You may say you’re not a runner, or you may say you are a runner.  I believe that everyone has a runner lurking somewhere inside.  One of the best ways to bring out your inner runner?  Run a road race.

 

Last week I talked about why you should run a race.  This week, I’m going to get specific about ways to prepare for a road race.  A very timely post for me, I’m making my final preparations for the Decker’s Creek Half Marathon (6/1) and helping a group of runners of all levels prepare for the Derek Hotsinpillar 5K (6/8).

 

 Follow a Plan

As a disclaimer, this post is not an actual training plan.  There are lots of good plans out there.  You can find one on the internet (some of my favorites are on www.runnersworld.com) or you can ask a seasoned runner for help developing one.  To prepare for the Derek Hotsinpillar, the runners in our group are following customized plans developed by STRONG fitness.

 

Be consistent, but flexible

Once you’ve chosen your plan, make a commitment to follow it…but be flexible.  Sometimes life happens.  If you miss a run or two, don’t quit. Adjust your expectations and goals if necessary, but get back to it!

 

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

You need to be properly hydrated to perform at your best.  Drinking water throughout your training schedule is important, but I like to get really serious about hydration the week before my race.  It’s pretty simple, I just drink a little more water each day and increase my fruit and vegetable consumption (most fruits and vegetables contain a high water content).  Hydration during your event is also important.  If you’re running a 5K, you can probably hydrate before and after the race.  For any distance over 5K, plan on drinking water on the course and during your training runs.

 

Respect the distance

Whether you’re running your first 5K or your 20^th marathon, make sure you are prepared mentally and physically to complete the distance.

 

Plan your gear

Take careful consideration in planning what you’ll wear during your race.  From the band in your hair to the shoes on your feet, make sure you’ve tested your gear.  I usually like to have a couple of different options based on weather.  For the Decker’s Creek Half Marathon on Saturday, I plan to wear shorts and a tank.  However, if the morning is cooler than expected, I’ll wear capris and shed my long sleeve shirt at the start.

 

The magic taper

My favorite part of any training plan is the taper, when you bump your mileage back and get your body ready for the stress of the race.  The taper does a couple of things:  (1) It gives your body time to recover from training and be fully prepared for the race. (2) Running the lower mileage runs reminds me of how far I’ve come.  For example, yesterday I completed an 8-mile run and felt great afterward.  At the beginning of my training plan, a 6-mile run felt extremely difficult.  Don’t worry about losing fitness during the taper phase, you won’t.  Don’t skip the taper!

 

The night before the night before

Showing up at the start line rested can be the difference between a pleasant run and a strenuous run. I rarely sleep well the night right before a race.  Sometimes nerves keep me awake, sometimes travel plans don’t allow for an early bedtime, and sometimes it’s just dumb luck and one of my kids keeps me up.  So, I focus on getting rest the night before the night before.  This is going to be particularly applicable this weekend.  I have a very busy day and evening planned on Friday with parenting and volunteer responsibilities.  I’ll have to get up early on Saturday to run the half marathon…so I will focus on getting some extra sleep on Thursday, the night before the night before.

 

Fuel your body

Proper nutrition throughout your training is important, but for the sake of this post, let’s focus on fuel the day of the race.  Eat breakfast!  No questions asked; it really is the most important meal of the day; especially on race day.  Practice eating before training runs to figure out what works for you.  After years of trial and error, this weekend I’ll be fueling with a piece of bread with some peanut butter, half a banana, and a small glass of milk.  If you’re running longer distances, you should also fuel during the race.  Anytime I run more than an hour, I eat something along the way.  My favorite running snack is chocolate gu.  Again, you have to find what works for you.

 

And there you have it; my tips for showing up prepared for your race.  As race season gets into full swing, I hope to see you at the start line.  I’ll be rested, hydrated, fueled, and sporting my best gear!  Will you?

 

Until next week,

Emily Stapleton