Half Marathon Saturday and Really Not Ready for It

Oh why, oh why, oh why did I sign up for a half marathon this Saturday?  Waaaaaaaa! I don't want to do it now.

This really is madness.  I know now that my body needs rest.  Today, more than any time, it is telling me that.  Okay, okay, so I only got five-some hours of sleep last night and I imagine that is coloring my normally good humor this morning, but seriously.... the idea of running 13.1 this weekend is not sounding too good right now.  Add to that the fact that the elevation chart I got a glimpse of earlier this week shows hills, hills, and more hills, and I am not a happy camper.

So, let's take inventory...

• Legs - tight from the new exercises I have thrown in this week.  Aside from adding the BOSU class on Monday, I attempted to get back into my lower body strength routine yesterday.  I couldn't even finish it because everything was so done in from BOSU the previous day.
• Shins - Notably better than a couple of days ago, but still not 100%.   Thinking about it, I realized what the problem may be.  I had gotten into the habit of wearing compression calf sleeves for my long runs, but I didn't wear them Sunday for my eight miler.  Is it possible, they just can't handle more than six miles now without support?  I wonder...
• Knees - sore from the eccentric squats I did yesterday
• Arms and shoulders - Very sore from the sun salutations, weight exercises in BOSU, and the planks I did this morning
• Abs - actually not bad, but I predict they'll start barking at me tomorrow.  (Core conditioning was this a.m.)
• Head - Mentally tired and ready for an excuse to step back and slow down a bit.

So, where does that leave me?  Really just waiting until Saturday morning to see how I feel.  I am hoping to get in a four mile run today - something nice and slow to get me loosened up again - and then I'll take it easy tomorrow and Friday.

Look at how happy the Tyranena Beer Run
beer bottles are.   This must be a fun event!

If I show up ready to race mentally on Saturday, then I'll put on the compression socks, plug in some music and go for it - probably doing the run/walk routine I did at Fox Cities Half Marathon in September (recapped in "Post-Mortem of a Half Marathon").

If I don't show up mentally, then I will just plan on taking it really slowly, take the run/walk down a few notches and just try to enjoy the scenery.

If everything is really in the proverbial crapper, then I always have the option of running the 4-mile event (I think I have that option anyway) or just doing a no show.  I am really not excited about chalking up my first DNF ever, but I will if it all hurts too badly.  After all, this race is really more about the experience anyway: taking a bus down with the running club, doing the event, and then enjoying the beer tent afterwards.  Most of that I can enjoy even without having had a good run.

What do you do to get ready for an event that you just don't feel mentally ready for?