I tried to be prepared for any and everything. I don’t like surprises or change. I’ve mentioned it before but I am a creature of habit and I rarely sway from my routine. As I have gotten older I have tried to be a bit more flexible because life brings change constantly with things always moving forward and I don’t want to be left behind. 

There’s one routine I basically keep the same every time except a minor tweak every now and then…and that’s preparing for a race. This is what I do each and every time.

Weeks before:

• Scope out the area. I always make sure I know where the start and finish lines are. I determine where to park or where I’ll be dropped off and/or picked up. It’s never a good idea to try to figure this out the night before because you already have enough to worry about.
• Hydrate and fuel up. The week before a race I pay particular attention to what I eat (no salads for 2 days before race day…trust me). I eat lots of protein, complex carbs and as always, water, water, water.
• Check the weather. I do this in the weeks leading up to the race, a few days before, the night before, the morning of. Like I said…I don’t like surprises.

Night before:

• Charge it! Everything needs to be charged, phone, Jaybirds, watch. It’s a bummer when any one of theses die on race day. 
• Lay out my stuff. Just like preparing for the first day of school I put out everything I will need. My clothes, shoes, watch, earbuds, hat, fuel, sunglasses, Spibelt, bib.  I don’t want to be scrambling in the dark looking for my favorite socks in the wee hours of the morning. Depending on the situation, a bag of post race stuff–jacket, snack, wet wipe.

Race morning:

• Coffee and Cliff bar. I only drink 1 cup of coffee no matter how much time I have before race start. Live and learn…just saying. I always have a Cliff bar or a banana for the morning. I forgot to mention that for the night before, but I have been known to go searching for one or the other the night before a race…eye roll. I may not eat all of either depending on how my stomach feels, but I have them if I want them.
• Poop! Seriously so important. It’s why I have coffee. 😉 There’s is nothing worse than stomach issues during a race! It’s why I don’t eat salad at least 2 days before a race. After my bathroom break I usually take a chewable  Pepto Bismol  to hopefully, prevent any stomach issues. 

Random things:

• Add music to my playlist. Depending on what distance I’m running and when I last updated my music, I will add new music or audio book so I have something fresh to listen to.
• Fill my fuelbelt. I don’t wear my fuelbelt for all races, only halfs, marathons and trail runs. 

Did I forget anything? Do you have a pre-race routine?

I’m linking up with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics. Thanks ladies for coming up with this weeks topic!

Thanks for reading!

                  Denise