Race Preparation
Having a good plan in place can make the difference between having a very positive or negative experience. Plan your race. Race the plan.
The Week Before The Race
Plan To Taper – If you take a close look at the training plan you’ll notice that there is a significant reduction in training, time and intensity during the last several weeks. This is a critical part of the program as it allows the body to rest and recover.
Plan To Eat A Balanced Diet – Focus your efforts on increasing the amount of carbohydrates in your diet and drink water. Your body has to adapt to this so don’t think you can just “carb load” at the last minute. It doesn’t work like that.
Avoid Alcohol & Caffeine – Both contribute to dehydration. And while caffeine has been said to boost performance, you definitely don’t want to take it before a race if you’re not used to it.
Plan Your Pace and Strategy – By now you probably have some goal in mind. You might find it helpful to have a pace chart. A pace chart will give you an idea of where you should be as you cross each mile of the race. But, you must also plan to be flexible. You may not hit the mark every mile and you shouldn’t let this discourage you.
You can obtain and print a pace chart at RunnersWorld.com at the link below. You can also print a pace band that you can wear. Pace bands are also available at many race expos. They are even available as temporary tattoos!
http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/marathonpaceguide/0,7167,s6-239-283-317-0,00.html.
Get Your Race Packet Early – Don’t wait until the last minute to get your race packet. Plan to go to the Expo early and get it out of the way.
Get Plenty Of Rest – Start getting used to going to bed early and make sure you get 7-8 hours of solid rest. You’re apt to be a bit nervous the night before the race and may not sleep well. Several good nights of rest prior to race day can help make up for this.
Stay Off Your Feet – While it may be tempting to go sight-seeing the day before the race or hang out at the Expo to see everything there, keep your foot-work to a minimum.
Develop A Checklist – It makes things so much easier if you use a checklist. Your chances of forgetting something dwindle significantly if you plan what you’ll need to bring ahead of the race.
The Day Before The Race
Stay Well Hydrated – Continue drinking water and sports drinks to remain well hydrated. A simple way to gauge this is by the color of your urine. Clear urine with just a hint of yellow is a good indication that you are well hydrated. The darker and more yellow it appears the less hydrated you are. Be careful not to over do it though. Over-hydration can be just as dangerous.
Keep Eating Carbs – Many races sponsor a pasta dinner the night before the race. These can be fun to attend. Just remember to watch your portion size. Eating too much can cause you not to sleep well or end up with an upset stomach.
Check The Weather - and plan accordingly. In planning what to wear consider the fact that it’s going to feel approximately 20 degree warmer than it is when you’re running. You may also have to adjust your goal depending upon whether it’s going to be really hot or cold on race morning.
Organize Your Gear – Before going to bed, gather up all your items using your race checklist. Layout what your going to wear, pack your race pack, pin your number to your shirt, etc. This will help minimize what needs to be done in the morning.
Relax and Think Happy Thoughts – This is the time to chill out. Stay off your feet. Take a warm bath, do some yoga or light stretching and visualize the race and how you plan to succeed. Above all, stay focused on being positive. Say stuff like, “I’m going to have a great time”. “I can’t wait to cross that finish line”. Don’t even allow negative thoughts to enter your mind. Push them away and replace them with positive thoughts.
Go To Bed Early – Set your alarm (you might even want to set a back-up just in case) and get a good nights sleep.
Race Day
Don’t Try Anything New - That goes for clothes, food, etc.. Stick with what you know works. Wear the same shoes, clothes. Eat the same foods and drink the same beverages you’ve used during training.
Arrive Early – The emphasis here is on planning. Before race day, you want to know as much about the race location as possible. Plan where to park, plan enough time for one last use of a bathroom, plan time to get to your pace group, etc. You don’t want to get there too early and get stuck waiting for hours before the start of the race and you definitely don’t want to have to rush to the start of the race or miss it altogether.
Locate and Run With Your Pace Group – One way to ensure that you cross the finish line in the time you want is to run with a pace group. You’ll find pace groups at most large races. Generally speaking the pace groups are spaced out about 10 minutes apart (ie., 3:50, 4:00, 4:10, 4:20, etc.). Running with a pace group will also help keep you from starting too fast (or too slow) due to all of the excitement.
Eat, Drink & Be Merry – A good rule of thumb is to plan on drinking about every 15 minutes. At most large races, water stops are found at just about every mile. Most will have water and sports drinks. It’s a good idea to alternate water and sports drinks. Fuel, in the form of gels, power gels and sports drinks should be consumed about 6-8 miles or every hour. Many races will provide fuel at specific water stops throughout the race but unless you’ve used the fuel before, you may want to carry fuel that you know works for you.
Listen To Your Body – Run your race, not someone else’s. You need to listen to your body. You should be monitoring how you feel at all times. Do I need to speed up or slow down? Do I need to drink or eat? Make adjustments as you go. If you find yourself in pain, don’t ignore it. Deal with it. If you have to slow down or even stop, you slow down or stop.
After The Finish
Keep Moving – As you cross the finish line your first thought is going to be to sit down. Well, DON’T. You need to keep moving. At most big races, you’ll be encouraged to keep moving through the finish area anyway. You want to allow your circulation to return to normal so keep moving. If you stop and sit, you may feel light headed, nauseous, etc. If you do, head to the medical tent.
