1. Lube Up: That's right. Lube is good. Trust me. I learned this the hard way. It was my first long run (7 miles) and I had about 1/2 mile left. That's when the pain set in... thanks to the shorts I was wearing. By the time I got home I was almost in tears because the shorts were rubbing so badly on my thighs. That's when I learned about 'Body Glide'. It looks like a stick of deodorant but it's more like a tube of magic. Rub this stuff on the spots that tend to rub (thighs, under bra, feet) and no more chafing my friends!
2. Cut Your Nails: Sounds a little weird but you want to keep your nails clipped... especially your toenails. On longer runs you will notice the littlest of things... one being your toenails rubbing on your socks/shoes. NOT comfortable (especially for me b/c I am SUPER OCD about the way my socks lay within my shoes, how tight the shoelaces are tied, if the shoelaces bounce too much against the outside of my shoe... okay I think you get the picture, I'm slightly crazy). So keep them clipped and clip them on race day! Oh and your fingernails. If you tend to clench your hands when you run, I suggest clipping them on race day. Keeping your hands clenched with your nails digging into your palms for over 2 hours is not the ideal situation (trust me, your hands might not forgive you!).
3. Train in the Clothes Your Going to Run In: This one seems super obvious to me but I am always surprised when I get to the starting line on race day and girls are dressed to the '9' in the brand new outfits. One word... DUMB! Truth is, 1/2 of those girls probably ended the races with massive blisters and chafing galore. You need to wear something that has been broken in and has proved to you that it won't cause you any harm. I looked so ratty and dirty on race day but I didn't care... I could trust my clothes :) The story about my shorts rubbing my thighs... that was a new pair of shorts that I had never wore on a long run. BIG mistake... HUGE (movie line... anyone?). They betrayed me and made me suffer. Lesson learned. Wear what you know. Period.
4. Support Systems Matters: This is a big one. If I wouldn't of had Josh cheering me on through my training, I don't think I would have been so successful. He was always so supportive and uplifting. He made sure I stuck to my plan even when I didn't want to. He was so proud of me and excited for me... it made training so much more enjoyable knowing that I had a husband that was 100% behind me. Race day was so much more invigorating knowing that Josh and his family were cheering me on. I know it sounds all mushy and stuff but this is what mattered in the end. I had people to celebrate my victory with.... I don't know what it would of been like to cross the finish line with no one waiting there for me. So involve your people in the process. If you don't have people, find people.
5. Interval Training... It's the Secret: Seriously... add interval training into your program. It made a WORLD of difference for me. At the beginning of my training, I struggled running one mile (one stinking mile!). After awhile, I started doing intervals. After two days of intervals I went and ran a mile... it was the EASIEST mile I had ever ran. So from there on out I ran intervals 2-3 week. To be honest, the furthest I ran in my training was just over 8 miles... that is 5.1 miles less than what I ran on race day. A lot of people thought I was crazy but I knew I could do it. The interval training paid off and turned me into a much more efficient long distance runner.
6. Make it Priority: Life gets in the way. It happens to everyone no matter what the task is at hand. I found out during my training how hard it was to plan on running without something else coming up. After about a 1 1/2 months of struggling with a training plan I had to re-evaluate my priorities. This was no easy task because come on, we all know I would MUCH rather go to Skinny Dip with friends and pig out than go and run 6 miles. So I had to make my training a priority. When I had plans to run 6 miles that evening, I did it... no matter what else came up... those plans had to wait for me to be done. It wasn't easy but it was possible.
7. Chapstick Fixes Everything: What's the worst combination of 'ailments' when running... chapped lips and dry mouth. Trust me when I say this, it is SO awful that when it happens it is all consuming, it is all you can focus on. You lick your lips and feel relief for about 5 seconds and then BAM... the burning returns only 10 times worse! This use to happen to me alllll the time when I would run. In fact, my lips hurt so bad once during a summer run that I nearly stopped at a complete strangers house to ask for a glass of water... or I have even contemplated running up to someone's sprinkler just for some relief from the burning. So to save me from humiliation I starting taking chapstick with me on my runs. Most running short have a little built in pocket on the inside of them... perfect size for a tube of chapstick. I don't run without it now... and it's one less thing I have to worry about.
8. The Expo = Overwhelming: I had never been to an expo before so I had no idea what to expect. So when I walked in I was a little taken aback. There are people... everywhere. Stuff everywhere. It was intense! All I needed was to pick up my packet and I found myself surrounded by hundreds of people and hundreds of stands... not knowing where to go. Here is a little tip if it is your first Expo... they typical post the bib numbers right in the front of the Expo. You have to find your name on the list to get your bib number then go to the packet pickup station where they have things organized numerically by bib number. Simple as that.
9. Pray... Then Pray Some More: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil 4:13... This is the bible verse that I said over and over and over and over. I am not a natural born runner (at least I don't think I am... I guess I never thought that I actually might be). I struggle every time I go running. But I pray. I talk to God. It takes my mind off the 'pain' I am in and helps me push on. This is what gave me the strength to train for 5 months and to run 13.1 miles. I know that had it not been for my constant prayer, there is no way I would have finished the race. So a big thanks to the Big Man upstairs.
There you have it. The list of things that had I known before I started this whole process I wouldn't have felt like such a nincompoop. Hopefully these tips can help you. If there is anything that anyone has a question about, please ask. I'm not an expert... but I have my experiences!
