Pre-Run Rituals and My Virtual 5k for Coffee Race

I woke up this morning and immediately remembered that I signed up to run a virtual 5 km race today.

I chose my breakfast carefully - 1 egg on 2 slices of light, whole wheat bread, and 2 cups of coffee.  I didn't want to have to wait more than an hour to let it all settle so I didn't want to eat too much.

I love the ritual of getting ready to go.  I am always pretty excited so take care to move slowly and deliberately.  I normally move quickly and sometimes bang my knees and elbows, or stub my toes... not when I am getting ready to run.  I don't want to forget anything so I pretty much do things in the same order every time out and I usually have a few sips of coffee to start my preparations.

Then:

Select my running clothes and lay them on the bed
Wash my face
Brush my teeth
Arrange my hair
Apply sunscreen to my face and my mouth
Apply either sunscreen or lotion to my arms and legs
Drink some water
Get dressed
Apply Body Glide
Put on my running/HRM watch
Put on my HRM chest strap, if I am going to wear it...  turn it on and panic for a split second when I see the 0 come up in the heart beats area.. then relax when I see a number appear
Turn off the HRM
Put on my Road ID bracelet
Put some kleenex tissues in my pocket
Put a full water bottle in the waist belt and strap it on, if I am going to wear it
Put on and lace up my running shoes
Walk around a bit to test the ties
Make a last trip to the bathroom
Put on my sunglasses
Head out the door

Today I ran the Virtual 5k for Coffee that I learned about yesterday.  I did the same 5 km route that I ran in the last virtual 5k I did which was last Tuesday, but in the reverse order.  Either direction there is a killer hill at the end so it doesn't really matter which way I start out.

I thought I was going pretty fast - wore my HRM today and for the last 3 km my heart rate was in the 98 - 99% range and the darn beeper kept going off to warn me I was working too hard.  Well, darn it, I already knew I was working too hard but somehow today I took comfort in the fact that my HRM recognized that too and the beeping seemed to me to be a cheerleader of sorts and I just kept going!

At about the 4 km point I would have loved to rip off the light cotton T-shirt I was wearing 'cause I was sweating so much and it seemed very heavy and hot... but, I don't run in just a running bra in the 'burbs, so I kept it on till I got to our driveway.

All the way up the last block I was sucking air and I thought that it was possible I might lose my breakfast... but I didn't, thank goodness, and I got to my finish line in exactly 36 minutes.  

Now that is not a 5 km PR for me, but in this hilly neighborhood, it is pretty darn good, and a whole 30 seconds faster than the last time I ran it, last Tuesday... but, it felt so very much harder!

But, all in all, a great run... I learned I can suck it up and move when I put my mind to it, and I am also getting conditioned to take walk breaks a lot less often when running now.

W2 R36 W4
streeeeetch 6 minutes

Do you have a pre-run ritual?

Do you get excited when you are getting ready to go running?

Have you ever run till you are sick?