Running: Mental Race Prep and Race Checklist
A runner's first race can be exciting and daunting. I'm writing this for beginners (or runners who still get nervous before races). Having your mental game ready can lead to a positive race experience.
Trust the training.
IF you've been training, this applies. At the start of many marathons (or even someone's first 5k), runners begin to question if they're in good enough shape, if they've done enough speed work and long runs, if they can handle the weather, if they will get injured mid-race, if they're properly hydrated and fueld, if, if, if. Trust your training. Did you have a knowledgeable coach and/or good training plan? Did you follow it (or adjust when necessary)? You are as prepared as you ever will be. There is nothing more you can do now but start the race.
Set multiple goals.
If you like goals, then I suggest you come up with three goals.
A perfect race goal is your highest, perfect goal (champion, winning team).
A great race goal is second to your "perfect" race but is still difficult to achieve (new PR, placing in top 10%)
A good race goal is something you know you can achieve (finish, no injuries)
That way, you have three chances of having at least a good race. If not, don't worry. Everyone faces at least one bad race.
It's going to hurt, but you'll like it.
Since high school, I've always told myself to relax before races, to enjoy the race, and to pretend I was in a fight. In a fight? Yep. I used to fight with my brothers all the time, and it hurt to get punched or kicked or thrown down. What did I do? I fought back. In a race, if you're pushing yourself hard enough, it's going to hurt (different than the injured hurt). You have to learn to accept this fact and be ready to fight back. Have a mantra in your head or a plan of how you will react when it starts to hurt. "Pain is temporary!" "F*** you, legs. Move!" Focus on form or breathing, tell yourself that you're fine.
Have a game plan...or two.
Plans are nice, but plans do not always work out perfectly. 85% of the time, my game plan goes out the window. My default plan now is: start fast, keep going, and hold on until the end. It's not the best plan, but it's a plan that works for me. Many times I had a plan in my head (ie, start at 6:45 pace, pick it up to 6:20 pace, finish at 6:10 pace), but as soon as the gun went off, I would deviate from it (in a race, my body just took over). That's okay if YOU'RE okay with that. Otherwise, it can help to wear a Garmin or watch to check your pace/time to help you with your plan. As with pain, be ready to have a back-up plan or pep talk if Plan A isn't working.
Don't forget to breathe.
Okay, so this one is both mental and physical. Some runners hold their breath for as long as the first 30 seconds of a race! Yikes! My coach in college (Karen Boyle) would always tell us to not forget to breathe during the first 200 meters of a race. That became my mental mantra before a race. "Don't forget to breathe." It sounds so simple, but it really helps keep me calm during the start of a race (when we are all tempted to start out fast) and allow oxygen to get to my body.
Don't back down.
This was our mantra for my first college XC season. I still use it today. When you're racing, and that other runner comes up, challenging you (or you come up to challenge them), pushing the pace, maybe jockeying for position, you cannot give in! Remember to keep good form, focus, and don't let the other runner even think they've won yet. If you want to settle in behind them for a little while, that's okay, just don't let them run away with the pace or let even a shred of thought along the lines, "That person is better than me," seep into your head. If you finish, and you're completely dead, but you put up the best fight you could, and you can go home and sleep knowing you didn't back down, then I think that's a pretty solid for the race books in my opinion. This is a race, so it's okay to compete with other runners, even if you're not coming in as a top finisher. I've seen many back-of-the-packers sprint through the finish against a fellow runner (it's really fun to watch the finish line of the race at almost any point in the race; you see the competitive spirit come out in people).
Racing checklist.
A checklist can ease anxiety and help you make sure you don't forget items that you'll want on race day (running shoes, race bib, safety pins, water/gels, or warm-up gear).
Day before the race (if feasible):
[ ] Check out the race location to look at the course and see how difficult parking may be
[ ] Find out of if there will be a bag check or somewhere to store your gear while you race
[ ] If you have someone there to cheer you on, then plan a spot where you can look out for them and plan your meet-up location
[ ] Find out where the water stops and port-a-johns will be (plan accordingly)
[ ] Find the starting line and finishing line
[ ] Pick up bib/race packet
The night before a race:
[ ] Set out the EXACT outfit I'm going to wear along with a race day bag (warm-up gear, change of clothes, money, ID, bib with pins, phone)--I usually pick outfits that I normally wear for speed work
[ ] Charge my Garmin (if wearing it) or watch
[ ] Have gas in my car/transportation planned and any maps ready
[ ] Have breakfast/fuel/water ready on the kitchen table
[ ] Set my alarm
Day of the race/at the race site:
[ ] Pick up bib/race packet if you still need to do this
[ ] Warm-up, check in bag, find the starting line
[ ] Make sure you have on your bib and/or timing chip
[ ] Race!
