@Penny:  GU with Gatorade most but not all think that is to much sugar at one time and is best done with water.  I do for my marathons a sports drink/Gatorade and one stop and water and GU at the other.  Best advice is do what you have trained with, with that being stated a race is still different than a training run.  I have never had stomach issues in a training run but have in several races.  This should not be a big issue with 1/2's.

Thanks Stephen, silentstrider, & BOSNPM for clearing that issue with GU & Gatorade.

I  hope I don't overeat and make an excuse of not running entirely with my taper.  Right now, I am so scared of catching a cold or flu  almost 2 weeks before race day.  Am I just paranoid that I feel a small twitch in my leg and think it's a sprain.   Thought tapering was the easiest part of training for the HM, it's a balancing act of having the extra time, itching to run a little  bit more, or just having that nagging feeling you have not trained enough.   Run safe everyone!

Penny, you will do great.  My nerves still get rattle before every race.  But it's such a great feeling when its over

I ran my rescheduled half marathon today.  It was not a great day for it.  Temps in the teens, snowing and alot of the course had not bee properly plowed.  We ran on a bike path, not a lot of room especially with there being a turnaround and runners coming back the other way, but I guess it could have been worse.  I ran well, I started off a little hard and kept up with the 2:15:00 pace setter for 9 miles.  About mile 10 I hit the wall, which was suprising, I usually hit it about mile 12, but I did PR and beat my last 1/2 PR by 13 mins.  Very happy about that.  I hope everyone had a great runninng weekend.

Thanks debra and silent strider for the encouragement!   Good job on you run silent strider despite the unfavorable circumstances. 

After my last long run of 11.8 miles, I took a 3-day recovery rest and run 5k by Thursday.  Resistance  training with light weights the next day.  Rest day. Then off run 10k.  By next week , I want to squeeze in a swim or bike session by Monday if work or weather permits.  Then 5k runs twice a week for the next 2 weeks.  Then 7k on Sunday 6 days before race day.  I hope my taper schedule is enough for my half on feb 5.  Still kind of anxious of catching a cold or some kind of virus.  I caught a bad cold which then turned to a nasty sore throat and cough a week before a 10k race last year.

Just got word that on race day, event organizers are  not providing  Gatorade  but Powerade which my stomach does not agree with.  I feel bloated and it makes be burp all the time.  So, I am planning to have my hydration belt on hand filled with Gatorade.    Safe run everyone!

Congratulations on your PR, Nick! sounds like you run well under pressure. Those conditions sounded awful. I hate being crowded.

I'm sidelined AGAIN this time for chest congestion. My runs had been getting harder and shorter with my BP rising too quickly so I went and got antibiotics. Losing this week and blowing more running goals is not feeling good. I worked out and ran a little but not enough. Can't wait to stop feeling poorly.

Good runs all!

Mary Kay

Thanks Debra,

After seeing that you doing almost 10 mile long runs, you are more than read for that 10k.  Is it your first one?

Mary Kay, I too hope that you are feeling better soon.  I think I might have gotten a small tear on one of my tendons on the bottom of my right foot.  Hope to see the doctor tomorrow, cause the pain on the foot is harsh.  I am staying positive though but hope it doesn't sideline me for long, got another race in march.  Hope everyone has a great week and positive runs.

Silentstrider - I hope your foot issue resolves itself.  Did you ice it?

Debra - that's a long taper.  The plan I'm following only has a one week taper, and that's still doing 23 miles in the last week (including the race) instead of the 30 of the previous week. 

Marykay - I hope your congestion goes away soon.  I've been lucky so far this winter, but we don't spend a lot of time around children.

My HM plans may be changing.  I really wanted to do the local race in early March.  My husband really wants to head south and do some camping, hiking, bird watching etc. in Georgia and Florida.  We were supposed to leave right after Christmas, but a family member has been hospitalized with a recurrence of Leukemia and it looks like she won't make it.  She's in hospice now and it is a matter of days, probably.  Our travel plans have been on hold for the past month.  Assuming we leave in early Feb., it is really unlikely that I'll be able to do my race.  Even if we are back in time, after a month of erratic and flat running,  I doubt I'll be able to do the hills.  OTOH, it's possible I'll be able to find a way to run more often than I expect.  So I may do the race.  Since I haven't signed up for it yet, I won't lose anything b y not running -- except that I was really looking forward to it. 

Then I heard about a HM a couple of hours from here, in Allentown.  It's a very different kind of race - big (4000 runners), with live bands, etc.  It's at the end of April.  This way I have one sure race and one possible one to look forward to.  Since they are very different (400 runners v. 4000, rural roads v. city park, etc.) even if I do both, they will both be fun, I think.  The disadvantage of Allentown is we'll have to find a pet friendly motel or campground, but I think it will be okay. 

Silent strider - hope the foot is much improved.

Mary Kay - great job!

Right now, I'm nursing a bruised left 2nd toe after my nephew accidentally stepped on my left foot.  The swelling has subsided but still black and blue and a bit painful.  Been icing and elevating much of the time. No fracture though.   I'm quite worried that this may affect my running on race day on feb 5.  Tough luck, so concerned that I may get a cold (taking max dose of vitamin C, washing hands so often, sleeping early, covering up).  Then, I get stepped on.  Didn't see this coming.

Safe running everyone.