars and the moon to align just right, we're 'all systems go' for a possible PR! :-)

To Do:  Freaking Chill Out!

Work stress has been over-riding my PR stress the last week. I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing but it's taken my mind off the PR pressure a little and maybe given me some perspective too. I'm taking the afternoon off on Friday to drive down to the Expo a day earlier than usual. I need a new runDisney hat since I lost my mine and since we usually wait until Saturday afternoon to pick up our packets & bibs, the good stuff is pretty much gone.  Hubby is going to drive down with me and we'll find a spot to have lunch in Downtown Disney, take in the sights and enjoy some people watching. Like I told him, I just want to go down there and relax in that environment before race day. Soak up the excitement but chill out and get ready to get my head in the game too. It's going to be an awesome weekend!

We have several members in our Galloway program training for the Long Beach Marathon and they had a 23 mile training run this past Saturday.Since hubby and I are both racing the DLand Half, we decided to split the miles up between us. He ran with the group for miles 1-12.5.  I met them at mile 10 with fluids and then again at mile 12.5 with more fluids and fuel. Hubby took the support vehicle home and I stayed with everyone through a very hot hot hot end to a very long long long run! I am happy to report though that everyone made it the entire distance and I couldn't be prouder! One more long run of 26 miles in a few weeks and they'll start their taper. Exciting!!!

During this 10.5 miles, I tested out a new pair of Pearl Izumi's: the EM ROAD M3.  Now granted, I was running about 4-5 min/mile slower than when I run on my own but it was still a good test distance. It seems like PI has stopped making the Streak available and this new Project E Motion series is their next big line. I have such fantastic luck with PI shoes that I knew I had to try them.  The run went really well and my initial impressions are nothing short of positive and optimistic. I'll post a review once I get about 100 miles on them. That seems to be the mileage when my body tells me to accept or reject a new model via strange aches and pains or bruising. I did get a raw spot on the base of my big toe on my left foot but that might have been the result of a) running a long-ish run in brand new shoes and/or b) compromised foot fall or form from running/walking much slower than usual.

On Sunday, I noticed my calves were a little sore and that is definitely not normal for me, especially after a slow 10 miles.  When I checked the PI website, I found the culprit: this shoe only has a 4mm heel drop compared my PI Streaks which have a 10mm heel drop. I'm so glad to know this early on so I can be careful about how I transition into this new model. I don't want to blow out my achilles or cause other issues by trying to run too far or too fast or too often in these low heel drop shoes before my body is ready for it. I have learned this transition lesson a few times in my running career: Proceed with caution!!!