Source: Anthem Great Pumpkin 5K
I’m not an early morning person. Anything before 6:30am is just too early. Despite that, I volunteered for pre-race set-up for the Anthem Great Pumpkin 5K from 4:30am to 8am tomorrow. I wanted to volunteer, but I also wanted to race. This seemed like an efficient way to do both.
However, now that go time is fast approaching, I’m getting a little nervous. I’m not usually a prepare everything ahead of time person (I always pack last minute), but figured that a departure in the middle of the night was recipe for disaster. So here’s my strategy for smooth sailing tomorrow morning.
1. Lay out race clothes
It will be in the mid 50′s by race time, so I went for my Lucy cardio knickers and an Under Armour tee. Of course, we can’t forget a sports bra! Since i’m going for speed, I opted for my light Saucony Kinvaras, plus Feetures socks. I’ve got sweatpants and a sweatshirt for layering during the pre-race volunteer portion of the morning. It will still be dark, and I’m assuming chilly! Luckily, parking is very convenient to the race so we can stash items in the car. Oh yeah, I’m dragging along my husband for this pre-dawn adventure. Good thing he’s also a runner and doesn’t think this idea is totally nuts (just partially)
2. Hydrate
Adequate hydration is critical for any runner, but particularly for me. Just ask my husband about how our half marathon training runs went before I invested in a fuel belt…. not pretty. Be sure to drink plenty of water the night before any race.
Water and Coffee. Both essential.
3. Prepare coffee for the morning
If I don’t get some coffee into my system tomorrow morning, I may not make it. I plan on taking a to go mug for the 30 minute car ride. I always like to have a cup of coffee an hour or two pre-race.
4. Adjust expectations
I’m not expecting to PR at tomorrow’s race. I don’t imagine that being on my feet for several hours before the race will lend itself to speed. Plus, there’s the whole getting up at 3:30am thing… I haven’t been training for speed per se and I’m viewing this as more of a stepping stone to my 10K in November and 15K in December. That said, I don’t want to tank either. I’m thinking sub 29min would be acceptable. We’ll see if I can do it. I’ll be enjoying the Octoberfest Scrambled Legs breakfast afterwards regardless!
5. Get adequate sleep!
Alarm goes off at 3:30am. That’s 6.5 hours from now. Not exactly a full night’s sleep, but I think it’ll get me through. Off to bed I go!! Stay tuned for tomorrow’s race recap!
What are your pre-race routines?
I think they are going to do a zombie 5k on the air force base here. Maybe not as cool as the great pumpkin 5k… but I love holiday themed races like this! What fun!