cewait
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2000
- Messages
- 5,695
The Hay is in the barn
.
Now all you can do is rest.
This is a saying that most cross country runners have heard from some coach along the line.
While it sounds really old fashioned, it is a very simple way of saying, there is nothing more you can do between now and the race.
So starting a week or so ago, you are what you are going to be next week and no last minute make up will make a difference. This weeks runs should be short with a moderate intensity. Your goal is to stay loose and to shake out the cobwebs. Forget any bad things that may have occurred in the last couple weeks and trust your training.
Over the next week you should focus on
Diet you are expending less so take in less. A really balanced diet is the best thing you can do for your body. Start pulling back on fibers in a couple days to distress you system.
Hydrate Mid week or so start amping up you hydration. Not much but enough to keep your urine clear or just slightly colored. Remember most of us travel and most of the travelers fly. Airplanes are an extremely arid climate. Buy a bottle of water after passing TSA and drink it on the plane. Get an aisle seat if that will be an issue.
Sleep Sleep well this week. Your most important nights sleep is Thursday Night for the half runners and Friday for the Full runners. You should not expect a good nights sleep the night before race day. It will just not happen. Even veterans runners can have issues on the road.
Nerves yes, it is very normal to have a great set of nervous energy. Channel this energy into something productive. Do not fret on the missed long run, the cold or injury. They are all in the past and will not change the fact that the race is this week. Channel the energy into positive thoughts
Drugs. If you are on NSAIDs or cold meds, think about dropping them by mid-week. NSAIDs negatively affect your kidneys creating a likelihood of hydration issues and cold meds will dehydrate you.
Packing. If you are an infrequent traveller, make your list tonight if you do not have it already. Use the list for packing and double check. It is better to pack early if you do not tend to live out of a suitcase.
Carryon. Make sure you have your running shoes in a carry on or wear them on the plane. Ideally, the remainder of the running gear would also be in the carry on but the shoes by far are the most important.
Shoes. If you have not recently done so, check your laces. They can wear and fray in the upper eyelet and break on race day. Also make sure that they are tight enough in the toe box area. The laces will loosen up over time in the toe area and that is a cause of front of the foot issues.
Once in the room. Make sure that you unpack your running gear early. Lay it out and make sure that you remembered everything. Race morning is not a good time to realize you do not have any shorts. Also, lay out your clothing in order the night before the race putting the first thing on on top and then working down the stack to the last thing on.
Race morning. Clothes, bib, d-tag and room key. Then everything else is optional.
At the gun. Remember to start your watch as you cross the line. As you start running, immediately take inventory of what you have on the day. Nice deep and cleansing breathes in the first mile will help set the pattern for the day. Roll the shoulders back, chest up, head up and a nice conversational pace. Take inventory of how the feet feel, the ankles, the calves, the knees, etc. Bring in positive thoughts in that first mile.
At the midpoint. Smile. You are making it happen. Keep that inventory going. If you feel a new hot spot, fix it if needed. A little Vaseline, a little biofreeze can work wonders. If you do blister, do not be tempted to bandage it during the run. It aint going to stay and the bandage will create a new hot spot wherever it ends up.
The finish Smile as you cross the line and keep smiling for a few moments. You will be on camera for a good 30 feet. Once you get to the volunteers then remember to stop your watch. So many finish photos are taken of the runner stopping their watch. Keep moving through the chutes. Be happy that we have the disposable dtag and not the loaner tags as in the past. Then you had to stop while it was removed. As you make your way through the chute you will meet several folks. Thank them as they put your medal around your neck. Think about how you feel and whether you need medical help before leaving the baggage area. Once out past the bag area it is a little late. If you have a blister, a sore joint, and especially an ill feeling stop in and say hi.
Wear you medal during the remainder of your stay. This is one marathon where the medal can be worn for over a week. Enjoy the celebrity status.
Finally, thank your volunteers. Without them, none of this happens.
Now all you can do is rest.
This is a saying that most cross country runners have heard from some coach along the line.
While it sounds really old fashioned, it is a very simple way of saying, there is nothing more you can do between now and the race.
So starting a week or so ago, you are what you are going to be next week and no last minute make up will make a difference. This weeks runs should be short with a moderate intensity. Your goal is to stay loose and to shake out the cobwebs. Forget any bad things that may have occurred in the last couple weeks and trust your training.
Over the next week you should focus on
Diet you are expending less so take in less. A really balanced diet is the best thing you can do for your body. Start pulling back on fibers in a couple days to distress you system.
Hydrate Mid week or so start amping up you hydration. Not much but enough to keep your urine clear or just slightly colored. Remember most of us travel and most of the travelers fly. Airplanes are an extremely arid climate. Buy a bottle of water after passing TSA and drink it on the plane. Get an aisle seat if that will be an issue.
Sleep Sleep well this week. Your most important nights sleep is Thursday Night for the half runners and Friday for the Full runners. You should not expect a good nights sleep the night before race day. It will just not happen. Even veterans runners can have issues on the road.
Nerves yes, it is very normal to have a great set of nervous energy. Channel this energy into something productive. Do not fret on the missed long run, the cold or injury. They are all in the past and will not change the fact that the race is this week. Channel the energy into positive thoughts
Drugs. If you are on NSAIDs or cold meds, think about dropping them by mid-week. NSAIDs negatively affect your kidneys creating a likelihood of hydration issues and cold meds will dehydrate you.
Packing. If you are an infrequent traveller, make your list tonight if you do not have it already. Use the list for packing and double check. It is better to pack early if you do not tend to live out of a suitcase.
Carryon. Make sure you have your running shoes in a carry on or wear them on the plane. Ideally, the remainder of the running gear would also be in the carry on but the shoes by far are the most important.
Shoes. If you have not recently done so, check your laces. They can wear and fray in the upper eyelet and break on race day. Also make sure that they are tight enough in the toe box area. The laces will loosen up over time in the toe area and that is a cause of front of the foot issues.
Once in the room. Make sure that you unpack your running gear early. Lay it out and make sure that you remembered everything. Race morning is not a good time to realize you do not have any shorts. Also, lay out your clothing in order the night before the race putting the first thing on on top and then working down the stack to the last thing on.
Race morning. Clothes, bib, d-tag and room key. Then everything else is optional.
At the gun. Remember to start your watch as you cross the line. As you start running, immediately take inventory of what you have on the day. Nice deep and cleansing breathes in the first mile will help set the pattern for the day. Roll the shoulders back, chest up, head up and a nice conversational pace. Take inventory of how the feet feel, the ankles, the calves, the knees, etc. Bring in positive thoughts in that first mile.
At the midpoint. Smile. You are making it happen. Keep that inventory going. If you feel a new hot spot, fix it if needed. A little Vaseline, a little biofreeze can work wonders. If you do blister, do not be tempted to bandage it during the run. It aint going to stay and the bandage will create a new hot spot wherever it ends up.
The finish Smile as you cross the line and keep smiling for a few moments. You will be on camera for a good 30 feet. Once you get to the volunteers then remember to stop your watch. So many finish photos are taken of the runner stopping their watch. Keep moving through the chutes. Be happy that we have the disposable dtag and not the loaner tags as in the past. Then you had to stop while it was removed. As you make your way through the chute you will meet several folks. Thank them as they put your medal around your neck. Think about how you feel and whether you need medical help before leaving the baggage area. Once out past the bag area it is a little late. If you have a blister, a sore joint, and especially an ill feeling stop in and say hi.
Wear you medal during the remainder of your stay. This is one marathon where the medal can be worn for over a week. Enjoy the celebrity status.
Finally, thank your volunteers. Without them, none of this happens.
)
