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May 16, 2013

Avoid this page! Common Mistakes of Rookie Racers…

Written by Dena Evans

118-Marathon-Runner-Costume-33322Even the most experienced among us was once a rookie.  Those of us who have raced for years at shorter distances can also feel like beginners when it comes to the humbling aspects of the longer events.   Whether you are trying something new this training cycle or hope to in the future, read on to inoculate yourself against these common pitfalls.

 

Don’t OverEXPOse yourself

Two to three weeks of taper, deliberate sleep hours, and careful treatment of your body cannot be completely undone by spending hours walking and shopping at the expo on the day before the race, but it definitely won’t help!  Resist the urge to spend hours walking up and down the aisles of the expo at your first big race.  If possible, visit the expo two or three days before when there are smaller crowds.  If you have things you need, like a particular souvenir for someone, some gel packets, or a container of body glide, look at the map before heading over.  Then, stick to your list and keep a hard time limit after which you promise yourself  (in advance) that you will leave.  Combined with what may include lots of walking to get into the facility and any other activities you may do, minimizing the walking at the expo is in your best interest to keep the legs feeling fresh.

 

Read My Lips, No New Gear (the day before the race)

A rookie racer might be tempted to try cool new shoes (without breaking them in), a new pair of shorts (without testing if they will chafe), a new fueling item (my friend said this gel works really well for her!), and so on.  The enticements of the expo can make this one even more difficult.  As the saying goes, “dance with the girl you brought.”  Your weeks and weeks of training have helped you to figure out the shoes, shorts, and fuel that will work best on race day.  You’ll be a bit nervous anyway – no need to leave more to chance with the essentials!

 

Keep Anthony Boudrain away from your table

A fun new city, maybe a great dinner spot the night before your race…seems like a great time to ask the waiter what the “specials” are, right?  Wrong.  Running a marathon or a half marathon can be a gastro intestinal adventure with a number of twists and turns, and there is no need to court danger.  Avoid adventurous eating the night or two before.  Plan on eating food that your system will recognize and that you know will digest according to plan.  Again, you might have some butterflies anyhow.  Do not risk anything here.

 

Hydrate, but don’t overdo the water

One of the most common tips a newbie racer likely hears is to STAY HYDRATED.  However, too much water in the final day or two before a race can wash crucial electrolytes from the system when they are needed most and leave you in the portapotty when the gun goes off.  Balance your water intake with a sports drink your body trusts.  Very light yellow or almost clear urine is a good sign you have consumed enough.  If you proceed incrementally, you should only need to sip a bottle the morning of the race, thus lightening the near term load on your bladder.

 

Plan to Work and then Work the Plan

With a first big race looming on the calendar, a race plan or splits schedule towards a goal time can be helpful to ease the feeling of the unknown going into the race.  When a big wave of adrenaline carries you out to sea on the first few miles of the race, do not fall prey to the urge to throw your plan out the window.  Stick to the plan you have formulated when thinking logically and with plenty of time.  If during the second half of the race you realize you have undershot the mark, you will still have a chance to finish strong.  However, the reverse situation (going out way too fast and trying to hang on for dear life) can be much more difficult.  Use your first race as an opportunity to try something new.  This debut experience will then establish a baseline and create a springboard that will give you the confidence to move on to faster and more adventurous performances in the future.

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