Slow week this week! After the windy run on Saturday (10 miles) and the trail run Sunday at Swallow Cliff (8 miles) plus a set of those crazy stairs, my quads were/are trashed. Not ideal, I know. I lived in my Aspaeris Pivot Shorts on Sunday after the run, I napped, I drank a lot of water and I ate a ton of food trying to get my system back up to par. When I woke up yesterday, I had gained 4 lbs, my quads were so sore it hurt to walk. Today is better but I’m certainly not even close to being recovered. So I’m resting & attempting to recover. I even did some light stretching this morning with my push-ups (16). Pull-up/Chin-up count is still at zero with multiple attempts each day. I won’t give up!
Plan for the rest of Race Week:
Today – Visualizing my awesome race on SUN, Drink lots of water, work, attend Aby’s track meet, Run easy 2 or 3 light miles to flush this lactic acid.
WED – Visualizing my awesome race on SUN, Drink lots of water, Run an easy 6 miles with the F’N Running Club.
THUR – Visualizing my awesome race on SUN, Drink lots of water, Rest, Visualizing my awesome race on SUN.
FRI – Visualizing my awesome race on SUN, Drink lots of water, Run an easy 3 miles, Visualizing my awesome race on SUN
SAT – Visualizing my awesome race on SUN, Drink lots of water, Pick up my Packet, Attend a Fundraiser, Visualizing my awesome race on SUN.
Okay, so I’m not really meditating like the photo above but I am trying to think happy thoughts, visualize a finish time and “see” myself moving thru the course pain free smoothly and efficiently. This is so much easier on a course like Palos where I have run it several times previous and know the layout. It’s also an out and back, which should be a no brainer, right? Stay relaxed thru the turnaround and then really start to focus and push.
How do you visualize a good race? Any tips for those of us who “might” be “trying” this for the first time? Or do you like my hubby think the visualization is overrated and I’m totally crazy?
Happy Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz
TooTallFritz 
That’s a lot of visualizing!!!
Slight exaggeration…..Hehehehehe!
Sounds like you’re doing it just right–a mental run through. I do it every night before I fall asleep (sometimes I actually do fall asleep). Also–visualize something going wrong (whatever a fear might be) and then you calmly working through that and pushing forward. Good luck and have fun and sun!
Visualizing works! I visualized my PR time before my PR 5K a few weeks ago. I pictured my goal time in my head and it worked! I used to visualize a lot growing up as a competitive figure skater, I would picture the crowd, do my routine in my head and practice how I would feel. It actually helps a lot!!!
I don’t know much about visualizing but I know I finally hit my goal by relaxing and remembering to “just run.” I felt like Forest Gump…when I wanted to go faster, I did; when I wanted to slow down, I did… I gave myself permission and forgiveness to run whatever I could do…
You will do great in this race, you have put in the miles, put in the effort, and it will all come together one day soon. You ARE a sub-1:50 half marathoner!
Best of luck, confidence, and happiness for your race!
You are AWESOME! Thanks so much!
I made a page of face book about visualizing and will need your help to grow crowd in it. Will be thankful if you can involve in this cause for humanity.