Gearing up for the Hawk

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a chance to just sit down and write. Mostly, because I work, run and then catch some zzzzz’s.  Today, I’m making a hard effort since tomorrow is my first marathon!

Back in May when I was first contemplating whether or not to sign up for the Hawk Marathon, I struggled for weeks. At first I wasn’t sure if I was truly capable of completing it. Then once I convinced myself that it was possible, my next thought was to make sure that I was doing it for the right reasons. I wanted to make sure that if I committed myself to all the training for 26.2 miles, that I was doing it for me. Not to impress anyone else and not because other’s thought I should do it. In the end I knew that I needed to do this for me and had to ignore what others thought about the decision.

So for the past 16 weeks, I’ve been training. I’ve managed to get every long run in, but have been inconsistent on my weekly short runs. I’ve run with some great people along the way, who have pushed me and made me really enjoy spending time with them out on the trails. It’s made training so much easier, especially those who are also competing in the Hawk. I’ve also fallen in love with running out at Clinton Lake. It’s become a favorite spot to run and it makes tomorrow’s adventure even more electrifying!

 

Race day is Saturday. The 100 and 50 milers begin at 6 a.m. at Clinton Lake. I will begin my race at 7 a.m. I’ve got all my clothes picked out. I need to go stock up on nutrition today.  I need to get my carbo loading on! I might also have to break out my “Rain, rain go away” dance. I am ready.

I honestly can’t wait for this weekend! It will be the farthest distance I have ever run. I’m looking forward to the trails, running with friends and much laughter. I can’t wait to cheer my friends and others after I finish my race and hangout with all my Trail Hawks! I can already tell that this is going to be one of the best weekends of my life and it hasn’t even started yet.

Thanks so much to everyone who is helped me get to this moment. I couldn’t have done it without my Trail Hawks, my Dirt Divas and my family. Let’s do this!