Marathon Goals and a Giveaway

I'll be honest, I haven't thought a lot about this marathon other than getting in my scheduled miles over the past three weeks. Oh and how excited I am to see Amber, Leigh and Lisa! But because I will be running a marathon this Sunday, I figured I should have a few goals lined up.

Marathon Goals

1. Deep down, I know I can PR at this race so that's my major goal. In order to do that, I'm planning on starting out conservative and relaxed. My PR is 3:49 so anything faster than that would be awesome, but I'd like to clock a 3:45.

2. Run a negative split the second half of the race. If I start out conservatively, I should be able to build from there and finish strong rather than trailing off as I have in the past.

3. Stay strong mentally. Running 26.2 miles on your own can get pretty lonely even when you're surrounded by thousands of other runners. And it especially feels lonely when your race isn't going as you want it.

4. No matter what, enjoy the whole experience. I've said before that I won't let an imperfect race bring down my race experience.

Unlike any other race I've done, the half marathon is starting at 7:30 am and the full marathon doesn't start until 8:45 am. Strange, but at least the girls will have a chance to go back to the hotel, shower and hopefully get some great finish line photos of me. ;)

Now on to the good stuff - food!

Odwalla bar - White Chocolate Macadamia

A few weeks ago I was contacted by a representative for Odwalla to try one of their new snack bars after attending Healthy Living Summit. I gladly accepted as I'm already a big fan of their banana walnut bar.




With 210 calories and 3 g of protein, this bar is more of a snack than a recovery food or meal replacement. I ate one of the bars in between Sunday Costco madness and other errands. I would however, recommend the Odwalla protein bar for post workout.

I enjoyed the Original Super Protein bar after my tempo run last week and it kept me satisfied until I got home for dinner. My favorite of Odwalla bar flavors is the Banana Walnut, which kind of reminds me of banana bread. I don't know about you, but I always have a few bars sitting around in case I need a quick snack at work or food on the run.

Overall, I enjoyed the flavor, although it seems a bit too sweet for my taste buds. I'd give it a 7 out of 10 on the taste scale as I do love the macadamia nut/white choc combo.

The Giveaway
Odwalla would like to give one recipient a variety pack of 10-15 of their bars.

To enter the contest, leave me a comment on how/if you go about goal setting for races or big challenges in life and then ultimately how you achieve them.

*Earn a second entry by tweeting "I want to win @Odwalla Bars from Sassy Molassy! @laurenpeters  http://justcallmesassy.blogspot.com/2011/10/marathon-goals-and-giveaway.html" and then come back and leave a comment saying that you did so.

I will pick the winner randomly, but appreciate your goal setting tips as I have a difficult time setting goals for races because I'm always unsure of my abilities. But the bottom line is, I should be confident in all my training and just GO for it!

Contest ends Sunday, Oct. 9 at 5 pm PST. I will announce the winner on Sunday or Monday depending on how I'm feeling after 26.2 miles. Cross your fingers it doesn't pour down rain for 4 hrs!

Odwalla provided me bars for free to review. I only review products I would personally buy or want to try on my own. Thoughts and opinions on the products are mine alone. 

Comments

Leigh said…
I think there is talk of sign making for your finish..either way, we will be there to cheer you on even if we are hobbling! :)

The goal I set for myself and achieved was to run my first half marathon. Prior to that, I had never run further than 5k, so I got a training plan, followed it to a T and told myself that on race morning, I would and could finish the race! I am now about to run my third half, so something must have worked :)
"I should be confident in all my training and just GO for it!" <- EXACTLY.

I set goals for certain races, when I know I've trained hard and am really gunning after a PR. Some are reserved for fun, and I let them be just that. The biggest challenge is to Trust your training, your legs and your strengths. And don't be afraid to be it out there and hold yourself accountable :)
Amber said…
I posted about my half-marathon goals today! Funny :)

I have already been scouting the course map so we can cheer for you and see you at the end!!

