One of the great traits of running, is that there is a plethora of events and 5K road races to enjoy nearly year round. After you have trained, and put in the miles to prepare for that 5K, there are a few things you can do pre race that will help your speed no matter if it is a Cross Country 5K or Saturday morning road race.
Sleep Normal
If you are used to getting 7 hours of sleep every night, stick with 7 hours of sleep the night before your race. No need to try to play catch-up the night before a 5K race and get 10 hours sleep. For a race that is 3.1 miles, there is no need to alter your sleep habits, your body will be okay for that amount of time and distance. If you wish to rest up and heal up your body in preparation for a 5K race, start adding those extra and consistent hours of sleep about 4 days before your event.
Eat Normal
There is no need to “Carb-Load” the night before a 5K race, the distance does not require you to store extra calories. Eat a normal breakfast, nothing out of the ordinary, and maybe drink an extra glass of water if it is a hot day.
Warm Up
20 minutes before your event begin to jog or walk briskly to get your Heart Rate up. Don’t wait for the gun to go off before you begin to move your heart rate out of a resting state. Ideally you want your heart rate to be moderately high and your skin sweaty as close as you can get to the gun going off. If you find yourself standing around, throw in a few sprints or long strides to get the blood flowing, and not pooling in your legs.
Sugar Kick
Sugar enters your blood stream very rapidly, and if you eat a few bites of Hershey, or GU, or honey, or other sugar, about 10 minutes before the race start, that little extra energy you need to maintain your pace will be there to burn for fuel.
Good Luck, and Here’s to running your Personal Best 5K!
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