You’ve decided to sign up for a race — we’re super pumped for you! We know you signed up for the race months in advance, not only for our early bird pricing (wink wink) but also to allow yourself plenty of time for proper training. You train, you plan your days around your runs, you step up your nutrition and then race day shows up…. but you may have overlooked this step. We’ve seen it countless times at out our events and want you make sure you have your best experience. Here are our top 5 tips to help you crush our events on race day!
Stay hydrated
Not just on race day, but the days leading up to the event. Did you know it is recommended to drink half of your body weight in oz a day? Say you are a 150 lb female, then try to drink 75 oz a day. Your body and energy levels will thank you.
Plus you’ll be ready to grab that beer after without dehydrating yourself. Cheers to that!
Fuel your body
On race morning we have two golden rules:
1. Eat a SIMPLE breakfast
2. Make sure you give your body plenty of time to properly digest your meal for optimal energy. For most of us this means eating about 2 hours prior to your wave time.
Need breakfast ideas? Oatmeal with light fruit, bagel with almond butter or a healthy sports bar. Everyone is different, try experimenting with your pre- workout meal during your training runs. You want to give your body it’s best chance to feel good.
Lay out your outfits the night before
This includes attaching your race day bib and timing chip to your outfit (and sometimes, this may also include your sunny santa suit). The more you prepare the less you have to worry about on race morning.
We always recommend a second pair of shoes and extra socks. You can keep all of this in your drop-off bag prior to the race. And sometimes, this may also include your sunny santa suit!
Living in San Diego you might think “I won’t need a sweater, it’ll be 70 and perfect.” BUT — after a race/run your core body temperature drops and then sweat dries, this can lead you feeling chilly and light-headed. It’s better to be over-prepared than under prepared. So pack that sweater, please!
Arrive early
You can scope out the course, visit our awesome vendors, mingle with the running community and get a proper stretch. As all courses are different, so is the parking. Arriving early insures you a good spot and aren’t rushing to meet your wave! You can also study our race website ahead of time and double check if there are any road closures or special parking instructions. This is always located on our FAQ pages.
Have fun!
At San Diego Running Co our mission is simple, we want to create a safe and memorable experience for all our runners and all our spectators. Training properly before the event, eating well, staying hydrated and showing up with a positive attitude will help insure you have a good time. And hey, most of our events end with an ice cold beer and a big party!
See you at the races!
Photo courtesy of Carlee Padot McClurg of www.carleemcdot.com
