You made it to race week! Now what?!
You survived that minor injury scare. Fought the demons in your head telling you to quit. You logged the miles day in and day out, rain or shine, hot or cold. You made it! Whether you are running the 5k, half-marathon, or full-marathon, making it to race week healthy and ready to go can be a challenge all in itself. But now its race week and you can practically taste the finish line. As the saying goes, the hay is in the barn, meaning the hard work is done and you just have to finish the job. Easier said than done right? Well we’ve got you covered! Here’s your personal guide to race week from how much to run, and what to eat.
5k - Saturday 4/1/2017 Whatever volume you have been running in training feel free to scale that back just a little bit. Throw in a speed session on Wednesday or Thursday to keep your legs feeling sharp but not tired. This could be 6-8 400’s at just a bit faster than race pace with equivalent recovery, i.e. whatever you run your 400 in, take the same amount of rest between each 400. You could also do 6-8 2 min pickups with 1-2 minutes rest in between each. Whatever you do make sure this workout feels good and doesn’t leave you gasping for air as you fall across the finish line. If you need to take a day off before the race, take Thursday off, not the day before. Taking the day before off could leave your legs feeling heavy and tired on race day! Friday try to get in 20 minutes of easy running with 4-5 20 kups at the end, I promise your body will thank you for it.
What to eat: For a 5k you don’t need to go crazy on carb loading. It takes about 90 minutes of low-intensity exercise to deplete glycogen stores and you are likely also burning fat for fuel during this time so most people can go longer than that before feeling fully depleted. For that reason, you will likely never reach the bonking point in a 5k despite operating at a faster pace. That being said, still include a carbohydrate source with your pre-race dinner. This could be brown rice, whole grain pasta, quinoa, teff, sweet potatoes, whatever healthy whole grain carb source you enjoy. Pair with a protein low in saturated fat like chicken breast, salmon, or tofu, and a side veggie. Keep your sauce light, no heavy fatty cream sauces. Eat enough to feel satisfied but not overly stuffed. Another thing to keep in mind is hydration. The 2 days leading up to a race are the days to get your hydration right. Drink at least half your body weight in ounces including electrolyte drinks like UCAN hydration or Nuun. There is such a thing as over hydrating which can be just as bad as being dehydrated so sip water or electrolyte drinks throughout the day on the days leading up. Morning of eat a breakfast with easily digestible carbohydrates that you know your stomach can handle, with a small of amount of protein, and minimal amounts of fat. This could be a banana with peanut butter, or toast with a little bit of nut butter and honey. Stay away from dairy because it can lead to digestive issues on the course. Try to time this to be about 2 hours before the race and pack a snack in case you feel yourself needing a little something more before the gun.
Half-Marathon & Marathon - Sunday 4/2/2017 Bring the volume down this week but not so much that your body begins to feel sluggish. Maybe even split your Thursday run into 2 short easy runs. Wednesday try to do a light workout like 4 miles at goal pace with a 1 mile warm up and cool down. You could also do a fartlek hitting goal pace or just under. This could be 10-15 min easy warm up, 1 min on, 1 min off, 2 min on, 2 min off, 2 min on, 2 min off, 3 min on, 3 min off, and repeating that back down with a 10-15 min cool down after (adjust this as needed to fit your race week volume). If you must take a day off make it either early in the week like Monday or Tuesday, or take Friday off but not the day before the race. The day before the race do a light and easy 20 min run with 4x30 second pickups to get the legs moving just a little bit. In the race it is far better to be conservative of pace early so make it your goal for the second half of the race to be faster than the first.
What to eat:
Start eating more carbohydrates in the 2 or 3 days leading up to race day. This will help to make sure your glycogen stores are filled when you get to the line Sunday morning. Balance your diet so that your calories are coming mostly from carbohydrates and less from both fats and proteins. The night before the race a good pasta dish with tomato sauce or a light olive oil sauce with salmon, chicken, or tofu should be good. You could also do rice, quinoa, or potatoes but get a good portion with your meal. Stay away from spicy foods or anything with a cream sauce. These typically don’t sit well and can end up making you sick on race day. Also stay away from things like steak or proteins high in saturated fat, and limit the fiber intake. It is best to plan to eat an earlier dinner so that your body has time to digest. This will also help to ensure an early bedtime so that you can get adequate sleep. Don’t stuff yourself, eat just enough to feel satisfied and content. Hydration prior should be like what was given for the 5k above but staying hydrated during will be important. In warmer conditions you need electrolytes not just plain water. Morning of the race, try to plan to eat a solid breakfast about 3 hours out from the race start. A good option could be a bagel and peanut butter with sliced banana, or oatmeal with a tbsp. of nut butter, cinnamon, salt, and dried cranberries or raisins. Since the race is early, you may want to wake up, eat, and go back to sleep. Then in the last hour before the race, if you feel like you need it, maybe take a Gu with water or if you use UCAN have a serving 30-45min prior to the start. Note, if you are using UCAN you won’t need to load up at breakfast 3 hours out so plan accordingly.
As always, no matter what race you are doing, never try something new on race day. Doing something you have never done in practice could be a recipe for disaster. If you are a coffee drinker and are used to drinking coffee before running, then do so. If you are not, then certainly do not make that exception for race day! If you are running the marathon or half be prepared with your fueling strategy and stick to it. If you are doing the 5k give yourself enough time to do a 10-15 minute warm up, some dynamic stretching, and some short pick-ups near the start of the race. If you are running the half or full, plan for an easy 10-minute run to loosen up the legs and get the blood flowing. You may also choose to do a few light pick-ups as needed. Then above all else be confident! Know that the training you have put in has prepared you in the best way possible. Of course, this is the Rock ‘n’ Roll weekend so also be prepared to have fun!