1 week out from my first marathon + 7 post-run stretches {VIDEO}

7 days until race day! SEVEN. my first marathon is quickly approaching. my emotions are all over the place. at times i’m at peace. other times, bubble. guts. city. like this past saturday morning! i set my alarm for 4:30a so i could make it to Memorial Park by 6. my amazing sorority sister, Crystal, hosts her Rise & Run Collective running group there and i was honored to soak up some of her knowledge & expertise before the big day. Crystal has an insane amount of marathons under her belt and i held on to every word of advice she spoke! she is running Houston again this year (shoutout to all the rockstars in corral B, whoop!) and i’m happy a familiar face will be near (even though i’ll be eating her dust soon after that gun goes off lol).

Crystal has convinced me to try bloks energy chews (contain needed electrolytes, convenient bite sized chunks, low sugar, to be take every hour for quick energy) and gave me one of hers. i will most likely rotate these

with the honey waffles,

and i will definitely be guzzling my beloved pickle juice to prevent / ward off muscle cramps.

i’m afraid that ingesting the waffles solo might wreak havoc on my tummy and make me go to the rest room sooner than i’d need or like to. i don’t want to use a port-a-can at all if i don’t have to! but come on now, that’s just not practical. so i’ve *gulp* accepted it. so many other things to worry about, right.

i’m already piecing together what i will wear and have with me on race day. i did plan on purchasing a backpack to hold my water, snacks, & phone, but Crystal warned me that towards the end of the race i will absolutely not want any extra weight on my body! i’ll prolly want to be naked the closer i get to the finish line lol! i’m going to stick with my fanny pack, but i’ll most likely upgrade and purchase one made specifically for running though.

these shoes are my favorite to run in:

and they will be guiding me right across the finish line next week.

post-race recovery is pretty crucial! i learned that after my first 20 miler about 3 weeks ago. WHEW.

i finally filmed a vid with my PT, Kosi, of 7 post-run stretches i execute after my training runs. it is now live on my YouTube channel! check it out, Like and subscribe :)

more updates and ambassador events to come!!! follow along with my IG Stories and if you’re participating in any part of the entire Chevron Houston Marathon weekend events (the EXPO, 5k, half, full) LET ME KNOW! i’ll be running the 5k on saturday with my big boy, Chiso (7)! i can’t wait; it’s our first official race together. have a GREAT start to your week!