It’s Friday again already and I’m linking up with Courtney, Mar & Cynthia (aka the DC Trifecta) for this week’s Friday Five! This week’s theme is “Race Day Rituals.” I really have any special rituals for race morning – but I do have some key things I always do during training to get me prepped for race day.
Long Runs as Dress Rehearsal — Every long run is a chance to practice your fueling and hydration strategies.
Train for the Course — As often as possible, I try to pick routes that will mimic the race course. (If you’re facing a hilly course but live in the flatlands, make hill work on the treadmill part of your training!) Best of all, if you live near the course, try to run at least parts whenever you can.
No New Gear — It always amazes me when someone picks up new running clothes at the race expo and then wears them on race day. There are a lot of things you can’t control on race day, so where you can eliminate any surprises – like discovering that cute new shirt you picked up at the expo chafes in all the wrong places!
Go Easy on the Expo — If you’re running a larger race, then packet pick-up can also means a trip to the race expo. While it can be fun to check out the latest gear or a new vendor, be careful to not overdo it and spend too much time on your feet.
Catch Some ZZZs — If you’re like me then the night before the race is usually a rough night of sleep. While you should do what you can to get enough sleep throughout training, life happens right? So I make it my mission to get to bed early during race week so I’m as well-rested as possible come race morning.
Do you have any race day rituals? Be sure to stop by the link-up and check out how others manage their race day. 
