Race Day Preparation

We’ve all heard of the four “P’s”: Poor Preparation leads to Poor Performance. Well, poor preparation will also likely lead to anxiety. I’m not talking about the preparation weeks and months leading up to race day, I’m talking about “the” race day. The one you’ve trained for, the one you DON’T to scramble to the start line for after you’d had to track down your shoes, Gu and bib number. Here are some tips on how not to become that runner.

Days leading up to your big event:

• Be sure that you’ve tried on every piece of gear you plan to wear during the race, and that it feels good and fits well.
• Know what shoes you’re going to race in and put them in your race bag.
• Tuck your racing socks in your shoes so you know they are there.
• Put your race shorts, shirt, gloves, beanies, calf sleeves arms sleeves, sunglasses and anything else that you’ll wear in the bag.
• Make sure you have Body Glide in your bag and know how and where to use it. Crazy as it sounds, you may need to practice applying it.
• Pack your bag with all the energy products you’ll need for race day, also checking that they fit where you want them and you can access them when you need them.

Day before:

• Pin your bib number to your shirt, ensuring it’s comfortable and no pins stick out.
• Fill your water bottles and fuel belts with your preferred hydration product.
• Plan your dinner, avoiding large crowds and lines. My favorite meal the night before a race is one I prepared either in the comfort of my own home, or in a hotel room. The other option is getting an early reservation at a restaurant you trust and eating early. You know best what works, so don’t try something new the night before.
• Lay your breakfast out to prevent frantically searching for food in the morning. Again, my favorite is bringing something familiar from home. For me, this is oatmeal with raisins and walnuts. It’s been my race day meal for years, and I know it works.
• Stay off your feet as much as you can and hydrate, alternating a hydration product such as NUUN and water.
• Know how you’re getting to the start line and plan to arrive early. If buses are offered, take them.
• Lay out your gear for morning. It’ll come early. And set two alarms.

Race day:

• Wake up early. 
• Apply Body Glide, and suit up. Double check you have everything you need.
• At the start, get in line immediately for a port-a-potty to take care of business. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
• Stay warm and get in a good warm up.
• Check your bag in or give it to someone that will meet you at the finish.
• If it’s cold, bring gear that you don’t mind throwing away in the race if you get hot.
• Get in the start corral, knowing that you’ve prepared and are ready to rock it.

Good luck racers!

-coach paul

Runner Safety 101

Running at night means a whole new set of safety rules.

By Paul Smith

I’ve been running for many years, and believe that runner safety falls in two categories:

• Get home alive
• Get home uninjured

Here are a few of my ideas (opinions) on runner safety.

Where are you going?

Probably the most important thing you can do is let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to be home. If possible, bring a cell phone along with some form of identification. Road I.D. is something you can wear or put on your shoe that has emergency information. Check in if your route changes or you fall off schedule.

Fuel up

Proper fueling should also be part of your run prep. Whether it’s hydration or fuel, prepare for your workout. If going out for a long run, pack a water bottle or fuel belt with hydration product and maybe some sort of fueling gel or block. I’ve “bonked” on runs as short as five miles. I also bonked once on a 12-mile run, where I was six miles out in the forest and resorted to eating berries. It was not a good feeling, and I had a hard time making it home. Imagine being out on a long run and bonking. I now put a Gu in my pocket, just in case.

Ear buds = dangerous

A huge pet peeve of mine is music in the ears. I understand why runners like their music, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve run up on runners that never knew I was there. And that’s after calling to them letting them know I was coming up on their left. It’s common sense, but only wear one ear bud. I shouldn’t have to explain why this is so dangerous, especially if you’re running alone in the park.

Buddy system

Running with company is a great way to stay safe. You’re probably less likely to be bothered, and if one person goes down, someone else can get help. Running with a dog can also be a great deterrent of other critters and people. Speaking of dogs, be aware of your dog and other people’s dogs. Personally, I’ve been bitten on runs as well as gotten tangled up in excited dogs that just wanted to play. They’re unpredictable and can run in front of you to get a squirrel. That means you go down and crack a knee or twist an ankle.

Running in the dark

As we transition from running in the summer daylight to darkness of winter there are certainly some new things to consider before stepping out the door. Whether it’s in the morning before work or in the evening after work, it’ll most likely be dark and quite possibly cold. Unless you run during daylight hours, this doesn’t apply as much. Otherwise, you need to get “lit up”. 

Reflective gear, lighting and light colored apparel are essential to staying safe during your run.

• Avoid wearing black clothing. People, cars and bikes need to see you.
• When approaching runners from the back, shine your light ahead to let them know you are coming. 
• When approaching runners from the front, direct your light more toward the ground so you don’t blind them.
• Get used to your surroundings when it’s dark, trying to avoid the tunnel vision that comes with darkness and headlamps. I like to acclimate to the darkness and tilt my light up, so I’m not just focused on the ground in front of me, if I know the footing is good.
• Dress appropriately for the weather conditions, since it’s easy to shed gear. Gloves, hats, waterproof jackets and moisture wicking apparel should all be part of your arsenal.

Happy running and stay safe out there.

-coach paul