The final few days before a race are so important. It's important to make sure that you're doing the right preparation for race in order to get maximum performance.

I know that there will be people all over the country that are currently preparing for their races tomorrow, I am one of them! As you are probably already aware,  I'll be doing Run Hackney tomorrow which is a half marathon.

Hopefully this post will be a useful reminder to those prepping for tomorrow or maybe you have a race coming up soon!

So, here a few of the most important things to keep in mind with regards to your pre-race prep!

Trust the Taper
There is a reason why taper week exists. For some, the idea of bringing down mileage can be unnerving. Stick to your plan(which usually has a taper week included). Tapering helps ensure that your body is feeling well rested, refreshed and ready for running.

You should aim to stay off you feet as much as possible the day before race day.  Instead, focus on getting mentally prepared for your run.

Fuel Up!
Nutrition is really important in pre-race preparation. Carbs will be your best friend! Make sure you're eating plenty of carbs the day before your race. Most runners tend to opt for a pasta meal in the evening. Aim to make carbs about 70% of what you consume.

Ensure that your breakfast pre-race is light and is something you've had before, don't eat anything new that you've never used for training, you don't know how your body will react. You breakfast should be eaten at least 2 and a half hours before race(less/more depending on what works for you).

Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate!
Drink enough the day before the race, make sure you're well hydrated, you can check hydration levels via the colour of you're urine, if it's dark, you're not drinking enough! It should be light! Don't over-do it on water either, you can drink too much and end up flushing out essential electrolytes.

On the morning of the race, ensure you stay hydrated with some water but don't drink too much prior to the race! You need to leave enough time to go to the toilet prior to running, you don't want to be holding it in the whole time.

If you're worried about being dehydrated prior to the race, a sports drink can also help! They have carbs and sodium that are useful for fluid retention!

Gather Your Kit
Get all your gear ready and laid out the day before your race to make sure that you have everything that you need! You don't want to be running around in the morning trying to find your race gear or half way to the race and realise you don't have something important!

Make sure you check the weather forecast the night before so you know what gear you need to take. As a good rule of thumb, you're suppose to dress as though it is 15 degrees warmer than it actually is as your body will warm up during the race. You definitely don't want to be too hot whilst running!

Take something to keep you warm pre-race, it can get cold whilst you're standing around. Old sweats or jumpers that you can throw away at race start are perfect or you can get foils to wrap yourself in to keep the heat in.

To avoid being in a panic on  race day, ensure you have the following kit(give or take) laid out the night before:
Shorts/Crops, Tank/Shirt, Race Bib(don't forget pins!), socks, shoes, running belt, ID, gels, headphones(if applicable) and of course anything else you think you need to bring with you!
Do NOT wear any new running kit that you've never worn before! In fact, don't try ANYTHING new that you haven't tried before, you don't know whether it will work or react badly with you. It's not worth the risk.

Get Enough Shut Eye!
Make sure that you get enough sleep! Ideally eight hours. If you've got an early start, such as travelling to the race, you might want to go to bed a little earlier than you're used to but don't go to bed TOO early! It may cause you to wake in the middle of the night and you could end up missing out on some shut eye!

Warm Up!
On race day, you need to make sure that you've warmed up before you start running. Your warm-up should consist of Dynamic Stretches rather than static(static stretches target the muscle to relax, the opposite of what you need!). I have a video on Dynamic Stretches HERE(it also includes stretches for post run too!)

Bare in mind that the warm up is to help your body get limber for running, do not over-do it and end up worn out before you even start!


..and that's it for pre-race preparations that I can think of!

Just enjoy yourself, trust in the training that you've done and believe that you can get through it! All your hard work and training will soon pay off! Plus you'll have the shiny bling to show off afterwards! ;)

Question: Have you ever done a race before? Would you recommend anything else for pre-race preparation?

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