Tomorrow I earn the shirt

Do the clothes make the man?

My friend Brian, who has run his share of races, sent me a note regarding tomorrow's half marathon. He said: "Remember to Take in the Moment. 1/4 or 1/2 way through the run you'll be saying to yourself...."I'm really doing this."

I thought that was a really good perspective. I've run many races at this point but a half marathon represents important new ground. I'll admit that I liked collecting my race number last night at the Expo and receiving the dark orange technical race shirt that the marathoners and half marathoners get. But picking up the racing shirt is one thing, earning it on the race course is another. It was a nice surprise to also receive an LI Marathon racing hat and some excellent running socks.

Tomorrow morning I'll line up to run my longest distance to date. That means that once the gun sounds I'll spend the next two-plus hours racing along a 13.1 mile course. By now I've thought through my pacing strategy, my race day hydration, nutrition plan and fueling. My knee feels much better than it did a week ago but it's still a little tender. I finally feel ready to take this on. At least as ready as I can be. After six weeks of training, with a focus on building my base, I'll face my biggest racing challenge yet. You only get one first experience at every distance. I will definitely follow Brian's advice tomorrow and take in the moment as often as I can.

The key to keeping my cool

Brooks Rev-T

It was already 83 degrees at 5:00 AM this morning and I was glad that I usually rest on Mondays. On my way to the train I saw some runners out for their workouts and was surprised to see one guy in sweats and a woman running in a long sleeve tech top. It often puzzles me the way some people dress for their runs. I often see people running with what look like cotton sweatshirts even when the temperature is above 70 degrees. These people either don't sweat much or they think that wearing heavy layers will generate more heat and burn more calories. My preference is to wear as little as I can, even if it's very cold when I start. On 25 degree days I warm up sufficiently within ten minutes with only a long sleeved jersey, compression pants and a hat. Once temperatures get closer to 40 I switch to short sleeves and generally wear compression shorts. Any temperatures warmer than that will move me to regular running shorts.

I've come to appreciate the differences in wicking efficiency between the shirts I own. The Champion C9 shirts do a credible job but the quality isn't great and a few are starting to fray at the seams. I bought a Zoot shirt that should be great. It's constructed of ultralight material with fine mesh in areas that need extra ventilation. This shirt does a good job but, perhaps due to its lack of material mass, it gets overwhelmed fairly quickly. I also have an ATAYNE shirt that's made from 100% recycled material. It's great for spring and fall but a bit too heavy for humid summer days. I've had less success with shirts that have a tight weave and satin-like texture (e.g., Old Navy REC shirts and cheap tech tee's from races) than with shirts with more open weaves and a little more material. My three best shirts, by far, are my Nike (Sphere), Adidas ClimaCool 365 and Brooks Rev-T. These shirts meet my needs very well in almost any weather. I've learned that the cooler I run, the better I perform. That's why you won't see me in a sweatshirt, even when the mercury hits 20 degrees.