Is there anything better than standing with the feeling of success? As a runner, is there a better feeling than feeling ready? Is there a worse feeling than throwing it all on the floor because you didn’t do the final preparation?
Raceday is for many the culmination of a process. Many have trained for a race. Maybe you have focused on following a running program that will culminate in the race? Maybe there is a new PR lurking just around the corner? Then it would be sad to miss this opportunity because you have not prepared properly for RACEDAY.
Raceday is the same as race day:
It kind of goes without saying. The day you run is the day you complete your race. The Raceday guide below will take you through the most important things you need to focus on when Raceday arrives. In fact, preparations for raceday start already and in many cases already in the week leading up to your race. That’s why we’ve divided the guide below into 2 sections.
Section 1 is about the things you can prepare in the week(s) leading up to the race.
Section 2 is about the day itself and how to get the most optimal preparations out of it.
SECTION1
There are lots of things you can do in the week(s) leading up to a race. The list is not exhaustive, but we have tried to cover it as well as possible.
Eat normally – eat healthy and varied
There are (unfortunately) plenty of examples of food ruining the day for runners. But it’s really about thinking sensibly and not making big changes. You probably have a feeling whether you eat healthy and varied food in your daily life. If you do, then you are home safe in terms of eating in the week leading up to it. Where you can do a little extra is with food the day before the race day, and maybe even 2 days before. If you start a few days before, then you are on the safe side.
But it’s about eating lighter and more “race-oriented”. It’s about not putting unnecessary pressure on the body and its digestive system. That can have a tiring effect. So no heavy food such as big red steaks in the days leading up to the race. Stick to good carbohydrates such as pasta and rice. In fact, sushi can be a good solution if you’re used to it. And if you’re not, don’t do it. Brings me back to the experimenting, you’re not used to sushi, and you don’t know how your stomach and body react, so don’t do it.
Personally, I really enjoy a pasta salad consisting of ribbon pasta, fried chicken, a little bacon, broccoli and peas. I eat it the night before and then I take it with me as a snack during the day (possibly during the transport to the race)
Check the weather forecast
Do yourself a favor and check DMI or whatever weather provider you like to use. It’s really good to know what the weather will be like on race day. That way you can make preparations accordingly, in terms of clothing for example.
Personally, I use the weather forecast for 2 things. To find the right clothing (read more about that later) and then for mental preparation. If they promise 11 m/s and rain, it's good to prepare mentally for that. Not all races take place in bright, sunny weather.
Avoid stress and panic
If you want to avoid unnecessary stress on the day, there are also a few different things you can do here. Familiarize yourself with the conditions for the race. Transport can be an issue. Find out how you will get to and from the race. It is especially good to have the arrival under control so that you get the optimal start and are not pressed for time. For example, races in larger cities can be a bit surprising in terms of accessibility and, not least, parking options..
You need your start number. If you have the opportunity to pick it up before the race, do so. Most races these days open up the day before or in the days leading up to the race for pick-up of start numbers. This can be at the venue itself or in collaboration with the local sports shop. If you, a friend or some family member can pick it up for you, it is recommended. You never know how long the queue will be when you arrive? and where exactly am I supposed to pick it up? Both can create unnecessary panic.
Personally, I always do everything I can to check these things. I feel best if I can calm down when I arrive. There must be time to remember the things you have planned before the race, such as consuming energy at the correct time, possibly visiting the toilet, etc.
You are welcome to carbo-load.
There is no better expression for a runner. Today it is allowed to carbo-load. Roughly speaking, it means filling up the body and getting it ready for the race. The depots must be filled up. But be careful. Don’t eat completely uninhibited from the candy bowl the night before the race. A little bit of candy/chocolate is fine, but in moderate amounts. When you carbo-load, of course also think about your dinner intake here (mentioned in the previous point)
Personally, I love to carbo-load. Who doesn't? Luckily, my body is fine with sweets before a race, so I won't hide the fact that I probably eat more than "reasonable". But remember, if you're not used to it, or know the consequences, don't.
Read the race from home
It can be a clear advantage to know the race from home. It’s not like you have to run the route in agony beforehand. But fortunately, many race organizers do this by providing information about the race beforehand. There is a map of the race and information about fluid depots. It can be especially important to familiarize yourself with the fluid depots. If you have a “fluid strategy”, check if it fits. If it doesn’t fit, you have the opportunity to react to it yourself and make it fit..
