No. Sleep. Till Brooklyn.

The Beastie Boys so clearly sum up my feelings this week! I am so stoked to join more than 27,000 running enthusiasts in Brooklyn TOMORROW for the 2017 Airbnb Brooklyn Half Marathon! I’ve been looking forward to the race for weeks, and after going to the pre-party on Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Party Wednesday night, I’m itching for it to be race day (both for the running and for the extravagant margarita tower celebration we have planned for after!) The pre-party was SO cool and involved fancy New Balance sponsored gear, food trucks, brewskies, and live music. Not to mention amazing views of lower Manhattan. Perfection. Check out some of the pics! The atmosphere got me so amped!

Whether you’re a veteran runner or a casual one, you know that there’s obvs a lot of training involved with this kind of race. Before I go any further, lemme make it clear: I am not a running expert by any means! I’m just a workout enthusiast that enjoys a good run! With regards to the Brooklyn Half, I honestly haven’t done nearly half of the amount of preparing that I planned to do when I first committed to it (#yolo).

Here’s the low down on my half marathon prep:

Training plan: Halfmarathons.net. This has become my go to. The plans are free and really basic, so it’s easy to follow along! I’m sure there are some better ones out there, but two years ago, I went from hardly being able to run 2 miles to being able to conquer 13 using their 10-week plan. Trust me, if you’re going to run a race, their plans will do.

Fuel:  Water and Sport Beans. In my opinion, Lara bars are good too! I’ve tried Clif Bar Bloks, but they’re just too sticky and thick for me. I felt like I was going to choke. Honestly, GU just freaks me out, so I’ve never bothered.

Shoes: ASIC Gel Nimbus line. They’re supportive and really comfortable! I’m sure you’ll agree when I say they’re not the sleekest shoes you’ve ever seen and  not cheap, but they’re great. Saturday I’ll be running in the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 33. Good news: they’re on sale! Get them here.

And last, but not least, here’s my playlist! It’s a work in progress and I’d love to add any suggestions you guys can think of! Definitely looking for songs that keep me pumped up for the entire race! Let me know what you think in the comments below!