Marathon Training Week 12

My training plan for the week was cross-train, run 5, 5, and 5 miles, rest, 8 mile pace run, and 13 mile long run. Stepback week # ???? Oh, 4. I actually had to check that. I get to this point in every training cycle and say, "13 miles? That is not a long run." This time, I am not surprised.

I keep thinking about the feeling I had at mile 20 of the Mardi Gras Marathon. So amazing that I got chills and almost burst into tears. I hit 20 miles at just under 2 hours 56 minutes on the clock (well, my clock). I knew 20 miles in 3 hours flat was a 9:00 pace. I knew I was comfortably under my goal pace of 9:00-9:10. I knew I was going to finish in under 4 hours. I knew I was going to meet my perfect day goal. And I did. I think it was a better feeling at mile 20 than crossing the finish line. That feeling is what I want crossing the finish line at Chicago.

Sunday – yoga class, plus calf raises. I was going to walk to the gym, but it looked like it was going to storm. Well, it didn't storm. Oh well. My legs felt fine, so maybe I did not need the walk.

Monday – 5.2 mile run, plus abs, lower back exercises, and lunges. I thought I was flying along in the first mile and then looked at Rhody G. It was my slowest mile running by myself in a long time. Oops. It could have been starting out dehydrated or the collective marathon I ran on Friday and Saturday, even though I still didn't feel sore. I brought my pace down into my usual range by the end, so all was good. The kicker of the day is that it was humid in the morning but turned sunny, dry, and pleasant later in the day. That's living in New England for you.

Tuesday – 5.5 mile run. It felt so much better than Monday because it was cool and dry. Perfect running weather. A taste of fall. Picked up the pace and flew along (for real this time) to Brown University and back.

Wednesday – 5.2 mile run, plus upper body exercises and squats, plus 3/4 mile run-walk home from the gym. Disliked that I didn't really need to bring my sunglasses because the sun wasn't very high, even when I came home from the gym. Did some planks in the evening.

Thursday – Rest day. Extra sleeeeeeeep.

Friday – 13.1 mile run. Swapped my long run with the 8 mile pace run so that I could run along the Rock N Roll Providence route with a running buddy. It went well until the last .2 mile where I got a side stitch so bad that I was almost doubled over. I can't remember the last time I got a side stitch like that. I'm pretty sure it was my breathing. With so little distance to go, I just sucked it up and dealt with it. My running buddy redeemed herself after falling short of her goal at Rock N Roll Providence. It was fun to run through downtown Providence while other people were on their way to work. Finishing in sight of the Rhode Island State House? Always nice.


Saturday – 8.2 mile pace run. Sucky, sucky, and more sucky. One of the worst runs I've had in a long time. Took 3 walk breaks (one for another cramp, this time below my ribs, and two because I just wasn't feeling it). Very humid. Not counting the walk breaks, I was only a few seconds off from my marathon goal pace. My splits were all over the place. I went too fast in the first 1.5 miles but felt OK. And the cramp struck and the wheels fell off. So I kinda decided that this might not be a pace run. Sucky runs happen. I'm not going to worry about it. I was extremely pleased to get a watermelon sample at the farmers market when I finished my run. It was so tasty that I went back to buy a watermelon.


Total Miles: Scheduled – 36 Actual – 37.2

Running around Rhode Island

Pics from the East Side of Providence, mostly around Brown University. I'm trying out new routes. Some of my midweek long runs are long enough to get some substantial distance in. A lot of the pictures are blurry, either because I was running fast or I couldn't hold the camera steady.

But first, I came outside to this. Anytime there is dew, it is humid. Bleh.


All is quiet on Thayer Street.


Avon Theater


Brown University



Good morning, Providence

Benefit Street


Born for the sunrise


This is not from my run around the East Side, but it's something I regularly encounter on my long runs. You have no idea how happy I am to see this open door. Someone wrote "heffalumps" on this sign. It always makes me smile.

Marathon Training Week 11

My training plan for the week was cross-train, run 5, 8, and 5 miles, rest, 8 mile run, and 18 mile long run. Welcome to my highest mileage week of this training cycle.

Sunday – easy 30 minutes on the bike at the gym

Monday – 5.2 mile run, plus abs, lower back, and calf raises. Got to try out my new reflective vest. The run was slow. My legs just would not go any faster. That was OK with me. A slow done run is still better than no run. At least there were no "suck it up, cupcake" moments. Could have been not enough sleep, not enough food on Sunday, dehydration, wearing a hat, humidity, rain, or the 25 total miles I ran on Friday and Saturday. Or a combo of any and all of those things. Did some lunges in the evening.

