Race Brave

Molly Huddle — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:38:37 +0000

Here is a partial list of things I have run away from:

unleashed chihuahua
most spiders
one gradeschool boy-girl party
routine tetanus shot
all karaoke

I am not a brave person. I’m the exact opposite, actually; I’m more of a grade ‘A’ weenie. But, being a professional distance runner requires some degree of cool headedness and well, I basically learned it. I studied the apparent grace under pressure of my sporting idols the way you learn rough choreography to your favorite Destiny’s Child song : you watch and mimic ... in your living room. And you can too! It’s part psychology but mostly just organizing your thoughts. Actually, depending on how you handle stressful situations, you may innately know how to perform. Some people thrive on race day pressure, while others perform well in practice but can’t seem to hit competitive goals. Regardless of the size of game day aspirations, race morning usually arrives with a side of adrenaline, which causes a milieu of responses depending on where you are on a scale of ‘worrier’ to ‘warrior’ (http://www.npr.org/2013/02/25/172879971/thescience-of-being-top-dog). You may be able to tell how you respond to such stress already. If you’re more of a ‘warrior’, you’re likely lifted to a new level of performance in races and feel so very alive by high stakes scenarios. ‘Worriers’, perhaps you don’t sleep the night before the race, pee your pants on the start line, forget your shoes or any other negative response to the effects of stress-brain. But worriers, worry no more, because both categories have strengths, we just need to let them work for us not against us! Firstly, we ‘worriers’ are good planners, and what race is benefited more by excessive, almost obsessive planning and long term preparation than the marathon!? This distance may suit you well, but all distance running falls into this category to an extent so don’t let me limit you here. Below are some of my favorite ways to control the debris-filled tornado of worries inside your brain, and they basically all entail just writing stuff down. For the worriers:

Write down a schedule for race day logistics including transportation, meal times, any other important locations or instructions , lists of what to bring, etc.
Breakdown your goal. Is it a specific time? try writing out splits and using them as a guide for piece by piece racing. Smaller steps are less intimidating to think about and make focusing more manageable. Do you have a place goal? Who can you stay with to hit that pace? What is the most simplified strategy?
Squash the worries and negative thoughts-what are you most afraid of happening? How would you remedy that or deal with it? You may then throw that piece of paper away and also consider coming up with a positive mantra to repeat (sport psychology bonus!)

Now for the Brave among us! You are arguably the cooler crew and I’m not sure why you chose distance running, but apparently a shortcoming of ‘warriors’ is lack of long term preparation. That combined with your thrill seeking nature might make you more suited for the mile or other shorter races where tactics and exciting sprint finishes come into play, but that's just a suggestion. Don't let me put you in a box! Race day is where you naturally shine, but maybe you could shine even brighter with a better long term training routine. Here are some good ways to keep yourself accountable. For the warriors:

Partner up! Training partners keep the runs fun, create synergy and you can feed off any competitive nature by simulating a race.
Get a coach - someone to lay out a plan, motivate you or just straight yell at you to get your work done consistently. I bet a worrier makes a fabulous coach.
Reign in your zest for life until race day - this is just temporary but if your daily life is a series of all night cram sessions, weekend raving and Tokyo drifting, maybe tone it down a few weeks before big races to save energy, get enough sleep and focus on the minutia that seems to enhance your running by keeping you uninjured.

Good luck to you spring racers-be you fearsome or fretting, may the competition be fierce!

8 Things Not To Do On Race Day

Randy Accetta, Ph.D. — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:35:18 +0000

Ditch the pity pose; Skip the drama There are a ton of articles out there telling us what to do on race day: eat this, drink that, wear this, think that. But there’s not much written about what not to do when the big day rolls around. Sometimes focusing on the “no-no’s” allows the “to-do’s” to rise to the top. So here are eight things NOT to do if you want to happily complete a goal race: Don’t get psyched out Instead of being afraid about what you haven’t done, concentrate on what you have done well. Remember all those miles you’ve put in. Think about your consistent long runs. Recall how you crushed those speed workouts. Think back to how you dragged yourself out of bed for early morning runs instead of sleeping in. Replace negative thoughts with positive recollections, and then let your training get you through the race. Don’t eat fried food or chips & salsa In the days leading up to your race, don’t give in to your taste buds or the happy-hour menu. Be sure to eat complex carbohydrates like breads and bagels, rice, pasta, potatoes and other “starchy” foods. A donut here and there won’t hurt – well, unless it is on race morning. And drink more water, sports drinks and fruit drinks than ususal – but less soda, coffee … and tequila. Don’t give up when you get tired Don’t get discouraged when the going gets tough. Once you commit yourself to competing, you owe it to yourself to finish—even if things don’t go your way. Use landmarks to help you: Focus on a tree in the distance and run fast to it, then run fast to that next mile marker. Catch the person in front of you, then the next one. Get over the hill and enjoy the downhill. Soon you’ll feel better and be on your way again. Don’t give in to the “pity form” I’m sure you’ve seen the “pity form”─head back, mouth open, arms carried high, breaths coming in short, high-pitched gasps: “Oh, the world is falling, I can’t do this.” Instead of giving in to the pity pose, simply take a deeper series of breaths, open your chest a bit, lean forward and drive your arms. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to run faster when you concentrate on keeping a strong and positive form. Don’t start like a wild dog Don’t let the excitement of race day take control of your. It’s easy to run too fast early in a race: you’re fresh and chipper. Instead, you need to harness your energy and use it when you need it. Be patient in the beginning, relax through the middle miles, and have fun in the final miles. Don’t run too far There’s no need to run farther than the measured course, so try to cut the tangents of every course. It’s legal and depending on the distance of the race, you can trim seconds or even minutes off your time. Don’t wear new clothes on race day Race day is not the time to bust out anything new, including shorts, tops and sports bras. Always wear what you’ve previously trained or raced in. Don’t make the mistake of toeing the line in a brand new pair of lightweight racing shoes. Wear the shoes and socks you’ve worn over your long runs. It’s hard enough to run fast, but unwanted chafing makes it that much harder. Reduce friction with Vaseline, BodyGlide or some other anti-chafe product to protect your armpit area, your toes, nipples and elsewhere. Don’t finish like a wild dog If you come to the end of your race and find that you have enough left for a mad dash to the finish line, perhaps don’t do it. Of course, if you’ve been racing hard all morning and a final sprint can get you your goal time or can help you out-kick your arch-rival, by all means, sprint your heart out. But if you haven’t raced 100% until now, there’s no reason to sprint like crazy, elbowing your way past other runners. Instead, skip the drama and just relax, enjoying the finishing steps while smiling for the camera. What other “no-no’s” would you add to the list?

Saucony Blog » race day

Race Brave

8 Things Not To Do On Race Day