This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Berkeley chapter.
Whether you’re a seasoned distance competitor or a brand new to the racing scene, follow these tips for a perfect race from start to finish.
- Night-before dining: The night before your race it’s important to take in adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat. Note however that carbo-loading doesn’t mean to chow down excessively at dinner. Just eat the same portion size that you normally would. Oh, and go easy on the fiber—too much can cause a race day GI disaster.
- Dress for success: In order to prevent blisters and sore feet, make sure that your shoes are broken in. The same goes for clothes; don’t buy a brand new running outfit and wear it for the first time on race day in order to prevent unexpected chaffing.
- Stick with your regular routine: On the day of the race, avoid trying any new stretches or warm-up exercises. One month out, you should be in the same routine for the race.
- Think before you drink: Your race course may offer some sports drinks along the way for replenishment. Make sure you only drink when you are thirsty and choose the drinks that you have tried before. You don’t know how your body will react to something new and race day may not be the best day to experiment. Check the event web site in the weeks leading up to the race to find out what sports drink they will be serving and practice drinking them along your training runs.
- Eat to compete: The day of your race, eat the same as you do on long training runs/walks: same food, same number of hours before.
- Ditch the drugs: Avoid Advil, ibuprofen, Aleve, Motrin, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatories the night before and day of the race since they are a risk for hyponatremia. If you must, take Tylenol (acetaminophen) during the race — only as prescribed on the bottle.
Source: runnersworld.com