This is not to say that I haven't been racing. I have! But my races have been shorter distances - half a dozen 5ks (placing in 2) plus 10k and relay races. I spent two years focusing on speedwork. Then I got smacked with a Florida summer and barely kept my running head above water. I only really started building my distance back up two months ago.
All of this means: There is no way Sunday will be a PR. I wasn't training to make it a personal record kind of day. I signed up to get my butt motivated for Sunday morning long runs. That goal has been thoroughly accomplished.
This also means that I have no real race goals or ego issues for Sunday's run. But... Perhaps I've taken my lackadaisical attitude a bit too far, because I plan to race in brand new shoes.
I know. I know. Every running rule book starts with: "No new shoes or new clothes for your race!"
Hell, my own rule book starts with that rule!
But look at that broke-a$$ pair of shoes on the right. They have almost 700 miles on them. I should have started breaking in the new Mizunos sooner. I admit my error there. But for my feets' sake (and for my hip!) I refuse to race 13 miles in the old pair. So instead, I'll be racing in a pair of shoes I've worn for... wait for it... 6 whole miles!
At this point, the brand new shoes issue is so ridiculous that I've started plotting what other race-day "no no's" rules I can break and use this as a sort-of science experiment... I mean: how many races will I have in my life when I don't care what my pace is as long as I finish?
So... Should I:
- Get a last-minute massage from a therapist I've never been to before? Oh wait... I've got that appointment in a couple of hours!
- Leave my watch at home? This is mighty tempting...
- Buy new shorts at the expo and run in those? Also tempting!
- Run without Body Glide? Because that worked so well last time...
- Celebrate the night before the race with a bottle of champagne, a pack of cigarettes, and some spicy Thai food? Because, you know, I'll wake up Sunday morning feeling GREAT for the race with a hangover, hacking cough, and port-o-potty "issues."
- Do a track workout right before I go to the race expo? I can test myself to see how much of a beating my quads can really take!
- Run my 5k pace for the first couple of miles to build up some "banked time?" Ha! That never works! All the more reason to try it...
What race-day rules have you always wanted to break?
Have you ever raced in brand new shoes?
