Good morning!
Well, I was right, I was working until about 10pm last night. But, I have great news– almost everyone has confirmed their donation for Shop 4 A Cause 2! I was actually blown away by how fast everyone made their donation and even emailed to tell me about it. A HUGE thank-you to everyone for making this such a smooth process! The fact that we had over 55 auctions and 52 of them are now paid is really, really amazing. THANK YOU so much!
The heat wave continues and so does the Banana soft Serve Vegan Overnight Oats parade!
Recipe can be found here. Toppings included raw cacao nibs and Nature’s Path Rice Crisp cereal again. So much crunchy goodness!
I did not use a frozen BROWN banana today, but a nice yellow one. It made such a difference in the banana soft serve. It ‘whips’ a lot more and gets much more creamy.
Every last drop.
The Wedding Planner
I don’t know how I forgot about this, but Eric and I have a wedding to go to the night before my half marathon this weekend! We got the invitation long after I had booked my half marathon last year, but I didn’t want to miss a wedding just because of a race, so we agreed to go. However, now I am starting to get a bit nervous about being at a wedding and then having to get up around 4:30am the next morning!
A few things I am worried about:
1. EATING NEW FOOD
Number one rule of racing is not to do anything different before the race. Obviously the food will be out of my control the night before and I am a bit worried that something is going to upset my stomach. I requested a vegan dish, but other than that I have no idea what I will be eating.
2. OPEN BAR
Need I say more? I have told myself absolutely no alcohol at the wedding. Who wants to be hungover the morning of a race? Plus it is dehydrating. I am really hoping I can stick to this pledge because open bars and I go way back. :lol:
3. BEING ON MY FEET ALL DAY/NIGHT; WEARING HEELS
The wedding begins at 2:30pm so it will probably be a day spent on my feet like most weddings are. I am a bit concerned that my legs will not be fresh for the race! I ALWAYS wear heels with a dress, but I think I may bring a pair of flats with me if I want to give my legs a rest.
4. BEING OUT LATE, NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP
I am still debating what time I should leave the wedding at. I’m thinking my cut-off should be by 9:30-10pm? I think the wedding is about a 15-20 minute drive from home, so I need to factor that in too.
5. RACE PREPARATION
My plan is to prepare all of my race stuff (clothing, sneakers, water, hat sunglasses, sunscreen, Garmin, music, etc) tonight or Saturday morning so I don’t have to worry about it Saturday night or Sunday morning. I am also going to do Vegan overnight oats and make that Saturday morning and pop it in the fridge so it is ready come Sunday morning.
Have you ever had to deal with weekend social outings when you have a long workout or a race the next day? Do you skip it or go out and modify your evening? Any tips for me and how I should handle Saturday?
See you this afternoon for 1,000 words…errr….12,000 words. :biggrin: *wink, wink*
Oooh. I love weddings so much that I would not do the race…LOL! Can you tell I am not a runner?? ;) I think it sounds like you are well-prepared doing everything on Saturday.
I’m with Jessica ;-)
Wow! Sounds like you will definitely have a busy weekend on your hands! I think you have everything under control with how you plan to go avoiding any race-day issues. Remember to enjoy the wedding too, though! :) I don’t think one drink will hurt you, definitely wear comfortable shoes and the going to bed early thing also sounds like a smart idea. I think you’ll be okay! :)
Ps. I haven’t tried the banana soft serve over night oats yet but it looks yummy! I just made banana soft serve last night with some home-made nutella in it.. o-m-g.
~a
I say modify your evening. The wedding is an afternoon wedding so will likely peter out totally by 8:00 in the evening or so. And guests will be trickling out early as they usually do. If this person is a dear, dear friend whose wedding you would never consider leaving early, then you’re in for the long haul and would do best to follow the plan you have.
Eat a good lunch BEFORE the wedding that will give you energy to get through to dinner; if the meal is completely unacceptable (it’s usually some sort of pasta primavera in my vegetarian wedding experience) you will at least have eaten and can have a salad (combine yours and Eric’s if you need to, he can eat later) to get you through.
As far as drinking it’s mind over matter. Don’t try to drink nothing, have a glass in your hand but just fill it with something nonalcoholic like cranberry juice or club soda.
You’ll be fine, just keep your eye on Sunday morning! Good luck…
I completely agree with Matt. This same thing happened to me last year. The served New Mexican food which I knew my stomach would be able to handle since I grew up eating it.
*No alcohol.
*I left early. (Everyone was drunk anyway at that point, and didn’t remember me leaving so early.)
*hydrate!!!!! Seriously, you should be chugging water like it’s your job at the wedding.
*If you have all of your stuff layed out, it will seriously be less stress for you to worry about during the wedding.
You are going to do great as long as you plan ahead. Make sure when you pick a time (do this beforehand), that you stick to it! Otherwise, you will be there all night, and feel like crap the next day!
Good luck!
I have a half marathon on Sunday too! The Calgary half. Anyways, I think the most important sleep in 2 nights before the race. So I plan on going to bed early tonight! Good luck!
Talk about a busy weekend. I’d stay away from the alcohol, wear flats (c’mon, they’re cute), and try to slip out early. The bride and groom won’t notice; my wedding was a blur. (Do you remember people leaving at your wedding?) Most weddings that start at 4 or 5 finish with all the big stuff at 8 or 9. Once it’s just dancing, dancing, and more dancing, I think it’s safe to leave.