Tuesday – 8.2 mile run up, down, and around the East Side of Providence. Went through a new area around Brown University. Still kinda slow, but was able to push a little bit towards the end. Did some planks in the evening.

Wednesday – 5.2 mile run, plus upper body exercises and squats at the gym, plus 3/4 mile run-walk home from the gym. Back to my usual running pace. Grab your running shoes. It's on.

Thursday – Rest day. Good. I was feeling extra tired this week. And extra hungry.

Friday – 8.2 mile run up, down, and around the East Side of Providence, Brown University and Benefit Street. Such a pretty run. Humid. Glad I brought 3 bottles of water in my Fuelbelt instead of just 2. Finished 2 1/2 bottles during the run.

Saturday – 18.2 mile run. Alone. Without the iPod. Not too hot or sunny but very humid. Ran into a running buddy around mile 9. Bathroom break at mile 11. I hadn't realized that my skirt was already completely drenched to the point where I could have wrung it out. Ran out of water by mile 12 but was within a half mile of my car where I had ice and more water waiting for me. Filled up my bottles, ate a few pretzels, and headed back out for another 5.5 miles. Those last miles were hard. Very hard. My quads were hurting. My lungs felt heavy. I was soaked. I had held a pretty consistent pace until slowing down a little bit in the last few miles. As much as I like running without music, my iPod would have really helped. I either need to run with running buddies or run with my iPod for my 20 milers. One thing that helped was having Dark Horses by Switchfoot running through my head (born for the sunrise, we'll survive the pain). Then my thought cycle went on a loop with "survive the pain, yes I can." Maybe it was the wall? I dunno. I seriously wanted to cry at the end when I had to keep going beyond my car another .35 mile and double back. But I did it. It was good practice for running on tired legs and convincing my legs that my brain is in control and yes, I can do this. Yay. Go me.

Total Miles: Scheduled – 44 Actual – 45

Highest mileage week on the books. 4 weeks to taper. Wait, what?? For real?? Also, I realized that both my marathon and (recent) half marathon PRs qualify me for Corral C at the Chicago Marathon. I am fully taking advantage of that 59 second leeway on both accounts ;-)

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down: Food Stuff

Thumbs Up

Starbucks Via instant coffee - I was pleasantly surprised at tasty instant coffee. Good for traveling or stashing in my desk. Pricy but less pricy than going to Starbucks.

Chocolate Raspberry Luna bars - The only place I've found them is Target by the vitamins. Tastes like a raspberry-topped fudgy brownie.

Zico Chocolate Coconut Water - tastes like a less creamy version of chocolate milk. Best served ice cold.

Tropical Punch Clif Shot Bloks - 1/2 caf. My race/long run fuel of the moment. I've tried strawberry (no caf), cran razz (no caf), and black cherry (full caf). All good. I like the tropical punch kind best for the combo of flavor and the right amount of caffeine. Sometimes I mix half strawberry or cran razz with black cherry to get the same amount of caffeine. But then I can never tell which bloks are which. All the red ones look the same. Tropical Punch is easier.

Thumbs Down

Vanilla Almond Luna bars - It was OK but just eh. Kinda like the White Chocolate Macadamia Luna bar (which I like) but too sweet.

Vitacoco coconut water - I do not like non-flavored coconut water. At all. Tastes like sweaty socks. It's better with a little fresh lime juice but still not something I'd consume on a regular basis.

We are the dark horses

I heard a new Switchfoot song, Dark Horses, on the radio yesterday morning.

There are so many Switchfoot songs where the lyrics resonate with me, usually on more than one level. Meant to Live, We are One Tonight, The Shadow Proves the Sunshine, Daisy, Learning to Breathe, Dare You to Move, Hello Hurricane. Jon Foreman, the lead singer, put out some beautiful solo work too. How could I not like a song named I am Still Running?

Dark Horses is one of those songs. Loved it instantly.

born for the blue skies
we'll survive the rain
born for the sunrise
we'll survive the pain

Now I just have to wait til Vice Verses, the new album, is released on September 27. And cross my fingers that Switchfoot comes to Providence while I am still here.

