After sacrificing so much time, energy, and sweat to train for your race, the stress in the days before the event can feel overwhelming.
It is easy to get caught up in worrying about what you can’t control—factors like the weather, or how well your training went. But that’s not a good use of your emotional energy.
Focus instead on the many other factors within your control that can make or break your race.
Take the steps below to stress less on race week and arrive at the starting line feeling fit, fresh, and ready to run your best.
Hydrate. Dehydration can sap your performance, and make any pace feel harder. Prevent dehydration by consuming plenty of fluids in the days before the race. Aim to consume half your body weight in ounces each day. So if you weigh 160 pounds, try to drink 80 ounces of water or other calorie-free drinks each day. If you weigh 120 pounds, aim for 60 ounces. Sip fluids in small doses throughout the day. Pounding drinks right before a workout, or the race, could cause GI distress.
Eat well. Stick with the foods that have worked well during training and given you a boost without upsetting your stomach. Avoid any new foods or meals with spicy foods in the day before the race—you don’t to risk GI distress. There’s no need to carb-load for a 5-K or a 10-K. But to ensure that you have plenty of fuel when the starting gun fires, in the days before the race make sure that there are plenty of wholesome carb-rich foods in your meals.
Review the course. Review the race course online, or better yet drive or run on stretches of the course in the days before the race. Take mental notes on where you’ll have to push and where you can cruise. Visualize yourself crossing the finish line feeling composed, strong, and exhilarated.
Get your gear out. It’s tempting to try something new to honor the special occasion of the big day. But it’s not a good idea. A gear or wardrobe malfunction before or during the race can throw off your focus and end up derailing the day you’ve been preparing so hard for. Plan to race in the shoes, apparel, gear, and gadgets that have been reliable in training.
Review your logistics. What are your plans for picking up your race packet? How will you get to the race in the morning and get home afterwards? Where will you park? Make a plan, write it down, and stick to it. Spending time to nail down these logistics will help relieve stress on race morning.
Get some rest. Avoid the temptation to cram extra miles or intense workouts in the final days before the race. Your fitness on race day is the result of the cumulative effect of all the workouts you’ve done over weeks and months. It’s unlikely that any workout you do in the week of the event will propel you to a PR. And by pushing the pace or the mileage right before the race, you risk getting injured, and sidelined from a goal you’ve worked so hard and long to achieve. Use the days before the race to rest, run easy, and get plenty of shuteye. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep per night.
Review your training log. Add up all the miles you logged to train for this big event. Take note of all the times you pushed yourself out the door for a tough workout when you would have rather stayed in. Draw confidence from all that you accomplished on the way to the starting line. Anyone can show up on race day. But it takes months of dedication, sacrifice, and hard work to train for it and get your body and mind into shape to give that race your all. Take some time to reflect on some of the major milestones and highlights of your running life so far—say the first time you completed a mile, ran five miles, broke a new personal best, or hit a pace that once felt impossible. Savor that success. Use those memories, and that pride to fuel your confidence heading into race day.
Review your goals. Have a few time goals in mind that are realistic based on how your training went. Consider the miles you logged, how healthy you feel, and any aches or pains you may have accumulated along the way. If you set a goal at the outset of training, but work, life, illness or injury got in the way, save that goal for another day. It is far better to go in with a conservative goal and surprise yourself than to go into a race with vaunted unrealistic expectations that ultimately lead to disappointment. In addition to setting time goals, be sure to set consider objectives that aren’t so tied to the numbers on the finish-line clock. You might aim to run up the hills you previously walked, try to perfectly execute your fueling plan, or run each mile within 10 to 20 seconds of the previous mile. Or you might try to do a negative split—that is, finish the second half the race faster than the first half.
1. Tap the Me icon (on the bottom-left corner of your phone screen).
2. Select "More."
3. Select "Invite Coworkers."
4. Send your coworkers an invitation to join Movecoach.
From the web, on a computer:
1. Login.
2. Click on the arrow next to your profile photo on the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
3. Select "Invite Coworkers" from the drop-down menu.
Click here for tips on how to help a coworker start exercising regularly and stick with it.
Any questions? Contact us.
1. Tap the Three Lines (on top left corner of your phone screen).
2. Select "Device Sync"
3. Tap "Sync with Google Fit."
From the web, on a computer:
1. Login.
2. Select drop down on the top right of the page
3. Select "Device Sync" from the upper Right-hand corner of the screen.
4. Select "Google Fit" as the service option.
This action will take you to the Google Fit website. Log in and follow the instructions.
