December 5, 2024

Racing? Here are your race prep basics.

Get Fit Quick Tip:

4 Racing Basics

There are a few racing basics important to keep in mind heading into your race day. Here are 4 to commit to memory:

 

Embrace your nerves. Many athletes experience pre-race nerves. Nerves mean the event is important to you and you want to do your best. Nerves happen with uncertainty or with the unknown. Accept your anxiety simply as part of the process. Instead of allowing nerves to paralyze you, enable them to empower you.

Master the art of letting-it-go. You’re distracted by someone along the race course? Let it go. Your pre-race ritual was interrupted? Let it go. Another athlete cut you off at the hydration station? Let it go. Focus on your race, your miles.

Stick to your race plan. Never try anything new on race day. Only do what you’ve practiced in training. Stick to your pre-race meal plan. Your clothing. Your hydration schedule. Your pace.

Visualize your finish daily. Every night before going to sleep, visualize in full detail finishing your race strong. During your race when miles become tough, play back the well rehearsed mental picture of your strong finish. You’ll be able to change your emotional/mental state mid-race and reset your resolve to keep moving forward.

 

Race Recovery Essentials! Written by Kristie Cranford

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Race Recovery Essentials! Written by Kristie Cranford

A lot of focus and energy is put into preparing to get to the finish line of a race strong and ready. What happens when you cross the finish line? In all the planning one crucial part is often overlooked, recovery.
Recovery is both physical and mental. It is important to prepare for both.

Here are some quick post-race recovery tips:

•    Replenish. Eat or drink something containing complex carbohydrates and protein within 30 minutes of the finish. Typical rule of thumb is 3 part carbohydrate to 1 part protein. Your body needs to refuel and will need protein to help muscles to rebuild/recover.

•    Hydrate. Drink plenty of water, and not just after the race. Continue throughout the day and days ahead. It will help to move the lactic acid out of your body.

•    Don’t stop. At the finish, don’t stop and sit down. Keep moving. Walk, a lot. Stretch. You want to keep your muscles from locking up and tightening.

•    Foam Roll. A foam roller is an athlete’s best friend. Roll out your whole body, not just the legs, paying close attention to “hot spots” (sore spots.)

•    Take an Ice Bath. Sit in a tub with ice and water, put your feet in a bucket of ice, or sit in a cold body of water. Ice baths reduce inflammation and tissue breakdown, therefore speeding recovery.

•    Compress. Put on compression sleeves or socks. Blood pools at the bottom of the leg when racing, compression will aid in improving blood flow, speeding recovery.

•    Rest. Allow your body to recover, repair, and become stronger. Muscle repairs and strengthens at rest. Do not immediately jump into a hard training program. Light yoga, swimming and biking for example, are good choices. Less intensity for a few days, even a week or longer to allow for proper rest and repair.

•    Expect the blues. Every athlete experiences post-race blues. When the euphoria and endorphins wear off, there is a crash. Just knowing it happens and being able to recognize it makes a difference. But plan for it. Have a next goal in mind so there is a new focus ahead, not “what am I going to do now?”

Planning and preparing for a race should not be just about how to get to the finish, but what to do after you get there. Remember to have a recovery plan in place.  

This article is written by Kristie Cranford, CPT. A wife, mother, cancer survivor and competitive athlete, Kristie is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer as well as a Running/Triathlon Coach for PRSFit Nation. Living in Las Vegas, she is the Chair of Long Distance Running for USATF-Nevada Association, Coolibar sponsored athlete, and Raw Elements Sunscreen Ambassador. Contact information: http://coachkristie.com, via email at CoachKristieLV@yahoo.com, www.prsfit.com