Race Prep notes

Race preparations –
“Emotion is a direct manifestation of a person’s appraisal of any given situation”

Here is a rambling selection of important thoughts about your upcoming big day. You have worked hard and deserve an afternoon that will be enjoyable enough that you are surprised, delighted and want to do it again. So keep these things in mind – as they may help you to that end.

Do not try anything new on race day. That means no new thing. You will have tested your diet, your socks, your hydration plan, your sports wear etc. on runs prior to the race so that you can put your best effort forward with the confidence that “this works, I tried it last week”. Having your bag packed the night before and your breakfast laid out downstairs allows you to get to sleep naturally dreaming about the crowds screaming your name as you cross the finish line strong and in charge of your race. Not all of your big runs end like this one, so just like Christmas morning – you need a plan and you begin drawing it up right now.

The week of your race try to add one hour of sleep to each night’s schedule (so that if you normally sleep 7 hrs/night try to get 8hrs, every night) because while we will not taper for this event - your body needs to rejuvenate from all the training to run at your best. We improve while at rest - not while working out. So race week is a time when you cannot cram for the test, you need to bide your time and relax as best you can. While many American feel more is better; without adequate rest - fitness adaptations may occur short term but ultimately are not retained.

Carbohydrate loading for this length of race is risky. You will be able to eat your normal diet, a good breakfast 2 hours before your race and have enough glycogen in your muscles to run the entire race. More food may create issues with gastric emptying and lead to cramps. Eat light and right as you would before a morning run and you’ll be fine – avoid risky foods 2-3 days before your race. Not a good time to get food poisoning or an upset stomach. With an afternoon race you may need to adjust your breakfast time on race morning to eat later than you normally would eat breakfast – you will try this out the week before on your long turn to confirm that it works for you. Some runners give up dairy for 30 hours preceding a race so as to not feel bogged down in the GI system – I have tried this and have not seen a clear advantage to doing so.

Caffeine is a proven performance enhancer for runners and is a legal substance under USATF rules. One to three cups will have negligible effect on hydration and will boost energy level. If you currently use caffeine do not skip it on race day. That being said – you should read the post on our facebook site – which is a discussion of the abuse of caffeine and it’s hazards – along with a link that has the amount of caffeine in many consumer products. You should know what you are taking.

Begin planning now for your bathroom break and time it to be before your race time. You’ll feel better. Races nearly always have a bathroom (typically port-o-johns) but paper may be in short supply.

Physiology studies have shown that you can train your body to have a time of day where cardio-fitness and oxygen intake is optimized. Many folks begin a pattern or running at the time of their race start and this has been proven to be helpful in race performance.

Review your race goals the night before your event. Have a Plan A, and a Plan B so that you are prepared. Keep a positive dialogue about these goals and your race day performance. You trained, you put in the work, and you can do this.

Consider a “dress rehearsal” for your race. Do one of your long runs as you would run your race event.
Wear what you hope to wear on race day
Securely tie your shoes
Eat your race breakfast, two hours before your run and ensure you are hydrated
Drink your caffeine if you normally do
Use all the same techniques you hope to employ on race day
Run at the same time as your event
Be prepared for weather changes and have these items with you
Check and calculate your pace for a “three stage race”
Visualize a strong finish and success

Pack your race day bag the night before with everything you’ll need.
Water bottle, recovery food, safety pins for your race number, Running shoes, socks, shorts or tights, shirt, wind layer, hat, gloves, a dry change of clothes for post race, your watch, toilet paper (races with big crowds are notorious for running out), sunscreen, glasses, car keys, a few dollars, phone, camera, coffee/cup
Trim your toenails very carefully a week or more before your race, so that any mistakes can grow out a bit prior to the big day. If you do not trim you could get “black toe” or lose a nail from pounding in the shoe.

