Things I've learned since my first half marathon

With my second half marathon fast approaching (this Sunday ... eek!), I started thinking about things I learned from my first half marathon. And, here's the list:

• Don't sweat the things you can't control. Well, let's get one thing straight: I sweat. A lot. Not sweating is not an option for me. But, in this case, I use "sweat" in place of "worry about." (Probably a poor word choice now that I think about it.)
  

  

  Hot mess

  I can't control the weather. If it is hot and nasty, I will be too. I can't change it. I just have to deal with it. Before my last half marathon (in November 2011), I started looking at the weather forecast 10 days out, and I kept obsessively checking it. This was not productive in the least bit. Even if I was worried about the weather, I couldn't change it.

• The race isn't over if you have to stop to walk. I put a ton of pressure on myself to run the entire race. When I stopped for a walk break at mile 6, I thought I was a failure. I kept going and finished the race, but in a way, I kind of gave up at that point, unfortunately. So, this time around, thanks to some brilliant advice from Corey, I've tried to add a stop or a short walk into my long runs. I used to really fear stopping. But now, I know I can stop if needed (to drink some water, tie a shoe, whatever) and restart. Or even add a short walk break in. And, even with a stop or a walk, I can still have a decent (turtle) time. 
  
• It's supposed to be (mostly) fun. During my last half marathon, I focused on the misery. "Wah! It's hot. Wah! I'm sweaty! Wah! I'm miserable." Yes, I acted like a big baby. I did not enjoy the experience. Now, looking back on it, there were so many things to enjoy. But, if you're acting like a big baby, you miss out. You're paying for the race; get some enjoyment out of it.

WAH!