Health & Fitness
From the Middle of the Pack: Race Day Tips
Race day tips from the middle of the pack.
It's race season! Lots of race opportunities are available in the fall, everything from 5K races up to full marathons and beyond. I enjoy races; they give me an opportunity to put into practice the hard summer training.
In this blog, I'll share a few race day tips that have worked well for me.
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Don't look at your watch! I wear my Garmin for training runs, but on race day, I either don't wear a watch, or if I wear one I push the start button and don't look at it until the finish line. I have found checking my time is a
distraction during the race. For me, it is better to just focus on how I feel, and try to push my pace right up to the limit of what I can sustain without bonking. It also clears my head-- no need to worry about the clock, just run as hard as I can.
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Pre-run the course. If you can run the course before race day, you get a feel for when you can hit it hard, and when you need to back off and just keep moving. I ran a local 5K several years ago, and was able to run the course twice in the week leading up to the race. The first time, I went out too
fast, and had to walk some sections in the back half. Second time, I adjusted my pace and had a solid run for 4K. On race day, I was familiar with the course and ran a solid 5K from start to finish.
Train the way you race. Running a marathon? You will need fluid and nutrition on race day.It is important that your system get used to caloric intake while you are running. During your long training runs, use the same type of nutrition (gels, blocks, etc.) you plan to use on race day, and
consume it on the same schedule you will use on race day. If you
do, race day will go much better.
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Don't overdress. Overheating is an issue for me, and it has a very negative impact on my performance. The best approach for me is to dress as lightly as possible, and put up with being cold for the first half mile or so. To keep warm in the starting chute, I bring along a 35-plus gallon trash bag with a hole cut in the closed end. I pull it over my head, it retains my body heat, and I toss it aside just before the race starts. I keep a roll of trash bags in my stock of running supplies for just this purpose.
A final tip. I have recently started focusing not only on nutrition, but also on electrolytes during my long runs. I take salt tablets on a regular schedule during my long runs and have found that I can run well for longer distances, even with minimal calorie intake.
Good luck in your fall races! See you in the middle of the pack.
