Race day- How do you do yours?

ecoli

Usually the same topics come in in different guises every now and then but this was one that came to mind that I don't think has ever been done in great depth

How do people approach a target race?

Do you have certain rituals you do on race day?

How would you differ meals on race day compared to normal? What sort of adjustments do you make with regard the time of the race?

What sort of warm up/drills would you do?

I think we all focus so much on the training that often we tend to overlook the on the day stuff a bit

PaulieC

Breakfast as early as possible to ensure the following dump(s) are dispatched before leaving the house.

nerraw1111

Tie my shoelaces twice. Once to get them tight. Warm up and then tie them again, a smidgen tighter/looser.

Last drink an hour before race.

Run the first 1.5km or so of the course if a hill run.

Tell everyone I'm only jogging the route.

If a long race, breakfast of porridge and a bagel. The sip some lucozade sport on way to race.

ThePiedPiper

I try to have a 3 hour rule for eating before the race, this was still ok with 2.5 hours for a few races but eating about 2 hours before a recent 5k backfired on me!!!

a mile or so warmup works well for me about 30 minutes before the race, apart from marathons where I keep it to just about a few mins to loosen up. Hydration wise, about a pint is enough for me, no later than 2 hours out from race start, assuming I properly hydrated the day before.

I believe strongly in eating and drinking as soon after long races as possible, gets the recovery going quickly as possible

MrCreosote

I just don't know how anyone goes 3 hours without eating, let alone run a race then.

Breakfast about 1 1/2 hours before for me, and I keep snacking on Nutella right up to ten mins before. And a strong coffee with breakfast.

TFBubendorfer

I always prepare my gear the night before to avoid any major last-minute panic attacks.

I usually set the alarm to about 4 hours before start time. If it's an early start it might be less (e.g. 6 am for a 9 am start). Having said that, I usually can't sleep the night before a goal race, so I tend to get up earlier than planned when staring at the ceiling is starting to lose its lustre.

I usually eat a big bowl of porridge, or if I'm in a hotel I eat whatever appeals from the breakfast buffet (still involving porridge, usually). I know from trial and error that I can eat for up to two hours before the start, any later and there might be trouble.

I drink a fair amount but stop drinking around 45-60 minutes before the start.

Chatting to other runners helps pass the time and is always good. Don't forget to do a proper warm-up if it less than a marathon, though.

The last 10-15 minutes before the start I tend to get withdrawn and just concentrate on the race.

A last minute toilet stop is always good, the later the better, but obviously that might not always be possible.

statss

PaulieC wrote: »

Breakfast as early as possible to ensure the following dump(s) are dispatched before leaving the house.

this. everything else falls into place once this key objective has been achieved.

Letyourselfgo

I used to have brekky at about 10pm the night before and that would include the marathon as well. When I look back though I didn't have too many good races. Now I'm back running and looking at a few races, it's definitely sth I'm going to work on.

Krusty_Clown

Prep: Like Thomas, I'd lay out the gear the night before. Goal races usually mean early starts, when the head is still a little bit fuzzy, so best to make sure I'm not forgetting anything (have arrived at a road 10k before, with just a pair of trail shoes).

Food: Porridge has become a pre-race ritual, usually with honey and cinnamon, washed down with some strong coffee, to get the systems moving. I'll also drink 800ml of water, with a little fruit juice. I'm not one for sports drinks, but I'll make an exception for goal races, and bring a bottle of blue Powerade to sip on leading up to the race. It's handy, as it's got sugar and salt, and I can dispose of the bottle just before the race kicks off.

Evening/afternoon races: There are so few of them in the calendar, that I don't really have a ritual, but it would be basically the same. Eat three hours before the race (something safe, like pasta or a bagel/banana).

Pre-race: I seem to pee every 10 minutes before the race. I'm not really one for pre-race stretching, but will get 2-3 miles racked up before the race at a very sedate pace. Then I'll pretend to stretch, because everyone else is doing it, while surreptitiously looking at other runners feet, to see who is wearing the racing flats. When I get into the starting corral, I like to chill and zone out. Not because I like to enter a 'zen-like' trance state, but more because there's nothing else to do, while waiting for the off.

Chivito550

Night before a race is usually chill out. Wait until I'm properly exhausted before turning out the lights. Usually around 1am.

Set the alarm for around 9.30am. Piss about on the laptop for 45 minutes to build up a hunger. Jump in the shower to fully wake myself up. Breakfast then at around 10.30am, consisting of 1 Yoplait fruit yoghurt (or sometimes cereal) along with eggs (poached or scrambled) and toast.

Chill for awhile after and then get my stuff together, pack a lunch, and usually out the door at 12 or 12:30 depending on where the venue is and my means of transport.

I bring 2 bottles of diluted gatorade with me and sip on one before my first race. About an hour and a half before my first race (100m) I will have a banana and maybe even a small bit of my sandwich, just to keep myself fueled. It can be tough sometimes to get it right. You don't want to be too full, but not too empty either.

Start warming up about 45 minutes before each race: 2 lap jog, stretches, drills, strides in flats, strides in spikes.

My 100m race is usually at 3pm. Immediately afterwards I take in some lunch, a ham sandwich, pretty basic. Sip away on my second gatorade bottle.

