Last Long Run (plus, my half marathon goals)

I usually do my long runs on Saturday morning with my running group, but my sister went and had a baby and kept me up all night (YAY!) so I banked the run for today. I was a little more up and at 'em:

I feel like I haven't been running long enough distances this time around, so I was really gunning for at least ten miles. Double digits, please. Additionally, I see some hills in my future so I decided to run a route that would take me up and down a few.

Honestly, I'm pretty happy with how it went. I started out slow, then maintained a 9:30/mile pace for a majority of the run. I hit 10:00/mile around mile 8 and stayed there until I got home.

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Here's the thing: The hills weren't so bad, which is good because I'm super intimidated by the hills in this upcoming half marathon. A friend of mine ran it last year, and when I picked her brain about it, she said "there are hills, lots of hills...and mile 8 will be hard as hell." I mean, I'm going to be running through the rolling hills of Southwest Michigan wine country. So yes, I fully expected "hard as hell" when I signed up.

Saving grace: It should also be a fairly beautiful course. And there will be wine at the finish line.

Despite the smile, I'm also grimacing inside just a tiny bit because my left knee is being a little pistol. I think it's an IT band issue, honestly. Which is something I've dealt with before. I came home and immediately broke out my pink foam roller.

Hopefully it won't flare up on me at the race. One thing that might have worked against me today: I ran on a sidewalk that is somewhat uneven, and uneven running surfaces are never an IT band's best friend. So, we'll see.

My running goals for next weekend:
1) Start slow, then pace well to finish strong.
2) Survive Mile 8.
3) Keep the knee happy.
4) Enjoy the scenery.
5) Drink wine at the finish line.

Basically, this:

I just have to remember that limits are challenges, and challenges can be overcome.
Time to get through the week, and then...#igotthis.

My week in workouts:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Spinning
Wednesday: Barre Fit
Thursday: 3 Miles
Friday: PiYo Live
Saturday: Rest
Sunday Race

Question: Do you have any race week traditions? Are you racing this coming weekend?