Only 48 hours to go until half marathon #2 is in the books.
And I am insanely nervous.
For my first half, it was (mostly) all about finishing in one piece, plain and simple. Sure, I had a time goal in mind, but just being able to accomplish this feat was satisfaction enough.
But the stakes feel higher this time around. Because now I know I can run this distance, and now I want to run it faster. Sounds simple, right? But, like clockwork, here comes that doubt that always seems to creep in before a race, and now I find myself wondering, Did I train enough? Am I really ready?
But you know what? I am not going to torture myself with all those, What ifs, and Am Is and Did Is. Because it is what it is.
Several runners have said they set A, B, and C goals before a race to help put things in perspective because, as we know, race days don’t always go as planned. Sometimes the conditions are terrible. Sometime you’re not feeling your best. Sometimes the course is challenging.
With this goal-setting strategy, A is your ambitious and lofty goal, B is your more realistic, “in arm’s reach” goal, and C your “do-able/I’d be content with that” goal.
So here are my A, B, C goals for the Baystate Half Marathon:
A goal: Finish between 1:55-1:59
B goal: Finish between 2:00-2:04, just slightly faster than my previous half time
C goal: Cross the finish line feeling strong, with a smile on my face and a happy tummy.
While I’d obviously LOVE to meet my A goal, it dawned on me that I’d be perfectly content with any of these scenarios. I guess all that’s left now is to get out there, trust in my training and preparation, do my best and – most importantly – have fun and finish strong. Wish me luck!
Runners: Do you set race goals? What’s your strategy?
JennyHS says
I’m running a half this weekend too! I’ll be running the KC 1/2 Marathon this Saturday and I too am SUPER nervous! this is my first half after baby and a nasty c-section. I’d ran two prior to baby and was getting better but after baby it’s been a struggle, especially finding time to train. I think the A, B, C approach is a good idea and I think your’s are all attainable. I do set race goals because I feel you have to have something to focus on or you’ll focus on anything including how you feel (which may not be the best at that moment). My goal is to finish under 3hrs with a smile on my face and feeling good not exhausted. To acheive this I plan to run near a pace team to keep my pace, walk when I need to and refuel often. I have a friend coming to run a few miles with me and that makes me SUPER happy! Best of luck this weekend, you will ROCK that A goal!
Jessica says
Best of luck this weekend!!!!!! Keeping my fingers crossed for you. Please let me know how it goes 🙂