While racing you need to keep in mind some etiquette issues that are “rules of the road” when running in large groups that help everyone have a good race day.
· Line up according to how fast you run or walk – slower participant to the back for safety and courtesy. Do not go out faster than you intend to run.
· If you drop something at the race start do not stop to pick it up. You endanger yourself and those around you. If you need to tie a shoe, step to the side of the course.
· Strive to run or walk in a straight line and look before you veer, spit or blow your nose. If you are taking walk breaks step to the side of the course.
· Do not walk or run more than two abreast, doing so create congestion on the course and may lead to irrational behavior from runners who feel compelled to pass.
· If you stop at the aid station to eat or drink, consume these items past the aid station and on the side of the course. Always use trash receptacles and never litter on course.
· If you hear “excuse me” “passing” or “on your left” you need to be aware of your surroundings and yield to the faster traffic that is passing. Runners should always indicate verbally they are passing and “thank you” should be heard regularly also.
· Cheer and encourage other on the course – help everyone to have a good day
· Thank volunteers along the course - races cannot happen without these people
· Enjoy the race, look around and savor the moment. You worked hard for this and Tom Holland says “welcome to the party!”
· Cross the finish line and keep moving - stay in race order (finishing order) so that your standings can be documented then keep walking to clear the area for others.
· Most races offer refreshment at the finish and you should enjoy the refueling while being mindful that runners on course will need some of these supplies as well.
· If you have a complaint about the event - do not tell a volunteer who is busy making a great experience for runners. Tell the race director or write your comments on a comment card and submit them. Your race director is VERY interested in your feedback, and yet he/she will not have time for your comments on race day. Always be kind to volunteers.

Warm up by simply walking around, hop, very gently stretch just to move blood supply - not to stretch muscles. By getting the pulse up a bit we are better prepared without using too much energy.
We always start slow – go out too fast and you’ll have an empty tank and may not finish your event. Run the first leg of your race relaxed and smiling, keep your effort in the PE range of 3-4.
Start the second leg of your race with a PE range of 5-6 and you are ramping up now but trying not to blow up – pace yourself
Start the third leg of your race with a PE range of 7-8.5 and really give that last stretch your best effort, keeping your running form clean. If you are not running with good form - slow down. Breathe, relax, hold your form and hang on – you’re almost there and this will hurt a little bit. But its not childbirth…

Perceived effort works at the level of our autonomic nervous system. Your body will actually make you feel very poorly right before it thinks that you cannot do any more. Athletes can train this PE center in the brain to some degree and give it greater reference. We train to go the entire distance because you have then taught your brain that you can travel this distance without blowing up – so when you get that bad feeling simply slow down, let the body recover some – and then keep going for what you trained to do.

It is never over until it really is over. It is very Ok to walk, crawl or even rest and then crawl again to finish – there is no time limit and if you are up to it; give it your best effort to finish.

NO Pain reliever on race day. I see it all the time and even among folks who should know better but the more I read and listen on this subject the more I feel compelled to advise you to not use pain reliever on race day. Here is a short list of reasons.
You need to stay in tune with your body and prophylactic use of pain reliever, particularly NSAID’s, (non-steroidal anti-inflamatories) has been proven DANGEROUS to runners and their bodies. If you are sore the next day you may choose to take OTC pain reliever in standard dosage with water if you and your physician say it’s OK. Running with ibuprofen (Advil), or naproxen (Alleve) in your system may truly hurt you on race day.

By limiting prostaglandins that normalize blood flow you may tax your kidneys. Your basic over-the-counter drugs may seem benign to you, but they do block important biochemical’s called prostaglandins and these do a great number of things in the body – including dilate the blood vessels to your kidney. Remember that your kidneys are something that you need, and rely on, to maintain the electrolyte balance in the body, maintain fluid balances and eliminate wastes. These NSAID’s (by blocking prostaglandins) may increase your blood pressure at a dangerous time to do so – when running – and this could trigger a TIA or CVA (stroke). NSAID’s block the enzyme cyclooxygenase that protects the heart and thus may pose greater risk to the cardiovascular system as well.

Cyclooxygenase helps protect the stomach lining from digestive acids and so when NSAID’s block the enzyme you may experience nausea, cramping, diarrhea or bleeding. Studies indicate that NSAID’s may increase the risk of Hyponatremia or “water intoxication” a problem with electrolyte imbalance.

New research says that you might take one baby aspirin every day or every other day – see the link at our FB site for the literature on this preventative for everyone to learn more - then ask your DOCTOR.

Try to reduce stress in your schedule the week before your race, plan a massage 5 days out if you want to, look back at your training log to see how much running you have been doing and feel good about your accomplishments. Before the starting gun goes off you have already won by working so hard to get here – now if you have a fun race day it is the gravy and a just reward for all this “work”. You are a runner now.
More sage wisdom and some comedy here: