4. Do Nothing New on Race Day
This goes for what you eat and drink before and during the race, plus what you're wearing from head to toe. For one race, I wore an outfit I'd donned for tons of training runs—but because it was warmer I left the jacket at home and only wore the tank. That sucker dug into my armpits and caused super-painful chafing. God bless the medic-tent volunteer who handed me Vaseline to slather on the roughed-up skin. (And yes, in general, Vaseline or anti-chafing cream is your friend. Put it everywhere!)
5. Have a Plan B
And a plan C. No matter how much and how well you prep for a half-marathon, you never know what race day will bring and how your bod will react. My first half-marathon was in New York City in the middle of August, and it was about 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity. Everyone was advising racers to forget about PR's and to run more slowly than planned. Did I do it? Yeah, but only starting around mile seven, after I'd run the first half of the race at my goal pace and had gotten totally dehydrated in the process. Covering the last six miles of that course is still the most miserable race experience of my life (and I've run nine marathons and did an Ironman last year). When your number-one goal goes by the wayside, having a second, less aggressive goal to focus on instead helps you keep pushing to finish strong.
More: Half Marathon Mile-by-Mile Guide
6. Keep an Eye Out
If you do have a problem mid-race, many times you don't have to go it alone. There are generally volunteers all along the course to hand out water, Gatorade, snacks, bandages, ice packs, Vaseline, icy sponges to cool your head on hot days, the Times crossword puzzle—okay maybe not crossword puzzles, but literally almost anything you could need. If you're struggling mid-course, keep an eye out for people who might be able to help.
7. You Can Always Walk
It's so easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of a half-marathon, the cheers of the crowd, you can make yourself a ball of nerves and worry about whether you'll perform up to par. I learned to calm myself by taking deep breaths and reminding myself that it's okay to slow down if necessary. Yes, having a bad race after you've trained for months is a downer, but I walked a good chunk of that first half-marathon of mine and guess what? I still got a medal around my neck at the end—plus an excuse to enjoy a victory beer or two. Cheers!
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