Marathon season is upon us. More specifically, Boston! You trained, you pushed, and you got the bib. Now, it’s race time!
For many, running in their home town of Boston is a lifelong dream! For others, it's a tradition of many years, or a new city to see via race. Whatever this day means to you, we’re here to help make sure you’re ready. Below is our guide for what you need to do the night before the big day!
- Status Quo – When you sit down to dinner on Sunday, April 16, keep it boring! And by that we mean nothing new. That recipe you got at the Expo earlier in the day? Great to try on Tuesday, but not today. The last thing you want keeping you from the finish line is a GI disaster.
- Carb Focused – You’ll want to fuel up, but within normal ranges. Just like new foods may ruin race day, so might drastically different intake amounts. If you don’t normally eat enormous bowls of pasta and half a baguette for dinner, don’t do it this night, either.
- Hydrate – Make sure you drink throughout the day and into the evening. Avoid too much coffee and tea or other drinks considered to be diuretics.
- Rest! – You’re going to be exerting plenty of energy on race day, so take it easy the day and night before the race. If you’re feeling anxious, a 2-3 mile, low intensity jog is not a bad idea. Other than that, avoid extra stress or strain and get your mind and body ready for the big day ahead.
- Prep For Morning – Lay out your clothes, race bib, and anything you’ll take along with you (gels, HOTSHOT, Vaseline, iPod, cash, etc. …). Double check your morning travel plans. Make sure you know the exact route you’ll take and plan to leave early. Set an extra alarm to make sure you are up on time. If you’re staying in a hotel the night before, order a wakeup call in addition to setting the alarm clock to be safe.
- Focus – This is an exciting day—revel in that! Imagine the finish line. Visualize the toughest part of the race (Heartbreak Hill for Bostonians!) and how you’ll handle that. Then quickly go back to the finish line vision! Get your mind in the game, but remember why you’re here and how hard you worked for this race. We do this because we love it, right? Dwell on that. Then go to bed jazzed for race day!
As we said above, race day and even the days leading up to it are not the ideal times to try something new. So, if cramping is an issue for you, go here to pick up your supply of HOTSHOT and see how cramp-free training can get you ready for cramp-free racing!
Running Boston? Here’s where you can find us at the Expo and on race day!
As always, keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and we’ll see you in Boston!