I agree with Tracey, flats are super cute! I wouldn’t take the risk with heels. I wouldn’t sweat it, leave early. The bride and groom will be so consumed with the festivities it will not matter! The wedding I went to most recently, people left right after the speeches and it was not a big deal at all!
Good luck with your race, I’m sure you’ll do fantastic!!
I would definitely modify my evening…leave early, no alcohol, no sweets! But I’m 100 years old so I’m not sure if you should follow my advice!
Have a great long weekend and enjoy the heat!
I’ve never really had events planned before races, but it seems like you’ve got a great plan. I think the no drinking one, unfortunately, will be especially important. It’s too hard to control yourself at open bars, so “just one” probably won’t work! Good luck!
I haven’t had to deal with it for a race, but I have before a big exam.
I agree with modifying the evening.
– Limit yourself to 1 drink and make sure to drink lots of water
– Bring flats to change into
– I don’t think food will be a problem the night before. Just don’t go overboard! And eat a stabilizing breakfast in the morning!
– And yes, leave early!
Enjoy!!!!
What an incredible weekend you have ahead of you!
If I were in the same place as you, the first thing I would do is take a really deep breath. Think about all of these wonderful events ahead of me. I would put myself at the wedding, enjoying every moment of it and then waking up ready to go on Sunday! And just keep breathing!
I used to stress and stress and stress when life would get in the way of things. It made things so much more difficult! Now, I go prepared, I think through what is important to me and then- I ENJOY IT! :) And that’s exactly what you are doing doll!
So, keep your flats close. Eat a huge and wonderful lunch full of nutrients you need and then go be a part of that wedding. Leave when you feel comfortable and then focus on Sunday!
its okay to call it an early night! I am sure they’d understand. You can go for a bit just to show your support and all. But take off early, rest your feeties and get a decent night sleep
While it is important to not do anything different, your sleep and food are also key 2 nights before a race…
Having said that:
1. water, water, water, water, water…
2. I’d wear flats but my feet are pretty sensitive.
3. get your gear ready well ahead of time so you can squeeze in any extra sleep you can.
4….have fun? I have skipped many social events not just for races but when I am serious training. For me it is a commitment that I need to stick to.
Oh I think you’ll be just fine! Have one drink early in the evening and then stick with water for the rest of the day. And don’t stay out too late! You may want to bring a pair of flats with you just in case your feet start to hurt, or some snacks in case the food isn’t what you’re used to eating.
i highly suggest finding some cute flats. heels are awesome, but if you aren’t an everyday heel wearer, a night in heels is going to reek havoc on you on race morning.
I once had to host a bachlorette party the night before a big mountain bike race. I had to be up by 530 and drive 1 hour+ to the race the next day. I decided to be the DD so I could not be tempted to drink at all, and I insisted on us being back by 130am. I some how managed it. During the race I kept singing to myself “living on a prayer” because thats what it really felt like, I think I had a headache after wards, but I got good sleep when I got haom afterwards. I still got first place, musta been adrenaline! I know you can do it!! :)
Oh, I was on the swim team in both high school and college – my last year of high school, the statewide championship meet that I had shaved, tapered, and worked for for four years happened to be preceded by my Senior Prom the night before. I figured that given the circumstance it would be foolish to have miraculous expectations for my race, so I decided to have fun at my Prom, dance my ass off (high heels and all), and made sure to drink plenty of water without stressing about the next day. I knew that if I worried too much, my night would be ruined – and worrying wouldn’t have led me to a great time anyway. I woke up exhausted the next morning, but I had mentally prepared myself to have FUN during the race instead of setting any PR expectations. I think my adjusted attitude was the most important contributor in ensuring that I was still pleased with the outcome of my swim meet. Even though I didn’t get a best time, I still tried my hardest and managed to have fun at both the prom and the meet. Best of luck to you and I hope you have FUN at both!
I wouldn’t be too concerned if I were you – the night before the race isn’t quite as important as the night before the night before (if that makes sense). I think it’s natural to get less rest the night before a race (nerves and early wake-up) but your body will perform just fine. It’s mostly mental. That being said…no alcohol, flats, simple food are good ideas!
AMAZING tips everyone thank you!
I never would have even thought about TONIGHT’s Rest- but now that you mention it, it makes total sense. I will try to get an extra long sleep tonight and feel rested for Saturday.
i have the exact same problem! i’m doing the Toronto Women’s 5K on Sunday, but Saturday is some dear friends of ours wedding day! I was (still kinda am) conflicted on what to do. I know a 5k is not a half, but i decided to enjoy the wedding, leave slightly early (its 2 hours from Toronto, ugh!) and just do the 5k for fun, even if i have to walk.
i’m sure you’ll do great, it sounds like you are super planned anyways!!
Yikes!! I’d say wear flats, eat foods that you are familiar with, and limit alcohol!
It would make me nervous too. I turned down a concert the night before my first half marathon (coming up!), but if it was a wedding or something bigger I would probably go. It sounds like you have it pretty well planned out. Try not to let it stress you out to much and just enjoy yourself!