Eat, Drink & Be Merry – Be sure to drink water and sports drinks immediately to replace fluids immediately. You should also consume some form of carbohydrates within 30 minutes after finishing to aid in replenishing depleted glycogen storage. Continue to drink plenty of water and sports drinks and eat foods high in carbohydrates and protein throughout the remainder of the day. And of course you’re going to want to CELEBRATE!!! So don’t forget this important part of finishing.
Rest & Recovery – You’re going to be sore for several days following the race. You may want to try a cool bath to help reduce the swelling and soreness in your legs. An anti-inflammatory, such as ibuprofen, can also be helpful. If you decide to try a massage, make sure that you go to a therapist that understands the needs of an endurance athlete. You want a light massage, not deep tissue.
Finally, you need to take some time off from running. Your body needs time to heal. Don’t do any hard or long distance running the week following the race. Within a few days you can take a walk. Towards the end of the week, you can try a very easy 1 or 2 mile run depending upon how you feel, but nothing strenuous. After that, for the next 2-3 weeks you can start to ease your way back into running short distances, but again, no hard runs (no speedwork, tempo runs, etc.). Let your body heal properly. For a half marathon, you need about 2 weeks to recover. And for a full marathon, you need 4 weeks.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Race Preparation from Coach Robbie
Friday, December 12, 2008
Get Over it! ---from Coach Robbie
Hello All,
By now, many of you have looked at the schedule for this weekend. For those who have not, we’ll be doing anywhere from 6-21 miles depending upon which training program you’re following. For those who have never done this kind of mileage before, you are probably forming some opinions about our little fun run this weekend. That’s right. I said “fun run”. And while not everyone will agree with me on this, that’s how I see it.
So, with today being Wednesday (aka, “hump day”), it seems fitting to me to have a brief discussion (can Robbie be brief?) about how to get over the hump. Whether it’s mental, physical or both, a long, high mileage run is a challenge. But it’s also very necessary to preparing for endurance events like a half or full marathon. So my intent with this installment of my newsletter is to help you get over the hump.
You see lately I’ve noticed a lot of people (self included) suffering from the change. Now I’m not talking about menopause, because I’m not old enough to go through that yet (and I think you have to be female, but there is some evidence to suggest that men may go through it too). Anyway, the change I’m referring to is the change of season which has brought such wonderful positive changes in temperature, daylight, etc… Perhaps you’ve noticed we have less light, less warmth and less dryness. So with that, I have heard all kinds of excuses for not running such as “it’s too dark, it’s too cold, it’s too wet, etc” from people around me – including myself!!! WAH! WAH! Dry your tears cause we’ve got work to do.
You see, no one is immune to this thinking. But, we must press on if we want to achieve our goal. It’s time for the tough to get going as the saying goes. These runs can be whatever you make of it. They can be “fun runs” or not. The choice my darlings, is up to YOU. And yes, I just used the term darlings because you are all special to me. Each and every one of you. I wish I could interact more with everyone. I wish I could run by your side, every step of the way. To encourage you when you need it. To tell you, you are great and you can do this when you’re just not feeling it. To tell you not to worry about that ache, cause it’s not life-threatening. But you see this is one of those sports, like so many, where you must reach down deep inside when you are challenged and pull that extra “Mo-Jo” out. I guess what I’m saying is, you have to find your way, on your own. I am your guide. But you are the one in control. If you want to run a marathon, you’ll do it. And nothing I say or do will change that.
I will be running 19 miles on Saturday. Many of you will be running 19 miles too or some other challenging distance you might not be used to. You might even be questioning how you’ll do or if you’ll be able to do it. Well, unless you are truly injured, you will do fine and you will do it – if you want to. But you will probably experience some rough periods. You might even feel like stopping (gasp!). So I want to make some simple suggestions to you to ensure that you have a long, enjoyable “fun” run.
1) DO NOT WORKOUT ON FRIDAY! Take the day off. You deserve it. Don’t do anything. Give your body a rest day. Trust me. It works.
2) GET PLENTY OF REST. Go to bed early and get at least eight (8) hours. Can’t afford to do it you say? You can’t afford not to. Tell hubby to take care of the kids. Tape your favorite show. It will be there tomorrow. Leave work early. Do what you gotta do.
3) EAT BEFORE! Eat something at least 1-2 hours before our run. So that means between 5 and 6 am you’re going to chow out on something small and full of carbs.
4) EAT DURING! As we’ve already talked about, during such a long run you need to plan to re-fuel. That means water, Gatorade, beans, bars or gels. Plan on re-fueling at least every 45 minutes to an hour. Many of you are already accustomed to this, so I’m just reminding you of its importance. Remember, if you allow your glycogen stores to get depleted, your muscles will make sure you are seated (with seized up muscles). Not fun. Don’t let it happen to you!
5) EAT AFTER! Obviously, after such a long distance, you need to plan to eat afterwards as well so you replenish your glycogen stores and bring your hydration level back to where it belongs. This isn’t hard. Water, carbs, some protein and lipids (fats). PJ’s has it all. Bagels, Eggs, Peanut Butter, Milk, etc.
