Race Week
This week I am going to run the SLC Half Marathon and it will be the first race for me of this distance. I am excited and actually really calm about running the race. I have been dealing with an IT band problem and went to a doctor on Friday to check it out. He gave me a cortisone shot in my knee to help with it, among doing other things, and I should be good for race day.
So I ask you who have raced before your advice on race week. I wanted to get this out earlier but life is busier then you think sometimes. So here are some questions I have for you:
How do you prepare on your race week?
What do you eat?
How much do you like to run?
Do you have any traditions that help you to prepare?
How early do you like to be on race day?
Have any warm up tips to get your body ready?
What do you like to eat the morning of the race?
Anything else that you feel gets you ready, just let me know. Thanks
4 comments:
First I get a lawyer and write my last will and testament. Life will be over when you run a race like that. Good luck and may you rest in peace. from Bountiful ED
Chris,
I am jealous! Half marathons are a great distance. Have fun.
I am not expert regarding preparing for a race, but I can tell you what I do.
I try to get out running two or three times early in the week. They are easy runs, no longer than 4 or 5 miles. I will maybe go out on Thursday for two miles or so - but it is not necessary. I never run on Friday.
I don't pay much attention to what I eat during the week until Friday. Friday lunch and dinner should be healthier meals. I try and steer clear of greasy, heavy foods. Race morning I usually eat a banana and maybe a bagel. Really I have come to realize the best thing to do on race day is not change anything from all my earlier long runs leading up to the race. Whatever worked for your training runs will work on race day.
As for traditions, I have a voodoo ritual I complete before a race. I cannot go into details, but it entails burning certain small animals. I am sure you will find your own traditions that work for you.
I like to give myself plenty of time to get to the starting line, stretch out and really be ready when the gun sounds. I never like to feel rushed. This usually means I stand around a lot before a race begins. But I would rather stand around for an extra half hour than be stressed out about getting to the starting gates on time.
Again, with regard to warming up, what to eat, stretching, etc., it is best not to change things up. My first couple of races I was real worried about carbo-loading, hydrating, and everything else I was told all runners should do. But I never did that for my training runs, and I did fine. I have a bad track record of having bowel problems during my races. I think that is because I changed my pre-race routine on race day. There is no reason to do that. I am sure that the elite runners who log sub 5:00 minute miles must make special preparations to enable them to run at that pace. But for most of us, the details are really not that important. It is the training that really matters. If we have put in the miles and time prior to the race, all should go well.
Good luck! And have fun.
Oh, I'm not a good enough runner to know too many good tips. Obviously, take Friday off from running and keep it pretty light on Thursday. I agree with the suggestion to not change anything you normally eat/do too drastically. I don't think James eats anything at all on race morning to avoid bowel/puking issues. Maybe he drinks a little Gatorage. I eat just 2 or 3 bites of something so that I don't get sick from an empty stomach, opposite of James.
My biggest lesson learned doesn't involve the prep but the running. Don't let the crazy people whizzing by you at the start of the race pressure you into beginning at a pace that is faster than you're used to. They are either A) better than you are, or B) going to be dying later on while you pass them up. So stay at your normal pace.
We'll be running a little 5K on the hilly UGA campus at the same time. My goal is just not to embarrass myself or to get my slowest time ever. We're completely unprepared for this, but you know, sometimes you just got to jump in a be a part of things, even if your preparation can't be perfect! :)
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
hey chris! how did you do on the run?
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