Fast Guy Problems: Good Habits Die Hard
2. Feeding my inner Italian
I am a huge fan of spaghetti, in huge portions. I make it practically every night before a race and literally eat out of a mixing bowl. Rumors have it I can consume up to a tenth of my body weight in pasta, sauce and beef. A new twist on this I have picked up as I delve into the marathon world is second dinner, to be eaten about 2 and a half hours after the common dinner.
3. The home stretch
Generally something I have done before a longer race, 15K or more, I relax the night before by doing an extended stretch routine. Nothing special, just focusing on my hamstrings and calves as they tend to tighten up in the longer races.
4. Visualization
The mental aspect is a key part of racing. I may do a mental run through of the course in my head, if I know it, or just employ generic memories of times I have run strong in the past. I look for reasons why I feel good and why the event should go well and use that to counter the usual pre-race jitters.
I’m sure there are other minor tics I do that have become so ingrained that I don’t make note of them. These four get me in the right mood and feeling ready to achieve my potential come race day. Part of it is a placebo to counter nerves and the other is to remove variables from the elements that may affect a race. Do you have any pre race routines that you must do?