Race Preparation - Tips
The best race day tip that anyone can give you is to be conservative at the start. The amount of people that line up at the start should slow you down anyway and besides, if you're feeling okay later, you can always pick up the pace when the crowd thins out. If you feel that you have taken off a little quickly, just slow down and even walk a little if you have to until you feel better.
Don't try anything new on race day. Leave your experiments to training. If you're going to wear new shoes then break them in at training a couple of runs before the race. Your normal routine should include some warmup exercise prior to setting off. A three or four minute jog will increase the heart rate and warm up the muscles. Follow that by a few minutes stretching, taking extra care to stretch the quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles.
Make sure you use the drink stations, especially if it's a warm day. many people who do get into trouble just don't have enough to drink prior to and during the run.
Have a light breakfast if that's a part of your normal routine.
If you do find yourself in trouble at any stage of the run then don't be afraid to stop and give it away. Seek out help if you have to. To make the decision to drop out of the race takes courage and common sense - and there's always next year.
