Top 3 Racing Mistakes
After months of hard training and putting up with early morning runs, muscle twinges and blisters the size of grapefruits, the one thing that you owe yourself is to run as well as you can on race day.
Despite the fact that most of your friends think you are mad running 13.1 or 26.2 miles, your ultimate aim come race day is to enjoy the experience and not do anything on the day which could jeopardise your enjoyment
However, every year, runners make the same mistakes on the day of the race which either cause heartbreak at not achieving the time they were aiming for, or make the experience one they would rather than forget.
So, to help you avoid making these mistakes, fitFAQS have come up with the top 5 racing mistakes and tell you how to avoid making them.
1. Drinking too much water before the race
No matter which event you attend, or which training guide /book you read, the importance of hydrating yourself before, during and after the race is made very clear.
As humans we are over 70% water and therefore, must keep the cells well hydrated to help maintain running performance and to prevent us from becoming dehydrated. The trouble is, in recent years as this message has finally got through, many runners take this advice to the extreme and drink excessive quantities of water before the race.
Over hydrating is problematic for two reasons:
- Firstly, there is nothing more frustrating than preparing your mind, body and soul to pound the streets for the next 2 hours plus, when just 100m after you start, your bladder offers you a gentle reminder that it was not designed to carry 2 litres of Volvic / Lucozade. So, you are then forced to find one of the very few port-a-loos in the first few miles to relieve yourself, after which you rhythm and focus are difficult to get back.
- Secondly, is the danger of hyponatremia. On hot days, runners fall into the trap of drinking huge quantities of water to prevent dehydration. However, this excessive intake of water leaches vital salts from the cells and with extra salt losses from sweating, the body's stores of "electrolytes" can fall dangerously low and can be fatal.
So, the advice from fitFAQS is this:
- Start drinking small but regular sips of sports drink and water as soon as you wake up on the morning of the race
- STOP drinking your pee is running clear. This shows that you are well hydrated and any more fluid is unnecessary.
- If in doubt, start the race with a water bottle so that you can drink in the first few miles, rather than over hydrate before the gun goes off.
2. Going off too fast
Nearly everyone does this and it is criminal.
It's so easy to do but setting off at a blistering pace is the most common reason why runners are so exhausted by the half way point and the reason why dreams are shattered. Believe me, I should know.
In my first London marathon, I was aiming for a finishing time of 3hrs 15min (a 7:30min/mile pace) and training showed I was very capable of achieving it. When the gun went off for the start of race I felt amazing and ready for the 26.2 miles ahead.
After the first mile, I still felt great and really fresh - then I looked at my mile spilt. I ran the first mile of my first marathon in 6 minutes, the same pace as a fast mile of a fartlek session. The adrenaline of the situation was coursing through my veins and fooling me into thinking that this pace was sustainable.
Needless to say, despite dropping the pace I still ran the first 13 miles too quick and come mile 18 I was a dribbling mess. I finished in 3:29 very disappointed.
So, remember. No matter how good you feel in the early stages of the race, remember what your splits should be for each mile and stick to them. Adrenaline helps to a degree but running 30 seconds per mile faster than you are used to is going to end in tears and a lot of pain.
3. Not practicing with Sports Drinks and Gels.
Nearly all the race literature you will sent in the run up to your race, will contain a series of adverts stating the importance of sports drinks and carbohydrate gels that will keep you going through the race.
Without doubt, sports drinks such as Lucozade and carbohydrate rich gels like "carbo gel" have their place in an endurance event and help to replenish lost fluids, salts and sugars to the bloodstream. The trouble is, it still common that the first time some runners sample these products are on race day. It's criminal.
These products, despite how effective they are, are known to aggravate some peoples digestive systems more than a spicy vindaloo, particularly the gels, so the last thing you want, is to realise this after mile 10 of a 26.2 mile race. So, practice taking on sports drinks and gels during your training runs and make sure your stomach can tolerate them. Never be tempted to try them on race day - it's just not worth the risk.
Lastly, remember to take the Carbo gels with water. I remember making the school boy error of eating a gel at mile 12 of the marathon, just after a water stop. The gel stuck to the roof of my mouth like ectoplasm for the best part of a mile and it was horrible - always wash them down with water.