Distance Race Day Prep
Meals/Food race DAY...
#1 BREAKFAST = MOST IMPORTANT MEAL...you WILL NOT RUN a good race if you skip this meal! Not a b-fast person, then LEARN/TRAIN to be a b-fast person!!!
#2 PRE-Race Meal
Option #1: 3 to 4 hours = Full and Well-Balanced meal
or
Option #2: 2 hours = Small Meal/Large Snack
RACE PLAN
At some point during race day (before your actual warm-up starts) ALL Athletes competing need to figure out their numbers/split times/final goal times and actually come up with their own race plan for the day. This will be done in a variety of ways and peers/coaching staff can help with this process. It is an EXPECTATION that ALL athletes complete a plan and then check it/talk it through AT LEAST ONE coach prior to starting warm-up. Please Note: this should be done prior to warm-up and not last minute with coach Hess, as you are looking at your sharpie times on your arm, standing in your lane, whimpering something about being nervous and you have no idea what you are about to do! #lame
1 Hour before race...
FULL Distance Warm-Up (800 Jog/Dynamics/Leg Swings/Accelerators/etc.)
30 Min before race...
1) Hydrate/Liquid Fuel
2) Food Options = Gels, Fruit, Soft Cereal Bars, Gator Aides
2) Grab Spike Bag/Batons
3) Check into Race (Staging Area)
20 Min before race...
1) Hydrate/Liquid Fuel
2) Strides on Soft Surface/Infield
3) Stretch/Foam Roll
4) Relax and Visualize Race
5 Min before race...
1) Keep Moving
2) Review lane Assignment
3) Be physically near starting area
4) Relax/Review Race Plan
5) Take off "Longs/Warm-ups"
Notes:
1) Pay attention to PA Announcements...this can be difficult during the chaos of a track meet
2) When is your race?...KNOW the 1 and/or 2 races prior
3) Each track event takes 20 to 30 min on average to be completed with all heats (so if you run the 6th running event at a track meet, you event might start 2 hours after the meet starts)
4) ALL Pre-race Prep should be done WITH Team Mates...no one warms up alone & we do this as a team
5) How many races do you have? Legally you are able to enter 3 races per meet (only 2 events 800 and longer)...this FULL warm-up is for your 1st race & additional/2nd races you should start at the 30min pre-race prep
Distance Post-Race
1) Keep Moving & Hydrate
2) Check in with ALL Distance Coaches present at Meet
3) Solid Food within 30 Minutes
4) Cool down run*
5) Stretch & Roll
6) Hydrate & Eat
7) Review your "numbers" of your race
8) Write Down/Document your data (Journal & Learn)
9) Get out of Camp and Cheer on Teammates
10) FULL Meal between last race & Sleep
*your Cool Down run is dependent on a couple of factors...
#1 is it your final race?
#2 What is your focus Race?
Final Race = FULL Cool down anywhere from 1-3 miles & should include a few strides...distance depends on Focus Race
1st Race = Cool down should be strides and Dynamics & make sure to sit/rest a bit before prep for next race