This week’s Tuesday Topic is: What do you do the night before a race or a long run? You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post. Remember to link up with Kim and Zenaida! Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier! Remember to come back for later linkers!
It was a busy weekend for me. I am late in reading and commenting posts from Friday and Sunday, but I promise I will catch up this week. 😬
I’ve been over a year since my last race. I am hoping either in the Summer or Fall I can do a race. So far I’ve been having some great workouts and I hope that translates to another PR.
It’s been a while since I’ve had a night before a race. Let’s see if I remember what I would do on those nights.
➡️ Have a good dinner. I could eat pretty much anything and be OK the next morning. Yes, to spicy food, but not too much of it anyway. Sometimes I have a beer too.
➡️ Get my gear ready. I don’t want to forget anything in the morning so I make sure to have everything that I will need for my race laid out on the sofa or next to me on the extra bed. Items include sports bra, shorts/tights, top(s), socks, body glide, watch, gels, watch, credit card, room key, and ID.
➡️ Set up the coffee maker. I need to have coffee in the morning. Sometimes the hotel doesn’t have coffee in the lobby or there is no coffee shop nearby so room coffee it is. I know it isn’t the best but it is better than nothing. The best has been where there was a Keurig in the room. I remember during some of the RunDisney races, there was NO coffee maker in the room and the dining room wasn’t open. I know, terrible. I was able to get some later on before lining up for the race.
➡️ Set my alarm. I remember having to use the room clock for my alarm. Does anyone remember also having to call the front desk for a wake up call? Now thanks to my iPhone I set the alarm there and go to sleep.
➡️ Use the bathroom again. And then maybe again. Being nervous always make me go to the bathroom multiple times.
As for a long run, it is pretty much the same. What I don’t do is set my alarm. My cats wake me up.
What about you? What do you do the night before a race or a long run?
Haha, I am very fussy about my morning chai as well! For my last race, I brought a packet of chai with me and a mug. Fortunately, the accomodation had a kettle.
I am also paranoid about forgetting something, so I start to make a list about a week before the race. It’s amazing how much stuff you need to pack for a race!
I agree! It doesn’t seem like a lot to me when I am home because, well, here I have everything.
I have pizza for the night before. Get everything ready. In the morning I need coffee and oatmeal.
That’s it for me.
Very simple! I like that.
With such a long break with no races to prepare for, I had to make a list to remember all the essentials (for my three recent races) LOL The clock on my phone allows me to set multiple alarms, so I usually set a couple different ones (at staggered times)…even though I typically wake up early enough to beat the buzzer.
I know what you mean. For a minute I blanked out and could not remember a night before a race.
Oh yes to the front desk calls! Still do that sometimes if it’s important, you just never know when something’s going to fail you.
I’m lucky I drink tea, and I travel with a heating coil I’ve had forever. So as long as I have electricity, I can make tea. I don’t like the taste of coffee at all, so even though there are almost always coffee makers, I never use them.
The best is to have a microwave in the room & I always try to arrange that!
You are lucky that you can eat anything before a race. I don’t usually have stomach issues, but I still wouldn’t eat anything greasy (well, of course I have had pizza) or spicy before an important race!
A microwave and a fridge is always handy too!
My race this past weekend didn’t start until 9, so it was a lot easier to get a good night’s sleep! I usually just go over my logistics for the morning before I lay down. I don’t get too keyed up anymore, lol
Of course sleeping on your own bed is the best too!
Hi Zenaida- you are lucky you can eat anything the night before! I love all foods but try to be a little careful the day or two before a race. I love that you still have a beer the night before. Gotta live a little 🙂
I don’t always have a beer but I enjoy it here and there. A flight is what I enjoy the most.
This post is right on time because I have my first race since COVID this weekend and I’ve forgotten everything I need to do to be prepared! It’ll be great when we’re back to regular racing again.
Haha, I know what you mean. I told Kim that I blanked out for a minute and could not remember a night before a race. It’s been over a year for me!
I’m like you and the bathroom – I will keep going in as many times as I can before the race! Luckily for me, I don’t drink coffee before the race, but it’s the first thing I have to do post-race or post-long run.
Ah yes, coffee afterwards is great too. Beer is good too. 🙂