Your First Race – Advice from your mate down the pub prt 7
Preparing for your first running race
So the big day looms and you can feel the excitement, anticipation (and probably nerves) growing. Here’s my mate’s 10 tips on how to prepare and make sure you get off to a flyer!
Of all the emails I get from new runners, the most anguished seem to be from those who are preparing for their first race. Whether it’s the charity 5k that they first donned running shoes for, or the marathon that has taken over their life in recent months.
But race day doesn’t have to be a big scary monster. If you prepare properly and follow a few simple guidelines, then the chances are that everything will go smoothly.
And look, if you do cock the race up, you’ll at least learn valuable lessons for next time out. Really. How do you think that I got to be such a know-all?
And yes, there really should be lots of ‘next times.’ While I have impressed no-one with my pace since I was about 20 years old, I have rarely failed to enjoy any race.
More than that, having a race or two in your diary makes staying motivated to keep training so much easier. So without further ado, here are my top ten dos and don'ts for newbie runners on race day.
1) Start off small and work your way up
While big city marathons and half marathons are usually a great experience, they’re not the best events to pick for your first race since sports day at school.
Consult the race listings and you’ll find loads of local 3k, 5k, 10k and 15k races. These are generally club or charity hosted events where you’ll find a friendly atmosphere and plenty of people who run at your level.
2) Don't run if you’re not fit
There’s nothing worse than focusing on a race for weeks or months, then picking up a niggling injury or a bad cold the week before it.
It takes willpower to pull out under these circumstances, but you really have to. Always.
I failed to do so just once, and not only performed badly in the race, but then took weeks to recover from a simple cold.
3) Don’t step up too far in distance
If you’re about to run a 5k, make sure you’ve run at least 4k a few times in training. If it’s a 10k, make sure you’ve done at least 8k in training.
While willpower and adrenaline will take you a little further (and possibly a little faster) on race day, it won’t work miracles.
The only exception to this is marathon training, when a few runs of 20 miles will be fine, as you’ll be running the last 6 miles of that baby on willpower alone.
4) Make sure your gear is right
Race day isn’t the time to try out a fancy new pair of running shoes. You really need a pair with some miles on them. And the same goes for everything you’re going to be wearing.
If a charity has given you a t-shirt or vest to wear, make sure you’ve run in it a couple of times in training. And if it chafes, make sure you coat all affected areas with Vaseline before you race.
I might also mention that if you’re taking part in anything over 10k for the first time, a bit of Vaseline on inner thighs is also a good idea, as that really isn’t somewhere you want to start chafing for the first time.
5) Make sure that your nutrition is right
In the days leading up to your race, cut back on the booze, get plenty of carbs and stay hydrated. Don’t eat anything too heavy the night before.
Do have a light but high energy breakfast you know your stomach likes. For me it’s pancakes and banana. For some it’s scrambled egg on toast. But it’s good to experiment in advance, so you know what your body needs before a run.
Even more importantly, don’t try anything new, even if it’s a free sample you’re given at the race. So if you’ve always used a particular drink in training, stick to it on race day. Don’t grab a load of untried energy gels and assume that your body will run like a Swiss watch using them. It almost certainly won’t.
6) Get there early and chill out
Most of us run better when we’re relaxed. So avoid a stressed-out drive by setting off early.
Then you get the chance to park up, stretch out, meet other runners, soak up the atmosphere and relax. But if there’s a lot going on, leave going around the stalls till later.
This is a time to rest your legs for what they’re about to do.
7) Stand in the right place
If it’s a friendly little club run or a charity event, you can probably stand wherever you like at the start. So be sensible.
Let the really serious people take the front row. Keep obvious walkers behind you. That way, you’ll find your pace much more easily once the gun goes, and won’t find yourself being overtaken by too many people.
Particularly in big races, where runners are held in ‘pens’ before the start based on their predicted finishing times, don’t blag your way into a pen with faster runners.
This leads to getting in the way of lots of people, and feeling psychologically destroyed as hundreds of people surge past you.
8) Warm up properly
If you’re in an area that allows you to run around beforehand, once you’ve done your stretches, have a bit of a jog up and down. Just a couple of hundred metres will do.
While this takes up a little bit of the energy you were saving for the race, it also warns your body to get into running mode, and pays massive dividends once the gun goes.
9) Pace yourself
It’s easy in all the excitement to set off like a greyhound when the gun goes. But if you go off too fast, you run the risk of blowing up and having to walk.
So ease into the race gradually. Concentrate on running smoothly. Think about your breathing. Don’t try to keep up with quicker runners. Don’t waste too much energy trying to dance around slower runners. The field will thin out quickly enough after a couple of kilometers, making passing much easier and less tiring.
Having said that, it’s also good to keep an eye on your pace to make sure you don’t go too slowly. I usually make or acquire a pace band before races, which is worn around the wrist and lets me check my pace at each km or mile marker, allowing me to ease up or push on if necessary.
10) Run your own race and enjoy yourself
Unless you’re an uber-athlete, the only person you’re really competing with is yourself. So what’s on your mind? Just finishing without walking? Beating 5 hours for the marathon?
Set a goal before the race and try to stick to it. But be prepared to make adjustments if you’ve got more/less running in you than you were expecting.
Above all, don’t fall into the trap of spotting a runner that’s older/fatter/wearing a sillier costume than you and doggedly trying to stay with them (I’m told that this is known as the ‘beat the womble’ syndrome).
They could be far fitter than they look, or simply much more experienced than you. So forget them. Run your own race. Enjoy yourself.
And that’s all there is to it…
Well, nearly. Because after all that touchy-feely stuff, I feel honour-bound to add one more point: be prepared to maim anyone who stops you getting the event t-shirt in your size. Sportsmanship schmortsmanship.
It’s all about the t-shirt or the medal. And the next time I get to the end of a half marathon and someone tells me that the event t-shirt doesn’t come in Extra Large, not only will I be very cross, but I will expect you to kick off about it too…
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The next part of "my mate from the pub" will be in a couple of weeks time, but in the meantime catch up with more from Derek on his brilliant blog Taking Jelly Babies From Strangers.
Taking Jelly Babies From Strangers
Visit http://tjbfs.com/
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