Rock N Roll Providence Half Marathon Recap

I ran the inaugural Rock N Roll Providence Half Marathon on August 7. Fun times.

It rained. Oh did it rain. Sometimes showers, sometimes downpours. I actually like running in the rain, as long as you’re prepared and it isn’t too cold or windy. Once you get over your feet being wet and squishy, it’s not so bad. It keeps you cool. However, none of the hourly forecasts I checked said it was going to downpour. Showers or thunderstorms, yes. Rain and sometimes downpours, no. Thankfully, forecasted showers were enough for me to pull out a visor. It was already raining when I left for the race. You can’t do anything about the weather. You can only be prepared. I made myself a superhero cape, er, disposable poncho out of a 13-gallon garbage bag by cutting one side and the bottom of the bag and tied the drawstring at my neck. Just enough to keep most of me dry before the race started.

I got in my corral about 15-20 minutes before gun time. And waited. And waited.

Start line


On the downside, the race started 15 minutes late. I am not sure why it didn’t start on time, but I expected better from Rock N Roll. Also, the gear check was uncovered. It rained the whole time. You do the math. The gear bags were not the large clear plastic bags like at Mardi Gras. I had a plastic poncho wrapped around the stuff in my gear bag, which helped a little but not enough. My towel and extra set of clothes still got wet.

On the upside, other than the late start and uncovered gear check, it was the well-oiled Rock N Roll machine I expected. I was in corral 4 and crossed the start line in about 2 minutes. Not bad. Was able to settle into my pace within the first mile. Curb-to-curb road closures, which doesn't always happen in the Providence area. Plenty of port-a-potties everywhere (start/finish area and on the course). Well-stocked water stops. Gus where they said there would be Gus. Cheerleading squads out on the course. Nice medal. Plenty of food options in the finishers area. Water, Cytomax (the citrus flavor tastes weird. I am glad I did not drink it on the course), bagels, bananas, oranges, Popsicles (best idea for a summer race), Marathon bars, snack mix, maybe some other stuff. I am soooooo glad I packed a poncho and Adidas sandals in my gear bag. I didn’t stick around to see Sugar Ray because I was soaked.

Smart things I Did
Ran in a sports bra - Based on the temperature alone, I was planning to wear the sports bra. It was around 70 when the race started. Less is more when it comes to running in warm rain.
Ran with my Fuelbelt - I have never been in a summer race of any distance where there were enough water stops. I took water at every water stop and then drank my own water as needed. One of my four bottles had Gatorade because I do not like Cytocrapx, er, Cytomax, that Rock N Roll has out on the course. Finished the race with a half bottle of water and a half bottle of Gatorade left.
Ran with my bib toggled to my Spibelt - Rock N Roll bibs tend to be large. I didn’t want to pin my bib to my skirt or sports bra. So that meant toggling it to my Spibelt. Yes, I ran with both a Fuelbelt and a Spibelt (to hold a pack of shot bloks and a chapstick). Yes, the bib fit in between my Fuelbelt bottles. I had the Spibelt a little too low at first. In the first mile, I moved it up to my natural waist. Much better. Even though the Spibelt was against my skin the whole time, there was no chafing or uncomfortableness. In full disclosure, I have never run with the toggles before. It could have been a disaster. But it works perfectly. Yay.
Got a baggy of ice at mile 5 - I cannot tell you how good that ice felt. I was just starting to get too hot. The ice was partially melted, so I tried to dump the water out. But then I realized it was cold. Ice cold water would do the same trick.
Lululemon running skirt – I have long said to not wear anything loose when running in the rain. Running skirts and rain do not mix well. Unless it’s a Lululemon running skirt. The skirt fabric is light enough that it never got weighed down. It didn’t chafe. My Fuelbelt did not ride up. The elastic in the bottom of the shorts never felt uncomfortable. Well done, skirt, well done.

I usually take pictures during races. But not when it’s raining. I was more concerned about avoiding puddles and potholes than taking pictures and potentially damaging my phone/camera.

