After months of training, your 5k (or 10k) race day is fast approaching and you couldn’t be more excited to accomplish your goal. Here are some preparation tips that’ll help make your race day go off without a hitch.
After logging many kilometres pounding the pavement training for your first 5k or 10k race, race day is tomorrow! It’s normal to be a little nervous, but follow these tips to prepare for race day and everything will come along smoothly. You’ll be crossing that finish line before you know it.
Eat a wholesome, balanced meal
The night before your race, eat a healthy, balanced meal as you normally would. When running a distance of 5k or 10k, you don’t need to load up on carbohydrates as you would for running a marathon. In fact, if you do, you may find the meal too heavy. Avoid eating anything different from your usual diet, so your stomach won’t bother you during the race. For breakfast, for the same reason, stick to what you’ve typically been eating before going on your morning runs. This is not the time to experiment; try a new food at that hot new restaurant and you may find yourself in line at the Porta Potty rather than heading towards the finish line.
Get a good night’s sleep
You’ve been getting pretty decent sleep the last few nights, but your nerves have you tossing and turning the night before the race. Don’t worry! Studies have shown that if you have generally gotten enough rest, your one sleepless night won’t likely affect your race.
Check the forecast
If you’ve been monitoring what you’ve worn during your training, you have a good idea of what to wear so that you’re comfortable on race day. As you may know, a rule of thumb is to dress as though it were 10 degrees warmer than it is. If it’s going to be a chilly morning, be prepared on race morning with an old sweatshirt you can discard on the side of the road once you warm up from running. (Such clothing is often is collected and donated to shelters.)
Prepare your gear
Since you may be a bundle of nervous energy on race morning, pin your race bib to your top, untie your shoelaces and gather all your necessary gear the night before, so you can enjoy a calm and relaxed morning the day of your race.
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