400m tends to be about 4:45 so again, 45 minutes beforehand I do the same warm up as before over again.

Cool down afterwards, and then head over to some of the auld lads from the club who are swilling bottles of Carlton, crowded around a car, parked underneath a giant oak tree, and join in. Classy!

Timmaay

If its a midweek evening race (which alot of track races are), I'll try be a lazy fu£ker in work that whole day and do as little physical work as possible, and then waste most the day watching inspirational videos like the below, to have me as pumped as possible before hitting the race :P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rFx6OFooCs

BeepBeep67

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

(have arrived at a road 10k before, with just a pair of trail shoes).

Wasn't that an evening start :P

Krusty_Clown

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Wasn't that an evening start :P

Indeeding it was! I still should have packed the night before!

pa4

I always lay out my gear the night before and the rest of my bag is fully packed. All my bottles of water are by the sink ready to be filled and I'll have the mother make me something such as oat biscuits the night before which I find are a great snack before a race. She usually makes me a packed lunch in the morning too which will have all my pre and post race snacks.

I'll usually have a bowl of porridge and one slice of toast for breakfast with a cup of tea/coffee and then I'll do a bit of foam rolling. If the race is local and it's on in the morning I'll make sure to be up at least 3-4 hours before the start too make sure I'm well awake and loosened out. I'll stay sipping away on water and usually won't eat anything withing 2 hours of the race and when I do it'll be either a banana or a small role with vegemite.

Usually start my warm up around 35-45 minutes before the race. Will do a 20 minute jog followed by my usually pre race/session warm up of drills/strides/stretching etc. As I'm warming up I'll be going through the race in my mind and going through each stage with various tactics and stuff. After the race I'll do about a 15 minute jog and then eat something and maybe a protein shake. When I get home I'll do some foam rolling.

ecoli

Seeing as I started the thread its only fair I actually respond :P

I am fairly particular about my pre race rituals

Generally stick to the 2.5-3 hour cut off for breakfast. Normally this is perfect given I have to collect race number and good warm up.

Foot tends to be french toast as its one of the few things which will feel me sufficiently up until the race

Spend at least a half hour on youtube watching old races/ clips (the usuals - Steve Jones, 72 Olympic 5k, 1 mile WR)

Warm up tends to be about an hour. 3 mile very easy, drills, change into flats/ spikes a few strides and good to go.

Tend to stick to water throughout the day in build up to the race

rom

Was at a XC recently and a guy I gave a lift to got a hot dog 1/2 hr from the start

RandyMann

Normally have headache when I wake up due to lack of sleep. Take 2 panodol in the car on the way to race. Don't really eat anything normally, sometimes jsut a protein shake. I would like to enjoy racing.

RandyMann

Chivito550 wrote: »

Cool down afterwards, and then head over to some of the auld lads from the club who are swilling bottles of Carlton, crowded around a car, parked underneath a giant oak tree, and join in. Classy!

LOL

pconn062

pa4 wrote: »

I always lay out my gear the night before and the rest of my bag is fully packed. All my bottles of water are by the sink ready to be filled and I'll have the mother make me something such as oat biscuits the night before which I find are a great snack before a race. She usually makes me a packed lunch in the morning too which will have all my pre and post race snacks.

Jeez man, the joys of still living at home! :pac:

RandyMann

pconn062 wrote: »

Jeez man, the joys of still living at home! :pac:

That is funny alright!:)

robinph

rom wrote: »

Was at a XC recently and a guy I gave a lift to got a hot dog 1/2 hr from the start

I did that after driving to an XC race last month. Was starving after the 2 hour drive to get there though and was worried that the hot dogs would all be gone after the race with the men's race always being last of the day.

pconn062

I generally get up quite early before races, and have a small breakfast 3 hours before the race (assuming it's a morning race). I will have my bag packed ready to go from the previous night. On the way I will sip a bit of water and depending on the length of the race, have a very small snack about an hour before. I like to do a good warm up, some strides, drills and some light stretching. Then into the pen about 5 minutes before the start. I usually at this point start giving myself a mental speech along the lines of "it's going to hurt, but that's fine, it will be over soon". I really need this talk to get me going and to tell myself it alright to suffer if the outcome of the race is positive. After the race I usually do a long warm down (a habit my coach has me do), a few miles easy then some more light stretching. And then I have lots of tea and as much sugary crap as I can find!

As most track races are in the evening I usually do the same but eat very lightly during the day, if a race is at 7 I will have lunch at 1 and then just snack very lightly throughout the day.

Murph_D

ecoli wrote: »

...one of the few things which will feel me sufficiently up until the race

interesting. You could be onto something there. :eek:

Will eat pasta over over 2.5 hours before start. Hate it that early for morning runs, but anything else I've tried from fries to porridge to cereal to tea and toast doesn't work, either gives me a stitch or heartburn or doesn't fill me enough. But a bowl of pasta at 6 or 7 in the morning just feels all wrong, sometimes I will have chicken in it too which makes it feel even more wrong.

If I eat too early I might make up with a Jaffa cake or 2 before the off.

Always have 2 pints of water with the pasta too.

No real ritual or anything. Once I'm comfortable with what I've eaten, that's pretty much it for me.