There is no shortage of tips online and on social media about the things you should do before a race (check out our blog-post here), but what about some tips on the things you shouldn’t do?
The things you don’t do can be as important, if not more important, to your race day success than the things that you do. So we have put together our list of the 7 Pre-Race Mistakes To Avoid before any race or event to help you perform at your very best.
1. Skipping Breakfast
Butterflies in your stomach are common among both seasoned and new competitors. It’s easy to forget about eating a good breakfast before your event when your appetite has abandoned you and you are distracted by the pre-race excitement (or nerves).
Cycling, running or hiking, especially long distance events, require the body to perform efficiently over a long period of time and it is essential that you give your body the fuel it needs to do so. You wouldn’t expect to drive a car on an empty fuel tank so don’t expect to push your body on one either.
Even though eating may be the last thing on your mind, consuming a good pre-event meal, consisting of both complex carbohydrates and protein, at least 2 hours before your race is as essential as any expensive piece of gear or kit.
2. Not Drinking Enough Water
When our bodies are dehydrated, our mental and physical performance becomes affected so sufficient fluid intake both before and during any event is essential. Common symptoms of dehydration include; headaches, muscle cramps and both physical and mental fatigue.
Understandably, some people avoid consuming too much fluid before a race in the fear of needing to take a toilet break mid-race but this can be combatted by consuming smaller amounts of water over a longer period of time. Try focusing on your fluid intake the day before your event and reduce the intake a few hours before bed so as to not interrupt your sleep. Begin your fluid intake again immediately when you wake and reduce it again as you get closer to the race start time.
Consuming all your fluids in a short space of time an hour or two before the race will result in your kidneys flushing it through your system too quickly, causing the need for frequent mid-race toilet breaks. Water requirements vary per person and also depending on weather conditions but aim to keep your urine colour a light yellow. If it gets too dark in colour you need to increase your intake.
Hydration tablets are also a great addition to your pre-race preparation. You lose electrolytes like potassium, chloride and sodium via sweat, so hydration tablets will help to replace to electrolytes and minerals that you’ve lost.
3. Eating New Foods Before the Race
If possible you should stick to eating the foods that you are familiar with and that you know won’t cause you any unwanted side effects before your race.
Avoid fruits or fruit juices you wouldn’t normally eat as they may cause some digestive issues and stomach upsets during your race; particularly citrus fruits as they can have an acidic effect on your stomach. You should also avoid any high sugar bars or cereals that may cause a “sugar rush”, as any sugar rush is inevitably followed by a crash at a later stage.
Try to keep it simple and stay consistent with what you would normally eat for breakfast or pre training. If you are staying overnight in a hotel or B&B the night before your race then it may be an idea to check with them in advance what food options will be available at breakfast. If the foods on offer differ from your usual pre-training foods then it might be worth considering bringing your own food with you for race morning.
Top Tip: Porridge, wholegrain toast and bananas are all staples of many athletes’ diets, and for good reason. Porridge and wholegrains are full of complex carbohydrates that provide a longer lasting source of energy compared to processed cereals and flapjack bars. Bananas are unprocessed, easily digested and contain electrolytes in the form of potassium and magnesium. Eggs (poached or scrambled) are also a fantastic addition to your pre-race breakfast. They are light, easily digested and a great source of pre-race protein.
4. Using New Energy Gels Or Energy Drinks During The Race
If you feel you that will need to use some fuel source during the race like energy gels, sweets, bars or drinks, which will likely be the case if your race exceeds an hour in duration, then trial them during your training sessions in advance of your event.
Some energy supplements just don’t agree with certain people and can cause some stomach upset and digestive discomfort shortly after consumption. Find out through trial and error what works best for you in the weeks leading up to the event and use these during your race. You don’t want to find yourself with a funky tummy because you picked up some gels a few days before the race that you have never used before.
5. Wearing New Foot Wear Or Clothing For The First Time On Race Day
This is somewhat similar to the point above. New footwear, clothing or any type of gear should be worn or used at least once but preferably a few times before any event.
You will very soon find out if there are any fitting issues with new clothing or footwear early in a race, and there could be a long uncomfortable journey ahead of you if there is.
A poorly fitting and uncomfortable pair of runners can cause blisters, stopping a runner in their tracks over a long distance race and a chafing pair of shorts can cause rashes and become excruciating to a cyclist over a long distance ride. You need to focus on the task in hand and not find yourself distracted by pain and discomfort.
Also, you must remember that the knock on effects of persisting through this discomfort can last for a number of days after the event, affecting your recovery and training too.
6. Missing Out On Those Zzzz’s
We all know that we don’t perform to our fullest when we are low on sleep. Pre-race nerves and excitement can make getting to sleep the night before your race a tough task to achieve. However getting a good night’s sleep before your big race is absolutely vital to your race success.
Avoid all of the usual pitfalls like consuming caffeine and eating too close to bedtime. But it also may be worth putting a limit on your social media consumption the evening before your race too. It can be far too easy to get swallowed up by the exciting content on the race organisers social channels but this constant drip feed can mean that you are always switched on to your race and it can subsequently affect your ability to get to sleep and stay there.
Of course you should enjoy the pre-race build up and excitement but try to switch off from it all a few hours before bedtime to ensure a good nights kip!
7. Spending Too Much Time On Your Feet The Day Before Your Race
This point relates more to those who are partaking in longer events of 1 hour or more in duration.
There can be a fantastic atmosphere and buzz about the place the evening before a race. The excitement can be felt at registration and in the local restaurants and watering holes. Obviously crawling out of the local bar doesn’t count as staying off your feet and we won’t lecture you on your alcohol consumption but we would advise not spending too much time wandering around the local area soaking up the excitement either.
Those legs and feet will have plenty of work to do the next morning so it is important to be conscious of making sure that they are well rested the day before. This is the ideal time to head back to your accommodation, stick on a movie and relax.
Summing it up…
As the saying goes… “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. Training is not just about the fitness aspect. It is also an opportunity for trial and error with pre-exercise meals, mid-race fuel source’s and new pieces of gear or kit.
Make sure that you have found what works for you early in your training programme so that you can make those tweaks and adjustments with plenty of time to spare.
After that you can put these issues to the back of your mind and go into race day fully focused, confident and ready to enjoy the event ahead.
Read More: 5 Helpful Tips For Early Morning Training
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