Ready, Set, Go! A handy guide to being race-day ready.
The countdown is on. It’s the week of the event you’ve been thinking about and working towards for months. Undoubtedly, you’re feeling a little nervous about the challenge to come but you’ve put in the hard yards and now you’re ready to put your best foot forward (pun intended) when you hear the starter’s horn go off.
The team at Great Ocean Road Running Festival are here to help with a list of handy tips to get you prepped for the big day.
- Time to taper. You’ll may have already heard runners talking about tapering, with big smiles and hands rubbing together with glee. We love the taper period; it’s the time when the really hard work has been done, the mileage comes down and the focus shifts more sharply to rest and recovery. For folks running the marathon, you’re likely to have started your taper 1-2 weeks ago and this week you’ll be down at around 40% of your usual workload. People focused on the shorter races may have just started to reduce their work load and this week, you should be aiming for about 50% of usual mileage. Early in the week, try for a session or two with some intervals at your optimal race pace but keep it short and make sure you have plenty of rest between sessions, including the day before race day.
- Rest and rehydrate. Getting in some good nights’ sleep and drinking plenty of water are two key elements of your race day build up. If you’re prone to serious racing jitters, sleep may not come easily this week. Do whatever you can to ensure you’re getting to bed on time and are ready to sleep. Turn off the TV earlier, give yourself an hour’s break from the phone or iPad, and read a favourite book in bed. Hydration is also king this week; be sure to sip water throughout each day but take care not to overdo it right before the race; we want to avoid those pesky loo stops if we can.
- Be organised. Nothing sends a nervous runner into a tailspin more than checking the event guide for the first time on race day and realising the cut-off for booking parking at the venue was yesterday. Spend a night early this week making sure you’re organised; get your preferred racing kit out, stick your number on your shirt or in your bag, know where you’re parking and where the start line is and have your nutrition planned and ready to be eaten or packed in the morning. Being well-prepared means a calmer morning and more time to focus on what matters; running a great race and having fun!
If you haven’t registered yet now is the time, click here to choose your running event.
To all the runners participating in this year’s Great Ocean Road Running Festival, good luck! Have a great race, enjoy the experience and see you on the other side.
