Six Race Prep Tips
Posted by Adam Stuhlfaut, Director of Running on
Race day is coming. You have trained for this, and you want to maximize your effort. However, race day can come with lots of distractions and logistics. My high school running coach, Bill Miles, used to say that if you take care of the little things, the big things will fall into place. He taught us to be meticulous in prepping for race day because on race day you want to leave nothing to chance. You want to be able to focus on the race without distraction. Here’s a list of six race prep tips for the week of your big race:
- Know all your logistics in advance including race location, start time, travel time to parking, parking options including back-up lots and whether parking is free or if you need to pay. Bring a little cash along in the case the parking lot is cash only.
- Practice your pre-run eating prior to the race day. Eat nothing new on race day. A lot of races will have vendors with booths that give out free goodies. Politely decline to sample until after the race.
- Make sure all your equipment is ready. Lay out all your clothes, water bottles, and food the night before. Also, charge your cell phone overnight.
- Know the course by going to the race website and looking for the course map. If possible, run or drive over the course prior to race day. Knowing the course always makes the race go faster and helps you with your race plan.
- Write down your race plan. We are more likely to achieve our goals if we write them down.
- Do something relaxing the night before the race.