13 Things You Should Know The 13.1

Last weekend I ran my first half marathon the Philly Rock n' Roll Half. I can't believe I waited this long to run a half. It's a great distance, something I encourage all of my dear readers to try or at least support someone who is.
So, I wanted to put together a running list of things that runners, wanna-try runners and interested parties can learn about running races in general and some things specific to this distance. One thing marathon running makes you forget is you could run half as far and feel just as great finishing. But, now that I've run a half, I realized some things about running races that are true across the board (and not just added torture to a marathon course).

Key Running Lessons From a 13.1:

1. You can always run two times as far as your furthest run. Trust your training. I'm a believer when it comes to races less than or equal to 13.1 miles, your training should carry you through the finish line. However if you have doubts because you've never run the full distance, just remember if you can run half of a half, you can push the rest of the way through (thank goodness for adrenaline and fans).
2. You will always end a race on an uphill. They say runners are the only people that think optimistically about hills because we know, what goes up must come down. Well now you can add this joy to your hill-loving, once you run uphill at then end, chances are the finish line is REALLY close. Why? You might ask, courses end on an uphill to force you to slow down slightly so your sprint finish doesn't result in injury.
3. You will always have fans cheering. The thing about a marathon is no one is going to wait around 4+ hours until you finish, finding you every 3 miles. But, in a half marathon there are fans throughout the course! This just means you have a constant pulse of motivation to push you along.
4. Bring your watch. The avid runner wouldn't even second-guess this, but what I didn't know is a corral system will sometimes result in a staggered start. This means each corral gets its own count down before the gun. Now, runners beware of stagger starts without a watch because it will leave you doing math the whole time to know what your time is. While it might keep your mind busy, it'll drive you nuts and you'll forget to focus on your plan for the race.
5. Don't stop to pee unless you really must. No matter what your planned time is, most half courses cut off at four hours, HOLD IT. You can make it. You'll thank me later when your time is 6 minutes faster.
6. Know what your body needs for hydration. I'm a strong believer in no artificial hydration (Gatorade, Gu, food etc) before mile 7. Studies show if you are properly hydrated your body doesn't need electrolyte restoration until after 1 hour of running. Every runner to each its own, but just know if your training didn't include you stopping for Gatorade at mile 3.2, you probably don't need it now (unless you weren't properly pre-hydrated).
7. Have a reward. Yes, you ran a half marathon you deserve something - anything you want. Even if it's disco fries, because you essentially burned 1300 calories, so go ahead, enjoy. But seriously, rewards help you see the end through tough spots in the race and can only make you go faster!
8. Don't look in the porta-potties. Self-explanatory. 
9. Don't do anything new on race day. This even means the amount of stretching you do, what you eat for breakfast, or tying your shoes a different way. DON'T DO IT.
10. Have a plan. For me, race plans are critical, you have to know when it's going to be okay to slow down and speed up, this is something you should practice in your training or be able to gauge from your tempo runs.
11. If you don't have a fan there, make a friend. At the end all you want to do is high-five someone, well if you didn't make a friend in the two or three hours you were running your runner's high will drop before it should. Besides, it's easy, you already have something in common :)
12. Have a go to mantra. Something that's sing-songy that you can repeat in your head to make it through "I hate my life" moments in the race. (This is where you can repeat to yourself "disco fries, disco fries")
13. Run for everyone who cannot.  You will become a part of a select group of individuals that finish a half marathon, but unfortunately there are people with the gumption, but not the ability to do what you are doing. So, run for them AND run for yourself.  If you let their hope guide you along, you'll never run out of inspiration.

AND FINALLY .1 There's just a little more once you hit the 13 mile marker (and yes they show you) before you're done, so don't slow down too soon!

A loaf of bread, a container of milk, and a stick of butta…

Lists. I believe they are at the core of every good plan. You can control lists, by adding things to it and checking off completions. It’s all so liberating!

Despite my love of lists and organization, connecting the dots is not my forte. This is probably why I believed that an African man who called from a Maryland area code, but lived in Connecticut needed a $500 bed in Charlottesville, Virginia. Oh and let’s not forget, that this same African man called himself Caesar and asked me to send cash via a wire transfer – all from the Monopoly® money he sent in the mail.

Ok. Ok. Not the best idea, but you get the point. I like to think of this stupid decision in my life as the reason why I think things out and make lists!

Needless to say, I do well with list, not decision making in stressful situations. I had a checklist once when I was in high school, and it was a list of everything I wanted to do before I turned 25. I did a lot of them already 2 years to spare: I ran a marathon. I published an article. I learned a foreign language – and forgot it before I turned 25. I have a career. I learned I could have a relationship with God. I graduated college.I lost friends – and found a couple soul mates. This darn list went on and on…

And that’s when I decided get rid of the list (spontaneous, I know). I realized (and this wasn’t on the list) that I can’t plan every moment of my life, and I certainly can’t check off accomplishments and life’s lessons from a list I made when I was 16. I simply have to keep on truckin’. Life is the last thing that is planned, but this is why you have friends, and family, and a honnnneyyys to tell you they are proud when your plans succeed and you check things off the list.

AND that same list of love ones will tell you not to give money to Caesar because no matter what wiring money is not a good idea. (note to reader, this is never a good idea)

Seriously, these people are the ones to help you connect the dots, and if you’re a list person like me, you need people like that in your life.

To me lists help you remember, and love ones don’t let you forget.