I Love a Good Top Ten List

Here’s one that’s perfect for us running the Wine and Dine Half Marathon in two weeks.

Yes.  Two. Weeks.

Raise your hand if you are unprepared and nervous as heck?  No?  Just me… oookaaayyyy… moving on….

Fellow #TeamrunDisney blogger Aly shared a great post with the group today, and she gave me permission to pass along her list to you!

Everyone, meet Aly.  Aly, meet everyone!

She wrote this post when preparing for the Dumbo Double Dare weekend but it is great advice for ANY race you have around the corner.

My “Top Ten” for getting ready for a race
by Alyson Schmitt Stater

With the Disneyland Half Marathon/Dumbo Double Dare looming, I thought I’d come up with my list of things to do/not to do in the last few days before a race.

10.  No matter how terrible your training, DO NOT try to make up for it during the last week.  Yes, I skipped my long run. Okay, okay, I skipped a few long runs.  I skipped a few speed training sessions.  The worst thing I could do now is try to overcompensate and spend the next 2 weeks sore and tired.  I’m going to stick to my original training plan and adjust my race goals if necessary.  I’m not unprepared, just missed a few sessions I wish I hadn’t.

9.  Start getting good nights of sleep in now.  I can never sleep before a big race, and with the upcoming excitement of the Dumbo Double Dare + a runDisney Meet-Up, I am looking at 3 nights of anxiously trying to sleep, tossing and turning thinking about the next morning.  My goal is to be as well-rested going into the race as possible.

8.  Clean up your diet & plan out your carb-loading.  Yes, I love to eat, and it’s not always the best choices.  I always try to really clean it up in the weeks leading up to race day.  I try to increase my carbs, especially for a full marathon, but I try to be sure to do it early.  My worst half marathon was the one after I participated in Pasta in the Park the night before the race.  Now, don’t get me wrong, the party was fabulous!  I enjoyed it immensely.  The food was delicious, but I ate way too much and felt like I was running with a ten-pound bowling ball in my stomach for 13.1 miles.  Now I plan to eat my last “meal” at lunch and just snack lightly the rest of the evening the day before a race.

Continue on to Aly’s blog, Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming to read the rest of her tips!

So number 10 spoke to me- right off the bat.  And then 9, and 8… oh heck, she was spot on all around! I am so glad I read her blog today and plan to be a frequent reader!

What is your best tip for preparing for your big race?