I haven’t talked about next week’s Blue Ridge Half Marathon beyond one post because, quite honestly, I haven’t been all that excited about it.
It’s kind of weird, but perhaps I’ve been too close to it. My work is one of the sponsors and we’re putting together a video of the marathon course. I’ve seen every part of the course at minimum two times; the other day I got to bike about 6 miles of the course to help re-shoot some sections not on main roads.
While that part of it has been fun, it has felt like a business approach to the event. Besides normal hill running, I haven’t really prepared for this race at all.
I’m also not really looking at it as a race — it’s a tough, tough training run that is kind of the bridge to a few weeks of focusing on the Cleveland Half.
Yesterday, though, my excitement returned. I joined a much-faster-than-me co-worker to run up Mill Mountain in Roanoke where the half course comes down, and then met up with another co-worker at the top to run down the back side of the mountain that will come up during the race.
It was quite humbling to go up the mountain — the quick elevation change caused me to stop a few times to catch my breath and pop my ears. It was friendly reminder that I can’t just go out there without some sort of strategy.
I can’t attack those hills like I do in some other races around here — I have to save myself a bit and leave some gas for the end when it flattens out a bit.
I don’t have a set-in-stone goal for this race. The course is slightly different (and harder) from a couple of years ago, so to beat my time from that race wouldn’t be a good goal to have.
For now, I’m just looking forward to getting out there and having fun. It’s nice to know I can’t PR this race, but I can use it as a springboard to getting a PR at Cleveland.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I think that's the right attitude. This is not your normal race course! Just go out and do what you can, no goals in mind. Enjoy the hill workout it will be!
I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be overjoyed about this event either, but mostly because of the elevation profile.
You'll have fun though, it'll be enjoyable and something different to break up the normalcy of training.
Dang that elevation change!! Good attitude for that race for sure!
It sounds like you have the right attitude about this Half. If you approach it like a challenging run-which it will be-I'm sure you will enjoy it more than if you saddled it with "race" expectations.
The only expectation I have is burning lungs with the elevation change in the first few miles!