Ok well, I tested negative this morning so I went out and did my shakeout. I didn't realize the race route went right by my hotel - very cool! Since I only had 2 miles, I jogged along the route and cheered.
@SheHulk I had wanted to catch up with you this weekend as I remember we chatted at Princess earlier this year, but since I've been knowingly exposed I'm trying to limit contact. Hope your half marathon was awesome!
This morning the T+D was 49 (32+17). It was chilly, but after I warmed up I was fine in shorts. Tomorrow, it'll be a few degrees colder, but my real concern is the wind - it'll be whipping at 15 mph with gusts up to 30. I'm still on the fence about the tights, but the wind is making me think they're a good idea.
I've got my first Maurten 320 drink mix in me. Turns out I'm not very good at emptying those packets into a 500ml water bottle. I should've packed a funnel. Learning experience! For my liquid carbs, I'm using 3 Maurten 320 drink mixes and 3 scoops Tailwind. Tailwind requires a lot more water for absorption, but I need something to break up the Maurten so I'll tolerate the extra 500ml water for one serving.
Race Day
I'm quite nervous! I've got my nutrition down - Maurten 320 10-15 minutes before start, then a gel every 45 minutes. I'm carrying 3 Maurten gels, 1 Maurten CAF gel, and 2 watermelon Egels. That's one more gel than I need, but given I've never done a marathon before I'm leaving space in case I'm much slower than sub-4.
Pacing
As mentioned, I'm aiming for sub-4. That's a 9:09 pace, which works out to 3:59:59 over 26.2 miles. I've actually been training and feeling comfortable at a 9:00 pace, but I don't think I'm gonna go out that fast at first. I'm planning to set my watch alerts for 9:05, then if I still feel good at the halfway point I'll adjust to 9:00. If I can hold those paces, it'll allow me the buffer I need to run 26.5 miles or whatever it ends up being.
And lastly, this is maybe a bit much for this journal, but that personal stuff that's been going on - DW and I have been struggling and working on our relationship for some time. A couple weeks ago, she told me she was ready to move on. That would be bad enough on its own, but we haven't actually split up. Being in this unknown in-between has taken its toll on me, and I've been very unsure if I have it in me to do this race.
But I'm here, and seeing the half has energized me a bit. I've had a good training plan - no, great - and my body has felt good and stayed healthy. And I think I need to see it through, whether I run a 3:55 or I DNF at mile 5.
Race report to follow whenever I thaw out and can walk again.
I caught COVID at Universal in August and I never really feel I got back to 100%. My HR is on average higher than before. But that just might be my overall fatigue.
). I kept to my scheduled training, which I could do outside, and away from all people. I followed the CDC schedule for post-exposure as far as masking in public, and when to test, and I escaped infection and was able to head to W&D with a clear conscience that I was not infectious.
