It is not uncommon to be nervous the day of a race or even a few days before. Whether it is a high school track or cross country race or a street race, everyone has nerves, and it can be even more nerve-racking if you don't know how to prepare for your race. However, there are many things that you can do before a race that will make your racing experience slightly more enjoyable.
1. A couple days before your race, you should start to taper. Don't do as hard of work outs or you'll be too tired and sore the day of your race to perform well. Many people believe that going hard the days leading up to the race will help your performance, but those couple days will not change your time or fitness level.
2. Eat Carbohydrates. The night before a race you should eat a good dinner full of carbs. I usually eat pasta and bread sticks but anything with carbs is alright.
3. Stay hydrated. It is important to be drinking eight to ten glasses of water per day leading up to the race. On the day of the race make sure to keep hydrating but stop about 30 minutes before the beginning of your race. However, be careful. It is common to believe that sports drinks containing electrolytes will improve your race performance, but if you don't normally drink sports drinks during your training then you should avoid them.
4. It is important to warm-up before your race. Not too long, but jog for about 5 minutes to loosen up your muscles, and stretch out your legs and arms. Loose muscles are important so that you don't strain your muscles or pull anything.
5. Run your own race. Chances are you aren't going to be the fastest person in the race and that is perfectly okay. You just have to run the pace that feels right for you.
Following these steps won't guarantee you a perfect race but hopefully it will make the day a little bit more fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment