This story is the third part in a four-part series about our Halfsy Hero, Carl Samuelson. Our series will follow Carl and three other heroes as they train for the November 6th Good Life Halfsy.
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Carl is gaining back his confidence with each run.
His hip injury is getting better each day, and his excitement for the race is growing as the race gets closer.
Carl has his sights set on a 1 hour and 35 minute finish time. He thinks it’s doable based on this current fitness level, but there are so many factors to take into consideration: weather, health and even his mental outlook all play key roles in his performance.
But Carl said he’s not really nervous, focused is a better word to describe how he’s feeling.
Before each race he does a gear check, making sure he has just what he needs to compete. Everything from his race bib and shoes to his pink ‘I run for Faith’ sweatband that he wears for each race.
Carl also has his meals and agenda for two days prior to the race pretty well set. He tries to stay off his feet, get lots of rest, take in a carb-heavy meal and stay hydrated.
Before the race, Carl said he’ll also check in with Faith and let her know how he’s feeling about the race, encouraging her to cheer him on. He said she and her parents always track is progress during the race and they are excited to hear about his results.
During the race, Carl focuses on his pacing. Despite being a big music fan, he finds the extra noise and cumbersome gear distracting when he’s running. Instead, Carl likes to chat with the surrounding runners, yell out potential obstacles on the route and take in the clever signs and activities of the spectators.
Carl also has his own activity set up for race day. Ever since he started running, Carl said he’s always liked to run with other people. So, after one of his runs with a friend he sent him a badge that said ‘I ran with Carl.’ His friend thought it was funny, but when word got around that Carl was creating digital badges for his running buddies, everyone wanted in on it. Carl started making badges for all of his runs with friends and even posting updates on social media with the hashtag #IRanWithCarl.
This year, Carl plans to give out digital badges at the Halfsy. He’s excited about the community aspect of the race and is ready to get out and run on Sunday.
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Check back for more Halfsy Hero stories and to read the final installment of Carl’s story.