Mile-by-mile recap

Miles 1-2 – State House and South Main Street. The 1:45 pace leader was in my corral. I passed him early in the race. Passed my local running store at mile 1.5.
Mile 2 – Benefit Street – one of the most scenic areas of the whole race. Colonial-style houses. Good amount of spectators. The band just before mile 2 played Superstitious by Stevie Wonder when I ran past.
Mile 3-5 – North Main Street and Hillside Ave. Eh. I knew this part was going to be boring. Slightly uphill for most of North Main Street. The 1:45 pace leader caught up to me at about mile 5. We played cat and mouse for the next 4 or 5 miles. Hillside Ave was OK, though. My husband was at mile 5 with my bag of ice.
Mile 6-7 – Blackstone Boulevard. Pretty area lined with trees and large houses that I run on almost daily. More spectators. More rain. Checked in with myself to make sure I was running at a pace I could hold and that I had the right amount of water, Gatorade, and shot bloks. All systems go.
Mile 7 - Residential area, then very steep hill down to a river, then more heavy rain. Some of the bands in this area weren't playing, I think because of technical difficulties with all the rain.
Mile 8-9 – Up, then down, then along India Point Park, and under a highway and along another river. There was a cheerleading squad in a tunnel. Very loud and very much needed. The 1:45 pace leader was ahead of me but still in sight. I think I lost sight of him somewhere in mile 9 or 10.
Mile 10-11 – Downtown Providence. Over the Point Street Bridge and into the wind. Uh, the wind. Dislike. I didn’t think I had enough to break 1:45, but I would be a solid 1:45:something and I almost certainly had a PR. That was OK with me. This part of the course doubled back on itself. I love that in races. I get motivated by seeing other runners at different points on the course. I saw the 2:00 pace leader twice on the other side of the course. Just before mile 12 as I was crossing the bridge again, one of my running buddies shouted my name from the other side of the course. I was really really focused on .... something and it didn’t fully register. But I responded with “Woohoo!”
Mile 12 – Turned to back towards the finish line. One mile to go. Still in downtown Providence. Took two very short walk breaks because of what I knew was coming in mile 13.
Mile 13 – Who plans a half marathon that finishes on the steepest hill of the entire race? Oh that’s right, Rock N Roll did. You couldn’t even see the finish line until you passed the 13 mile marker. I would be annoyed if I didn’t know about that hill in advance, but it was no surprise to me as I live in the area and I have run other races with a similar finish line. It was good practice for the hill at the end of the Chicago Marathon.
Finish – The crowds were loud. Thank you, crowds. Garmin said 1:45:50. Woot! New PR. I rocked it all over Providence!!

My official time was 1:45:47. New half marathon PR at an 8:05 pace. Sounds good to me, especially since it was in less than ideal running weather and on a hilly course. Also, my previous fastest summer race pace was 8:26, and that was in a 10 mile race. Good on that account too. I ran a pretty consistent pace the entire race. And I ran pretty darn close to my marathon goal pace (8:00 to give me some leeway to hit 8:12 in the marathon). That’s a good confidence boost going into the second half of my marathon training cycle.

Runner Rewards

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

1. Ran a half marathon. Kicked asphalt to a new PR. Take that, hills and rain.
2. Went to Vermont where I enjoyed homemade apple pie, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Cabot cheese, and Long Trail beer.
3. Ran up and down mountains.
4. Read a book on best practices in teaching statistics.
5. Did a whole lot of nothing.
6. Hiked up and down a mountain. On part of the Long Trail.
7. Did an 8 mile pace run.
8. Went to Dear Husband's family reunion.

Mr. Potato Head is my traveling buddy. He ate some cheese, hiked to the top of a mountain, and had a Long Trail beer.









I ran on roads like this ...



... with beautiful views like this.



Mountains with and without clouds






Small town New England church



Farm



Why it was worth it to climb 2000 vertical feet

Marathon Training Week 10

My training plan for the week was cross-train, run 4, 8, and 4 miles, rest, 8 mile pace run, and 17 mile long run. Ramp it up again.

I was on vacation in Vermont but still did most of my running and strength training. That meant running up and down mountains. Not hills. Mountains. I brought my exercise ball, foam roller, and yoga mat with me. I planned on doing some strength training but not as much as usual, in part because of recovering from Rock N Roll Providence and in part because of limited equipment. I was pleasantly surprised that Comcast has much better on demand exercise programs than Cox.

Sunday – Rock N Roll Providence Half Marathon, although I counted this for last week and not this week. In spite of being hilly and rainy, it went splendidly well. I set a new PR and successfully tested my marathon goal pace.

Monday – 4 mile recovery run. In Vermont. It was sloooooow and somewhat painful. Almost 600 feet of uphills. I am not sure what I was thinking. Didn’t really do a good job of listening to my body. Hot date with the foam roller later in the day.

