Non-PR goals for the Army 10

Greetings from Maryland! Adam and I flew into DC last night. Yesterday was the shared birthday of both my father-in-law and my niece - so we've got some celebrating to do this weekend. The timing couldn't be better as the last few days in the office have been exceptionally challenging for me. I am very happy to be able to spend the time with family and friends.

First off, I am sending out positive vibes to everyone running the Chicago Marathon, Twin Cities, Prairie State, and all other races this weekend!!!

On my own agenda for the weekend:

On one hand, I would like to make this a PR attempt, or at least an opportunity to gauge where I currently stand with my fitness. On the other hand, a lot of folks indicated the first few miles are so crowded that runners are forced to slow down to a walk, or even stop. Plus, I would like to enjoy the landmarks on the course. So all in all, this is going to be a race-time decision.

Potential PR attempts aside, here are five things I want to accomplish during this race:

1. Run a negative split
Doesn't matter if it's a ten-minute negative or a 1-second negative. I simply want to continue practicing the strategy of starting out easily and picking the pace up on the back end.

2. Minimize looking at my Garmin, and run by feel as much as possible
This one is going to be my biggest challenge. I rely on my Garmin a LOT for pacing and distance gauges. I've long been wanting to be better about focusing less on the empirical data and concentrating more on what my body is telling me.

3. High-five at least one kid for every mile.
Not just a meager high-five, either - I want to go all in and high-five with my entire being!!! The true basis behind this idea is to find ways to draw energy from the crowd as best as possible.

4. Squash any negative thoughts that might run through my mind, and just focus on positivity
I've got some mantras prepared for myself, and I already have a mental gratitude list that I want to embody during the race.

5. Finish feeling strong
Because we've all been here:

You all know what I'm talking about, right? =)

Happy weekend and happy racing, my friends!!!

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Linking up with Mar, Courtney, and Cynthia for the Friday Five - and very appropriately so since the three of them are based in the DC area, which is where I am this weekend!