Run to Win

This week last year, there was a good mix of running tips and running news.

• The first running tip that I offered was how to drink water during a race, with practical tips to keep you from having to slow down and to make sure you don’t try to drown yourself.
• The second tip that I offered last year was to warm up in spare clothes before a race. Getting your racing clothes soaked or sweaty before a race can be aggravating, so having a spare set of clothing to change out of before the race (and, for that matter, into after the race) can make you much more comfortable.
• I asked the question, “Dean Karnazes. That I was asking this question a year ago is rather appropriate, given that his new book is set to be published in another week or two.
• In running news, Jeremy Wariner set a 400m record and won a diamond at a meet in Stockholm with a time of 43.5 seconds.
• In fake running news, a graphic design student created a movie trailer for Once a Runner, which is one of the best fictional running books in the sport.
• This week two years ago, I was busy getting ready to get married but the site kept ticking over with interesting things to read.
  • I explained the difference between RICE and RID and why either method is a good way to treat your injuries. I have since learned that using anti-inflammatories can be counter productive.
  • Over in the UK, cross country running was declared a brand of abuse and was equated with bullying. It still seems a little ridiculous to myself.
  • The first half of my Shoe Maintenance Series went live while I was busy getting ready to be married. I introduced the series, and then offered up a central theme in the tips which is to keep your shoes dry when you are not wearing them. How you keep them dry is important, as well, which is why I continued on the second day by explaining how effective pulling out insoles can be and why you should remove rocks and mud after your run. The next day was the wedding itself, and then on Sunday there was one tip where I explained what to do if your shoes are sopping wet.
• This week 3 years ago, at the world championships in Helsinki, Kenenisa Bekele won the 10,000m, Bershawn Jackson won the 400m hurdles, and the United States took the top 4 in the 200 meters final. I also reviewed my casio wristwatch and the book, Run Fast: How to beat your best time every time.

Photo by billacOne of the more aggravating problems of warming up is when you get your race clothes wet. Standing at the starting line when you have wet feet or a sweaty singlet does not help to put you into the correct frame of mind for a race.

Bring an extra set of running clothes to a race with you. In fact, wear those extra clothes to the race and be sure to bring your racing singlet and shoes with you. Primarily, you will want:

1. a fresh pair of socks,
2. your racing singlet,
3. and your racing shoes to be separate.

Outside of rain storms, I have not really had any trouble with wet shorts before a race. Running through damp grass or a puddle can quickly flood your shoes and socks with water, though, and if you jog around on a hot day with your singlet under your warmup shirt, you will discover that your singlet is all wet when you get ready to race.

Wet race clothes at the starting line is not really a big deal. It is just one of those simple things that you can avoid, though, and that can help put you in a much better mood at the start of the race rather than being the cause of another annoyance. I prefer to avoid distractions when I can, so I generally wait until I am ready to race to change into my race shoes, clean socks and racing singlet.

This is a lesson that I have taken for granted for years, but I was reminded of it last week after jogging to the starting line with my wife at the Beach to Beacon. We both had backpacks, but she was wearing her singlet under her warmup shirt and the humidity was hovering somewhere in the 85-95% range. There was not much that she could do other than to have me remind her next time we race together that she shouldn’t wear her singlet to the race.

Most people will warm up an hour to 30 minutes before they race. They may walk the course, or go out for a jig jog to get loosened up and warm enough to stretch. This is normally a good idea and I do not want to in any way discourage this practice. In fact, that is how I normally prepare for a race.

Another strategy, though, is to not wait until right before the race to do your warm up. Instead, you should go out for a mile or three when you first wake up and before you head to the race to begin with. How much you run first thing in the morning depends upon your level of fitness and the race you are preparing for. If you are racing in the evening, then this advice can still apply, but it will not be exactly the same thing unless you run just a few hours before the race.
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