When I first started feeling the pre-race jitters, I would always search the topic of proper training and eating in the days leading up to a race. I was looking for some secret, a magic trick that would drop my mile time, improve my power, and prepare me for a breakthrough performance. And a quick google search returns hundreds of thousands of entries detailing the exact methodology necessary to outpace your usual Saturday hard training day. But a quick google search of 'lose 30 pounds' or 'gain 2 cup sizes naturally' returns the same cacophony of overhyped noise. Simply put, anything that attests to have some secret recipe for physical improvement is a scam that plays on our fears of failure. I tried every pre-race strategy: no coffee seven days before the race, carb loading, carb-depletion, and internet-forum training guides, among many others. As a result, I experienced GI problems, cramping, lethargy, and generally shitty performances. It wasn't until I accepted my limitations, and accepted the direct correlation of training/racing that I began to win bigger races and drop my times significantly.
Most of us are not professional racers. We know very little of the underlying physiological mechanisms dictating our pace, and even if we do we are so far from maximizing our capabilities that a 1% swing either way is not a huge detriment to our overall pacing. The key to race performance of most athletes is to avoid the 10% downward swing caused by a cramp, or nervousness-induced GI distress. In order to maximize both performance and happiness, most athletes need to learn to embrace race day as a hard training day with other people. A few general guidelines are still necessary to understand:
Training:
The most common mistakes leading up to race day are undertraining and overtraining. True, your lactate threshold or speed won't be significantly altered in the last 14 days before an event, but racing is as much a product of feel for most athletes as physiological limitations. Three guidelines:
1. Do NOT significantly alter training more than 5 days out from race day for a race under 2.5 hours. Extended tapers, if executed perfectly, may increase energy availability and efficiency, but could also leave you feeling flat and tired. Decrease the distance of the long run/ride the week before (maybe a 12 mile run cap and 60 mile bike cap); otherwise, train normally.
2. Five days out, listen to your body and avoid epic speed workouts or anything that may cause injury. Simultaneously, there is no reason to limit training for a paltry 30 minutes a day, or decrease milage by 60%. Most of us will never put the extreme nervous system stress on our bodies dictated by overtraining, and the biggest danger is getting so wound up mentally that the race becomes a worry rather than a joy.
3. Two days before the race eliminate anaerobic workouts completely, but still get enough training in to feel confident in normal eating/sleeping rhythms. A typical 2-day cycle for me is an easy 7 mile run, then an easy 4 mile run with strides the day before. Do what feels comfortable. However, I strongly recommend against doing nothing, especially if your body is not used to zero days. Keep the normal patterns, and don't put too much thought into every little muscle fiber in your body.
Eating:
Inadequate nutrition is the biggest fear for most endurance athletes. As a result, we see innumerable carb-loading strategies. This is poppycock (excuse my language). We are not professional Ironmen that need every single ounce of glycogen from our muscles---pretty much the only goal is avoiding bonking. Mainly, this means eating normally. Don't force down carbs, don't starve yourself to avoid gaining weight. In fact, DO NOT WEIGH YOURSELF IN THE THREE DAYS BEFORE A RACE. It doesn't fucking matter, I promise. Some guidelines:
1. Do not alter diet at all until 2 days before the race. You know how your body works, and 70% carbs with huge speghetti meals will only serve to fill up the portapotty, and possibly your race shorts.
2. Eat when hungry. Don't force feed yourself, or starve yourself. The hunger mechanism is very efficient, and ignoring it is an invitation to failure.
3. Drink coffee if you drink coffee, eat gels if you eat gels, eat fruit if you eat fruit. But don't deprive yourself of normal things, or load up on abnormal things, because you read about it in Runner's World.
4. Drink normally. Downing a liter of water the night before a 10k is at best going to have you peeing nonstop, and at worst be dangerous to your health. Water is not some secret potion for performance.
5. The day before, eat healthily and don't go to sleep hungry, but don't worry about the minutae. That piece of gum, or glass of wine will make no difference on your time. Maybe avoid a huge salad unless you are looking to smoke out your opponents with epic farts.
Basically, keep it simple and have fun. A race is not the arbitrator deciding your worth as an athlete. Things can go to shit; things will go to shit; but if you change your routine the probability of literal and figurative shit happening increases hugely. Racing is training, and training is racing. Treating them differently is an invitation to pressure, unhappiness, and mediocore performance.
P.S. Prospect Park Duathlon tomorrow, my last of the season! Hopefully I can go out on top. Now excuse me while I go have a gigantic speghetti dinner.... (kidding)
