As many of us are now back to in-person racing, we are all trying to remember all the logistics of how to prepare for the big day. We talked about the taper period, but what are the last minute “to-dos” that you should focus on during the last week before your race? This is usually when many of us are feeling anxious as it gets closer and we aren’t running as many miles. Here are some ideas to keep you feeling positive, focused, and productive.
Determine your race goal
A week before your race is a good time to really decide on your goal. You will know how your training went and how the weather will be on that day. Consider having an A goal, B goal, and C goal. When setting your goals try to be realistic. Your B goal may be what you trained for, but your A goal may be what you will shoot for if all the stars align and you run even better than expected.
Develop a plan
Once you know your goal, think about how you will execute your race. For longer distances it can be really beneficial to stat conservatively so you have enough energy to finish strong. Reflect on your training runs-do you tend to start slow and finish fast? Or have you mastered “race pace” and feel that you can settle into that pace pretty quickly? This information can help you plan for how you will pace on race day.
Consider making or buying a pace band if you think that will help you. However, try not to focus on it too much. This website allows you to select your specific race (if it is listed) and then create a customized pacing plan. It accounts for hills on the course and allows you to decide if you want to have even splits, negative splits etc. These ship pretty quickly but to be safe you may want to order more than a week before you will need it.
Be aware of the race day forecast
Try not to become too fixated on the forecast, but keep an eye on it so you can be prepared with how to dress and how you should pace. Remember that it can change quickly. But about a week out it should be able to give you a decent prediction for what to expect the day of your race.
Decide what shoes you will wear
You may already know which shoes you will wear, especially if you only run in one pair of shoes! But if you have a few different ones to choose between, try to pick which ones you will wear a week before your race. This way you can wear them 1-2 times that week and have them ready to go for race day. If it’s going to rain at all that week, don’t run in the shoes you plan to race in.
Make sure your race day outfit is clean
Many of us have a favorite running outfit that we like to wear all the time. If you plan to race in an outfit you wear regularly, make sure you wash it early in the week and don’t wear it again so it’s ready to go. It may be helpful to do a “dress rehearsal” the weekend before your race to practice wearing all the clothes and gear that you plan to wear on race day.
Visualize the course
If you have never run the race course before, look at some pictures online so you know what it will look like, at least around the start and finish line. You can usually find pictures from past years or you can even just look at google maps. Once you have some images in your mind of where you will be racing, you can start to visualize race day.
Picture yourself lining up at the start feeling excited and confident. You start your watch and ease into a comfortable pace. When the race gets challenging, you dig deep and remember your motivation. You picture yourself pushing through that last mile and giving it everything you have to cross the finish line and achieve your goal. Imagine that feeling of accomplishment from finishing your race strong.
There are many things that you can do the week before your race, but try not to overdo it! Focus on a few important tasks and otherwise give yourself some time to rest and mentally prepare for your race.
Don’t forget to eat a good pre-race meal as well!
You may also like:
Top 7 Racing Mistakes To Avoid As You Return to Running Races
Race Day Recovery Tips
What do you do the week before a race?
How long before a race do you set your race goals?
How do you mentally prepare for a race?
Now it’s time for the Runners’ Roundup! Link up your running and fitness posts below! Join myself, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner, Runs with Pugs , and Laura Norris Running to post your favorite running tips, experiences, race and training recaps, workouts, gear, and coaching ideas.
I like the one with picturing yourself on race day, Lisa! Especially how it will feel on that last mile when you give it your everything.
I also like knowing where friends and family will be cheering on race day – that always gives me an extra boost.
Oh yes that’s important too! And also having a plan for where to meet them when the race is over!
Thanks for tips. As my half is Sunday.
I gather all the stuff in a laundry basket and keep adding to it all week.
I also sure I have directions to the start and know how long it will take to get there.
Otherwise I try to relax and not think about it as a competition but a fun day with friends.
Sounds like a good plan! I’ve started gathering all my stuff too. I made a list so I can keep track of what I’ve pack and what I still need to add.
I love your idea of Goal B being the target goal (based on your training), but Goal A being the one that you can really shoot for 😉 I’m a list-maker, so I’m constantly jotting down stuff as I think of it…by race day I usually have a pretty complete inventory of everything that needs done or gathered for the big day.
I am a list maker too! I already have my list for this weekend, now I just need some time to actually pack…
I have a pile started to pack up everything I need. Race day plan is done. You did remind me that I need to wash my fave running bra. Definitely stalking the weather. Good luck to both of us this weekend! I will be thinking of you
It’s too bad you won’t be in DC when I am down there for my race!
I started doing that A, B, C (finish the damn thing) planning in the last couple of years. It helped a lot. I never felt like I failed myself once I started doing that. Good luck Lisa! I think you are going to crush it!
Having multiple goals really helps! I am trying to be realistic but also not count myself out from having a strong race. The marathon can really go so many ways…
Being aware of the forecast is so important. I always make sure to look at that so that I can plan out my outfit in advance. It just makes everything less stressful! Thanks for sharing your tips!
Yes, knowing the forecast is so important! I try not to obsess over it though, since you can’t control it.
This is a great, thorough, list! You might be thinking “Well, I certainly won’t forget to make sure my clothes are clean!” but you’d be surprised… especially for those of us who haven’t raced in a while. It’s good to get super organized about everything.
Good luck this weekend!
I was kind of worried I would accidentally wear my race outfit for one of my mid-week runs and then wouldn’t have time to wash it before my race!
All great tips Lisa! It’s been so long since I’ve raced, and I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon, either.
I am LOL at check the weather. I guess I’d add check things like wind, if it’ll be sunny or cloudy, etc. — not just the temps!
I will be back in a week to review this prior to my big race series. Preparation is key to a successful event!
I like to write a schedule of everything for race day, including when to take fuel before and during. Then just relax as much as I can mentally!
I did that too! The hardest part for me is relaxing. I cleared my schedule on Friday so I wouldn’t be too busy at work, and then ended up overthinking and worrying about the race!