Final Prep for NYC Half Marathon

Tomorrow is the big day! After months of hard work, the New York City Half Marathon is finally almost here. Now, all that's left to do is to sit back, rest up - and figure out what to wear!

The weather is throwing me for a bit of a loop.  It looks like great conditions - not too hot, but not too cold.  If this was a long, slow training run I would probably wear capris and and a light long-sleeved shirt. But this isn't a training run, it's a race! I know I will warm up much faster running at race pace than I would at training pace.

The latest weather.com predictions

I'm pretty sure I will go with shorts. But do I go with no sleeves/shorts (and show off my Gator pride during March Madness!)....

Gotta support my Gators in their March Madness run!

Or go with a very light weight long sleeved shirt, and shorts?

Outfit option #2

I'll bring both options with me - along with a pair of tights and capris.  Because you just never really know.

But at least my staples are consistent. Shoes, bras, socks - those never change and easy to pack.  I'm a huge fan of  Moving Comfort's "Fiona" bra lately. The straps are completely adjustable, and the back has a hook closure like a real bra. It has way more support than the standard compression bra. And we all know how much I love my Asics 2170s by now.

And of course, accessories! I love my number belt because it gives a place to stick my fuel, and I don't have to worry about safety pins leaving holes in my favorite shirt or shorts.  I also can't live without my trusty Garmin 610, sunglasses (on a sunny day), iPod, or fuel. I guess I'm not a very "minimalist" runner. C'est la vie.

All my accessories.

I'm also trying something new for this race.  As much as I love and depend on my Garmin for pacing, I also remember how I lost the signal when I was running in Manhattan during the full marathon.  I figure if I had trouble getting a signal running up First Ave, there is no way I'll get a signal on Seventh Ave in the middle of Times Square! So, I'm going to go old school with an old-fashioned pace band.

I found this great company, Races to Remember, who offers pace bands specific to your strategy/course.  Since we knock out most of the hills on this course before mile 6, I went with a negative split plan.  It will probably be tough to hit the exact paces on the band, but I figure it will be good way to gauge my pace overall by using the elapsed time.  I plan on using the 1:59 band, but my friend talked me into making a 1:57 band and a 1:55 band too just in case I end up feeling really good. We'll see!

Sub-2 looks so doable on paper...

I know I'm not the only one racing this weekend since there are so many other great races going on around the country.  I hope everyone who is racing has amazing races,  and I hope to report back with a great race report myself!