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Sports Backers Blog

Connects Federal Credit Union Corporate 4-Miler - What to Expect on Race Day

RACE DAY TIPS

  • Eat something but don’t try something new.
  • Watch the weather report; don’t overdress.
  • Leave home or work early race day – there will be people converging on Innsbrook for the race, as well as people trying to get out after work. Allow plenty of time so that you can find parking.
  • Porta-Johns – There will be plenty of Porta-Johns at the race start and finish. Don’t worry if the lines look long; they move pretty fast.
  • Pin your race number to the front of your shirt, not the back. (Do this the night before.)
  • Corrals – start making your way to your corral wave about 30 minutes before the start.
  • Stretch & try to relax in the corral.
  • Shoe laces – check your shoe laces before you enter your corral – double knot them if possible.
  • Start in the back of your corral (especially for first time runners and walkers) – The folks at the front of your corral usually start out too fast so stay close to the midpoint or back of the corral to avoid being forced to run faster than you intended.
  • Walk breaks – If you take walk breaks, stay to one side of the road, preferably to your right. Don’t stop suddenly. Remember, there are a lot of people behind you and you don’t want a collision.
  • Pace yourself – The biggest mistake that I see from new runners is starting out too fast in the first mile. You will be excited and it is normal to be overenthusiastic. Once you cross the start line, try to settle into your normal training pace, or run even slower. You want to save your strength for the final mile kick.
  • Don’t zig-zag in and out if you are boxed in during the first half mile – Be patient. You will soon find an opening as the crowd starts to thin out – then make your move, but not too fast.
  • Water stops – Watch for the crowds at the water stops. People tend to “bunch up” at the front of the water stops so I suggest going to the end of the line for water or finding a gap where it makes sense to slow down to get water. Remember to keep moving through the water stops. Again, you don’t want to stop completely since there is probably someone behind you and you don’t want a collision. Pick up your water and move over out of the way if you need to stop to drink water.
  • Focus on sleep – Researchers have found that getting extra sleep over an extended period of time boosts speed and reaction time. If you can't manage eight to 10 hours per night this week, like experts recommend, try to catch a 20-minute nap during the day; even a quick shot of shut-eye can give your performance a boost.
  • HAVE FUN! Enjoy all the festivities of the night. It does not matter if you set a personal record on race day, be proud of what you accomplished.  Congratulations on a job well done!
  • Future races!  Excitement and an adrenaline rush are some of the emotions you go through when completing a race, so why not keep that feeling going? Watch the PULSE or Sportsbackers website for future training team options.  The Anthem Richmond Marathon, American Family Fitness Half Marathon and HCA 8k all have training teams for the November race, so consider joining a team with a group of your friends or come out and meet new friends.

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