Dylan Wykes & Rob Watson, two of the coaches at Mile2Marathon, gave us 10 tips for this year’s Under Armour Eastside 10km and how to prepare for the event. Check them out!
1. Be prepared for race morning:
Leave nothing to chance. Know what you are going to eat, know how you are going to get to the race, and know where you are going to stash your gear. Arrive early, as there’s no need for added stress on race day; you are there to compete and perform. Unnecessary stress will affect your performance. Oh, and bring lots of dry clothes!
2. Warm-up:
For some this is a 20 minute run and active strides. For others this is a 5 minute walk and some
stretches. Either way, get those muscles loose and ready to go, it’ll help avoid injury and have you
primed to go when the gun sounds.
3. Find your place:
Get on the start line and line up with people at the same level, or pace as you. A
45:00 10km is a great accomplishment, but you probably shouldn’t be lining up at the very front- you will get pulled out too hard and will impede faster runners. On the other hand, if you want to run 35:00 get yourself to the front, otherwise you are going to spend too much energy passing people and trampling over slower runners.
4. Get off the line:
The first km of a race is always fast. You will feel fresh and frisky. If you are several seconds faster than your goal pace do not worry, get the fist km in and then settle into your race.
5. Settle and flow:
From 2-6km you should relax and find your flow. If you are pushing too hard at 3km you are going to have a bad time- both literally and figuratively. Have your goal pace in mind and focus on maintaining that effort and rhythm. Being 5 seconds too slow is fine as you can make up time with a strong last 2km, but being 5 seconds too fast can be disastrous as when you blow up you’ll be giving time back in chunks.
6. Enjoy the scenery:
The Under Armour Eastside 10km course takes you on a tour through some of Vancouver’s most beautiful and culturally rich neighbourhoods. Appreciate the city and take it in. We live in a really special place.
7. Find a group:
There is power in numbers when it comes to racing. Working as group can help a lot. A group can pull you along, and you can lock in and roll. Find a friend and roll together… until 9km, then all bets are off!
8. Focus:
This is racing, it is supposed to hurt! Your legs will burn, you’ll fight for breath and you’ll want
to stop. You trained for this. Focus on your goals and stay positive. The pain of racing is brief, and that post run beer/brunch tastes so much better knowing you earned it.
9. Bite your tongue and go:
When you get to 9km it is time to get going! This is where you put your head down and give it hell. Dig deep and push, and when you are 400m out it is time to empty the tank. Give it everything you have until you cross the finish line.
10. Reap the spoils:
Congratulations on finishing the Under Armour Eastside 10km! Now enjoy yourself a bit- go get brunch, drink a beer or just do something to spoil yourself. You have earned it!
More info on the Under Armour Eastside 10k can be found here.
