What to do 2 days before the Kondak Tri

As you’ve been doing before your long training runs, you should be eating about 65 to 70 percent of your calories from carbs in the days leading up to your race. Don’t stuff yourself at dinner the night before. Carbo-loading does not mean that you should eat three plates of pasta for dinner. As many runners like to say, “Too much loading can lead to unloading during the race.” If you’d rather avoid an extra porta-john visit, eat amounts of food that you would normally eat, but eat a greater percentage of carbs. Proper nutrition and hydration ​are essential before a race.

Stick with foods that have worked well for you before your long training runs.

Drink plenty of water throughout the day. If you’re hydrating properly, your urine should be light yellow. You can also have one sports drink to make sure you’re getting some extra electrolytes. Avoid alcoholic beverages because they have a dehydrating effect and they’ll interfere with your sleep. Plus, it’s not a good idea to run with a hangover.

Stay off your feet, rest, and relax. Spending too much time on your feet will tire you out.

You’re not going to lose any fitness by resting the day before your half-marathon or marathon. But if you typically get pre-race anxiety, or you feel like you need to stay loose, it might be beneficial for you to do a very slow, 20-minute run / walk the day before. If you do run / walk, keep your thoughts positive and keep telling yourself that you’re ready for your race. If you think you perform better after rest, then just relax during those 24 hours leading up to the race. Whatever you do, make sure that you don’t do a significant workout that’s going to leave you feeling tired or sore the next day.

Check your toenails and clip any that are too long. Keeping your toenails neat and short will prevent them from hitting the front of your shoes, which can lead to black toenails or foot pain.

Lay out all your clothing and gear for the race the night before. As mentioned in the previous blog – Race day preparation.

Use visualisation techniques while you’re relaxing during the day. Envision yourself on the course. Think positively about all the work you’ve put into your training. It will be worth the effort to avoid pre-race anxiety.

Make sure you have everything you need for breakfast. Again, you should be eating breakfast foods that you tried out before your long training runs. Always remember, nothing new on race day.

You probably received a copy of the course map in your race packet. It’s always good to know where you’ll hit some hills and how frequent the water stops and porta-potties are.

Make sure you know exactly how you’re getting to the start and that you’re anticipating any problems, like road closures and traffic jams caused by other racers arriving at the venue. If you’re driving to the start, make sure you have the right directions and know where you can park near the start. Give yourself plenty of time so you’re not nervous that you’ll miss the start if something unexpected happens. If you’re taking mass transit, do your research to see if there’s any potential for delays.