*Remember: Your workouts are uploaded from the server of each syncing service, not the device that you wear. In order to upload your activity to your Movecoach or Runcoach training log, you must regularly sync your device to Google Fit's web platform.
FOR MOVECOACH USERS
1. Tap the Me icon (on the bottom-left corner of your phone screen).
2. Select "More."
3. Select "Sync A Service."
4. Tap "Sync with Google Fit."
From the web, on a computer:
1. Login.
2. Select "Training" from the top of the screen.
3. Select "Sync a Service" from the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
4. Select "Google Fit" as the service option.
This action will take you to the Google Fit website. Log in and follow the instructions.
*Remember: Your workouts are uploaded from the server of each syncing service, not the device that you wear. In order to upload your activity to your Movecoach or Runcoach training log, you must regularly sync your device to Google Fit's web platform.
Please have your Fitbit login information ready and follow these steps:
For RUNCOACH USERS
1. Tap the Three Lines (on top left corner of your phone screen).
2. Select "Device Sync"
3. Tap "Sync with Fitbit.".
4.Log into your Fitbit account and grant access.
From the web, on a computer:
1. Login.
2. Select drop down on the top right of the page
3. Select "Device Sync" from the upper Right-hand corner of the screen.
4. Select "Fitbit" as the service option.
5.Log into your fitbit account and authorize the permissions
Make sure that you have the most recent version of the Movecoach or Runcoach App for iOS or Android.
FOR MOVECOACH USERS
On your mobile device:
1. Tap the Me icon (on the bottom-left corner of your phone screen).
2. Select "More."
3. Select "Sync A Service."
4. Tap "Sync with Fitbit."
From the web, on a computer:
1. Login.
2. Select "Training" from the top of the screen.
3. Select "Sync a Service" from the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
4. Select "Fitbit" as the service option.
After your initial sync with Fitbit, your data will be imported immediately. Subsequent syncs occur once per hour throughout the day. At that time all the data since your most-recent sync will be uploaded to your Movecoach or Runcoach log.
Please have your Strava login information ready.
FOR RUNCOACH USERS
1. Tap the Three Lines (on top left corner of your phone screen).
2. Select "Device Sync"
3. Tap "Sync with Strava.".
4.Log into your Strava account and grant access.
From the web, on a computer:
1. Login.
2. Select drop down on the top right of the page
3. Select "Device Sync" from the upper Right-hand corner of the screen.
4. Select "Strava" as the service option.
5.Log into your Strava account and authorize the permissions
Please make sure that you have the most recent versions of the Movecoach or Runcoach App for Android or iOS (iPhone).
FOR MOVECOACH USERS
On your mobile device:
1. Tap the Me icon (on the bottom-left corner of your phone screen).
2. Select "More."
3. Select "Sync A Service."
4. Tap "Sync with Strava."
From the web, on a computer:
1. Login.
2. Select "Training" from the top of the screen.
3. Select "Sync a Service" from the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
4. Select "Strava" as the service option.
This action will take you to the Strava website. Log in and follow the instructions.
After your initial sync with Strava, your data will be imported immediately. Subsequent syncs occur as soon as you upload your workouts. At that time all the data since your most-recent sync will be uploaded to your Movecoach or Runcoach log.
Please have your Runkeeper login information ready.
FOR RUNCOACH USERS
1. Tap the Three Lines (on top left corner of your phone screen).
2. Select "Device Sync"
3. Tap "Sync with Runkeeper.".
4.Log into your Runkeeper account and grant access.
From the web, on a computer:
1. Login.
2. Select drop down on the top right of the page
3. Select "Device Sync" from the upper Right-hand corner of the screen.
4. Select "Runkeeper" as the service option.
5.Log into your Runkeeper account and authorize the permissions
Please make sure that you have the most recent versions of the Movecoach or Runcoach App for Android or iOS (iPhone).
FOR MOVECOACH USERS
On your mobile device:
1. Tap the Me icon (on the bottom-left corner of your phone screen).
2. Select "More."
3. Select "Sync A Service."
4. Tap "Sync with Runkeeper."
From the web, on a computer:
1. Login.
2. Select "Training" from the top of the screen.
3. Select "Sync a Service" from the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
4. Select "Runkeeper" as the service option.
This action will take you to the Runkeeper website, log in and follow the instructions.
After your initial sync with Runkeeper, your data will be imported immediately to your Runcoach or Movecoach log. Subsequent syncs are manual. All data since your most-recent sync will be added to your log.
