Guide: How To Prepare For A Race

On 14th March, I went for the second race in my life. North East Run, as the name suggest, was organised by the North East Community Development Council (CDC) and was held at Pasir Ris Park in the morning. I participated in the 16km race and clocked 1 hour 31mins. It's not half bad, but not good either. Oh well. I took this race way too lightly, and paid for the consequences. A race, no matter the distance, needs ample preparation in order for one to run to the fullest of his potential, as well as with as much as comfort as possible. So here I put a guide, done by myself. This should be taken only as a non medical advice by a amateur-marathoner-wannabe.

Before the race,
1) Training - depending on the distance, you may need to start training one to three months in advance (based on a 4 times per week training schedule). always start with small distances. make sure you train for a certain distance a few times first before increasing the distance you run. for eg. run 2km 2 or 3 times before you increase to 4km. then run 4km a few times before increasing to 6km. do not try to double your training. instead, have a proper and realistic increment value, such as 1km or 2km. personally my increment is 2km and my starting pace is 5.5mins per km. if the distance is not very long, you may consider only training up till half of the total distance for the race you are participating. for races such as a full marathon, do consider training more.

2) Health and supplements - while i am not a total believer of "carbo loading", the process is said to be important for long races because one needs a lot a lot of energy to run a long race. i usually do carbo loading one to two weeks before the race. for carbo loading, i eat slightly more carbohydrates for each meal and increase the number of meals from 3 to 5. make sure you eat lots of fruits and vegetables so that you don't fall ill during this crucial time.
3) Check the route - while most reputable races have relatively flat routes, it is not wise to assume so (for eg. the North East Run had several overhead bridges which we had to cross, as well as many slopes). it is important to take these features into account when you are training. it would be even better if you can try out the route before the actual race, but com'on none of us are really that hardcore.
4) Your meals one day before hand - drink a lot of water one day before the race. it is wise that you eat more soluble meals the day before as well so that you can pass them out before the race itself. be sure to drink lots of water before you start running as well
5) Season your shoes - running a long race in new shoes is a big no no. you need to condition your shoes, or you'll get lots of blisters and pain
6) Prepare your clothes - bibs, timer tags, and your race attire should be prepared the night before the race. this makes you better prepared. i don't understand why some people like to put on their bibs only when they reach the race. personally i put it the day before and i go to the race with it on my chest, nothing's wrong with that. if your timer tag needs to be placed on your shoe, make sure you secure the tag on your shoes properly the night before as well. you should have put the necessary clothes you want to change out of into your bag beforehand. it is wise to bring a tee shirt, a pair of shorts and a pair of slippers that you can change into after the race
7) Sleep well 2 days before the race - it is understandable for one to be unable to sleep the night before the race. there is research showing that it will not affect your performance. even so, i recommend that you get sufficient sleep at least 2 nights before so that your sleep debt does not accumulate.

During the race,
8) Salt supplements - make sure you have enough salt intake just before the race, and drink lots of isotonic drinks along the race. it'll reduce the chances of you getting muscle cramps.
9) Warm up - many people think this is non-essential. but it is important to loosen your joints and warm up your body since races usually start early in the morning.
10) Lubricate - you're really wrong if you think it is too hardcore to lubricate some of your body parts before a race. a long race can really cause some bad abrasion. some places that i recommend you lubricate with professional lubricant are in between your toes, your soles, the thigh regions, nipples (for guys especially) and maybe your arm pits.
11) Tighten your laces and wear comfortable clothes - for a long race, your shoes shouldn't be too tight, but neither should it be dangling off your feet either. your running attire should feel comfortable. if you don't like wearing tights, then there is absolutely no need to follow the trend
12) Watch your posture - wrong running techniques can cause you to experience aches earlier than you should
13) Rest and drink water - there's no shame in stopping during a race. we're mortals. resting is meant for us to continue running later. if you rest when your legs are still not in immense pain, chances are the pain may subside and you can run for yet a few more kilometre pain free. drinking water at the drink stations will replenish your fluid loss and gives you a chance to catch your breathe.
14) If there is food, eat - there's nothing wrong with eating during a race. if the organisers provide bananas or energy supplements, do take them if you're hungry. they give you more energy to continue.
15) Stop and stretch - many people stop to stretch their muscles in the middle of a race. if you feel that a cramp is coming up, chances are a stretch will do plenty of good
16) Motivate yourself and others - don't give up. anyone and everyone can run or walk 42.195km. you just have to keep walking, or keep running. if there's a cute girl beside you who seems to be having difficulty, cheer her on. you'll never know if a spark may charge her up and make her spirited enough to continue running. you'll be surprised by how friendly your fellow runners are.
17) Finish the race with a smile - you deserve it. when i saw this pointer on Standard Chartered's race guide, i found it funny, but yet so true

After the race,
18) Drink and eat - drink water, eat the bananas. self explanatory.
19) Walk around - don't stop immediately, walk around to slow down and let your heartbeat slow down gradually.
20) Change out - change out of your sweaty clothes, let your feet get a breather, you'll feel better after that.
21) Run somemore - insane, more running after a crazy marathon? that's what i thought too. but research shows that going for a short run/jog/walk after a race helps to remove the lactic acid accumulated in your legs

22) Improve - check out your timing and set targets. before you leave the race venue, tell yourself "i'll be back, with a better timing".    .'-p