Race Day Handout from Coach Don

At the Hotel. Get up early enough to eat the breakfast you have been eating before you long run. Move around a little to wake up your bowels. Use the bathroom at home if you can.

Hydration. One trick. It take the bladder about two hours to clear. Drink as much as you want up to 2 ½ hours before the race. That will clear out before the race. Then just take a small amount of water 15 minutes before the start.

Get there early. Don’t use your precious race day energy worrying about getting to the start, finding a parking space, etc. Get up early, get there early. Relax and visualize how well you are going to do.

Protect yourself. Don’t forget the sunscreen and Vaseline or glide. Guys, protect your nipples.

Race Strategy

There are many things that can be said about race strategy. The main one to remember is patience. Start out slowly. You cannot “win” a race in the first few miles, but you can “lose” the race. Be patient in the first few miles. So what if you are a minute or so a mile slower in the first mile, you have 25 more to make it up. Don’t let the crowd at the start pull you out too fast. Don’t try to weave in and out of people in the first half mile. Let it spread out and then get your pace correct.

The first 16-20 miles of the race must not be at a push pace. You must be running comfortable. If you are pushing to keep up with a friend or to keep a certain time, you are done. If you push too early, you will lose all your energy and have nothing left for the final few miles.

If you are running with a friend, before you start, make your deal. Decide how long you are going to stay together. Decide what you are going to do if one of you has to stop for the bathroom. Decide what point you each will go you own way.

Go to the correct place at the starting line. If you are planning on running 11 minute miles, don’t be at the front of the pack.

Try to break the race into parts. Each person does this differently. Some people look at it in two parts, the first 20 and the last 6.2. Some people look at it on a mile by mile basis. Or every 5 miles. Mentally breaking the race into parts helps you concentrate on the smaller parts of the race and enables you to check where you are physically and mentally multiple times during the race.

Most of all, Have Fun. If you are a first time marathoner, enjoy the experience as you will never have a first time again. Cheer for others. Cheer for yourself.