An example could be that you know you should drink every three kilometers, but there are only fluid depots every five kilometers? You are used to drinking energy drinks, but they only serve water for this race? Then you can react from home and before the race. Can you get helpers/cheerleaders out on the route to help you? You can bring what you want yourself! Today you can get small, smart running bottles that weigh nothing.
Personally, I don't use this much. I'm more interested in what you get for what experiences there are on the way. But actually it can also be a good idea to check! If you're an adrenaline runner like me, it's important to know about any dead spots on the route. That is, points where there aren't really spectators or other forms of entertainment to pull you up.
A realistic goal motivates. An unrealistic one de-motivates.
Pay attention and be realistic. It’s great to have a goal as long as it’s realistic. If the goal is unrealistic, the risk of you being disappointed is huge. So look inward and see what’s realistic..
It’s always a difficult balance to be realistic about your goal. Because on the one hand you have to be realistic, on the other hand you can be ambitious. You have to believe in yourself and push yourself. But never believe in yourself too much if you know deep down that it’s unrealistic.
Personally, I'm really good at underestimating my chances. Sometimes so much that I can feel it annoy those around me. And that's basically because I'm terrified of being disappointed. So better underestimating a little and creating a success. Note to self, that obviously needs to be worked on.
Winding down and recovery are important
You have to remember this in time. Decreasing and recovering is super important. You should start considering this 14 days before. If you are at 100% training in the third last week, then there is a little rule that says that in the second last week you should go down to 60% and in the last week you should be at 40% or lower. Again, you move on a knife edge, because you better not fade away completely. It sounds extreme, but you should not just take a break in the last week. It is important that your legs are moving during the week, but without them getting tired. This can be done by recovery runs or walks with the family. If the family has not seen you in the last 12 weeks because of work and a running program that had to be taken care of, then the last week before the race is the perfect week to nail those pieces.
It can feel completely wrong to stop so “abruptly”. If you come straight from a hard running program with 3-5 training sessions a week. Then it can feel completely crazy to stop. It’s natural that you feel like you’re throwing it all on the floor. But you don’t. You’ve built your body correctly, and now it’s charging up for the big hit.
Personally, I have always been good at this exercise if I do say so myself. The last week has always been "sacred" for me. The body needs to rest there. Of course, it depends on when my training or running program has stopped. But if I have 14 days until race day, I also cut back on training in the second last week. But I throw in the crucial tests here. So there are still some hard workouts in that week, but there is not that much training.
Liquid is god
You can start filling your system with fluids/water in the week leading up to the race. Try to drink a little more water in the days leading up to it, if possible. Cut down on the large amounts of coffee and tea.
Personally, I really try to remember this. Fluids are an underestimated factor when it comes to distances over 15km. You can help your body, and therefore your performance, a lot by remembering this little rule.
SECTION2
The day itself. The big day where it all should culminate. There are lots of things you can control, and thereby have the ultimate day and a huge experience. And don’t worry, it’s not difficult at all, in fact it’s mostly about just using your common sense.
With proper rest you will go the furthest
This one might as well have been included in Section 1. Because sleep is so underrated, and it’s important to be well-rested. You can start that the week before. It’s not always possible in a busy everyday life with children, work, leisure activities, parent-teacher conferences and the like. It’s not like you can put your life on hold for a whole week just because you have to run.
But at the very least, you should get plenty of sleep before the race. So ask your partner (if you have one) if it’s okay for you to go to bed at a decent time on this day, so your body is well-rested and ready for the race.
Personally, this one is important to me. And it is for a special reason. I don't know what it is, but I always wake up WAY too early if I'm going to go for a run, for example. It's like my body is too tense. So the sooner I can get to bed and fall asleep, the more sleep I naturally get.
Breakfast without experiments
Most races start somewhere between 10:00 and 14:00 on race day. It is important that you plan your breakfast intake correctly on the day. There is a “rule” that you should eat your last main meal (in this example breakfast) at least 2-4 hours before the start. The times can of course vary. If your race starts at 14:00 and you get up at 7:30, then you don’t have to wait until 10:00 to eat breakfast. Then you can maybe eat it at 8-8:30, and then fill up afterwards. The most important thing is that you have a solid AND correct meal before the race.
