Thursday, May 31, 2007

The remedy is the experience

All right...It is time to ask, beg and plead for your help.

I know that to most of you a 5K is a warm up run; however, it is the distance of my first EVER road run on Saturday. I am going to run an easy three miles tonight and then take tomorrow off...but drink lots of water!!!

Registration is at 6:30 (I don't need to register, only pick up my race packet) and the 5K starts at 7:15. I am thinking that I will get up at 5:30 and eat my usual bfast (oatmeal with walnuts and cranberries) and give myself time to drink some water and digest...then leave for the start site about 6:15 (it is apx 15 minutes from my house) with water in hand. From there I have no idea....

So, first set of questions:

1. Is running three miles tonight and taking tomorrow sound like a good way to go?

2. How does my beginning of my race day plan sound to you?

3. Any, hints tips, advice on what to eat, drink....before a race?

I am planning on wearing my HR monitor and pacing myself based on that. I know that I can run three twelve minute miles with my HR percentage being at a good 77-80%. I am also making my ipod play list tonight.

So, second set of questions:

1. Will the miles be marked?

2. Is pacing on my HR smart...might it be higher b/c I am excited and throw everything off?

3. Any good race song suggestions?



Finally I would love to know something that you all know now that you wish you had known before your first (EVER!) race. Any hints, tips and/or advice is greatly appreciated.





The COOLEST lady in the world...my Momma...is going to get up early to come down and take pictures for me...so I should have a good report for you all Saturday afternoon or Sunday.





Thanks again for all of your support!



The remedy is the experience.
This is a dangerous liaison
I say the comedy is that it's serious.
This is a strange enough new play on words (Jason Mraz)

8 comments:

Andra Sue said...

Okay, let's see if I can be of a little help:
1) Sounds fine to me.
2) Yep, but make sure you don't eat too much, especially if you're not used to running in the morning.
3) Hydrate well the night before. I always drink 32 oz of Gatorade before I hit the hay for a triathlon. Also (and this is a gross but oftentimes major issue)--MAKE SURE you do adequate bathroom duty before your run. If you have issues with portapotties, make sure it happens at the house.
4) If you're lucky.
5) I like to pace off my HR because I know pretty much how long I can run at different levels. That way I ensure I won't crap out before the finish.
6) Just pick what will energize you...also feel free to plagarize songs off my "theme song" post from way back when. :-)

Remember, this is supposed to be fun and I think you'll find that a 5k is really nothing to be intimidated by. You'll do better than you think!

Russ said...

Molly, I am one of Zbucks good friends. Thought I would come over and share some advice.

1. you should be fine with that - make sure you do a warm up run before your race.

2. Sounds fine...don't fill up to muck with food or water...will make for a long run

3. load up on carbs the night before...spaghetti with ground chicken is what I usually do.

second set of questions

1. miles should be marked

2. not an expert on heart rate...need to learn more

3. zbuck loves to listen to Elton John and Billy Joel...really gets him pumped ;)


You will do great!

momo said...

1. i would probably run today and take the day before the race off or light walk. be warm when you start the race (walking there will do the trick)

2. sounds good to me. give yourself enough time in case you have to go the bathroom (nerves!) there.

3. don't do anything new!! do whatever you normally do - don't over hydrate, you don't want to have to pee the entire time!

4. the miles will probably be marked, they usually are in that distance race.

5. i'm always higher in a race, but i know that i can sustain that higher intensity for a certain amount of time. i would go by feel on this one. 5k pace is usually faster than say a 10k or marathon pace, so you can be 'uncomfortable' for a little while and that is ok.

6. i don't generally listen to music, something upbeat for sure!

i wish i'd known that it's ok to hurt a little, i would have gone faster. :-) have fun, molly, can't wait to hear all about it!

Bill said...

Molly,

My $.02, although it's not worth that much...

1. Tonight is fine. Tomorrow I'd just stretch and stay hydrated (water only, no Gatorade; you don't need the extra calories).
2. Race day morning sounds great. Don't try anything new.
3. Sounds like you have a good handle on what you'll eat and drink.
4. Don't know. Typically they are for 5K's, but I haven't done one in quite a while. Plus, it really depends on the race director.
5. Monitoring your HR is fine. It will be higher than normal since you'll be excited; that's normal. Refer to it often during your first mile to make sure you keep your HR under control; that'll help you keep from going out to fast and blowing up too early. After that, ignore your HR and go by how you feel. At that point, if you refer to your HR, you'll likely be holding yourself back. And since you'll likely be shooting for 11:30 miles (you did 12's the other day, you'll do fine with 11:30's [or faster] on race day), your HR will be higher than you normally push it. And if you see it higher, you might back off when you don't really need to.
6. Music? Don't know. I never listen to music when I work out or race. Mental radio doesn't count, although that's playing all the time.

Two big things for race day. First off, stay relaxed. You already know you can run the distance. Racing it isn't much different. You'll just finish faster. Trust in your training.

Secondly, outside of your breakfast plans, don't worry about any other nutrition until after your race. Between your breakfast and your body, you've got plenty of energy to tap into for the 30-35 minutes that you'll spend on the race course.

Looking forward to the race report and your blazing times! :D

Lauren said...

Hey Molly--I don't have any tips for the race, but good luck!
That's funny about you and all the dog toys! There aren't as many cat gadgets around, but if there were, I might buy some (if Matt wouldn't totally disown me!)
And I'll tell him good luck for you. I don't think we're going to the Chattanooga race, but it would be fun to meet sometime. Maybe at another race.

Allez said...

Eat your normal breakfast, drink water. I agree you don't really need gatorade. HR monitor... I wouldn't wear it for that distance. Your HR may run high and it could make you slow down.

If you want to stick with your current pace, then wear the HR monitor. If you want to see the fastest you can go, don't wear it and go by perceived effort.

The Stretch Doc said...

Everybody has great advice. Allez's is great if your looking to see how fast you can go dont wear HR monitor, if you just want to finish and stay on pace with your HR then be prepared to be a little slower as your HR will increase due to excitment and something different.

1. Fine.

2. OK, just dont over eat.

1. Will the miles be marked? usual

and Have fun and take pics

Dances with Corgis said...

Go Molly!!!!!! I am thrilled for you and know you are going to do a great job! :) Here I'll try and address everything:

1. Is running three miles tonight and taking tomorrow sound like a good way to go?

Yeah that sounds good.

2. How does my beginning of my race day plan sound to you?

At first I was thinking you would get there a little too early, but after a second look, the timing sounds perfect.

3. Any, hints tips, advice on what to eat, drink....before a race?

Good call on oatmeal- my favorite pre-race chow! And you'll have enough time to digest as well.

1. Will the miles be marked?

I am 90% yes on this. 100% as long as the race officials aren't idiots.

2. Is pacing on my HR smart...might it be higher b/c I am excited and throw everything off?

I wouldn't even go on your HR, just run and feel okay. Your HR will probably be spiked because of the crowd, race excitement, etc. Just try and go with what you feel.

3. Any good race song suggestions?

I would say NOT to wear the ipod just because I like to hear the race "energy." But if you want to listen, I think you would hate my suggestions, I am a rap/techno/house kind of girl. :) I like those loud pointing beats for running.

GOOD LUCK you are going to do such a great job, I can't wait for the race report!



Finally I would love to know something that you all know now that you wish you had known before your first (EVER!) race. Any hints, tips and/or advice is greatly appreciated.