Tuesday – 4.2 mile run. First down the mountain then up the mountain. The mountain is a series of 7 tiered hills with about 700 feet of vertical elevation. My right quad hurt on the way down but felt better on the way up. I still went pretty slow. It was good practice for running on tired legs. We’ll see about my calves later. They tend to hurt when I run in Vermont. Then again, I am more used to running on hills and I have my calf sleeves. More foam rolling and some abs, lower back, and pushups.

Wednesday – yoga on demand, plus planks and lunges. My quads were still sore from the half marathon and not properly recovering, so I thought an active rest day was in order. My calves were a little tight from running up and down hills, but less so than usual.

Thursday – 7.75 mile hike on part of the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail and another hiking trail. Up and down 2000 vertical feet. Perfect hiking weather. I took Rhody G because I wanted elevation data. It was useful to compare distance against a map. A hike is not equivalent to a run, but I'll take it. It took 4 hours 35 minutes, plus a couple of stops to look around and have snacks.

Friday – 8.2 mile pace run. Still in Vermont. Nailed it! The most challenging part of this run? Finding 8 miles of relatively flat roads in Vermont. I knew where there was a road that was mostly flat. When it got hilly, I turned around. The weather was perfect. 60, sunny, not humid. Lovely.

Saturday – 17.25 mile run. Ran with running buddies at various paces. Slower than usual, but I needed it this week. An extended half marathon recovery week, because I wasn't very good at listening to my body earlier in the week. Running buddies make runs better. I am sore, but it's all par for the course.


Total Miles: Scheduled – 41 Actual – 41.4 (with hike) 33.65 (without hike)

Marathon Training: Halfway Update

I have made it halfway through my 18-week training plan for the Chicago Marathon. Marathon training plans always seem like they will take forever. And then you move along, do your workouts, look around one day, and wonder how you got so far along.

I decided at the beginning of my training cycle that my marathon goal is 3:35. That is my qualifying time for the Gansett Marathon in 2012 and the Boston Marathon in 2013. 3:35 flat. No 3:35:11 or 3:35:31 or 3:35:59. 3:35:00 or under. That means 26.2 miles at an average of 8:12 per mile. So I'm training with 8:00 as my marathon goal pace. If I could pull that off, that has me finish at just under 3:30.

Say what? That sounds like crazy talk.

Maybe it is. On the one hand, I am asking for a big improvement. I need to knock off over 20 minutes from my marathon PR. I have a lofty goal that I honestly do not know if I can meet. On the other hand, I am doing as much as I can to set myself up for potential success. I have 8:00 in the back of my head on all of my runs. My pace easily falls in the 8s. On every run of all distances. Usually 8:20-8:35 but sometimes lower. I can go sub-8 on pace runs and on demand on non-pace runs. My super easy pace on my last run before Rock N Roll Providence? 8:40. Well, when did that happen?

What I am doing differently for Chicago:

1. Run farther - I stepped up from Hal Higdon's Novice 1 to Intermediate 1 plan. About 100 miles more, 1 less rest day, 1 more running day, plus pace runs 2 out of every 3 weeks.

2. Run faster - I didn't have a terribly accurate sense of pace until I got my Garmin in early June. I still think I am running faster than I used to, though. That's without accounting for the heat and humidity. Once I learned how to deal with it, the heat and humidity didn't really have a huge impact on me anymore. I ran my fastest ever non-race long run during a heat wave. It takes me less time to finish my runs. The only downside is that my running buddies don't run at the same pace as me, so I can't run with them as much. Sad face.

3. Got a Garmin - I was one run into my training cycle when my early anniversary gift appeared on my doorstep. Rhody G is more accurate and so much more useful than Nike+. Customizable screens show the data I want. I learned how to use average pace to run negative splits. If my average pace starts decreasing, I am running faster.

4. Strength training - After completely neglecting strength training in my last 2 training cycles, I added about 25-30 minutes twice a week and a couple of shorter sessions of just 1 exercise (pushups, planks, etc). My aim is to hit the major body parts over the course of a week. My main focus is running, so I keep the strength training moderate. 75% of the time, all I need are a yoga mat, exercise ball, and me.

5. Yoga - My cross-training activity most weeks. My gym has a good instructor who leads a pretty athletic class. Improved strength and flexibility? Yes please.

