Is it just me, or has running been tough in this BRRRRRR weather? To keep my motivation up, I followed this very blog’s own advice and got myself some new running gear. I’ve never had proper running gloves, and these Nike Elite Storm-FIT Tech gloves did the trick. Having my hands snuggy warm and looking uber stylish added instant fuel to my running fire. Rewards really do work.
But I’m getting off topic. I’m here to talk Rock n Roll. The half-marathon and marathon, the one you’ve been diligently training for for months, is five days away and counting. Can you believe it? I remember the week leading up to my first half-marathon. I was a ball of nerves: What should I eat the night before the big event? What about breakfast the morning of? And what about race-day jitters? I’m guessing the exact same questions are running through your mind. To find the answers, I went to Kara Anderson from Triple Sports. A veteran runner with plenty of races under her belt, here Kara tackles all your last-minute questions.
Q What should you eat the day before the big race?
A lot of people want to carbo load the night before a big race. It is a good idea to get a decent helping of carbohydrates, but the most important thing is that you eat something familiar – so no last minute dinners at the local Thai restaurant unless that’s your regular thing.
Q Should you eat breakfast before the big race?
You should plan to eat something the morning of your race because you are typically up for several hours before you even begin running. I like to have a piece of toast, maybe a banana, the morning of an event.
Q How can you calm race-day jitters?
It’s normal and actually kind of fun to feel nervous the morning of a big event. Embrace your nerves and tell yourself this is how you know you’re challenging yourself! Trust that you have done the training and that you’re ready, then clear your mind and get ready to run.
Q Any pacing tips to make sure you don’t run too fast or too slow?
I’m a big fan of pacing bands – these are bracelets you can customize to match your goal time. They will tell you what time you should meet at each mile. It’s hard not to get caught up in the early excitement of a race start and go out too fast. Recognize this in advance and try to stick to your own goal pace
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