Are you about to run your first 10k, 10 miler, half marathon, or even marathon? I want to share some tips and tricks for training, taper week, race day, and post race. I have done a bunch of distance races, plus I grew up with my dad always running distance races, and I have a lot of his experience to rely on as well. I selected 10k as the shortest "long" distance. Technically anything under 10 miles is mid or short distance, but I decided to focus on any races that for the average runner would be close to an hour long or more. Yes, there are plenty of beginners running 5-6 min miles, but you can still hopefully benefit from some tips.
Training
The easy part is gear. Make sure you get fitted by a professional at a running store or by an orthopedist for your shoes. In regards to other clothing, the only major thing is to make sure whatever you wear allows for full range of movement for your running form or any exercise you will perform, and that your socks you use are not too tight or too loose. I recommend sweat-wicking running gear, as it will help you from dehydrating quicker, and is generally a lot more comfortable.
For you training plan, I recommend sticking with a simple beginner plan. They usually have at least 2 rest during the week so your body can get used to the mileage and physical abuse you are going to give yourself...remember, running is a high impact activity. Most importantly for your plan; stick with the plan! For your first races or races, unless you are naturally the world's fastest runner, you are probably more focused on completing than competing. I will cover competitor tips in another blog article at a later time. So, follow your plan. If you want more activity, cross-train. Your body will thank you for it. Leg strength training is huge for runners, as your legs, joints and lower back get pounded the less leg strength you have in your legs. Or you can add some other workouts like HIIT, swimming, cycling, P90X/Insanity-type workouts, or whatever you like. The other workouts will not only improve your overall fitness and stamina, but will also aid in faster recovery.
Other things to keep in mind is anything you want to try new for the race, such as water bottle holsters, running with or without music, taking GU or other energy replenishing items, then you really want to train with them. For the beginner, changing up more than 1 or 2 things on race day from your training could cause a lot of unwanted issues. Once you get more experience under your belt, then you will find that the only way to know if something is going to be useful is to try it on race day. But make sure to NEVER change shoes on race day or the week before. You are asking for injury otherwise.
Taper Week
Tapering is basically lowering the volume of your training while still keeping the intensity of your training. This is usually done the week before the race. For beginners and if you are going from something like a couch to 10k, you may want 2 weeks of tapering, but typically 1 week is more than enough. The idea here is to keep active and keep your body used to the faster training speeds so you will perform well at your race. This still applies even if you don't really care about speed. Regardless of your goals, the taper week is designed to keep you active and ready for the race, but not push your body to the levels of your normal training...you don't want to be exhausted and in pain on the day of your race.
For those of you who slack off, I recommend tapering at least 3 days before the race. This usually isn't enough time if you do a really long run right before the race, but for many beginners, this will be the bare minimum time to recover enough to complete the race.
Race Day
Everyone loves carb loading the night before or a couple nights before the race. This is usually pointless unless you are always on a low carb / low sugar eating lifestyle. Usually carb loading is only good for making your bloated or cramped for race day. On race day, try to stick to your usual breakfast you would have on any other long run day. If you are nervous or anxious, which most are, then make sure to have avoid any foods or drinks that are acidic and any foods that would be too heavy or salty. So, OJ is a great example of a drink to avoid. Most dairy will sit pretty heavy for most people, and eating pre-packaged freezer meals (sorry Jimmy Dean) is probably not the best idea because of the insane sodium levels. You don't want to get to your race and have a stomach ache or be dehydrated before you even start.
If you are opting to stay at a hotel, then I recommend picking a hotel either in middle of the start and finish, or closer to the start. Even though you may be exhausted when you finish, the last thing you need before the race is to have to rush to get to the race and get stuck in traffic. If you are staying with someone or going from your house, then make sure you get to the race at least 1-1.5 hours before the races starts. I usually recommend 2 hours before race start. This will allow you to take your time finding a parking spot and getting acclimated to the race environment. If you are nervous, the last thing you need to worry about is parking and finding your way to the race starting line.
Finally, lay out your race gear the night before the race. Usually you will be excited or nervous and not always thinking clearly. You don't want to get to the race only to realize you are missing something vital...like your shoes or your race bib.
Post Race
Usually when you finish the race, you will be hot and sweaty. This means that unless it's an extremely hot day, you will get cold quickly after the race. If you have spectators with you, get one of them to hold at least a dry shirt for you to put on after the race. You probably should have a basic change of clothes though, or a warm-up outfit to put on over your race attire. If you don't have anyone with you, hopefully there is a gear check at the beginning of the race. If all else fails, train with a backpack and just run with your gear. It's not ideal in any way, but at least you will feel "comfortable" after the race.
One important thing after the race is to get some carbs and sugars back in you, as well as making sure you are rehydrated properly. So, eating a banana, bagel, energy bar, having some Gatorade, or similar is always a good option. For longer races, you will want to also get more sustenance. I have found that that chocolate almond milk is a miracle recovery tool. There is no other food or drink I have tried that compares. But, you usually won't have that with you or available, so look for items with a higher carb amount. Ideally, a recovery food or drink item will give you a 4 to 1, carb to protein ratio.
Lastly, stretch! Get some static stretches in after you finish. It will help avoid extreme muscle tightening later and can also aid in faster recovery after the race.
Most importantly, have fun! The race is the reward for the hard training you just did!
