What NOT to Do Before Your Race!

We have already talked about some aspects of training, but there is something else we should take into account: our behavior before and during a race.

Sometimes we adopt less appropriate behaviors and, without realizing it, we end up harming our own race and sometimes even the race of those around us. Mental and physical preparation, together with following a set of good practices, is what makes a race an enjoyable experience worth repeating.

For this reason, I felt it was very important to talk about a few recommendations on how we, as runners, should behave in certain situations.

The first recommendation starts even before the race begins. It starts in the queue to collect your race kit: if you go during a quieter period, this will not be a problem, but during peak times, saving a place for friends or skipping ahead without permission only makes the process slower and affects everyone. Remember that you need an identification document to collect your kit.

Let’s move on to the second recommendation, and this one is about the pre-race period: have a checklist. This step will help you organize all your gear and keep in mind every procedure you need before the race, so that nothing gets forgotten.

The next recommendation is very important (well, they all are) and it is related to nutrition: do not experiment and do not eat or drink anything outside of what you are used to. This includes training gels, sports drinks, food, and so on.

As you already know, we need to do the basics well.

Last but not least, when you enter the start corrals, if you are not a fast runner, do not place yourself at the front. Besides being dangerous for you, it can also be dangerous for the people around you. For this reason, having a coach who supports your training process and builds a race strategy with you is essential to make your experience in road running as enjoyable as possible.

Happy training and see you soon!