I am a little nervous about this race because to be honest I rarely set goals I don't complete - maybe all my goals are too easy? - but the sub-2 hour half is JUST within my reach and I know it'll take a lot of work to do it. Definitely a mental game!
J said…
Exactly - be confident in your training and just go for it. The last few races I have just trusted my training - I know what my tempo runs have been and I know what I am able to do. Running is all about building up, its a gradual improvement, not a huge jump all at once. If you keep setting goals at each race and keep improving then you will get faster and faster!
I am posting my goals tomorrow! :)

I say that you try to channel the energy and approach you had when you bandited that race this spring (was it this spring? I can't remembere. This year is a blur). Just be confident in yourself.

That is SUCH a late race start for you. I guess it will be nice to not feel rushed, though. We will def be doing some spectating and major cheering, and will be sure to get some pictures of you! So excited to see you!!
Unknown said…
I set goals based on my training and what type of race I am running. Setting a goal for me gives me something something to work towards and makes all of the running worthwhile. It is a way to challenge myself to give it my best!

Thanks for a great giveaway!!
Anonymous said…
Good luck in your marathon!

I usually set pretty lofty goals and then just put my head down and work. I usually know my goals are a bit ballsy for me and that I may come up short, but having something really daunting pushes me more than making a "very realistic" goal, per se. And, even if I come up a bit short, I will still probably have achieved something great. Lately, when I go into a race, I let go of all time expectations and just tell myself that I've worked hard and I'll let the chips fall where they may.
Danielle said…
Best of luck! I hope you enjoy the course--especially the views along the ocean! I also hope the wind is calm. FYI, you might consider renting bikes from the shop located on the block of the convention center to breeze along the course if you have time. I'd also recommend the History museum if you have down time. Last year, we were there during the "Canadian Thanksgiving", which was a fun way to celebrate. Overall, just enjoy yourself and I hope your hip cooperates!
abbi said…
I tend to set really big goals a big time in advance. Once I get closer to said goal, I start to freak out a bit, decide to back down on my goal a bit and just enjoy the moment and often, it seems things tend to then fall into place and then the cycle repeats after a big high!
I try to make goals that are reasonable so I can actually achieve them. I also try to remember that it's okay to change my goals and just finishing a race is a fine goal to have!

That said, I've PR'd on all of my 5k races this year!

Best of luck in your marathon!!! YOU CAN DO IT!
H.B. said…
I'm running my first half marathon in November. A good friend of mine gave me some really good advice for goal setting. He said to set 3 goals, the first one an attainable goal ("I just want to finish), the second a more challenging goal ("I want to run the whole time, no walking breaks) and the third the most challenging ("I want to run my first half in 2:10). Either way, you'll probably meet at least one of your goals and if you meet more than one then that is a bonus! The best part is I think you can apply this three part goal setting to most of life's challenges as well.
H.B. said…
I also tweeted!
Liz said…
Good luck this weekend! You'll do great.

PS, don't enter me in the giveaway, Odwalla sent me some too, so I don't want to steal from others ;)
Lauren--I hope your race goes well today!!! I'm sure you will do awesome! I've enjoyed reading about your trip so far via Amber's recaps!

As for race goals--I haven't set a lot of goals in regards to running--because the only races I've run in my adult life are 5ks---usually for various causes/benefits. I will say, though-- between Lisa and Amber (and reading some of your running experiences)--I'm thinking I might get a little more focused with running!

But with goals in general--I always like to write out what I want to achieve--and then place that reminder somewhere where I will see it DAILY (on the fridge, on the bathroom mirror, in my planner---wherever I decide.) I'm a firm believe that when something is constantly in your sight--you are more likely to accomplish doing it! I also like to SHARE my goals with others---so they can sort of hold me accountable. I feel like I am more likely to achieve what I want if I know other people are EXPECTING me to achieve it too :)
I tweeted about your contest too :)

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