A few tips for those of you doing the Presque Isle Half Marathon this weekend:
In all the year’s of running the Presque Isle half, I’ve learned a thing or two about running the loop. Here’s a bit of advice for all of you going the distance this weekend:
1. Prep for the weather. Hydrate for days. Wear a hat and sunglasses. They’re calling for sun and temps in the mid-80s — typical steamy conditions for the PI 1/2. Start drinking lots of water in the days leading up to the race. You want to be well-hydrated before you start. It also helps to wear a running hat — it protects you from sunburn and acts as a sweat sponge. Regular baseball hats are fine, but…I’d suggest you stop over at Achille’s and pick up a lightweight runner’s hat — they’re worth every dollar. Ditto for the sunglasses — invest in a good pair of polarized running sunglasses that won’t slip or fog up.
While you’re at Achilles….
2. Pick up your race packet. Seriously…life is much easier when you pick up your packet early! Pre-race packet pickup will be held at Achilles Running Shop, 2309 West 12th St., on Friday, July 13, from 12 noon to 6:30 p.m. and on Saturday, July 14, from 9 a.m. to noon. (these are the ONLY times you can pick it up there)
If you can’t pick it up early…you can do so on race day morning, provided you…
3. Go to the right place. In year’s past, the 1/2 has started & finished at the Rotary Pavilion. This year, it again back at Beach #1. This is good for you….less one-lane, crawling traffic to get to the start.
That said…
4. Get there early. There’s nothing more upsetting on a big race day than starting the whole thing with a stress fest, worrying about finding a parking space, making it there on time, etc., etc. Get there at least a 1/2 hour to an hour early. Bring your Erie Times-News and you can sit in your car, read the paper and RELAX before you run. RACE STARTS AT 6:30 AM this year!
But on your way to the start you may want to…
5. Stop at McDonald’s (or wherever) and go. The potty lines (bathhouse and porta potties) can stretch 20 30 40 people deep. Do yourself a favor and stop on the way down and you can avoid at least one long wait.
With that extra time…
6. Do a very small warm up run. Just jog up the road and back a bit to get the blood flowing and the muscles ready to run.
But, not too fast…
7. Thirteen point one miles is a long way. Pace yourself adequately. You should be running at least 30 seconds and as much as 60 or 90 seconds a minute slower than your 10K pace. Start with a comfortable pace and settle in.
And, if you’ve got it…
8. Kick it in. Most half marathoners fade at the 10th mile. If you’ve paced yourself…you’ll be “kicking” it in without even trying (just because you’ve maintained a good pace and they have overdone it). When you get to mile 12, give it everything you’ve got. As they say… “don’t leave anything on the field” (er, road).
When it’s done…
9. Go to the picnic. You’ll get a peek at the results, some post-race nourishment and you can share your experiences with other folks. If you’re worried about being all sweaty after you run…do what I do and pack a complete change of clothes (underwear, hat & all) and pick up a pack of those facial wipes (or baby wipes) and use it to clean yourself up in the bathroom. You’d be surprised how well wipes work (seriously, we had 5 people sitting hip-to-hip in a car after a 16-mile trail run and none of us smelled thanks to Jan’s wipes).
And, last but not least…
10. Have fun and remember that you are not competing with anyone but yourself. You are the only person you need to please. Period. Your goal should be to run the best race you can run on Sunday. May not be your best ever, but if it’s the best you could do THAT DAY…then you won.
