Running legends Benita and Pat share their best tips for all of us heading towards the start line of #GCM22. Do make sure you scroll down to the checklist and quick video for some invaluable advice to get you to the start line and be ready to have your best race.

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Webinar

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Race week and race day checklists below.

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Race Week Plan – Checklist

• Know what you’ll be wearing
• Have a clear nutrition plan
• Marathon – carbohydrate load 2.5 days ahead
• Relax and enjoy! 
• Plan your logistics
• Don’t train too hard
• Or buy new shoes 
• Or miss meals! 
• Get to the start line feeling fresh
• Training volume will be down 50-60%
• Don’t have a training error and be sore!
• Get as much sleep as you can
• Don’t entertain negative thoughts
• Lock in what your diet will be
• Increase carbohydrates
• Organise what you will wear
• Address any fears and anxiety
• Plan some fun (non leg taxing) things to do
• Don’t overdo runs, careful about your training volume in the final week/s
• Don’t go sightseeing
• Don’t go for long training runs
• Stay off your legs
• Make dining bookings ahead of time

Race Day Plan – Checklist

• • Have a plan, stick to it
  • Know your target pace, plan it into your watch
  • Keep warm before the race
  • Review your nutrition plan
  • Marathon – plan be fresh enough to race the final 10K in the marathon
  • Be mindful that when it gets hard, that’s when you need to be tough
  • Stay positive, even if your pace drops
  • Be confident
  • Hydration and nutrition are critical
  • Have a tried / tested breakfast
  • Don’t go out too fast! (21/42 km especially the first 10K)
  • Don’t think about your plan all week
  • Don’t get ready too early and burn energy trying to keep warm
  • Don’t get to the race late

• Do make sure you know your pace

• Do ensure you have a hydration plan if you race requires it

• Do be as relaxed as possible, use your nerves to help you

• Consume normal servings of food 
• Lock in what you’ll be eating
• Have a clear plan on how you’ll get to the start line
• Allow more than enough time to comfortably get there
• Lock in where the toilets are
• Plan time for your normal warm up
• Pack and prepare everything you need the night before
• Make your name more visual on your race number
• If feeling worried, tap into the feelings you’ll get once the gun has gone off (not before)
• Don’t over hydrate
• Don’t play around with your diet in the last week
• Don’t entertain negative thoughts
• Don’t run ahead of your race pace / target heart rate (especially too early)
• Do lock in a realistic pace
• Do arrive with PLENTY of time to spare
• Do visualise yourself achieving your goal

General Advice

• Manage nerves positively
• Don’t think about running all the time 
• Catch up with friends
• Plan some ways to relax
• Gone out too hard? Run slow for a period until your heart rate gets back down. 
• Take a gel
• Happier = Better Result
• Don’t beat yourself up
• The marathon is a mental game
• Don’t let ‘nerves’ get the best of you. Tap into the feeling you’ll get when the gun goes off.
• Have faith in your preparation
• Food, keep it simple: pancakes, simple vegetables, potatoes
• If going out for dinner, make sure you book an earlier eating time, and book in advance!
• Check the weather, if it’s hotter and you are doing a longer race grab a hat
• Check what you pickup at aid stations
• Don’t go out too fast! 
• Conserve energy, relax!
• Use a mantra to help keep you happy in challenging times, smile! 
• Appreciate being in a race in a beautiful place
• Enjoy! 

Running Pace

If you still want to do a bit of work on your pace strategy for race day, check out our handy running pace calculator halfway down the page: 

Polar’s race pace feature

One of the great features that comes with Polar running watches is “race pace”. This is a simple tool that allows you to plug in your target time and distance. Your pacing goals are then automatically created giving you a simple dashboard to glance at during your run to track your pace and how much distance you have left to cover. 

This helps you to not fall into the trap of starting out too hard, but also helps you stick to your plan throughout the run so you can just focus on the running and what’s ahead of you. You can also set up a fueling plan and hydration reminders as well. 

Check out the top four essentials you must be tracking during your runs: