TORONTO – October 13th, 2016 – By Kate Van Buskirk.
With just a few days until the race, most runners are in their final preparations for Sunday’s Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Half Marathon & 5k! Whether you’re nearing the end of your marathon taper or psyching yourself up for the 5k, there are a few things that everyone can benefit from as they prepare to hit the streets of Toronto.
Control The Controllables
I wrote about this in my “Overcoming Adversity” post, but its worth mentioning again: take stock of the factors leading up to a race that are within your control, do everything you can to manage these, and let go of everything else. Although the weather, your competitors’ fitness, and the size of your start corral are beyond your command, there are many things you can do to set yourself up for the best chances of success on race day. Don’t leave any of your gear, nutrition, or logistics to chance. Stick with what you’ve been doing in training, have a good plan in place and develop realistic and flexible goals to maximize your potential for a positive experience!
Don’t Try Anything New
Running stores tend to get flooded in the days leading up to a big race with customers stocking up on fuel, body glide, and last minute accessories. But there also tends to be a percentage of the population who wait until race week to buy a new pair of shoes or a flashy new running outfit. Unless your wardrobe is literally falling apart, I strongly urge you NOT to wear new shoes or clothing on race day in order to avoid unforeseen chaffing or blisters. Similarly, don’t change up your fuelling regiment before or during the race. The combination of nerves and pushing your physical limits can cause the gut to become sensitive and sometimes rebel. Don’t introduce new food or beverages in the 48hrs leading up to the race, try to eat home-prepared meals, and stick to relatively bland, easily digestible carbs. Going out for pizza or hot curry the night before your race, while delicious, could wreak havoc on your digestive tract the next morning. So could experimenting with a new gel or bar mid-race. Stick with the familiar and save the adventurous eating for your post-race celebration.
Have A Plan
If you’ve ever attended a major road race, you know that they are exciting, energizing events with great crowd support and camaraderie. But this also means that there are throngs of runners, spectators and media all trying to get to the same place at the same time. The last thing you need to add to any race-day jitters is the stress of navigating the city with thousands of other race-bound folks. My advice is to plan out your day from wake-up to finish line and allot extra time for each activity so that there are no stressful surprises. Scout out your route and method of transportation to the start line in advance, taking into consideration road closures, TTC hours, and the shortage of downtown parking. I also like to do as much as possible to prepare the night before as a means of keeping stress low on race morning. Planning and laying out your race kit (clothing, shoes, fuel, accessories, bib, safety pins, warm clothes for after the race, etc) before you hit the hay will ensure that you don’t forget anything. On race day, plan to be up in lots of time to get in a light breakfast (oatmeal, bagels and bananas tend to sit well with most people), do some gentle stretching and warm-up exercises, then get out there and get pumped up with your community of fellow runners!
Set A, B And C Goals
Goal setting is a very useful tool for any runner, although it can sometimes feel defeating to fall short of a single performance goal. I recommend setting A, B and C goals so that you can feel successful regardless of what obstacles you might face on race day. These can be performance-based (ie; running a personal best time, placing in the top half of your age group, or hitting your BQ), personal goals (completing your race distance for the first time, crossing the finish line knowing you gave your all, or just enjoying every element of the race day journey) or a combo of both. You may know that you’re in shape to run a specific time, but strong winds mean that finishing 3 minutes slower is still a huge accomplishment. You may miss out on your personal best, but you learned a lot about how to fuel better for your next attempt. Ultimately, every race is a learning experience and an opportunity to celebrate your body in motion!
Speedy vibes to everyone competing on Sunday, and as always: RUN HAPPY!
About Kate Van Buskirk: Kate is a professional track and road runner representing Brooks Canada, who specializes in the 1500m. She is a 2-time National Champion, an 8-time National Team member, and a Commonwealth Games bronze medalist. She is a Duke University alumnus where she studied cultural anthropology. She currently lives and trains in Toronto where she works as a coach with Pace and Mind and Myodetox Performance. Connect with Kate on Twitter and Instagram.
