In just a few short days the Bellingham Bay Marathon kicks off. Whether you’re competing in the 5k, 1/2 Marathon or Marathon; if this is your first race or one of many, you’re sure to be experiencing a myriad of emotions. I myself am in taper mode for the Chicago Marathon, and am currently sipping a latte and eating a bacon maple Rocket donut over feelings of, Have I done enough? Is this taper too luxurious? Could I have another donut? Is there a way to know how I’ll feel on race day? Am I ready?
If you’re like me, you’re probably feeling a little excited, nervous, and/or a little scared. The “goal race” does that to you, it doesn’t matter the distance. With a wide girth of experiences, leading into and tackling races of all distances, BDP has some insight that might help –
Sleep!
In our experience and studies conclude that it isn’t often the night before the race that you need your best sleep, but 2-3 nights beforehand. Some of us on BDP have trouble sleeping, whether light sleepers, or anxious for the race, and have a few tools that help encourage them to get proper sleep the week before: 1) Sound machine (think Beach or Forest) 2) Wake up earlier & refrain from exercise and caffeinated beverages by midday 3) Hot tea and a book. There’s nothing worse than getting into bed ready, but your mind won’t shut off and you wake up stressed about your energy-capacity. Do the things that you’ve learned calm you. Be present. If you can’t sleep the night before the race, it’s ok. Everything will work out & your adrenaline and well-conditioned body will handle all.
Rest
Less is more. An important mantra. There’s nothing you can do to add to your race day capability except for rest. The hay is in the barn. I operate on the guideline that the body needs at least 10 days to absorb a hard effort and recover from it, thus, I don’t do anything that I can’t recover quickly from those final 10 days leading up to the marathon. Assuming you’ve put in the time & work, running easy and short is perfect and will help you stay loose leading into the race. Because you’re in taper, you might think tackling house projects and doing things with “all your extra time” will be a perfect way to expend your energy – we say, preserve. Get off your feet. Relax.
Eat Well & Be Merry
This week, your final week before the race, set aside late night snacks and foods which don’t benefit or heal your system. There is no need to over-indulge, but you should restock your glycogen stores. Avoid high fiber and fried foods. You don’t have to try anything new at this point – eat what works for you, every body is different.
Hydrate
This is a given – Drink water throughout the day & monitor your pee.
Educate
If you’re a local to Bellingham or in the vicinity, hopefully you’ve had a chance to run at least part of the course. This year’s course will have some minor changes from last. If you don’t live close or haven’t had the opportunity no worries! Study the course map HERE. Bike or drive it. This will help you to rehearse it in your mind, offering you the opportunity to analyze and be able to make adjustments on race day, knowingly. If you’re like me, and a course is a course, and you’re going to run it no matter what, then educate yourself on the latest articles on running at Competitor Magazine or NW Runner.
Finalize your Race Day Plan
Plan your pre and post race transportation. It’s always a little crazy at the start line. If you’re running the marathon, do you plan on taking the shuttle to the start? If you’re running the half – will someone drop you off? Plan ahead as downtown Bellingham parking is limited on race day. Put together your race day bag – consider what you’ll want to warm up in, your race day “outfit,” shoes, what goos/snacks/hydration you might need, shoes to change into post race, and what you’ll want to wear after. More is more here, as long as you have the space for it. Projected weather is 64 deg. and sunny. If you have a support crew, help them find a good place to cheer, or where you’d like to see them for an extra boost of energy.
Well, this is it. You’re ready. In a few days you will toe the line to your prospective race, and all of us will be proud, but you, of all, should be most. You’re healthy and you got here, to one of the most beautiful races in the Northwest. If there’s anything we can do help, any questions you might have, please email us at bellinghamdistanceproject@gmail.com, or on any of our social media sites. Best of luck to you! See you out there!
– Bellingham Distance Project