6) WALK IF YOU HAVE TO. It’s ok and many people do slow down or even walk some during a half or full marathon. It’s not a sin. If you’ve lost your breath, stop and catch it. Can’t hold it anymore? Stop and go! It’s not the end of the world. It’s all part of being human.
Ok, so that just about does it for now. I could go on and on and on. Actually, I have gone on and on and on. So that’s it. I’m done. For now that is. Until Saturday. See I’m scheduled to talk about race preparation. So I’m going to get busy to work on trying to condense that subject into a 7 minute verbal sprint, and you all have a great tempo run tomorrow and I’ll see you all on Saturday. Stay dry!
By now, many of you have looked at the schedule for this weekend. For those who have not, we’ll be doing anywhere from 6-21 miles depending upon which training program you’re following. For those who have never done this kind of mileage before, you are probably forming some opinions about our little fun run this weekend. That’s right. I said “fun run”. And while not everyone will agree with me on this, that’s how I see it.
So, with today being Wednesday (aka, “hump day”), it seems fitting to me to have a brief discussion (can Robbie be brief?) about how to get over the hump. Whether it’s mental, physical or both, a long, high mileage run is a challenge. But it’s also very necessary to preparing for endurance events like a half or full marathon. So my intent with this installment of my newsletter is to help you get over the hump.
You see lately I’ve noticed a lot of people (self included) suffering from the change. Now I’m not talking about menopause, because I’m not old enough to go through that yet (and I think you have to be female, but there is some evidence to suggest that men may go through it too). Anyway, the change I’m referring to is the change of season which has brought such wonderful positive changes in temperature, daylight, etc… Perhaps you’ve noticed we have less light, less warmth and less dryness. So with that, I have heard all kinds of excuses for not running such as “it’s too dark, it’s too cold, it’s too wet, etc” from people around me – including myself!!! WAH! WAH! Dry your tears cause we’ve got work to do.
You see, no one is immune to this thinking. But, we must press on if we want to achieve our goal. It’s time for the tough to get going as the saying goes. These runs can be whatever you make of it. They can be “fun runs” or not. The choice my darlings, is up to YOU. And yes, I just used the term darlings because you are all special to me. Each and every one of you. I wish I could interact more with everyone. I wish I could run by your side, every step of the way. To encourage you when you need it. To tell you, you are great and you can do this when you’re just not feeling it. To tell you not to worry about that ache, cause it’s not life-threatening. But you see this is one of those sports, like so many, where you must reach down deep inside when you are challenged and pull that extra “Mo-Jo” out. I guess what I’m saying is, you have to find your way, on your own. I am your guide. But you are the one in control. If you want to run a marathon, you’ll do it. And nothing I say or do will change that.
I will be running 19 miles on Saturday. Many of you will be running 19 miles too or some other challenging distance you might not be used to. You might even be questioning how you’ll do or if you’ll be able to do it. Well, unless you are truly injured, you will do fine and you will do it – if you want to. But you will probably experience some rough periods. You might even feel like stopping (gasp!). So I want to make some simple suggestions to you to ensure that you have a long, enjoyable “fun” run.
1) DO NOT WORKOUT ON FRIDAY! Take the day off. You deserve it. Don’t do anything. Give your body a rest day. Trust me. It works.
2) GET PLENTY OF REST. Go to bed early and get at least eight (8) hours. Can’t afford to do it you say? You can’t afford not to. Tell hubby to take care of the kids. Tape your favorite show. It will be there tomorrow. Leave work early. Do what you gotta do.
3) EAT BEFORE! Eat something at least 1-2 hours before our run. So that means between 5 and 6 am you’re going to chow out on something small and full of carbs.
4) EAT DURING! As we’ve already talked about, during such a long run you need to plan to re-fuel. That means water, Gatorade, beans, bars or gels. Plan on re-fueling at least every 45 minutes to an hour. Many of you are already accustomed to this, so I’m just reminding you of its importance. Remember, if you allow your glycogen stores to get depleted, your muscles will make sure you are seated (with seized up muscles). Not fun. Don’t let it happen to you!
5) EAT AFTER! Obviously, after such a long distance, you need to plan to eat afterwards as well so you replenish your glycogen stores and bring your hydration level back to where it belongs. This isn’t hard. Water, carbs, some protein and lipids (fats). PJ’s has it all. Bagels, Eggs, Peanut Butter, Milk, etc.
6) WALK IF YOU HAVE TO. It’s ok and many people do slow down or even walk some during a half or full marathon. It’s not a sin. If you’ve lost your breath, stop and catch it. Can’t hold it anymore? Stop and go! It’s not the end of the world. It’s all part of being human.
Ok, so that just about does it for now. I could go on and on and on. Actually, I have gone on and on and on. So that’s it. I’m done. For now that is. Until Saturday. See I’m scheduled to talk about race preparation. So I’m going to get busy to work on trying to condense that subject into a 7 minute verbal sprint, and you all have a great tempo run tomorrow and I’ll see you all on Saturday. Stay dry!
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