Runner's Tips

From Andrew:

Preparing for races

80% of the preparation for the race is based on mind-readiness and routine.

Get the mileage in and the rest falls into place. It’s a good idea to get yourself a copy of the Runner’s World magazine because it is full of tips for training, up and coming races, training schedules, exercise routines to improve your fitness and endurance, and general feedback from other runners.

Like many sports, running, cycling and endurance exercise routines tend to channel your regular training with groups of similar people so you quickly get pulled into the ‘cult’ which will help you gauge your fitness and targets relative to the ‘norm’.

The biggest motivator is the healthy-body-healthy-mind principle. You’ll find that the training and race days help put all of life’s challenges into perspective and somehow it allows you to prioritise your life without compromising on anything.

What works?

You are doing this race because you want to. Be positive, and don’t be afraid to get chatting to those fellow runners who’re also attempting the same challenge.

- Have an early pre-race night and prepare mentally. The second night before the race should be very restful as this contributes to your endurance on the race day. Remember your pre-race eve will be disrupted with your preparation and early start.

- Get all your kit, running partners, directions to the race, pre-entry race number, etc. organised the day before so that you’re not in a panic trying to rush to the start and wondering if you’ll make it.

- Start carbo-loading from at least the day before, but preferably two days before the race.

- You must eat before the race – have something with high fibre that releases energy slowly and some fruit.

- Socialise both before the run, with your running partner (if you have one), and with those doing the race. This will help keep you positive. But try avoid being one of those chatterboxes who never shuts up and ends up expending all their energy through their mouth instead of on the road…

- Plan the race route-map carefully (I’ll talk about this in more detail under attainable goals later).

- If you are cramping: stop, stretch and walk for a bit.

- Drink a recovery shake and take some multivitamins after the race (during the first 30 mins after the race).

- Take a walk or slow jog that evening or early the next morning following the race (it will help get that lactic acid out of your sore muscles).

-Try to get to the start early to avoid the chaos at the pre-entry/temporary licence desk and the long trek back to the car after the race.

- Get someone to look after your stuff while you’re running. You can’t carry keys and loose items while you’re running.

What doesn't work?

- Don’t stress out. Allowing your mind to race by thinking about every conceivable thing that can go wrong or wondering whether you will be as fast as your mate does not promote a positive mind frame.

- Don’t try to wear a new pair of shoes (or ones which you have not already run in sufficiently during training).

- Don’t have any caffeine for about 24 hours before the race.

- Try to avoid staying somewhere the night before where you won’t get a good night’s rest.

- Do not race on an empty stomach – ever!

How to survive…

1. Start slow
I know the sense of urgency and adrenaline that pumps through your veins as that gun goes off and everyone surges forward, but in all the races I’ve done I’ve noticed that those non-professional medium- to long-distance runners who fly off the mark typically fail to reach their goals (whether it be because they get cramps or become exhausted within the first 3 – 5 kms, shortening their endurance energy reserves).

Unless you know the route well, you are completely comfortable with yourself, you have practised the pace per goal distance you have set yourself, do not push it. Rather do 6 – 6.5 mins/km for the first 2 or 3 kms. Then, once you’ve warmed up give it a little more vooma until you get to your correct pace and speed.

2. Create a set of attainable goals
I realised this weekend while running the om-die-dam ultra that the milestones you set yourself along the run are critical to your success (and sanity). So go through the route-map the day before the race and understand the gradients and the likely conditions along the way. Make notes of these so that you can remember them when you’re doing the race.

Now set target landmarks with the times you expect to get to there. These landmarks/targets can start with fairly long distances between them (3 – 8km intervals), but from half way and particularly from two-thirds of the way you must create attainable landmark goals which have shorter distances between them (1 – 2km).

You need to also prepare your mind for situations where you might incur traffic, have a cramp, encounter a congested water point or bad-road/camber conditions. Remember, you need to have a clear goal in mind for the end of the race. This can be something that will motivate you to finish; whether it be your girlfriend/wife’s relief and excitement as you come into the stadium or whether it be that meal that you are going to enjoy afterwards.

3. Be positive
It is so easy to let your body’s convincing techniques get you to stop or drop out (usually your mind starts wondering…”hmmm…this is so far and I could be doing something far more fun and less vigorous”) at this point you have become negative and your body grabs this opportunity to tell you that your knees and legs, etc. are starting to hurt and then your mind compounds this until you have convinced yourself you can no longer take another step.

So, at each goal, compliment yourself on the achievement thereof, start focusing on the route conditions you are likely to expect, remember what you are aiming for to get to the next goal (not the finish, the next goal), then put your mind at ease by looking around you. Check out the great scenery or those supporters on the side and then try put your mind somewhere else by thinking of something that you need to do, something completely unrelated to the race, so that your body can focus on the task at hand while your mind gets a chance to deal with something else before it gets bored.

4. Don’t become over-confident
Okay, so you’ve run a couple of races or pre-runs now and you’re feeling motivated and excited. You know you can do this race. You have started off the race slow and have started gaining speed. You realise that you’ve done 7…9…10 kms already and man you feel so alive and pumped. DON’T! DO NOT start giving it horns and increase your pace further!

This is the big mistake for the 21km runners. That energy has become available because you’re now warmed up and your mind tells you you’ve passed the half-way mark and you’re ‘nearly there’. You think to yourself, “man if I’ve just run half the distance and I’m feeling this strong let me really gun it to the finish”. Bad mistake.

Hold back until you reach the 15-17.5 km mark at which point you will have enough reserve to get yourself through that hurdle at 19.5/20 kms (which would otherwise feel like a brick wall if you had opened up earlier).

5. Hydration
This is very important. Every person is different, but the basic principles remain the same. So make sure you have drunk copious amounts of water (not beer and energy drinks) the day prior to the race.

During the race, skip the first water point at 3km and then drink a sachet of water at every water point from then on. Even though you don’t feel thirsty, drink. Remember by the time your body tells you you’re thirsty it’s already too late and you’re becoming, or are already, dehydrated. If you feel thirsty rather limit yourself to two sachets a watering point than drink copious amounts and water as over-hydration is worse for your body.

Use of energy gel and drinks along the way can help maintain your sugar levels but be careful for spikes (which is normally the case with corn syrup and high caffeine drinks). Rather keep these for the second half (if you must). Use them to help you get up that hill or push for the last 3 kms to the finish. Just take two to three sachets of water for every corn syrup you consume.

Kit

Wear something you are comfortable with (if you belong to a club you will have to conform to their requirements). Make sure your shirt is not too tight and that you have put Vaseline along the outer edge of the rear of your upper arms, on your nipples, your groin and below your big toe to prevent chaffing. Prevent over-tightening your shoe laces as this will cause pain in your upper feet, shins and affect your running style.

Be careful of pinning your race number onto your shirt – with all the excitement a prick through your shirt into your skin will sting throughout the race from the salt of your sweat.

Tips, etc...

Enjoy it! You clearly have decided to do the race because it is a challenge or fitness goal, so go into it with a positive attitude and enjoy being outside and in the elements.

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