Thursday, June 1, 2017

Goals for the Fontana Run Days Half Marathon

Alrighty dighty... IT'S RACE TIME!

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Saturday morning is the Fontana Run Days Half Marathon and it is my goal half marathon for the year. (Yes, I know I run quite a few races, but I normally don't "race" them, so when I put one on the calendar where I'm gunning for a specific time or goal then you know stuff is about to get serious ;)) I figured if I wanted a shiny new PR for the year then THIS would be the race to go try and chase it down!

Finish line selfie from last year's race

Like some of you have noticed, I tend to run a fairly decent amount of miles ;) For the past couple months I've been specifically training for this race (oh yeah, and in case you don't follow along on social media, I also have another half marathon on Sunday morning too - HA!). And since it is a "goal race", I figured I'd share some of my goals for the day.

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A Goal - Sub 1:38:38


My current PR {personal record} was actually set at this race last year. I was able to shave off a good 6 minutes from my previous best and cross the finish line at 1:38:38. I know that I may not have hit all of my paces throughout this training cycle, but I have given it my all and feel as though I have truly pushed outside of my comfort zone and concurred speeds I would have never imagined in the past. I would love to say that I am more ready this year than I was last, but I'm not 100% sure (last year I hadn't put in a ton of speed work, but was on the tail end of training for three back-to-back marathons and definitely had distance on my side).

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B Goal - Sub 1:45


For some folks there is a huge push for a sub 2 hour half marathon (Kelly Roberts even has a #Breaking159 campaign with Strava surrounding this), but for me, the 1:45 mark was something I had to chase race after race. I know to run a sub 1:45 half marathon that I have to put in work - it is NOT a walk in the park (I only have a handle of races at this pace). If I'm unable to run my fastest race on Saturday, this would be the next benchmark goal I wanna race towards.

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C Goal - Finish w/ a SMILE (& enough in the tank for RnRSD)


Running is something I enjoy - shoot, I pay to run these races! I never want to take a single step for granted. No matter the time on my Garmin, my goal is always to be able to cross the finish line with a smile on my face. And since I have a second half marathon on Sunday morning, I'm hoping that I don't thrash my legs too much so I can still enjoy the 13.1 miles less than 24 hours later. Rock 'N' Roll San Diego is always a MAJOR PARTY through America's Finest City, so I'm not too concerned about running it fast, but I would like to do it comfortably and pain-free!


{FYI: I realize there are some of you who don't share your goals with the world and that's TOTALLY fine! I've found that although sometimes it makes me feel a little bit of added pressure (even if I'm the only one putting it on myself), the benefits always outweigh the negatives. I share my goals because the running community ROCKS my socks and are some of the most encouraging and supportive people out there. I don't share my goals so you will compare yourself with me and my times or you will give me a big round of applause if I hit them, but because I have found it to be extremely helpful with accountability. I am someone who normally has ZERO qualms about "taking it easy" or "having fun" and running with friends. Putting my goals out on the InterWebs allows me to stick to my guns and attack a race head on.}

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We will see what this weekend holds. I'm praying that I have put in the work necessary, that Mother Nature is kind (last year it was 93* at the finish line), and that I can run my race while leaving it all out on the course. Whatever the outcome may be, I want to be able to hold my head high, realize that running is FAR MORE than a time on a watch and be proud of all that I've been able to accomplish (and all of the abilities that God had blessed me with).

Do you have a goal race on your calendar?

4 comments:

Bree at Clarity Defined said...

Good luck!! On both races, but especially on hitting your goals!

I've been chasing a 2:30 half (I'm obviously MUCH slower than you, haha) for over a year now. I came super close at Tink a couple weeks ago with 2:31:50, so I'm still chasing that and will try again at Wine & Dine which is the next half on my calendar. I know most people don't run the Disney races for time, but I can't help wanting to keep getting better (plus I don't have a *ton* of wiggle room with my speed to take them truly "easy").

I do agree with you though about putting your goals out there. I had three goals that I shared with friends and my trainer for Tink this year - goal time (2:30), better than by current PR (which I did by nearly 7 minutes!), and same as my last Tink. :)

Christina said...

Awesome!! Looking forward to seeing you smashing your goals. Best of luck! <3

Erica @ Erica Finds said...

Have a great run! Whether it's an A, B or C day, I'll know you'll make the best of it! xo

Unknown said...

good luck, my goal race is the Southern Fried Half, going for a sub 2 hour half