I Run DC

Do Not Try Anything New

This might sound like common sense, but the night before your next big race, don’t try anything new. This includes training, food, clothing or hydration methods. Eat whatever normal, fresh foods you would normally eat and go through your normal evening habits. If you change anything, just try going to bed a little early, particularly if you have an early start to your race. This is not the time to try any new recipes for dinner or new stretches before bed.

Relax, Laugh & Rest

Whether you’ve trained for a 5K, half-marathon, marathon or beyond, your training is now done. The night before your race, just relax, maybe read before bed and conserve your energy for the next day. Try not to be nervous. You will perform just fine when you step to the starting line.

Setup Your Gear

If you have the opportunity to pick-up your race number and packet before the morning of the race, this is ideal. The night before your race pin your bib number to your shirt or shorts, and layout your shoes, shirt and any energy gels or other supplies you’ll need for the race at the foot of your bed. When your alarm rings the following morning, just roll out of bed and put on the gear you’ve laid out. No stress or searching around. Another handy tip is to shake out your shoes the night before the race, removing, then replacing the sock beds to ensure no pebbles or dirt is trapped inside your shoes. This helps to ensure you have a fun, blister-free race. Lastly, if you run with a GPS watch, charge the watch, then place it in a shoe you will be running in so it is impossible for you to forget your watch in the morning.

Set Your Alarm to Ring Early

This is another simple, but often forgotten tip. On race morning wake up 30-60 minutes earlier than you need to (and set multiple alarms). You’ll enjoy the extra time to eat breakfast, use the bathroom (twice if possible), visualize you race plans and travel to the starting line.

So late last night I posted a link on my Facebook profile page (link below). The link was a short story on the deaths at the Philadelphia Marathon. At the end of the story the writer said “I will dedicate my next run to the individuals who died.” 

I felt inspired by what the writer, runner said and decided that my next run I too would dedicate it to my fallen runners. I then shared the link and received this comment from a follower on Facebook.

“Is that a normal practice? Dedicating a run, that is? I’m not a marathon runner, so this is new to me. I mean, why not dedicate, oh, I don’t know, eating breakfast? Or doing laundry? “This set on the bench I dedicate to OWS.”“

Well, follower let me explain it to like this from a runners point of view. The high from a run especially a long hard fast run is something I could not live without. To realize that those two fallen runners will never experience it again brings sorrow to my heart. So dedicating a run to them is to honor their memory and dedication to running. It would not bring much honor to them by dedicating oh, I don’t know, eating breakfast, or doing laundry. It doesn’t take much effort to do those things. Although its charming and I guess the thought counts. I rather honor them in a way that I would want to honored in. 

http://rwdaily.runnersworld.com/2011/11/a-note-on-the-deaths-at-philadelphia.html#.TsspSY0XnZw.facebook