6. Fuel for Your Race
Eat a good breakfast and lunch the day before the race. Snack throughout the day if you're hungry and eat a light dinner (don't stuff yourself at the pre-race pasta party). Avoid high fat and high-fiber foods to minimize GI stress on race day. Be sure to eat breakfast 2 to 3 hours before the race start (you should have tested how much digestion time you need between eating and running during training). Some races (like New York and Boston) have athletes pre-staged in a holding area hours before actually starting the race. In these situations, bring an additional snack to ensure you're not hungry waiting for the race to start. In addition, consider taking an energy gel 15 minutes before the race start to top off glycogen stores and ensure your body is well fueled for the big event.
More: 7 Ways to Fuel Your Race Performance
7. Pacing
One of the hardest things to do in a race is not start off too fast. This is tough because there 's a lot of excitement at the start of a race. But for every second you run over your goal pace in the opening miles, you'll pay exponentially towards the end of the race. It's better to be conservative in the beginning and save energy for the end versus starting off too fast and running out of steam. Besides using a GPS and/or pace band to keep yourself in check, seed yourself in the proper corral with runners who run at the same speed. This will minimize weaving in and out of slower runners at the start, which is a huge waste of energy.
8. Know the Course
Study the course map and elevation profile. Familiarize yourself with the hills and turns. This will reduce surprises on race day, and you'll be able to anticipate and adjust your pacing and race strategy. On the turns, try to run the inside tangent or curve. This will minimize the distance you actually run. On the hills, try to go for an even effort (not even pace). You should run slightly slower than goal pace on the way up and slightly faster than goal pace on the way down.
9. Stay in a Bubble
Come race day, focus on yourself. Don't worry about what people are doing around you; instead, rehearse your race plan and then focus on the steps you need to take to execute this plan. Don't waste precious energy worrying about things you can't control (i.e., the weather); let that stuff go. Instead, focus on what you can control (i.e., hydration, nutrition and pace).
10. Think Positive
Inevitably, things will get tough at some point during the race. This is when it's important to keep your thoughts positive. For example: "My legs hurt because I'm pushing the pace and working hard" is better than "My legs hurt. I am so slow. I'm not going to finish at my goal time". Re-frame your negative thoughts into positive ones and try to quiet the negative chatter in your head. When you're at a low point, remember why you're racing in the first place. Think about all the work you did to get to the start line, the sacrifices you made, and your friends and family who love and support you. This will hopefully give you the extra boost to keep pushing hard toward the finish line.
Sign up for your next - 2
- of
- 2
About the Author
Get ACTIVE on the Go
Couch to 5K®
The best way to get new runners off the couch and across the finish line of their first 5K.
Available for iOS | Android
Discuss This Article