PREPARATION
A large
majority of people involved in distance running are goal
orientated and run in events such as the
Canberra Marathon/Sydney
Morning Herald Half and the
Gold Coast Airport Marathon. These events allow them to test
themselves and maybe either chase that elusive PB or aim at
completing the distance for the first time.
In the closing
days before a big event I often receive a number of queries from
runners asking what they should be doing preparation wise.
Not that I am advocating a relaxing drink
On the
Wednesday prior to my fastest Marathon I recall pushing my son
in a running stroller during a 1hr run. I flew to Japan later
that morning. The night before the race I had a serving of
pasta, an ale or two and a sizzling steak. I was enlisted as a
pacer to take the second group through half way in 65.20. The
organizers of the Marathon and also the elite athletes all
understood that once I completed my pacing duties I would remain
in the race. To cut a long story short, I caught the leaders at
30k and ended up winning from, who at the time was the current
Olympic Marathon Bronze medalist.
Sure, I was in
shape and had run very well over 3000m the week prior, however
I recall being extremely relaxed on the day of the race and as
you can see I didn't go around altering my daily habits the week
prior because the big event was about to take place.
If you are
training for an event to take place in the distant future my
advice is to:
-
Mentally: Think about what you wish
to achieve in the 10k/ Half Marathon or Marathon you are
training for, lock the thoughts in.
-
Preparation: Work on your dietary
habits and arrive at a healthy/ enjoyable mix which allows you
to feel fuelled up for your sessions.
Kerith
can assist you if need be. Involve a couple of short term
goals/ races and use them as a rehearsal. This being
addressing your training/ thoughts/ diet/ etc leading up to
the race. Even as meticulous as identifying the type of shoes
and apparel you will run in. If your event involves over 1HR
of running this
also includes addressing what your fluid/ carbohydrate intake
during the race will be.
When the week
before the big event arrives:
-
Mentally:
Don't think about the race. You have been tossing around
thoughts about the race during training in the months prior.
Remember, all those thoughts are now locked in. Thinking about
the race during the closing days will surely lead to high
anxiety. Arousal (an undercurrent of excitement) is great,
anxiety however will leave you drained. If you are struggling
to block thoughts such as "What if...." out, try to imagine
how you are going to feel during the immediate seconds after
the race has started.
This should be
relaxed and excited as the waiting is finally over.
-
Preparation: Nothing to change. You
have mastered this through trial and error over the previous
few months. "If it ain't broke, why try and fix it".
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