The correct breakfast is the one you can stomach. For God’s sake, don’t experiment during the day. You can change your breakfast on race day compared to your regular breakfast, if you’re used to it. But otherwise, stay away from experiments.
Personally, I have a very special menu for race days. It is basically close to my regular breakfast. It consists of oatmeal with sugar (maybe a little extra sugar during the occasion). In addition, I drink lots of water (it is important to replenish water) and if I have the time and opportunity, I make a green juice consisting of squash, lemon, apple and spinach. But if you are not used to it, I would not recommend you to copy it. My secret ingredient on such a race day is the breakfast dessert. The toasted piece of rye bread with Nutella and banana on it. I know rye bread is not the best, but when it is so long before the race, it works perfectly.
Check the weather and react to it
Denmark is a strange country when it comes to the weather. If you’ve been following the weather for the past week, do yourself a favor and check it on the day as well. Just one last check before you leave. Is your clothing suitable for the weather?
Personally, I use this tip to check if the clothes fit. Do I need long sleeves or not? It's so annoying and stressful to stand at the starting line and then feel like I'm not dressed right.
Clothing and equipment must be tested – preferably not new
Stay away from the new, fancy gear you bought for the occasion. It’s definitely not worth running long distances in brand new equipment that you haven’t tested before. It doesn’t matter if it’s new shoes, clothing, or your energy products. Trusting your equipment and your choices gives you security and reduces frustration..
Your clothing on race day can have a big impact on your performance. In the vast majority of cases where people make the wrong choice, they choose to wear too much clothing. Remember that when you are standing still and waiting in the start/finish area, you are cold. You quickly generate heat when you get moving.
Personally, I have completed many races wearing far too much clothing. In my older days I have become much better at assessing this. Unless it is definitely freezing weather and winter, most autumn, summer and spring races end with a t-shirt or a sleeveless shirt. And almost always shorts. What I usually do is find a pair of old football socks or similar that I can pull over my arms while I wait. When the start goes, I roll them off and throw them in the nearest area where it makes sense.
Don’t eat in the hour before the race
The last hour before the race should be kept somewhat sacred. It is a stupid idea to fill your body with too much more, at least when it comes to food/solid food. A banana as a supplement is fine, but not larger meals like buns with cold cuts or the like. You can easily fill up on fluids, as long as you always make sure it doesn’t get too much. There is nothing worse than starting the race with a gurgling stomach.
If you have energy products and the like that need to be in your body, make sure they are in your body before the last hour. You can always supplement on the route.
Personally, I eat and drink like a threshing machine. A real weakness I have. But I've been afraid of getting cold. But I've been good at keeping the last 45-60 minutes sacred in relation to too much heavy food.
Fill up on fluids – even on race day
Fluids are still god – and on race day itself. Start as early as in the morning, possibly in connection with breakfast. But it is also important that you do not just pour all sorts of different things and too much fluid into your stomach. As mentioned earlier, do everything in moderation, and make sure not to drink too much in the hour before the start. This will avoid a gurgling stomach.
Personally, I have really good experiences with filling up on lots of fluids. Mainly water, but also a simple drinking bottle with energy drink (light mix) can help me. In addition, there are fluids like beetroot/green juice mixtures. I use them because I know I can do it without going wrong - whether it helps, I actually don't know. But if nothing else, it helps mentally. A lot of my performance happens in my head
Remember to go to the toilet
It may sound banal and basic. But roughly speaking, an annoying and full stomach can completely ruin your race. Make sure to go to the toilet after the big meal before the race, and you can easily experience a nervous stomach (butterflies in the stomach) leading up to the race. So it’s better to visit too much than too little. It’s really annoying to have to spend 4 kilometers of your race running and looking for a toilet.
Personally, this is one of the things that can make me panic. It sounds crazy, but I can really get "scared" if I can't take care of it before the race. The little trick I use is to sneak a cup of coffee or a cup and a half into my stomach immediately after breakfast. Combine it with some water if necessary, and then it usually resolves.
Stick to your plan.
Do you have a plan? In the best Egon Olsen style, stick to the plan. Don’t panic and make sudden changes at the last minute. If you have set a pace that you have to keep from the start, but your legs can do more, then you really have to be sure of your case if you increase the pace. Normally you would say better safe than sorry. It is easy to get carried away by the atmosphere at the start of a race, but conversely, you can also easily hit the wall at the end. So stick to the plan, keep the pace, and then there is nothing cooler than being able to accelerate in the last kilometers of the race.