6. Drastically cut alcohol - I went from having wine/beer most nights to only on Saturdays. Bonus points for sleeping better and being more hydrated.

7. Eating - Holy moly, am I hungry. It takes a lot of food to fuel all those miles. If I am hungry, I eat. I have less desire to eat junk because junk does not lead to good runs. Although I am not above junk. Everything in moderation.

8. No music - It helps me pay attention to my running and my body. Also gives me practice at mental skills. After running without it for several weeks, I realized that I was using music as a crutch. If I am going after a BQ/GQ, then I have to get there without crutches. Except Rhody G ... I guess it's a replacement for my iPod.

9. Planned races - I ran a 10K and a half marathon, which fit perfectly into my training plan. You don't want to do too many races during a training cycle, but you can test out your game-day strategy. The 10K taught me how to use the Garmin in a race. The half marathon was a test of my marathon goal pace. Came pretty darn close to marathon goal pace on a fairly hilly course under less than optimal weather conditions.

10. Got compression sleeves - They are like hugs from angels for your lower legs. I wear them for at least a few hours a day and usually overnight. They seem to help with recovery and at preventing the shin issues that sporadically bother me. And they just feel good. Really good. I don't run with them, but I could if I wanted to.

When you change multiple things, it is impossible to pinpoint which of the changes makes the difference. I am not doing a very well-controlled experiment. Oh well. I'll keep running my experiment of one anyway.

63 days til Chicago!!

Marathon Training Week 9

My training plan for the week was cross-train, run 4, 5, and 4 miles, rest, 7 mile pace run, and 11 mile long run. Or cross-train, run 4, 5, 4, rest, rest, and half marathon race according to the new version of Hal Higdon's Intermediate I. Stepback week #3. Dial down the mileage and dial down the strength training. I had to make some changes this week and next because Rock N Roll Providence is on Sunday and doesn't line up with my usual Saturday long run. So I planned to cross-train, run 4, 5, and 4 miles, rest, run 4 miles, rest or cross-train, and half marathon race on Sunday. And I'll "count" Rock N Roll for this week instead of next week.

Sunday - yoga class, plus about 25 minutes walking to and from the gym, plus calf raises.

Monday - 4.2 mile run, plus lower back, abs, and pushups. Tried out new running shoes. My Saucony Guide 3s have been discontinued and replaced by the Guide 4s. The cushioning felt weird when I tried them at the store, but they were fine on an actual run.

Tuesday - 5.2 mile run, the first 4 miles or so with my mother-in-law. Nice and easy, then dropped down to marathon goal pace for the last mile. Did some planks in the evening. New record of 4:21!!

Wednesday - 4.3 mile run that ended at the gym, plus upper body exercises and squats (one less set than usual), plus 3/4 mile run-walk home from the gym. Cool, dry, and comfortable, so I went down to marathon goal pace. It was a test for Rock N Roll Providence. Still not sure about my race day strategy, though. It depends on what Mother Nature throws Providence on Sunday morning.

Thursday - Rest day. Why is it that I feel more tired on days when I get more sleep? I have less coffee on rest days, so maybe that is part of it.

Friday - 4.6 mile run on some of the Rock N Roll Providence hills. Promised myself that I would run easy and not look at Rhody G. Made it 4 miles before I peeked. My intentionally-holding-back-super-easy pace? 8:40. I have enough alerts set up on Rhody G that I have a rough idea of pace even without looking. But still. That's pretty fast for an easy run.

Saturday - Rest day, unless you count walking around the race expo as cross-training.

Sunday - 13.1 mile race. Rock N Roll Providence Half Marathon. Recap coming later. Unofficially finished in 1:45:50 on a hilly course in the rain. I rocked it!!! Now all I have to do is hold that pace for twice as long ;-)

Total Miles: Scheduled - 26.1 or 30.1 or 31 (depending on the plan), Actual - 31.4

Halfway done!!

Let's get ready to Rhode race!!

The Rock N Roll Providence Half Marathon is tomorrow morning. Let's get ready to let it rock let it rock let it ROCK through the streets of Providence.

My trusty Mr. Potato Head came to the race expo with me.


My gear and clothes ready to go. The weather forecast is all over the place. I am probably not wearing the shirt. If it looks like it's going to shower tomorrow, I will wear the visor instead of the Bondi Band and sunglasses.


Postcard in the gear bag


Got a replacement 26.2 sticker because the magnet I used to have fell off.


Good luck fellow runners!