Trust the training.
IF you've been training, this applies. At the start of many marathons (or even someone's first 5k), runners begin to question if they're in good enough shape, if they've done enough speed work and long runs, if they can handle the weather, if they will get injured mid-race, if they're properly hydrated and fueld, if, if, if. Trust your training. Did you have a knowledgeable coach and/or good training plan? Did you follow it (or adjust when necessary)? You are as prepared as you ever will be. There is nothing more you can do now but start the race.
Set multiple goals.
If you like goals, then I suggest you come up with three goals.
A perfect race goal is your highest, perfect goal (champion, winning team).
A great race goal is second to your "perfect" race but is still difficult to achieve (new PR, placing in top 10%)
A good race goal is something you know you can achieve (finish, no injuries)
That way, you have three chances of having at least a good race. If not, don't worry. Everyone faces at least one bad race.
It's going to hurt, but you'll like it.
Since high school, I've always told myself to relax before races, to enjoy the race, and to pretend I was in a fight. In a fight? Yep. I used to fight with my brothers all the time, and it hurt to get punched or kicked or thrown down. What did I do? I fought back. In a race, if you're pushing yourself hard enough, it's going to hurt (different than the injured hurt). You have to learn to accept this fact and be ready to fight back. Have a mantra in your head or a plan of how you will react when it starts to hurt. "Pain is temporary!" "F*** you, legs. Move!" Focus on form or breathing, tell yourself that you're fine.
Have a game plan...or two.
Plans are nice, but plans do not always work out perfectly. 85% of the time, my game plan goes out the window. My default plan now is: start fast, keep going, and hold on until the end. It's not the best plan, but it's a plan that works for me. Many times I had a plan in my head (ie, start at 6:45 pace, pick it up to 6:20 pace, finish at 6:10 pace), but as soon as the gun went off, I would deviate from it (in a race, my body just took over). That's okay if YOU'RE okay with that. Otherwise, it can help to wear a Garmin or watch to check your pace/time to help you with your plan. As with pain, be ready to have a back-up plan or pep talk if Plan A isn't working.
Don't forget to breathe.
Okay, so this one is both mental and physical. Some runners hold their breath for as long as the first 30 seconds of a race! Yikes! My coach in college (Karen Boyle) would always tell us to not forget to breathe during the first 200 meters of a race. That became my mental mantra before a race. "Don't forget to breathe." It sounds so simple, but it really helps keep me calm during the start of a race (when we are all tempted to start out fast) and allow oxygen to get to my body.
Don't back down.
This was our mantra for my first college XC season. I still use it today. When you're racing, and that other runner comes up, challenging you (or you come up to challenge them), pushing the pace, maybe jockeying for position, you cannot give in! Remember to keep good form, focus, and don't let the other runner even think they've won yet. If you want to settle in behind them for a little while, that's okay, just don't let them run away with the pace or let even a shred of thought along the lines, "That person is better than me," seep into your head. If you finish, and you're completely dead, but you put up the best fight you could, and you can go home and sleep knowing you didn't back down, then I think that's a pretty solid for the race books in my opinion. This is a race, so it's okay to compete with other runners, even if you're not coming in as a top finisher. I've seen many back-of-the-packers sprint through the finish against a fellow runner (it's really fun to watch the finish line of the race at almost any point in the race; you see the competitive spirit come out in people).
Racing checklist.
A checklist can ease anxiety and help you make sure you don't forget items that you'll want on race day (running shoes, race bib, safety pins, water/gels, or warm-up gear).
Day before the race (if feasible):
[ ] Check out the race location to look at the course and see how difficult parking may be
[ ] Find out of if there will be a bag check or somewhere to store your gear while you race
[ ] If you have someone there to cheer you on, then plan a spot where you can look out for them and plan your meet-up location
[ ] Find out where the water stops and port-a-johns will be (plan accordingly)
[ ] Find the starting line and finishing line
[ ] Pick up bib/race packet
The night before a race:
[ ] Set out the EXACT outfit I'm going to wear along with a race day bag (warm-up gear, change of clothes, money, ID, bib with pins, phone)--I usually pick outfits that I normally wear for speed work
[ ] Charge my Garmin (if wearing it) or watch
[ ] Have gas in my car/transportation planned and any maps ready
[ ] Have breakfast/fuel/water ready on the kitchen table
[ ] Set my alarm
Day of the race/at the race site:
[ ] Pick up bib/race packet if you still need to do this
[ ] Warm-up, check in bag, find the starting line
[ ] Make sure you have on your bib and/or timing chip
[ ] Race!
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