Another group of people here could be the liquid. If you are used to drinking water and have planned to do so, then drink water. Don’t take chances with energy drinks at the depots. You never know how your stomach will react to it.
Personally, I'm the type who gets caught up in the mood easily, so I'm always very careful not to burn myself out too quickly. But on the other hand, I also know that I have to set the pace as high as possible from the start. I'm simply not good at accelerating halfway or at the end of the race. So I'm more of a fan of keeping the "killing" pace the whole way (what the body can handle for the entire distance)
Use your surroundings to get ahead
It is not forbidden to talk to others. It is not forbidden to look for others. If you experience crises along the way, a good piece of advice might be to “hook on” another runner and try to find his or her cadence. and in that way find your own rhythm. Some people also get through crises more easily by communicating with the other runners. But respect those who don’t want to talk. You’ll quickly spot who wants to and who doesn’t.
Personally, I don't talk much when I run. And I'm WAY too bad at giving uplifting advice to others. I often think about how cool it is that those types of runners exist. And afterwards I think about how uncool it is that I'm not one of those people myself, or at least remember it sometimes. So to those of you who do - keep it up, it's super nice.
Bring your own private fan club
Is there a better feeling than seeing your friends and family cheering you on? It gives you 10-20% more motivation. If possible, it’s always a good idea to lure your private fan club out on the route.
It can also help in the hard times. If you have a crisis, the advice of the fan club is worth more than gold. If you are in a crisis, and you know that in 2km there will be friends and family cheering you on, then the 2 hard kilometers will be a bit easier.
Personally, I think it's the coolest thing in the world. Imagine if some people would come and cheer for me. I'm happy about that. And remember to pay back into that account as much as possible.
Enjoy it, and that’s it.
No matter who you are and what your goal is. Then you have the overriding task of enjoying it. There may be difficult moments along the way, but then turn your thoughts to something positive. Enjoy the experience and the surroundings. Enjoy that you did it..
And when you’ve completed it, you’ll enjoy it 10% more. If possible, find some of the previously mentioned cheerleaders to celebrate and enjoy with. It’s the best feeling to have succeeded.
Personally, I'm very bad at that discipline. I've gotten better at it in my "older days" though. But in the old days I was better at focusing on mistakes and possible improvements than actually enjoying the victory. Because no matter who you are, it's a victory to complete every time you do it.
Clothes for before, during and after the race
We have discussed possible solutions regarding clothing for the race itself. And partly also discussed clothing before the race. As far as possible, take as little with you in the starting area, unless you have someone standing there who can take it for you. You have to come up with alternative solutions, like the one with the socks on your arms and so on..
Just as important is the clothes for after the race. There is nothing wrong with having to walk around in your wet and sweaty clothes for an unnecessarily long time after the race. On the one hand, it makes you both cold and uncomfortable, but if you are really unlucky, you also deserve a sick note. Remember that your body is used up and your immune system is down. So have a plan ready for how to get into dry and warm clothes as soon as possible after the race. Maybe you have someone meeting you in the finish area? Who knows, maybe your car will be nearby. Otherwise, most races these days have a place where you can drop off your bag and the like. Make sure it contains dry clothes.
Personally, I have experienced it myself several times, letting it down with dry clothes. It's not very nice to have to fart around in your soaked clothes for over an hour. Nothing good comes out of that.
Remember to fill up the depots
When it’s all over, you’ve celebrated and enjoyed your victory. Then do yourself a favor and fill up your tanks properly. Fill up your engine with fluids and fuel. If you forget, you can easily get a few hours after the race feeling unwell and having a headache. Most finish areas have taken this into account. You’ll often find bananas, colas, etc. there. Perfect for filling up your tanks..
And it also has an insanely good response to your recovery.
Personally, I have a hard time eating much when I reach my goal. But I can easily say that the times when I force myself to do so, the afterburn and the evening become much more pleasant.
About the Author:
En passioneret løber der elsker at nørde med både løbesko, og selvfølgelig også alt det fysiologiske omkring det at løbe. Ja, jeg har rigeligt med løbesko, det siger min kone i hvert fald. Men jeg kan altså ikke lade være.....