Our system syncs with all Garmin devices, including those with GPS (through Garmin Connect), and those Vivo Smart devices (through Garmin Wellness). You'll find directions below for both devices.
FOR RUNCOACH USERS
1. Tap the Three Lines (on top left corner of your phone screen).
2. Select "Device Sync"
3. Tap "Sync with Garmin Connect or or Garmin Health.".
4. Log into your Garmin account and grant access.
From the web, on a computer:
1. Login.
2. Select drop down on the top right of the page
3. Select "Device Sync" from the upper Right-hand corner of the screen.
4. Select "Garmin Connect or Garmin Health" as the service option.
5.Log into your Garmin account and authorize the permissions
FOR MOVECOACH USERS
Garmin Devices with no activity trackers (Garmin Connect)
Make sure that you have the most recent versions of the Movecoach or Runcoach App for Android or iOS (iPhone).
On your mobile device:
1. Tap the Me icon (on the bottom-left corner of your phone screen).
2. Select "More."
3. Select "Sync A Service."
4. Tap "Sync with Garmin Connect."
From the web, on a computer:
1. Login.
2. Select "Training" from the top of the screen.
3. Select "Sync a Service" from the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
4. Select "Garmin Connect" as the service option.
This action will take you to the Garmin Connect website. Log in and follow the instructions.
Initially, it takes 72 Hours for data from Garmin Connect to be uploaded to your Movecoach or Runcoach log. This wait is part of Garmin’s process. After the initial sync, Garmin will automatically import data into your log every time you sync your Garmin device with Garmin Connect.
*Remember: Your workouts are uploaded from the server of each syncing service, not the device that you wear. In order to upload your activity to your Movecoach or Runcoach training log, you must regularly sync your device to Garmin's web platform.
For Garmin Devices with Activity Trackers (The Vivo Series via Garmin Wellness)
Make sure that you have the most recent versions of the Movecoach or Runcoach App for Android or iOS (iPhone).
Have your Garmin Wellness login information ready.
On your mobile device:
1. Tap the Me icon (on the bottom-left corner of your phone screen).
2. Select "More."
3. Select "Sync A Service."
4. Tap "Sync with Garmin Wellness."
From the web, on a computer:
1. Login.
2. Select "Training" from the top of the screen.
3. Select "Sync a Service" from the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
4. Select "Garmin Wellness" as the service option.
This action will take you to the Garmin Wellness website. Log in and follow the instructions. Initially, it will take 72 hours for your Garmin Wellness data to be imported to your log. (This is part of Garmin’s process). After that, Garmin will automatically import step data and GPS data into your log.
Please have your Healthkit login information ready.
For RUNCOACH USERS on an iPhone or other Mobile apple device.
1. Tap the Three Lines (on top left corner of your phone screen).
2. Select "Device Sync"
3. Tap "Sync with Apple healthkit.".
4. Grant all permissions
From the web, on a computer:
1. Login.
2. Select drop down on the top right of the page
3. Select "Device Sync" from the upper Right-hand corner of the screen.
4. Select "Apple health" as the service option.
5. Log into your Apple health account and authorize the permissions
Please make sure that you have the most recent versions of the Movecoach or Runcoach app for iOS (iPhone).
FOR MOVECOACH USERS
On your mobile device:
1. Tap the Me icon (in the bottom left corner).
2. Tap More.
Tap Sync A Service.
Tap Sync with Apple HealthKit.
From the web:
1. Login.
2. Select Training from the top of the screen.
3. At the next screen, select "Sync a Service" from the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
After selecting HealthKit, you will be prompted to allow permissions to certain data, you must select “All Categories On.”
Your initial sync with HealthKit will pull data all historical HealthKit data recorded. After the initial sync, HealthKit data is synced to your Runcoach or Movecoach log once per hour or any time the App is opened and used.*Important: Your workouts are uploaded from the server of each syncing service, not the wearable device. In order to upload your activity to your Movecoach or Runcoach training log, you must regularly sync your device to your service. So you must regularly sync your device to the web platform.*
Our platform syncs with popular activity trackers, so that your physical activity will be automatically uploaded to your Runcoach or Movecoach log. We sync with Fitbit, Apple HealthKit (Apple Watch),* Garmin, Strava Garmin Wellness, Nike+, Jawbone, and Runkeeper.
If there is ever any interruption in the flow of data between your tracking service and your Movecoach or Runcoach log, a resync may resolve the issue.
Resync On Your ComputerResync on Your Mobile Device
Take the steps below to resync Movecoach or Runcoach with your favorite activity tracker on your mobile device:
Any questions? Contact Us.
