Running tip of the week

May 13, 2011

First off, my apologies–I’ve missed a week or two of these running posts. It’s been a busy few weeks and I’ve been unable to make it to my clinic and post as often as I like to. I run my seventh half-marathon this Sunday (the Goodlife Toronto International Half-Marathon), so here are a few tips about getting ready to race.

Prepare all your items in advance. I tend to be pretty nervous the morning of a race (in fact, I’m already feeling pretty anxious), so I do all the fussy little things well ahead of time, such as:

• ensuring you have all the safety pins you need for your bib.
• pin your bag check tag onto your bag, and look up whether there’s a charge for bag check and tuck a toonie (or whatever the cost) into your bag as well.
• I attach my chip to my shoes the night before, and I also untie my shoe laces, too, so they’re ready to go–a knot is the last thing I want to be fussing with at the break of dawn when I’m full of nervous jitters.
• prepare and eat foods you usually have. This is not the time to try your hand at molecular gastronomy. I’m making a batch of whole-wheat pasta with bolognese sauce as my carb-y dinner.
• resist the urge to wear that great new running gear because you want to look snazzy in your race photos. You should be wearing clothes you’ve run in several times so you know they’re comfortable and won’t cause chafing.
• if the forecast is chilly, figure out what old clothing you can afford to wear as a throwaway item (go to Goodwill if you don’t have anything you care to get rid of).
• make sure you have enough sports drink and gels or whatever your choice of electrolyte fuel is (I’ve got a friend picking up Sport Beans for me as I realized I was running low).
• print out a paceband if you’re aiming to finish in a certain time so you can ensure you’re on track. Cover it completely in clear scotch tape to help make it more durable.
• charge your Nike+ Sportband, GPS watch and other tools.

These are all off the top of my head–I’ve got a million race-related things running through my mind right now! Do you have any race-prep tips or rituals you’d like to share?

Filed under: Fitness Swellness,Healthy Swellness