Hi! How are you?  Me, I am great. I feel compelled to write about this so I’m going to.  I am so excited for my half marathon next weekend!

I get to run 13.1 on Sunday at The SF Marathon, 2nd half marathon. Hooray!  I am in the wave that starts at 8:08 AM. 

My last half marathon (my 8th one) on May 8th was garbage. Total garbage. I foolishly ran a half marathon the same weekend I opened a musical, which meant I had been in rehearsals for over a week straight and my body was fatigued beyond belief. It was hot that day. I just wasn’t mentally present. I actually cried during the race because it was so hot, which isn’t usually how I am. I was just so tired. But I finished and threw my shoes off in a fit at the finish line and simultaneously wanted to run another half marathon to counter balance how badly that one had gone, but also wanted to take up underwater basket weaving as a hobby to replace running and never run another mile in my life. 

Luckily the feeling of hatred passed as soon as I ate three Doubletree cookies 🍪 back at the hotel and was excited that I was going to 13.1 again soon.  

On Sunday I get to run my 9th half marathon.  My 9th!  I can’t believe how much I’ve accomplished in a few short years. I am getting stronger and faster but need to fight my mental battle more. I get too in my head and around miles 8-9 I start to fall apart.  I have had pretty good training this summer since my last half. I don’t think any of my long runs went higher than nine miles which worries me a little, but it’s too late to change that now. 

This is going to be the biggest race I have ever participated in. There are 27,000 participants in the event, per what I read online!  That’s way bigger than anything I’ve ever done!  I am so excited to run the streets of San Francisco. I have run a half marathon in SF before but this course is different. I get to run Haight Ashbury, the Embarcadero and so much more. It’s so freaking exciting. I feel so giddy.

I am taking such personal pride in my accomplishments. This is going to be great and there are going to be a few people I know in real life and people I “know” through social media at the race. I am not putting any pressure on myself. The weather will be good, I have no time goal that I’m striving for. The only pressure is deciding which fabulous outfit from my wardrobe to wear 😏😏😏 and which hydration pack to bring. 

If I haven’t said it enough, I’m so excited. I can’t wait. The excitement just recently percolated within me after planning my race weekend out.  I spent this weekend getting groceries and doing laundry so I could just focus on work and running this week and getting as much rest as possible since next weekend will be a whirlwind!

Will you be at the event?  What are you looking most forward to in the next few weeks?

Cheers to half marathons!

-Vanessa