You might be wondering what “half the victory” is. The entire quote is, “To be prepared is half the victory.”(Miguel De Cervantes). Being prepared is part of the victory in many things in life. I have found that being prepared has helped me in so many situations.
When I was in high school I went with my grandparents to Mexico to spend half of my sophomore year attending an all girls, Spanish speaking high school. In 7th grade I started taking Spanish. During my freshman year of high school I checked to see what classes I needed to take at the high school in Mexico and which classes I needed to take as correspondence courses so I could still graduate from high school on time. I can just imagine how I would have done if I hadn’t been prepared. Even with all of my preparation it was a difficult challenge for a 15 year old.
Being prepared made it possible for me to get into college, to get all of my requirements met in 4 years, and to graduate. Being prepared helped me do lesson plans for my elementary students, teach the lessons, grade homework, complete report cards, and manage to make sure that each of my students succeeded. I could fill a book with hundreds of things people prepare for during a lifetime, but I won’t.
When I decided to walk my first half marathon this past May I didn’t wait until the day of the race to start walking. I prepared in different ways so that on race day I would be ready. Since I had never walked long distances before I relied on others to help me prepare. As I prepare to walk my second half marathon this Saturday, the 17th, I thought I would share the 6 tips that helped prepare me the most for my first race.
1. Allow yourself plenty of time to train. That amount differs for each person but I am sure waiting until 2 weeks before the race is not enough(unless you are superhuman).
2. Train in all types of weather because you never know what race day will bring. Training in all types of weather also helps you know what to wear if it is hot, cold, raining, or snowing(as clumsy as I am I would never walk/train in the snow, so thank goodness it rarely snows where I live).
3. Include some long distance runs/walks in your training plan. This is important because it is usually at the 10 mile mark in a race that a new runner/walker hits the wall.
4. To prevent blisters grease your feet and toes with Vaseline(or a similar product). I also put baby powder in my socks. I packed toe bandages, trial size Vaseline, trial size baby powder, tape, and extra socks in my fanny pack in case I needed them during the race.
5. Find snacks to eat during your training and during the race that do not upset your stomach. Try several different things well before race day(I packed protein bars, Swedish fish, and trail mix). Stay hydrated when you are training and during the race. Figure out what drinks work best for you. Water works the best for me.
6. Don’t change anything you have been doing during training on race day. Wear the same shoes, socks, clothes, etc. in the race as you have been training in. It helps prevent blisters, chaffing, etc. Eat the same snacks and drink the same liquids. Don’t try anything new!
BE PREPARED–BE VICTORIOUS!!
