What is the best way to prepare for a medium distance run.?
I'm talking about in the final days, what are some tips on what you can do to make sure that you give your best effort on race day? If you have any tips on how to maintain your pace and breath control, best type of shoe, etc., that would helpful too.
Answers:
How to train for running with a leg problem?
Cross-trainers are a bad idea for racing. They're bulky and not designed for running races. There are plenty of comfortable, cushioned running shoes out there. Whatever you do, DO NOT race in a brand new pair of shoes! Even if you've "walked" in them a few times or whatever. Make sure you've done some workouts in your racing shoes to see how it feels on your feet before plunging into the race with them.Watch what you eat and when you eat it. Eat healthy foods, drink plenty of water, and don't eat too late at night. Load up on the carbs (runners love pasta) the day or 2 before the race. Eating on race day is something you will have to experiment with. Over my 10 years of competitive racing, I've become less of a race-day eater. From 1 hour before a race to 3 hours, and if it's an early morning start, I don't eat anything.
Before the race, get a good warm-up run in so you don't shock your leg muscles and lungs with the start of the race. This will help you warm your muscles and settle you down for the start of the race. Don't overdo it on the warm-up, just take it nice and easy.
Simulating your race pace in workouts throughout the season will ultimately help you with pace and breath control. There's no quick fix for those things. Get to the course early and get a good warm up and stretching session in to relax you before the starting gun goes off. Good Luck!
www.runnersworld.com has a lot of training and race day tips.. get plenty of rest 1-2 days before the race, because usually the night before a race a runner does not get much rest in anticipation.never try anything new on race day.try new products, clothes , shoes, nutrition on training days. chaffing or a blister from new shoes can ruin a race,even if they are the same brand you always run in hydrate well 1-2 days before race day. visualize your finish and don't start out to fast at the beginning of the race. you can get caught up in the crowd easily, but set your pace and try to keep it steady.
Yeah, I second the opinion that cross trainers are not a good idea. There's a reason runners wear running shoes. There are plenty of cushioned running shoes out there and online tools to help you pick the right shoe (for example http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/prod... For added cushioning (if you need it), try inserts like the ones made by Spenco.
The truth is that there are many different approaches to the days before your race. For everyone's suggestions, including mine, you should understand that these are mostly personal things that may not work for you. Here's some things that come to mind:
*Start hydrating a few days before, not just the night before. If you want to retain more water, add some more salt to your food.
*Try to get some good nights of sleep
*Don't do any hard runs in the days leading to the race
*Don't eat anything overly heavy or greasy the night before
*The question of alcohol is a personal choice, not a physical performance issue. I usually have a light beer or two the night before a race and it's all good.
On race day:
*If you're normally a morning coffee drinker, have some on race day (lots of runners swear by it!)
*lube all the chafing spots with vaseline
*blow your nose
*warm up 15-30 minutes before the race, nice and easy jog to get the legs and body warmed up.
*dress like it's 20 degrees warmer outside
For pace control, the best thing to do is have a wristwatch that does splits. Go to a track before race day and run some shorter distances to get the feel of certain paces. Practice the pace you want and know what it feels like.
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